Nitrates are good lmao
- Thread starter Joshuakahan
- Start date
I have seen claims like this where using soil as substrate, or the use of clay cat litter in a thick layer under normal substrate in nitrate detoxification.
Whether or not this is possible when dealing with large fish like cichlids, or other diggers is debatable.
Most arguably successful claims are made with smaller species, that don't dig up the substrate, compromising the anoxic redux potential that is required for it to work.
And
the size fish used are usually species with an average lifespan of about 3 years, many less, some slightly more.
Many Tetras and live bearers fit into this category, and basically kick the bucket before the delirious effects of elevated nitrate appear.
The chronic effects of elevated nitrate on fish like cichlids, don't often present until the fish is about 3 years old, and as most cichlid keepers know,
many cichlids have a lifespan, of 8 to well over 10 years if kept right, but if kept at higher nitrate concentration look like they have been in a continuous bar fight, only the truth is, they are scarred up by HITH.
And people that claim success with experience after 6 months or even a year with an oscar, or other cichlids, I consider delusional.
Only after 3 to 5 years with a cichlid, are you just breaking the surface, of true experience.
And its not just nitrate we are measuring when we measure nitrates, because nitrate is an indicator chemical species of pollution, , in the same way use use coliform bacteria in microbiology to determine drinking water with fecal contamination.
We do not have the capacity to test for all the other pollutants, so we take measurements of nitrate to determine the soup of contamination in a tank
Whether or not this is possible when dealing with large fish like cichlids, or other diggers is debatable.
Most arguably successful claims are made with smaller species, that don't dig up the substrate, compromising the anoxic redux potential that is required for it to work.
And
the size fish used are usually species with an average lifespan of about 3 years, many less, some slightly more.
Many Tetras and live bearers fit into this category, and basically kick the bucket before the delirious effects of elevated nitrate appear.
The chronic effects of elevated nitrate on fish like cichlids, don't often present until the fish is about 3 years old, and as most cichlid keepers know,
many cichlids have a lifespan, of 8 to well over 10 years if kept right, but if kept at higher nitrate concentration look like they have been in a continuous bar fight, only the truth is, they are scarred up by HITH.
And people that claim success with experience after 6 months or even a year with an oscar, or other cichlids, I consider delusional.
Only after 3 to 5 years with a cichlid, are you just breaking the surface, of true experience.
And its not just nitrate we are measuring when we measure nitrates, because nitrate is an indicator chemical species of pollution, , in the same way use use coliform bacteria in microbiology to determine drinking water with fecal contamination.
We do not have the capacity to test for all the other pollutants, so we take measurements of nitrate to determine the soup of contamination in a tank
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A number of years ago, plenums under a deep sand substrate came into fashion in the salt water hobby as a place for nitrate redux potential.
I tried it, but my cichlids would easily and constantly dig down to the plenum material, exposing the fabric and interfering with the anoxic potential.
In much the same way digging cichlids could wreck havoc in a dirt or clay cat litter based tank. (not even considering the aesthetic water turbidity problems)
One must work with the reality we are given.
For me, plenums were an unsuccessful couple year experiment.
I tried it, but my cichlids would easily and constantly dig down to the plenum material, exposing the fabric and interfering with the anoxic potential.
In much the same way digging cichlids could wreck havoc in a dirt or clay cat litter based tank. (not even considering the aesthetic water turbidity problems)
One must work with the reality we are given.
For me, plenums were an unsuccessful couple year experiment.
You should send it to him. No link to this thread though.
I have run dirted tanks capped with sand or small gravel. When I add dirt I use a piece of fiberglass screen to keep the two from mixing and so that if I have diggers they don’t disturb the soil.
Regular water changes are still needed though.
Regular water changes are still needed though.
Interesting abstract and I did manage to read a little further before my head hurt slightly. I plan to look at it some more later. Any comments on translating this to aquarium environment?
Sounds like a bioactive setup used for reptiles
I dunno, milk gray water is pretty natural looking...as long as I know the fish are in there somewhere I'm good!
I don’t know, this thread might be good for all of his followers lol
Thank you for all of the above, Duanes.
My concern was that nitrogen has a chance to escape from the tank as the nitrogen gas upon anaerobic bacterial oxidation in deep substrate. Other elements possess no such luxury, so the initial straightforward relationship of nitrates to everything else can be altered significantly, wherein nitrates may level off or even decrease while everything else in the soup keeps building up.
My concern was that nitrogen has a chance to escape from the tank as the nitrogen gas upon anaerobic bacterial oxidation in deep substrate. Other elements possess no such luxury, so the initial straightforward relationship of nitrates to everything else can be altered significantly, wherein nitrates may level off or even decrease while everything else in the soup keeps building up.
