# Are there any aquarium plants that also consume nitrites?



## Bilbobaggins (May 13, 2012)

I know that aquatic plants feed off of nitrates but is there any that actually consume nitrites? Im learning here, lol.


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## Kyrol (Feb 24, 2012)

From what I have ready they will to some extent but not enough to make a massive difference " As in drastically alter your water parameters." . Plants would rather have ammonia but then you get into nh3 vs nh4+ depending on ph and a bunch of other crap I'm still reading my self.


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## CatB (Jan 29, 2012)

i love you for your username.
jussayin.

anyways...yeah, there are. like the above post says, they'll eat ammonia first, but if there's none of that- which there shouldn't be in your tank- then they'll consume nitrIte and nitrAte. any floating plants, especially duckweed, as hideous as it may be, are good at consuming any of these. also water sprite, which comes in floating and nonfloating varieties.
*but be warned!* any of these plants grow SO SO SO fast if they like your tank...you'll want to rip them out within a number of months (or less!) if you're nitpicky about how your tank looks.
if you're not, then no biggie- get some.


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## Bilbobaggins (May 13, 2012)

CatB said:


> i love you for your username.
> jussayin.
> 
> anyways...yeah, there are. like the above post says, they'll eat ammonia first, but if there's none of that- which there shouldn't be in your tank- then they'll consume nitrIte and nitrAte. any floating plants, especially duckweed, as hideous as it may be, are good at consuming any of these. also water sprite, which comes in floating and nonfloating varieties.
> ...


 Thanks for the compliment on the name! I LOOOVe fantasy and im a big fantacy book reader. The LOTR movies were a dream come true and they are my favorite movies of all time. The Hobbit that will be released in December will be an instant classic!
As far as the way plants look... i used to keep planted show tanks and will soon build me another for my ring leopard discus i am growing out. However for now i am simply using plants as an addition to water quality control. I already have good biological filtration. Im just wanting something that will mop up any extra ammonia, nitrite or nitrates in my water which wont be much. Also microbs grow on the plants which aids in with my fry grow outs. They love to eat that stuff! 
I honestly dont care what it looks like. Im just wanting the fastest growing plants out there that are the best ammonia, nitrite and nitrate absorbers. 
So you say that this fast growing Parrots Feather doesn't do much in that area? That stinks. I suppose its getting most of its nutrients from the pot that i planted it in even though its at the bottem of my tank?


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## Bilbobaggins (May 13, 2012)

Ok i am manually having to come back to this site and check to see if anyone has responded to my post. How do i make it to where anyone that posts it will notify me at my email adress? Thanks!


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## Bilbobaggins (May 13, 2012)

never mind i found out how!


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## CatB (Jan 29, 2012)

Bilbobaggins said:


> Thanks for the compliment on the name! I LOOOVe fantasy and im a big fantacy book reader. The LOTR movies were a dream come true and they are my favorite movies of all time. The Hobbit that will be released in December will be an instant classic!
> As far as the way plants look... i used to keep planted show tanks and will soon build me another for my ring leopard discus i am growing out. However for now i am simply using plants as an addition to water quality control. I already have good biological filtration. Im just wanting something that will mop up any extra ammonia, nitrite or nitrates in my water which wont be much. Also microbs grow on the plants which aids in with my fry grow outs. They love to eat that stuff!
> I honestly dont care what it looks like. Im just wanting the fastest growing plants out there that are the best ammonia, nitrite and nitrate absorbers.
> So you say that this fast growing Parrots Feather doesn't do much in that area? That stinks. I suppose its getting most of its nutrients from the pot that i planted it in even though its at the bottem of my tank?


awesome! yeah, i can't wait for the hobbit (as a movie) to come out too... but i need to finish the books first D8. i loved the LOTR movies when i was younger (like when they came out), but i tried reading the hobbit when i was in third grade and got bored with it (because i was in third grade and had a short attention span) and never really looked back until now :c. MUST CATCH UP...

anyhoo... i don't know much about parrot's feather, except that it's really fragile and supposedly hard to keep...haha. but yeah, if you put it in a pot, then it'll be getting its nutrients from there. the best plants for absorbing ammonia/nitrIte/nitrAte are things that get their nutrients from the water column, and grow fast. things like...water sprite and duckweed. all root-feeding plants will get most of their nutrients from the substrate, which is good, but not the most helpful for controlling the parameters of your tank.



> Ok i am manually having to come back to this site and check to see if anyone has responded to my post. How do i make it to where anyone that posts it will notify me at my email adress? Thanks!


go to the top of the thread, and click on the button that says "thread tools." there'll be a "subscribe to this thread" option, which you click and then pick how you want it to email you. it'll send to the email you registered with, of course.
EDIT: oop, ninja'd by OP xD


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## zdnet (Aug 13, 2010)

According to "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium", plants do take up nitrite. In general, ammonium is the preference over nitrite or nitrate. But duckweed prefers nitrite over nitrate.


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