removing ammonia

[creep]

I saw some zeolite in the pet store today, and it says it removes ammonia. So I got to thinking, that if it removes ammonia, then the ammonia doesn't turn to nitrites, and in turn won't turn into nitrates. If this is true, then wouldn't all of my readings be at 0 at all times, especially with all the LR and LS in my tank? It seems like this is too good to be true, and I have never heard of anyone using it, so there must be a problem that i'm not thinking of. Anyone with more knowledge then me have an opinion on this?

 

[boxfishpooalot]

Your thinking is correct but its going to cost alot of money to keep up with zeolite replacement. Fwiw, live macro algae also remove ammonia directly, so why spend the money?

Also, bacteria and phytoplankton will remove/convert ammonia almost as fast as its produced. So I think its a waste of money. But it depends on your setup and lifestyle, as it may be good for some tanks.

Im not sure, but I dont know if there are saltwater zeolites, I know there are freshwater ones.

 

[creep]

I'm not going to actually use it, as i want my tank to work like its supposed to , but thought it was an interesting theory and wondered if anyone else used it. Thanks for the reply.

 

[69vette]

Zeolite doesn't work in saltwater. You actually put it in saltwater to recharge it.