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Old 25-05-2006, 05:37 AM posted to rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants
PJ
 
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Default Do Plants add oxygen to freshwater aquariums

WOW... TY... PJ




wrote in message
oups.com...

PJ wrote:
I have a fish tank,freshwater. do plants like Elodia and Banana Lillies
convert Ammonia to oxygen please??/ If NOT what plants do???

TIA.. PJ


Plants split water, use the H+ to make ATP in the chloroplast, use the
electron to drive the light reactions in photosynthesis ultimately to
produce NDPH whichb si used to reduce things like oxidized CO2 into
reduced forms of sugars which are burned for metabolism, just like when
you eat candy, (the sugar is made from plants) and the waste from this
process is O2.

2H20 = O2 + 4e- + 4H+

Ammonia is assimilated into Glutamine in the chloroplast directly and
then made into other amino acids and proteins, DNA/RNA and enzymes etc.

Most any submersed plant should produce O2, Egeria densa is the name
for the Elodea/Anacharis and it's quite good at adding O2 during the
day.

If you over load ther tank, the ability for the plants to provide
enough O2 and remove enough NH4 is compromised as more and moire fish
are added.

In general, it's best to provide the fish with a good home and plenty
of space.
Plants help.

If you keep plants, learn to grow them, they work much better than
slowly rotting away which adds neither O2 nor removes NH4.

Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com