NITRATE REDUCING SECRETS?
- Thread starter SemperFish
- Start date
In a 10g (which is fairly overstocked) I have a lot of plants (not as much as others are emphasizing, however) and I do water changes about once every six months and have no problems with nitrates. The trick is to use fast growing plants (I use sunset hygro and cabomba).
cassharper;1570369; said:
that isn't good. Even if your nitrates would somehow be under control, nitrates are just one the the harmfull things we can test, there are plenty of other harmfull substances that build up over time. in a 10 gallon tank waterchanges aren't hard at all, so i'd ATLEAST do a weekly 25% change.
Here is a post on my DIY Denitrator:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127266
I highly recommend one of these for those who prefer to put more effort into the hobby than money, it was very inexpensive to build and a whole lot of fun; especially when it kicked in and wiped out my cyanobacteria colony!
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127266
I highly recommend one of these for those who prefer to put more effort into the hobby than money, it was very inexpensive to build and a whole lot of fun; especially when it kicked in and wiped out my cyanobacteria colony!
Looks like something I could do. Is it maintenance intensive? Can you explain to me how it works? LOL Im hoping this is the secret weapon Ive been looking for as my wife will have to start taking care of my tanks next year.ar0wan;1570496; said:
SemperFish;1570516; said:
Good news and bad news. It is maintainance free but If it goes 'off line' for more than a few days can become lethal to your livestock by producing hydrogen sulfide gas. I weekly check nitrate levels in the tank and effluent but am learning that as long as it's running everything is ok. The water will smell of rotten eggs if ran too slow, and should be taken very seriously. Run RO water(or tank water to a disposal bukket) for a day before reconnecting.
If you understand the way the nitrogen cycle works then it's pretty simple. This system encourages the growth of the third stage (nitrogenous) bacteria so ammonia >> nitrites >>>>> nitrates. The poisons that are usually [and still recommended] handled by WC are produced so fast that they are expelled as nitrogen gas into the atmosphere.
