Nitrates are good lmao

[ken31cay]

Above is a very important point.
I spent about 20 years are a chemist/microbiologist at a drinking water production facility, and had to measure the nitrate concentration of our incoming raw water (from Lake Michigan) daily.
At no time did nitrate reading ever exceed 2 ppm.
I have also traveled extensively over Central and S America, where I measure water parameters, and wherever I go , have i ever have I detected a nitrate level above 5ppm, except near plantations where heavy fertilization was used, and the water near the plantation was usually a dead zone, as far a fish were concerned.
In nature, aquatic and terrestrial vegetation near water uses natural nitrate as fast as it is produced.
View attachment 1512310
Above a tributary of the Magdalena river in Colombia,
below Lake Gatun in Panama.
View attachment 1512311

Even in shallow ox bow, or swamp like areas is nitrate high, because plants suck nitrate up, as fast as it it produced
View attachment 1512312

Interesting. Good stuff.

 

[SalviniCichlidFan]

Just out of curiosity. How old is Duanes? I'm a big fan of him and he seems to have gone everywhere from Michigan to Panama.

 

[aussieman57]

Just out of curiosity. How old is Duanes? I'm a big fan of him and he seems to have gone everywhere from Michigan to Panama.

Old enough to know better.

 

[RD.]

He could be Father F's twin.

 

[duanes]

He could be Father F's twin.

This is true.
I've been keeping cichlids since @ 1958..

 

[jjohnwm]

This is true.
I've been keeping cichlids since @ 1958..
View attachment 1512400

I think I've got it: Father Fish is the Bizarro-world version of duanes ! It's so obvious! All the pieces fit! That picture even shows duanes holding a typical cichlid that has spent some time in a FF-style tank and has the battle scars to prove it. It hasn't got ammonia-burns, just a bit of nitrate-rash.

duanes , that picture is you showing off, plain and simple. I mean, jeez...just because you still have most of your hair...do you need to rub it in to those of us who are more follically-challenged?

 

[esoxlucius]

This is true.
I've been keeping cichlids since @ 1958..
View attachment 1512400

Well duanes , if that picture is from 1958 you must be now nudging about 120 years of age!!

I'm beginning to understand the benefits of living on an idyllic sun kissed Caribbean island, lol.

 

[FINWIN]

How very...interesting.

 

[jjohnwm]

Stay thirsty, my friends!

 

[neutrino]

Yes, nitrates. The 'nitrates are good, 500 is fine' claim was so preposterous I ignored it, aside from my comment about cherry picked science. I have no idea where he gets that particular tidbit, if he cited a reference it wasn't worth noting, considering the hundreds of studies and reviews of studies about "nitrate contamination" or "nitrate pollution" in natural waterways affecting fish health, growth, fertility, mortality, etc.

Enough nitrogen (in whatever form) to feed your plants (or corals) is one thing, but 500 is idiotic-- how does he even test that high to legitimately claim it works in his experience? From what I've read from those who do Walstad tanks, if you get more than miniscule nitrates you've done it wrong. I wouldn't mind at all trying the method if I kept different fish or could perfect it with different fish, but considering my tanks include either geos or Cyphotilapia and I'm not going to experiment on them...