Nitrates removed by hardwood chips. Should I try it?
- Thread starter knifegill
- Start date
What? Click the link. The story says it all. I'd probably fill a PVC pipe with aquarium-safe wood chips and give it an in-out flow with a powerhead stuck to one end. Probably a very weak, small powerhead to give the water more time in the chamber. And a porous central tunnel surrounded by the media.
Interesting. i guess its similar in idea to Johnptc's denitrator, where its providing anaerobic bacteria with a carbon food source, so that they can also convert nitrates to nitrogen gas.
I guess there's only one way to find out if hardwood chips will work in an aquarium setting...
I guess there's only one way to find out if hardwood chips will work in an aquarium setting...
Yes it is possible...
BUT... and this is a big but...
Do your homework. Anaerobic bacteria is a whole different creature from the aerobic bacteria we are all familiar with. They sometimes emit harmless byproducts such as carbon gas which just dissappears into the atmosphere... and sometimes excrete acids that can have huge impacts on our delicate little ecosystems.
The bio filtration approach suggested in the link will work as suggested in the link because it becomes a small part of a mega ecosystem that already exists. So the bio filter's anaerobic bacteria is a minor disruption to the ecological balance which the eco system absorbes and rebalances itself.
But your aquarium is a delicate mini ecosystem that does not have nearly the elements in place to attempt to reacheive balance...
Again, I'm not saying it's not possible or it won't work... I'm just saying there is a great amount of risk invovled...
If a 'denitrator' is that darn important I usggest using an algae scrubber or some sort of refugium. These tested and proven methods offer the same result without the possible risks...
BUT... and this is a big but...
Do your homework. Anaerobic bacteria is a whole different creature from the aerobic bacteria we are all familiar with. They sometimes emit harmless byproducts such as carbon gas which just dissappears into the atmosphere... and sometimes excrete acids that can have huge impacts on our delicate little ecosystems.
The bio filtration approach suggested in the link will work as suggested in the link because it becomes a small part of a mega ecosystem that already exists. So the bio filter's anaerobic bacteria is a minor disruption to the ecological balance which the eco system absorbes and rebalances itself.
But your aquarium is a delicate mini ecosystem that does not have nearly the elements in place to attempt to reacheive balance...
Again, I'm not saying it's not possible or it won't work... I'm just saying there is a great amount of risk invovled...
If a 'denitrator' is that darn important I usggest using an algae scrubber or some sort of refugium. These tested and proven methods offer the same result without the possible risks...
Howdy,
Even though nitrates may be the most easily detected pollutants, they are by far not the only ones. Thus, selective elimination of a single pollutant is like worrying about spilled gasoline while an atomic bomb is going off in the background.
Water changes, water changes, water changes.
HarleyK
Even though nitrates may be the most easily detected pollutants, they are by far not the only ones. Thus, selective elimination of a single pollutant is like worrying about spilled gasoline while an atomic bomb is going off in the background.
Water changes, water changes, water changes.
HarleyK