Johan van Aardt
I love marines [R.I.P.]
Gonna have to read that a few times to understand it but from what i can see is its good info
Cat litter is not a zeolith it is a Benthonithe a different material
Also under Zeoliths there is a big difference
maybe here i can show you
This is the biding line from
( Ultralith )
Cs+ > NH4+ > Pb2+ > K+ > Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Ba2+ > Cu2+ > Zn2+
This is the binding line from Ponds Zeolith which looks very similar
Ba2+>Sr2+>Ca2+>Li+>Tl+>Cs+>K+>Ag+> Rb+>NH4+>Pb2+>Na+
Did you see the difference
in the last Zeolithe you see that mostly trace elements will suck before ammonium is taken out of the water
the bacterial growing is different and also the reduction of nutrition.
In the zeolith happens -->
Autotroph bacterias settle the surface of the Ultralith and oxidize the absorbed a
ammonium with oxygen to Nitrat
2NH4 + 5O2 = 2NO3 + 4H2O
In the mineral the heterotrophs bacterias reduce the nitrat to nitrogen
5CH2O + 4 NO3 = 4 HCO3- + CO2 + 3H20 + N2
it is important to have the right Zeolith to control this Cycle in nutriton
and bacterial growing
Thanks for the summary, Dallas. That's the point I would like to see proven. That both zeolith as well as zeolites act as massive area for biological filtration, to remove ammonia/nitrites and generate nitrates.
In my tank - the nitrates will then be taken care off by my chaetomorpha and remote DSB's.