Nitrate

[Fready]

My tap water comes with +-10 nitrate so my tank is always between 20-40 even with 50% PWC

but i am way overfiltered i have a tetratec ex 700 and a 1200 so thats +-1900l/h and my tank is 250l

So i could leave one out easily
I would wana put something in the second filter to bring down the nitrates
Ive been reading quite a bit about plants, nitrate absorbing media like zeolith,...


Anyone that has experience with any of them?

 

[Pton46]

I think you can use Crushed Coral. I have the same issue with my Tank, and I am over filtered as well.

 

[garfy]

I use tetra aqua nitrateminus it's completely harmless to fish and works very well.

 

[Jmedic25]

More filtration wont lower your nitrates. Its an end cycle by product. Logic would say, the more benificial bacterica you have crunching ammonia, the higher nitrates you will have. Stick with the plants..That being said 20-40 isnt bad

 

[Fready]

Yeah but there are materials that transform nitrate into nitrogen and then leaves the water at the surface like zeoliet ( well its called like that here in belgium )

But i think the bacteria that does that is anaerobic but thats where i'm stuck.
I dont think its possible to create a anaerobic environment in a canester filter.

I think there is not realy such a thing as to much filtration, dont you only have as much bacteria as there is "food" for them?
So both filters are only working half i think.

20-40 is ok but what if i put in 10 demasoni lol
Ofc i will have to rehome the afra red top and a yellow or 2 but i would still have 17 fish in there that would be 5 more than now.

I dont like adding chemicals.
Does nitrateminus have effect on other params?

I think i'm gona have to live with it lol

 

[Link119]

A fast growing plant will suck nitrates.

 

[Jmedic25]

no chems? any prime?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Up your water change schedule to two large water changes a week. If your tap water is 10ppm I'd think you should be at least be able to get it to 15-20ppm easy.

 

[Fready]

Except for dechlorinator.. I dont use anything
I ordered seachem prime online for 25€+ (i'm from belgium and it has to be shipped international so its expensive) wana try it out.
Waiting for shipment to arrive.

I also ordered new life spectrum cichlid 600g (32€) to reduce exessive food
Well if i can believe how good everyone says it is than its gona help to.

 

[jetajockey]

One of the problems with using products like zeolite is that it needs recharged at certain intervals. The nitrate level doesn't sound extreme in any way, but if you really want to lower it just add plants, as mentioned. That's the safest and simplest way to control it.

 

[Fready]

I also kinda hate the nitrate test lol i never know what color it is and how to look at it mostly i think it looks a tad darker orange wich would be 20ish maybe i'm wrong and they are between 20 and 30ppm
But still i see people here with 5ppm BLEH! Lol
Or there tank isnt cycled!!

How do you guys and girls hold the tube? Against the white of the card? Like 1 cm away? I use the lighting of my tank cause the normal light isnt that bright.
If i hold it against the card its much darker than 1 cm away...

Its the API one btw

The darkest one is my fry tank i think and the second would be my tap water.
If i hold it 1cm away from the white its not that dark...

Edit: they are both the same one is in low light and the other with my tl tank lighting. Bah i hate it

 

[Malawi Freak]

When reading results hold the tube against the card in the white area. If you just hold the tube up in the air allowing the light to pass through the color changes. I use a test kit that you look down the top of the test tube to see your results.

When testing tap water, let it stand in a container for 12 hours. I prefer a very clean glass bowl. Water parameters are best tested 2-4 hours after a water change to get a good grasp of what's in your tap.