Product to Decrease Nitrates and Phosphates?

[cpeluso]

Has anyone tried this product?:
Product Catalog

This product promises to decrease phosphates to 0 (preventing algae growth) and decreasing nitrates to below 40 for approximately 6 months by feeding the bacteria that convert nitrates to nitrogen gas.

What do you all think?

 

[WhiteDevil]

Go get some hornwort and call it a day, plants are the best remedy for this stuff.

 

[spoonman]

Have to side with the devil on this one! The less chemicals I add to the water the better. The quick and easy way is not always that best way.

 

[cpeluso]

I'm still trying to detox from my reef-keeping days when I felt like a poor chemist!

 

[severum mama]

Snake oil IMO. Water changes and plants are the best way to rid your tank of excess nutrients.

 

[mgamer20o0]

ill 4th that. water changes are the way to get rid of nitrates. if you have extra phosphates there is always plants.

 

[cpeluso]

But what if you can't have plants (stock lighting, hard water, etc.)?

 

[partypalooza5]

I tried that product and I'd have to say it did absolutely nothing, the levels stayed the same even after following the directions correctly and everything.

Just throwing that out there xD

 

[cwt]

I have this stuff, and it probably promises too much. Used it to buffer my first tank build, and when the phosphates dropped out, the BBA showed up. I'd rather have green algae than BBA, because only one kind of fish eats that stuff, and it's impossible to get off of plants. As others have said, nitrates are very easy to get rid of with plants. Trust me, java fern will grow with stock kit-tank lighting... I have it in every tank in the house, and all of my tanks would be considered low-light in the hobby. Hard water here too. Give the plants a chance.

I will probably still keep my bottle of the Tetra stuff around if I have to throw together an emergency tank. That's about it though.

 

[severum mama]

But what if you can't have plants (stock lighting, hard water, etc.)?

Change more water.
HN1 and I change 50-60% weekly on the 8, 75, and 120 gallon FW. The 8 and 120 are planted and we do it anyway. I would never rely on a product to do what I can accomplish better, and more naturally, as a hobbyist. Fresh, clean water is the answer to so many problems in this hobby IMHO.

 

[HN1]

This might work if you also added a product to reduce TDS, increase O2 Sat, dosed trace minerals, balanced all trace elements, and tested for 30-40 variables. The equipment should only run $8000-10000.

I'll go with the Python & Prime.

 

[jinchi]

I agree with the water changes and Python. HN1 can you tell me what is Prime used for?

 

[jessicasmarine]

My local water has a high concentration of phosphates. I use SeaChem's PhosGuard and my phosphates register a consistent 0ppm. For those reefkeepers reading this, you have to be careful with some corals, such as frogspawn I know for sure, doesn't like it.

 

[HN1]

I agree with the water changes and Python. HN1 can you tell me what is Prime used for?

Prime is a water conditioner. It removes chlorine and chloramine and detoxifies nitrite and nitrate.

 

[cpeluso]

How do you use a Python with chlorinated water?

 

[HN1]

You add the water conditioner (I swear by Prime) for the volume of the tank as you fill.