nitrate level

[El Scorpio]

When was the last time you changed your aquarium filter? Old filters full of deteriorating stuff can generate a lot of nitrate.

[suvattii2012]

I upgraded to a bigger filter about 3 weeks ago.

[Terrance]

You could always add fast growing plants in your tank. It will become very messy though if you don't maintain it.

I'm testing some Pond Matrix to see if it really brings down nitrAte. I'm also tracking another hobbyist testing Matrix. This other fellow is getting lower nitrAtes with slower flow through his canister, but fast flow does not make Matrix effective at all.

If this becomes a big problem for you, then look into algae turf scrubbers.

[suvattii2012]

You could always add fast growing plants in your tank. It will become very messy though if you don't maintain it.

I'm testing some Pond Matrix to see if it really brings down nitrAte. I'm also tracking another hobbyist testing Matrix. This other fellow is getting lower nitrAtes with slower flow through his canister, but fast flow does not make Matrix effective at all.

If this becomes a big problem for you, then look into algae turf scrubbers.

Ok thanks. I have some willow moss and a few swords in there from ahwile ago and i put some new water wisteria plants in there yesterday. I have some more of the wisteria coming tommorrow. I hope that helps.

[RTR]

Sometimes test strips are correct. Sometimes they are way off. IMHO. they are a waste of time. Unreliable info is worse than no info.

[suvattii2012]

Sometimes test strips are correct. Sometimes they are way off. IMHO. they are a waste of time. Unreliable info is worse than no info.

Well they seem to work.

[Arny]

You could buy yourself a 'Phosphate reactor' to reduce your Nitrates. Just fill it with 100ml of Rowa Phos. If you don't want to buy a Phosphate reactor you can buy 'Rowa Phos' and put it in your external filter/sump. It can get your Nitrates down to 0. They are normally used for SW but still work just aswell for FW.

Rowa Phos
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... ink:top:en

Phosban Reactor 150
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Phosban-React ... 3a5817d2c9

[scpion]

Just out of curiousity.. In a fw environment, wouldn't a nitrate reactor be more appropriate?

[RTR]

Phosphate reactor for nitrate?

Water changes are cheaper for FW, and broad spectrum - reactors are not.

[kcartwright856]

Water changes are a great thing. Fish LOVE them. I don't know why you would choose to seek out products to remove nitrates when a simple water change would be more beneficial. Plus, your regular water changes prevent Old Tank Syndrome. If something should go terribly wrong and you need to do a large emergency water change, your tank will be shocked.

I'm not a big fan of any of the artificial products to change this and that in the aquarium. There's almost always a simple solution.

Though, yes, some fast-growing plants will use up some nitrates if they get too high between water changes. Floating plants, I find, are best at this. Try hornwort, anachris, or frogbit.

[scpion]

I think he mentioned that his water source has them in it.. 30ppm I think.

[bertie 83]

Yes his water source shows it. In this instance I would personally seek out a method of removing them prior to adding the water to the tank if possible

[suvattii2012]

The level is about 10-20 now i did a 25% water change two days ago i think it's the tap water then it soon drops after going in the tank. I can't afford a Phosphate reactor and i never even heard of them before. I don't like unknown stuff going in the tank. The only thing that goes in is water and api decholinator, do you think i should add something when i do water changes? and if i do two 25% a week instead of 50% the no3 will be within a safe level and would drop?

[suvattii2012]

I will wait to test on monday with the api master kit.

[RTR]

Just so you know, two 25% water changes do not equal one 50% water change. You would need to increase thr two smaller changed to ~30-33% to match the one larger change. Water changes are a dilution prcocess. Serial small changes cannot be simply added to match the effectiveness of one larger change.

HTH