Do plants help lower my amonia and nitrite?

I know they use the nitrate to grow but what about the other stuff?



What if a tank i high in nitrite and amonia will adding plants help?

Do plants help lower my amonia and nitrite?
Plants will typically utilise Nitrogen in specific forms, and there is a process, known as the Nitrogen Cycle, whereby ammonia will get converterted, utlimately to nitrates, that plants can use.



The process goes from ammonia through nitrites to nitrates, and is performed by bacteria. You can aid the process by adding cultures of bacteria into your tank - the plants won't typically appreciate the ammonia, and this is the most harmful for fish, as you probably know. That said, some plants will process ammonium, and lower its level, but I would go for improving your filtration, and upping the levels of the bacteria cultures that process the Nitrogen in different stages. Adding plants will ultimately mean more decaying plant matter in the future, which would return ammonia to the water, thus creating a problem downstream - if you'll excuse the pun.



You can buy bacteria cultures in aquarium centres etc.



Hope this helps. Good luck! Rob