I am curious why not a larger than 50% water change. lets say your nitrate readings 100ppm, if you change 50% of the water, that brings you to 50ppm, not low enough, if you change 90% ( about fin level) that would bring your nitrate to 10ppm. that is a safe level for your fish.
high nitrates - always!!! PLEASE HELP
- Thread starter Aglaia
- Start date
5x recommended purigen and pothos, works like a charm
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That is changing. A lack of water changes is not uncommon in some of the more advanced reef tanks nowadays. I remember seeing a few gorgeous reef tanks in "Reef Hobbyist Magazine" (free to anyone who orders fish through Segrest) that haven't had water changes in a few years! They just keep the stocking density low, feed properly, and watch their water chemistry.
And they are already available to the "average joe". There is a nitrate-reducing pellet that serves as a substrate and carbon source for denitrifying bacteria. There is also a carbon source in a bottle "Reef Biofuel", offered by brightwell aquatics. And here is just an example of a reactor you can buy, although it's cheaper to make one. http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewitem.aspx?idproduct=KL9111K&child=KL9111K&utm_source=criteo&utm_medium=retargeting&utm_campaign=criteo&utm_content=KL9111K
But denitrification has been used for years in reef systems. If you're curious about it just look up "vodka dosing" in aquariums.
there is a big deference between a fresh water tank and a salt, these systems are very high maintenance as they create a large amount of sludge as the polymers break down. it is far easier to just change the water on schedule for the tank and stock you have. IMHO
What sounds far easier is an Algae Screen and a big pothos bush. I bought one for 15$ and it was enough plant to put huge bushes on 3 tanks, testing says the largest takes out about 20 ppms a day, smallest 10 ppms. Add an algae screen into the mix (use the search bar, there are MAD different ways to make one, my favorite is the in-tank design using an air stone to push the water over the screen).
I've been doing an experiment on my 10 ga, stocking is 5 Cory cats, 2 pea puffers, and some guppys. It has an in-tank algae screen and a bit of pothos in the filter, haven't done an actual WC on it in a month. Only topped it. Nitrates are at 20 ppms. After a month. Pretty amazing vs before I used these things it would probably be at like 80 ppms by now
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I've been doing an experiment on my 10 ga, stocking is 5 Cory cats, 2 pea puffers, and some guppys. It has an in-tank algae screen and a bit of pothos in the filter, haven't done an actual WC on it in a month. Only topped it. Nitrates are at 20 ppms. After a month. Pretty amazing vs before I used these things it would probably be at like 80 ppms by now
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I agree that water changes are often the way to go with freshwater, but just because they're cheaper changes than saltwater. Could you explain what you meant by the rest of that though? Who is high maintenance? Which polymers/"sludge" are you referring to? As stated, we use denitrifyers on our commercial freshwater systems. They are also used for wastewater treatment. I'm not saying avoid water changes, but there are other viable methods to mitigate NO3...and they're not that new. Even things as simple as reducing feed, the very source of nitrogenous watse, need to be considered.
You could do a 50% change daily for 3 days or so and then test to see where you are at. The easiest way to get it down is to do several large changes to hammer the nitrates down and then monitor it to see how fast its creeping up.
