Cycling -- a refresher

[crsublette]

I see that it may become necessary to block you again. This is your choice.

@Meyer Jordan , I think that would be best... and make it permanent this time...


@Mmathis , my sincerest apologies for this exchange happening in your thread.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

 

[Meyer Jordan]

 

[MitchM]

Yes the Walsted method works without supplemental biofiltration by the fact that these aquaria are heavily planted which provides the SSA for bacterial colonization.
The typical aquarium is not this heavily planted hence less than optimal SSA.
BTW, I found the mention of minimal water movement by Ms. Walsted very interesting.

I'm not convinced that it is the SSA (Specific Surface Area for new people reading this thread) of the submerged plants that does the biofiltration heavy lifting in a Walstad setup.
I noticed a tremendous increase in the growth rate of duckweed shortly after I did any major pruning in my setup from this past year.
The duckweed was feeding off the ammonia that was previously being consumed by the submerged plants.
When the tank had a thick growth of submerged plants, the duckweed growth was minimal, perhaps covering 10% of the surface area. After a 50% pruning of the submerged plants, the duckweed would cover 80% of the water surface within about 1-1/2 weeks.
I rarely cleaned the sides of the aquarium. It didn't need it. (mind you, there were plecostomus in there)

How this relates to this thread is that if a pond can be set up with a combination of submerged plants and floating plants, I think that the cycling process can be much quicker and safer for fish.
I still would recommend an initial addition of straight ammonia to encourage bacterial growth in a new pond or aquarium.

One drawback is that I believe goldfish consume duckweed. A person would have to protect the duckweed from that.

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[MitchM]

After my last post, I realized that by pruning the plants, I was also reducing some SSA.
I guess it's debatable then if the majority of the biofiltration was being done by the bacteria or by the submerged plants.
More research required.

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[Meyer Jordan]

After my last post, I realized that by pruning the plants, I was also reducing some SSA.
I guess it's debatable then if the majority of the biofiltration was being done by the bacteria or by the submerged plants.
More research required.

.

Both! The biofilm by oxidation, the submerged plants (and algae) by assimilation.

 

[MitchM]

Ah, right.
Thanks for simplifying that distinction for me.
I guess then, that instead of competing for nutrients, the bacteria and submerged plant leaves would help each other - the bacteria benefit from the additional surface area while the plant leaves benefit from the bacteria oxidizing ammonia and ammonium?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Sent you an email.