refugium,plants, reduce nitrate...

[myles]

I see people using refugiums, and plants in sumps, to help reduce nitrate. my question is realsisticly to really reduce nitrate would a few plants do anyhting? wouldnt you need quite a few plants to make much of a difference. for say the average stocked aquarium. And the plants would have to be thriving pretty good to be taking in alot of nitrate also wouldnt they? Iv always been interested in adding plants to a sump but wasnt sure if its acualy worth it? any feedback and personal experiance would be awesome. thanks.
Myles

 

[santoury]

Most of the people who buy Mangroves from me claim that they are one of the biggest nitrate removers there is - I wasn't aware of this, so I'm interested in hearing what others have to say.

 

[Wolf3101]

I've tryed it and to be honest it's really not worth the added complexity and cost. To be really effective you'd need a LOT larger ratio of plants to tank voluume ...something you can manage in a pond system but not in an aquarium... A constant drip system will eliminate water changes...do away with Nitrate build up and free up a lot of time for a fraction of the cost. especially concidering the extra huge power bills to run the lights.

 

[señor_pescados_felices]

IMO a fresh fuge is a good way to help keep a curb on nitrates for people who's busy lives allow a less than ideal water change schedule.

I know it works because I have seen it done.My brother in law has a fairly well stocked 220g with a refugium that is a 20g long and it is enough to help him keep the nitrates under 20 ppm between weekly water changes of 50%.

Thats what gave me the idea for a refuge,maybe you saw my thread.I have a lightly stocked 250 and will use a 29 gallon fuge and I usually do at leat 50% weekly sometimes a 50% on the weekend and a 20% or so later in the week.

It was that or a nitrate reducer......

 

[tunerX]

I prefer the continuous change system if you can get away with it. It works well on FW tanks if your water out of the tap is low is in phosphates and silicates. Your nitrates are low all of the time and you never have to manually do a water change. Just the usual amount of vacuuming and occasional glass cleaning. Also if you use the right type of tap valve you can increase or decrease the changed amount to maintain a constant nitrate level.

There really isn't a way to make it viable in SW tank so I make due with a refugium and auto top off from a reservoir.

 

[DeLgAdO]

is this to delay water changes or eliminate them altogether?

even if you have plants its still a closed system, you may reduce nitrate but there are other materials present in the water and building up that only a good water change can remove.

 

[Dr Joe]

myles, your right in your thinking, it will take a lot of plants to clean up a tank, but used in conjunction with a mechanical filter and a W/D system, plants can be used as a cleanup for leftover nitrAtes and phosphates the W/D didn't catch, providing the dwell time in the refugium is long enough.

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I've tryed it and to be honest it's really not worth the added complexity and cost. To be really effective you'd need a LOT larger ratio of plants to tank voluume ...something you can manage in a pond system but not in an aquarium... A constant drip system will eliminate water changes...do away with Nitrate build up and free up a lot of time for a fraction of the cost. especially concidering the extra huge power bills to run the lights.

Right you are Wolf3101, average for tanks < 40g is 1 well rooted mangrove plant per gallon, tanks >40g is 1 well rooted mangrove plant per 2 gallons. This is with a moderate bio-load.

And with F/W systems trace elements have to be added otherwise they will yellow, shrivel and die.

A 55g tank loaded with Anacharis or Foxtail will out filter mangrove plants and Anacharis [FONT=Arial, Helvetica]secretes antibiotic substances which can help prevent blue-green algae (a type of bacteria).

You could float water lettuce & water hiacynth on top, suspend cattails and have the Anacharis submerged all in one filter if you could feed it enough (after a mechanical filter).

Dr Joe

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[señor_pescados_felices]

well,I'll let you guys know how it goes then....

As I mentioned I am making a fuge for my tank to help control nitrates but it won't be anywhere near 55 gallons.Its going to be 29 gallons, as full of nitrate eating plants as I can get it, on a 250g tank.I only need it to keep nitrates low,not get rid of them.

If it doesn't work I will be getting a nitrate reactor/reducer...probably one of Aquamedics.

 

[Mystix212]

Anacharis and Hornwort are probably the best plants. They do not need HO lighting and just suck the water clean of any impurities.

 

[myles]

very interesting, my nitrates arnt and i do reguler water changes, but im always looking to improve. Right now im ususing seachem purangen, seems to work good, but have to constantly recharge, possibly goin to build a nitrate filter, I dont oen my place so i dont thikn i can do a drip system.