How high are your nitrates

[Toby_H]

OK.....Are you assuming I missed that in his post?

Kids? You lost me there pal....

You have got to be kidding me.........Wow...

Stuff like this reeks of arrogance...

Add to that the snotty response you elaborated on (directed to Joeyballz) and it just puts a foul mood on top of an otherwise constructive conversation...

 

[bigspizz]

Stuff like this reeks of arrogance...

Add to that the snotty response you elaborated on (directed to Joeyballz) and it just puts a foul mood on top of an otherwise constructive conversation...

What do you classify name calling as? Constructive? Get on topic, or get out of the thread.....I am far from arrogant, you are adding nothing to the thread......

 

[spiff]

Here is my experiences:

Water comes out of my tap at around 10PPM Nitrates.

It takes around 2-3 weeks for it to rise up to 20PPM in a heavily stocked goldfish tank.

Just as an experiment once, I waited to see how long it takes for my goldfish tank to get to 40PPM. After two months, I stopped the experiement as this was as long as I was willing to go with no water changes.

So there has to be some sort of natural balancing going on if it only takes a couple weeks to rise 10PPM from 10PPM in the first place, but it takes months to rise another 10PPM from 30PPM.

I'm amazed that some setups are capable of reaching 100PPM+.

 

[Toodleypops]

That is really interesting spiff! Do you know if there were any areas where anaerobic bacteria could live?
That stuff breaks down nitrates too and often goes overlooked. Things that or porous and somewhat solid can house anaerobic bacteria ie: clay pots, bricks, etc. They get housed where there is no oxygen (like in the center)
This also occurs with to deep of a sand substrate and eventually sulfuric gAS(or something, i'm not too sure) will build up in large pockets under your substrate. But i digress. Thats really cool about your tank, i wish mine did that haha. but it did go a year in the 100-200 range

actually... none of you guys have been on topic for quite awhile... all of page4-5 was just the group you "discussing" how you feel about one another.
Now at least on pages 1-3 you masked the personal "discussion" with little bits info related to the topic and unfortunately that sprung up more personal deviation and attacks whether intentional or not...
Now i am not be any means a fish expert so as a general blanket statement for this thread, i found it both confusing and helpful, but i wasn't to sure what was correct?

Plants do consume Nitrates...
Do plants also consume Ammonia and Nitrites?
This was a very interesting point that i thought i'd discuss. I mean it makes complete sense to me because all of these chemicals (as some of you mentioned earlier so credit whomever did that) do contain Nitrogen which is the life gas for most all living organisms (ie: we breathe 71% N)

so theoretically, If the plants did consume a little Nitrate, but also did consume a little Ammonia and Nitrite, would this not add up to a helpful amount of Nitrate consumption. Enough to noted. Every little bit helps.

And lets just try to be a little nicer and forgiving... im sure nothing here was MEANT as a direct attack (at first). so lets just cool it a'ight?

 

[spiff]

That is really interesting spiff! Do you know if there were any areas where anaerobic bacteria could live?
That stuff breaks down nitrates too and often goes overlooked. Things that or porous and somewhat solid can house anaerobic bacteria ie: clay pots, bricks, etc. They get housed where there is no oxygen (like in the center)
This also occurs with to deep of a sand substrate and eventually sulfuric gAS(or something, i'm not too sure) will build up in large pockets under your substrate. But i digress. Thats really cool about your tank, i wish mine did that haha. but it did go a year in the 100-200 range


Well, I guess my UG might have some anaerobic spots, like under rocks where it doesn't get vac'd with every water change. But I keep things pretty clean, so I kinda doubt it.

Isn't anaerobic substrate usually indicated by the presence of fine bubbles coming out of the gravel every once in a while? I never have that happen.

 

[cassharper]

That is really interesting spiff! Do you know if there were any areas where anaerobic bacteria could live?
That stuff breaks down nitrates too and often goes overlooked. Things that or porous and somewhat solid can house anaerobic bacteria ie: clay pots, bricks, etc. They get housed where there is no oxygen (like in the center)
This also occurs with to deep of a sand substrate and eventually sulfuric gAS(or something, i'm not too sure) will build up in large pockets under your substrate. But i digress. Thats really cool about your tank, i wish mine did that haha. but it did go a year in the 100-200 range


Well, I guess my UG might have some anaerobic spots, like under rocks where it doesn't get vac'd with every water change. But I keep things pretty clean, so I kinda doubt it.

Isn't anaerobic substrate usually indicated by the presence of fine bubbles coming out of the gravel every once in a while? I never have that happen.

Sometimes, not always. It's hydrogen sulfate that is built up by anaerobic conditions. If you want a sure fire way to keep them from clogging up, getting anaerobic spots, or just a better way to use them is stick some powerheads instead of airstones on there (who knows, you already might), and set them to blow through instead of suck through. Slap a HOB on your tank to catch the stuff that spits up through the gravel and that is one hell of a mech/bio combo.

 

[jrrlbds]

i keep mine below 40 ppm

I too keep my nitrates below 40ppm. They hit 40 it's time for a wc.

 

[nfored]

I like mine at 10. they are 10 after w/c and get up to 20 between water changes, unless i slack and cut back to 1 wc a week.

 

[SteveR]

Very true. I've tried telling people that before and thought I was going to be kicked to the door. You'd have to pack the tank so full of plants you wouldn't have room for fish. On another websight I read a thread where a guy did an experiment to prove plants don't make a dent in nitrates. The end result basically was that you'd have to jam-pack the tank full of plants to get even a 1 ppm difference weekly in nitrate readings.

Thankyou!

 

[SteveR]

You're right. I forgot that you're vast compendium of aquatic knowledge can transcend the internet and test my water.

Since you're such a freakin genius you know that you meant to say "aquatic plants will consume more available forms of nitrogen and ammonia products before nitrates".

I am not attacking your knowledge, only your knowledge of my tanks and my experience. I never said anything about what types or to what extent of plants I have, so you have nothing to ground your attacks on. I have kept tanks as you have described that did nothing for water quality, and I have done tanks that are literally half of what you describe that are nitrate eating machines. Before you make a blanket statement you should consider the types of plants and how fast they grow mixed in with how efficiently they utilize their available nutrients through photosynthesis.

oh no.... maybe I'm not a moron?

Maybe your not a moron? Think you answered that one for us all dude.