Thoughts on Nitrate Sponges?

[senemedar]

Anyone have any experience with them?
Are they doing anything really or it's just a waste of money?

 

[Terrance]

I never bought this product, but it must be similar to Matrix or Pond Matrix. Just keeps lower nitrates in between water changes. It does not replace water changes and it doesn't get rid of other unmeasurable waste in the water.

 

[senemedar]

I didn't look for it as a replacement for a water changes. I just looking for it as a help with keeping water clean and healthy. I'm doing the water changes every week and intent on doing so all the time

 

[Terrance]

I'm going for the pond matrix for the same purposes as you

 

[Aspencer]

I have had no experience with that product but if you keep up with water changes and periodic testing of levels so you get a good feel how dirty your water gets in relation to time, you will have pristine water.

 

[senemedar]

My nitrates are skyrocketing now for some reason I can't comprehend, so I ordered a sponge for my tank and will do a water change today and tomorrow. Got a brand new water test, so I'll keep posting about the results when I get my sponge

 

[boadams87]

How big is your tank and what's in it?

 

[Terrance]

My nitrates are skyrocketing now for some reason I can't comprehend, so I ordered a sponge for my tank and will do a water change today and tomorrow. Got a brand new water test, so I'll keep posting about the results when I get my sponge

Nitrates is used to measure the total amount of pollution in your water. If you buy a product that mask your indicator, then you will never know how your water quality is doing.

If you're doing 50% weekly water changes and still get rising levels of nitrates, then your tank is overstocked or you are overfeeding.

 

[boadams87]

Nitrates is used to measure the total amount of pollution in your water. If you buy a product that mask your indicator, then you will never know how your water quality is doing.

If you're doing 50% weekly water changes and still get rising levels of nitrates, then your tank is overstocked or you are overfeeding.

That's the reason I asked what size tank and what's in it because I think its overstocked

 

[senemedar]

How big is your tank and what's in it?

The tank is 165 litres, and the stock list is quite long and hard to put over the phone while at work The full stocking list is in my profile though, please check it this way.

 

[boadams87]

The tank is 165 litres, and the stock list is quite long and hard to put over the phone while at work The full stocking list is in my profile though, please check it this way.

Oh ok. If its that many your probably way overstocked.

 

[senemedar]

Nitrates is used to measure the total amount of pollution in your water. If you buy a product that mask your indicator, then you will never know how your water quality is doing.

If you're doing 50% weekly water changes and still get rising levels of nitrates, then your tank is overstocked or you are overfeeding.

I'm doing a weekly water changes, but only about 10-15% at a time. As for the feeding -I'm only feeding them once a day in the evening, but it may be a bit too much, as I'm always afraid that they'll be hungry But the food's disappearing within 5 to 10 minutes, apart from the bits on the bottom that the shrimps are taking care later on.

I don't think my Nitrates are rising anymore, but they had stopped at a level between 40 and 80 now

 

[boadams87]

I'm doing a weekly water changes, but only about 10-15% at a time. As for the feeding -I'm only feeding them once a day in the evening, but it may be a bit too much, as I'm always afraid that they'll be hungry But the food's disappearing within 5 to 10 minutes, apart from the bits on the bottom that the shrimps are taking care later on.

I don't think my Nitrates are rising anymore, but they had stopped at a level between 40 and 80 now

With nitrates that high you should be changing 50-75%

 

[senemedar]

Yes, I'll do that today and tomorrow. I'm only concerned about my water bill

 

[boadams87]

Yes, I'll do that today and tomorrow. I'm only concerned about my water bill

What size tank is it? It shouldn't bother it to much only once a week.

 

[LyndaB]

His stock (165 liters = roughly 40 US gallons):

- 6 x Guppies
- 1 x Pearl Gourami
- 5 x Black Skirt Tetras
- 3 x Balloon Mollies + 1 "Just" Mollie
- 2 x Glass Cafish
- 1 x Albino Bristlenose Long-veiled Pleco
- 1 x Snowball Pleco
- 1 x Red-Tailed Shark
- 1 x Amano shrimp
- 3 x Red Cherry Shrimp
- 1 x Apple snail
- 1 x Assassin snail

 

[epiphysis]

I've never used sponges because I'm a bit sceptical about them. How do you know when they stop being effective?

For an in-tank sollution I would rather suggest some easy-to-grow stemplants. Appart from the snails your stocklist looks like its fine.

Otherwise, larger water changes will be the thing. If you are concerned about the waterbill then I will suggest that showering for us aquarists is optional

 

[LyndaB]

I would like to see that shark in a 75 gallon tank, though.

 

[senemedar]

Hi. First of all thank you LyndaB for help with stocking list Working from 6am till 8pm is making you less inclined to go to a computer when you're back home, and not everything can be easily typed on the phone

There's a story behind that shark, and to cut it short - it was a very first fish sold to me by my LFS, for a (back then) 60 litres UNCYCLED tank over year ago... And as much as it hurts me, I can't get him anything bigger than my 43 US gallons simply because my flat isn't big enough

@epiphysis:
I don't think you'll know when they stop working; you just need to change them every now and then, I suppose.
What do you mean by 'Apart from snails' ?


Plus, I did a 50% water change as suggested, and after an hour Nitrates are still high, but it's a bit better; it's not as dark as 80ppm, but it's bit darker than 40ppm. But it's lighter than yesterday, so I'm happier than I was this morning I'll do another one tomorrow and check it again.
What worries me though, is that my tap water is somewhere between 10 and 20ppm - should it be that high?

And I see that the isn't as updated as I'd like it to see There's 4 guppies now, not 6 and just two RCS...

 

[epiphysis]

I mentioned the snails because they don't really go with plants. A healty bush of H polysperma might help lower the nitrates (if its not blacklisted in your area).