Would this help reduce nitrates in source water?

[PerfectDepth]

My tap water usually has around 5-7 ppm nitrates. Not too high, but I had an idea to reduce it a bit since I normally let my new water outgas in buckets to let the ph settle before a pwc.

Lately, I've just been doing water changes and refilling buckets right afterward, so the water sits for a whole week.

I have an extra spice shaker and some seachem matrix. I thought about drilling a hole in the bottom for an airline and putting matrix inside it. If I run this in the bucket constantly, would it eventually help reduce nitrates in the source water?

If not, this idea might make a good filter for a qt tank, or a nano shrimp tank.

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[Autumnsky]

You could put a bunch of stem plants in there and add shrimp too I suppose though getting out the water only and not the shrimp might need some ingenious rigging. And a Maybe a screen divider or something.

 

[PerfectDepth]

Thanks. I had actually thought about using hornwort and rigging up some lighting with CFLs, but I don't really want to run extra lights.


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[Mebbid]

The matrix only works because of a lack of oxygen in the media. Using an air stone would be doing the exact opposite. I agree with using the stem plants though, however 5 - 7 ppm of nitrate is not a big deal honestly.

 

[Autumnsky]

Yeah but a great excuse to set up a new "tank" .

A gooseneck desk or clamp light with a grow aquarium cfl bulb or household daylight CFL bulb with the proper K rating I found at Ace hardware would work.

 

[dalto]

The matrix only works because of a lack of oxygen in the media. Using an air stone would be doing the exact opposite. I agree with using the stem plants though, however 5 - 7 ppm of nitrate is not a big deal honestly.

+1

If you want to remove nitrates you could use an RODI unit, plants or just not worry about it.

 

[PerfectDepth]

I guess I could try matrix in a small hob filter on the bucket. The thing is I already have air pumps running anyway, and I don't want to buy anything, I just want to use whatever's on hand since I'm not too worried about the nitrates anyway. I do have plants, but also dwarf anchor catfish that require low nitrate levels.

I thought the idea behind matrix is that the innermost pores are an anaerobic environment. Would the air even have an effect? Maybe the air would actually help with the whole nitrate exchange process by keeping the media in motion. I'm not really sure.


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[Mebbid]

I guess I could try matrix in a small hob filter on the bucket. The thing is I already have air pumps running anyway, and I don't want to buy anything, I just want to use whatever's on hand since I'm not too worried about the nitrates anyway. I do have plants, but also dwarf anchor catfish that require low nitrate levels.

I thought the idea behind matrix is that the innermost pores are an anaerobic environment. Would the air even have an effect? Maybe the air would actually help with the whole nitrate exchange process by keeping the media in motion. I'm not really sure.


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The air would penetrate the inner pores of fhe matrix. It would work great for nitrifying bacteria, but not soo well for denitrifying.

 

[jrc0528]

I have a Lee's corner filter that I run the Matrix in. Great thing is the air pumps the water OUT of the filter, thus it isn't oxygenating the filter. By adjusting the air rate extremely low you can get it to 'burp' one large bubble at a time up the lift tube, limiting even how much interaction the air gets with the exiting water. Other corner filters don't seem to burp the same, instead releasing a steady stream of small bubbles and increased air/water interaction. The odd shaping of the air and lift tube on the Lees filter I'm fairly sure is intentional to allow this.

I use this setup in my 5G neon tetras tank which is plumbed into my 75G planted tank. I use CO2 injection and must minimize any air/water interaction. My injection turns off overnight and the indicator is still a healthy green in the morning!

 

[PerfectDepth]

Thanks Mebbid & jrc. This gives me an idea. I don't know why I didn't think of this before.

I'll try using a small plastic water bottle, add some sort of lift tube to the top, cut small holes or slits in the bottom, fill it halfway with matrix, and plug in an airline near the top. That should work, right?

 

[jetajockey]

Sounds like it'd work, I just don't see that it'd benefit your system in any substantial way.

 

[Mebbid]

Sounds like it'd work, I just don't see that it'd benefit your system in any substantial way.

Agreed. Like I said before, 5-7ppm of nitrate is a tiny amount.

 

[PerfectDepth]

Are you saying it wouldn't consume any significant amount of nitrates, or that it's not worth doing? Do you think I'd be better off just adding Matrix to the HOB on the tank?

The reason I want to reduce nitrates is because apparently dwarf anchor catfish need 12.5 ppm or lower. 5-7 ppm may not seem like much, but if my nitrates are, let's say 10 ppm, just before a water change (10 gal low-light planted), a 50% water change isn't going to lower nitrates much. If weekly 50% changes are only removing 2 ppm, and >2 ppm nitrates are produced in the tank per week, the level will creep up over time.