Air as a nitrogen source?

JoeBanks

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Jun 23, 2005
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Just curious about this:

If you bubble air into your tank, does the nitrogen dissolve into the water? Can the plants use it as a nitrogen source?
 

defdac

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Aug 25, 2006
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Linköping, Sweden
Re: Air as a nitrogen source?

No but some species of Cyanobacteria can. I don't think the usual species of Cyanobacteria we have in our tanks (Osciallatoria) are able to fix nitrogen though. They don't develop heterocysts needed for N2-uptake:
http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.200103/msg00404.html

That said Cyanobacteria in my own tank seems very good at surviving very low nitrogencontent in the water, but I guess it has to do with the niche-thingy - they have an extreme surface:volume-ratio and oscillates which makes them efficiently grab every little N-containing molecule they can come over.

I know Tom can explain it better though =)