Nitrates dropping... berlin filtration begins!

[Scoot]

After turning off my HOB in favor of berlin filtering, my nitrates have begun to drop.

I was in the 10-20PPM, leaning towards 20 yesterday.

This morning, ammonia and nitrites still zero, but nitrates are in the 5-10 range, without a PWC! I've tested it twice now to be sure.

Honestly, the AP tests are hard to read from 0 to 5 to 10, it could even be in the 0 to 5 range. I may reduce the sample by half and retest (expecting doubled results).

The design of the emperor 400's allows food and stuff to settle in the back/bottom. Lots of it. Adding a filter pad or sponge to the intake cuts the amount of flow going through the filter so much it loses effectiveness.

I've actually removed the filter now, and added a PH in its place. I think I'm going to need another PH though, not enough surface disturbance to keep O2 levels up. That's one thing the old HOB was good for, it created a nice wave, almost a foot across.

 

[boardsurfer]

Congrats on the nitrates dropping. I use the Berlin method and I love it. Zero nitrates for a year or so.

 

[Scoot]

They're still from 5-10, but that's a nice drop from a 10-20, without a PWC. No increases at all in nitrates anymore, so I'm hoping I can eliminate it altogether with PWC's.

Next PWC I should be to get them close to 5 or below, and after another, down even lower.

They've been really stable for quite awhile, I've neglected going a PWC for a couple weeks because I've always based the need for PWC on nitrates.

Now I'm just going to put it on my schedule.