Nitrogen for plants: the second oxygen or a source of imbalance in the aquarium?

Nitrogen is somewhat of a double-edged sword, but it is essential to the health of aquarium plants. On the one hand, it’s an essential nutrient that promotes lush, green growth in plants, much like oxygen is necessary for human respiration. On the other hand, an excess of nitrogen can upset the delicate balance in your aquarium and cause a variety of issues.

Nitrogen is abundant in the natural world and promotes plant growth. It is a significant part of proteins and other biological materials. However, adding nitrogen to your aquarium isn’t always easy. Plants need it, but in order to really benefit from it, they also need the right conditions and a balance with other nutrients.

Excessive nitrogen levels can cause algal blooms and low water quality, which will reduce the enjoyment that fish and plants get out of your tank. Keeping an aquarium attractive and healthy requires knowing how to handle nitrogen. Therefore, even though nitrogen is necessary, it’s crucial to monitor and manage it to prevent it from causing more issues than it fixes.

Nitrogen is frequently regarded as an essential nutrient for plant growth in aquariums, but it can also have unintended consequences. Although too much nitrogen can cause algal blooms and upset the equilibrium of your tank, it also helps to maintain lush, healthy plants and a balanced ecosystem. Effective nitrogen management is essential to establishing a healthy aquatic ecosystem free from unintentional harm.

Why do aquarium plants need nitrogen

Although the primary component of air is gaseous nitrogen (N2), plants cannot utilise it in this form.

Nitrogen forms that aquarium plants are capable of absorbing:

• ammonium (NH4 +);

• urea (CH4N2O).

One of the essential elements of protein is nitrogen. Ammonium (NH4 +) is the form that nitrogen takes when protein breaks down. The digestion of food by aquarium inhabitants is thought to be a significant source of ammonium during the protein breakdown process.

Ammonium is the only polyatomic cation that can be obtained from protein in fish and other aquatic organisms. The nitrogen compounds that have broken down return to the water column. Ammonium produced by the breakdown of old plants finds its way into the aquarium as well.

An environment that is conducive to protein formation presupposes that aquarium flora will absorb the greatest quantity of ammonium possible as a source of nitrogen. With the assistance of oxygen, diligent bacteria convert the residual ammonium into nitrates. Plants will also "eat" the resulting nitrates. We refer to this cycle as the nitrogen cycle.

Certain plants use ammonium as their preferred form of nitrogen, while others prefer nitrate, and still others use both forms in about a 1:1 ratio. The plant needs to change nitrate into ammonium in order to use nitrogen. Nitrate ions can build up in the cell vacuoles during this energy-intensive process. In contrast, ammonium is either absorbed right away or after being broken down by bacteria.

Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle is significant to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The cycle describes the conversion of gaseous nitrogen, partially facilitated by bacterial activity, from organically bound nitrogen, urea, ammonium, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

Animal waste and the remnants of animal food break down and release ammonium in an aquarium. It is transformed into nitrite by bacteria, and nitrite into nitrate. These organic nitrogen sources aren’t always enough, though. Strong plant growth and a limited number of animals in the aquarium are frequently the cause.

Sensitive plants and aquatic creatures thrive in a better, more stable environment that is produced by a well-functioning nitrogen cycle, which also lowers the quantity of algae triggers. If the nitrogen cycle is allowed to finish in the tank, the amount of diatoms and green dust algae that form is reduced.

How to maintain a nitrogen cycle

The procedure needs to be regularly checked with specialized testing. They will assist in figuring out how saturated the water is with ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates right now.

They must follow these basic guidelines in order to keep their balance at a respectable level:

1. The density of the settlement of the aquarium should not be high.
2. Biofiltration must be adjusted.
3. Overflow of fish and hydrobionts is unacceptable.
4. Water substitution and maintenance of banks should be carried out regularly.
5. Aquachimia must be used according to the instructions and based on the volume of the aquarium, as well as taking into account other factors, for example, water hardness parameters, aquarium light, temperature, etc.
6. New plants and biological inhabitants are best subjected to quarantine before hooking them in a common jar.

The nitrogen cycle reaches its norm in 4-6 weeks, subject to all regulations. Nitrate production reaches a stable state and is fully established during this period.

How to understand that there is a nitrogen deficiency

Certain plant species’ colors are influenced by the quantity of nitrogen that is available. This is because the chlorophyll molecule bundle contains a large amount of nitrogen. Green chlorophyll usually covers the red pigments in plants. When there is a nitrogen shortage, they become more visible.

The following indicators indicate that nitrogen starvation is occurring in the aquarium:

• Plant growth is slow.
• Leaf tips turn yellow.
• Old leaves die prematurely.
• The change in the color of the leaves of some plants from juicy green to red or brown is sudden.

Many aquarists artificially control the jar’s CO2 level to give their plants the shade they want. Transformations function both in the opposite direction and from green to red. Here, it’s important to remember that there’s a good chance that cutting back on nitrogen will totally stunt plant growth.

An essential component of aquarium plant care, nitrogen is essential for the growth and general well-being of the plants. On the one hand, it functions as a nutrient to encourage healthy plant growth, improving the plants’ capacity to take in other necessary components and enhancing the ecosystem in the aquarium as a whole. Plants may suffer from insufficient nitrogen, which could result in stunted growth and an imbalance that could harm the aquatic ecosystem as a whole.

On the other hand, too much nitrogen can have unintended consequences. Algal blooms brought on by an excess of nitrogen can outcompete your plants for nutrients and take away from the harmony and aesthetics of your aquarium. It all comes down to striking the correct balance: too much nitrogen can lead to imbalances and unwelcome algae growth, while too little nitrogen will harm your plants.

A healthy aquarium depends on routine nitrogen level monitoring and adjustment. You can make sure that the levels of nitrogen in your water are just right—enough to nourish your plants without tipping the scales toward issues—by monitoring the health of your plants and the water. Ultimately, it’s about creating a harmonious environment in your aquarium where nitrogen contributes in a way that doesn’t upset the delicate balance you’ve worked so hard to keep.

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