Wet/dries make less nitrate?

Playfair · 06/12/2001, 03:09 PM

This guy on another board was shunning those that said wet/dry filters are nitrate factories, which may have some truth. But he sighted this little tidbit as to why they produce LESS nitrate:

Quote:

A biowheel or bioballs have a large surface interface with the atmosphere. Ammonia is a volatile liquid. When exposed to air, it will gas off. These biowheels and bioballs, by their very nature, will gas off more ammonia. With less ammonia being left in the in the system to produce nitrites, YOU WILL END UP WITH LESS, NOT MORE NITRATES.

Does this have any merit?

wave_happy · 06/12/2001, 04:10 PM

Years ago a process called "de-gassing" was proposed for removal of ammonia from aquarium water. I performed a search on this site but could not find anything about de-gassing. As I recall it is possible to "de-gas" ammonia from the system water using a wet dry filtration system, but it is not practical. The draw back is that the wet dry tower must be massive (larger than the tank?) and a huge amount of air must flow though it.

HTH

06/12/2001, 04:10 PM	#2
wave_happy Registered Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 558	Years ago a process called "de-gassing" was proposed for removal of ammonia from aquarium water. I performed a search on this site but could not find anything about de-gassing. As I recall it is possible to "de-gas" ammonia from the system water using a wet dry filtration system, but it is not practical. The draw back is that the wet dry tower must be massive (larger than the tank?) and a huge amount of air must flow though it. HTH