Driftwood a source of Nitrates?

[Zander_The_RBP]

not all the info you read in books is correct as far as real world applications go.

again, just ask around to MFKer's with big fish and/or messy fish. nitrates around 40-60 ppm do no affect growth rate and most fish thrive easily and will still be very healthy. and still grow fast. hell, I have kept big fish my whole life and I doubt my nitrates have ever been much below 40 in my big fish tanks. thats just they way it is with big and/or messy fish.

now, if you are keeping sensitive species like discus its a whole other story. but then they aren't monster fish

but for fish like hardy piranhas, this level should be perfectly fine provided the aquarist maintains proper water changes and does not over feed.

yes i should have stated in my post that if your keeping sensitive fish like discus you'd want to keep the nitrates lower than 20 ppm constantly, but with hardy fish like piranhas you really don't need to have them below 40 anywhere from 41-99 ppm (100 ppm and up i get worried) is fine and if
Once i again i completely aggree.

You can get them lower that's great but it's simply not nessicary.


Driftwood can't soak in nitrates nor can it produce nitrates if it rots. Wood is cellulose (a carbohydrate) theres simply no nitrogen based compounds in it to produce ammonia with (and thereby nitrate).


I have read a book on stingrays that said they can tolerate levels of nitrates up to 200 PPM ! And we call them sensitive fish this is either an example of why nitrates are not a major concern in aquariums or how books are not always correct (im 95% sure this is the later reason)

 

[lujor]

It is certainly possible for DW to be a nitrate source, even if it is indirectly. As posted before, food scraps can get stuck in crevices. I can't see any obvious signs of food being stuck in the driftwood, but I can't be sure. When you remove DW from a tank where it has been soaking for a long time and no fish have grazed on it, the outer layer sloughs off in a woodpulp-algae-organic goo. That is the stuff I am suspicious about- it's not just wood.
All other things being equal, I am MUCH more likely to believe something in a book published by a reasonably well established publisher than something on the internet. There are good websites, and there are bad books, but using websites as info sources is generally pretty sketchy.

 

[Billy_m24]

you might want to check out building an algee truff scrubber, I just replaced all of the EQ in my sump for my reef tank with one it tank about 8 week to get rid of the nitrates and you don't have to do water changes nearly as often. it works on fresh water too. http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/...eplaces-skimmer-refugium-everythin-51120.html

 

[lujor]

No nitrates from the tap? that statement is fairly suspect...check your city water report you may be surprised…….

Just checked it (which I do every so often & it's always the same). MAYBE 1 or 2ppm. I really can't see a change of color in the test at all.

 

[lujor]

you might want to check out building an algee truff scrubber, I just replaced all of the EQ in my sump for my reef tank with one it tank about 8 week to get rid of the nitrates and you don't have to do water changes nearly as often. it works on fresh water too. http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/...eplaces-skimmer-refugium-everythin-51120.html

I am curious about the use of a sump in freshwater tanks. I have never kept saltwater or had a sump or refugium of any kind. Saw a thread recently where someone was doing hydroponics for houseplants in their sump. Seems like it would help. May be a good project for the future.

 

[lujor]

I am going to continue with one or two WCs a week and add Algone to my Fluval. Never tried it before, but I have heard it's pretty good stuff. Anyone else with Algone experience.