jarrod0987
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2005
- Messages
- 512
Some Nitrate experiments I ran a long time ago. Part 1-4
(EDIT: Some folks who wish to try this have advised me they don't understand how much to add how often. That info is in the first link. It is an advanced topic with risk involved so I have to include all the details. If I leave things out it could cause problems. Sorry guys. It's an advanced subject. Google is your friend.)
This one is going to be a long and controversial one folks. I ran this experiment around 2011. I lost the original data on my computer but I did find the note I wrote to myself while it was going on to provide some of the data. No fish were present during the initial experiments. They have been present since with no ill effects on them.
So the purpose of this experiment was to find a way to reduce Nitrates. Nitrates are not toxic in low concentrations. Some people say they are toxic above 80 ppm and some say not. I think we can all agree in a fish only system with a lot of fish, nitrate can skyrocket quickly unless you do regular large water changes. Which is a pain in the ***, even with a python. It is also a time issue. So if there was another way to reduce nitrates, that could space out our water changes.
Some of you may be familiar with a product that is basically an ion ex changer for Nitrates. Basically a marked up and repacked Purolite A520E. It is a nice product because you can buy a smaller amount then having to buy a huge bag for a big price. It exchanges salt with nitrate in your aquarium. Then you take it out and recharge it. The salt is not harmful in low quantities to fish. However, chlorides can be harsh on some plants I'm told. It's also a little bit of money and you have to get the water to flow through it to get it to work right etc.
There is also dentirifying products like pumice stones and nitrate coils. They provide denitrification zones fro bacteria. They do work if you get the flow rate just right. The coils can take up a lot of room. I prefer the pumice method. Still it is not the holy grail. There can be some nitrate left over unless you add large denitrate areas to your system. This also adds maintenance time and expense. I wanted a easier solution. There is a bottled product on the market that has been shown on YouTube to make the nitrates go away. A before and after nitrate test was shown. However, I am pretty sure this is a temporary thing. The chemical added breaks down after a day or 2 and the nitrate comes back.
I wanted an easier solution. I found one on the salt water side. I brought it back to the freshwater side and got it working in a practical way. I also believe I solved the mystery of cloudy water during new tank syndrome. It comes from bacteria alright. But not the ones I thought. I was also able to get large amount's of nitrate down to absolute zero for penny's and only the usual vacuuming of gravel. Stay Tuned for Part 2 I will tell you everything.
Edit....I forgot to add Nitrate is largely responsible for GHA (if it is out of balance with Phosphate) and is a contributor to algae.
(EDIT: Some folks who wish to try this have advised me they don't understand how much to add how often. That info is in the first link. It is an advanced topic with risk involved so I have to include all the details. If I leave things out it could cause problems. Sorry guys. It's an advanced subject. Google is your friend.)
This one is going to be a long and controversial one folks. I ran this experiment around 2011. I lost the original data on my computer but I did find the note I wrote to myself while it was going on to provide some of the data. No fish were present during the initial experiments. They have been present since with no ill effects on them.
So the purpose of this experiment was to find a way to reduce Nitrates. Nitrates are not toxic in low concentrations. Some people say they are toxic above 80 ppm and some say not. I think we can all agree in a fish only system with a lot of fish, nitrate can skyrocket quickly unless you do regular large water changes. Which is a pain in the ***, even with a python. It is also a time issue. So if there was another way to reduce nitrates, that could space out our water changes.
Some of you may be familiar with a product that is basically an ion ex changer for Nitrates. Basically a marked up and repacked Purolite A520E. It is a nice product because you can buy a smaller amount then having to buy a huge bag for a big price. It exchanges salt with nitrate in your aquarium. Then you take it out and recharge it. The salt is not harmful in low quantities to fish. However, chlorides can be harsh on some plants I'm told. It's also a little bit of money and you have to get the water to flow through it to get it to work right etc.
There is also dentirifying products like pumice stones and nitrate coils. They provide denitrification zones fro bacteria. They do work if you get the flow rate just right. The coils can take up a lot of room. I prefer the pumice method. Still it is not the holy grail. There can be some nitrate left over unless you add large denitrate areas to your system. This also adds maintenance time and expense. I wanted a easier solution. There is a bottled product on the market that has been shown on YouTube to make the nitrates go away. A before and after nitrate test was shown. However, I am pretty sure this is a temporary thing. The chemical added breaks down after a day or 2 and the nitrate comes back.
I wanted an easier solution. I found one on the salt water side. I brought it back to the freshwater side and got it working in a practical way. I also believe I solved the mystery of cloudy water during new tank syndrome. It comes from bacteria alright. But not the ones I thought. I was also able to get large amount's of nitrate down to absolute zero for penny's and only the usual vacuuming of gravel. Stay Tuned for Part 2 I will tell you everything.
Edit....I forgot to add Nitrate is largely responsible for GHA (if it is out of balance with Phosphate) and is a contributor to algae.