Struggling with NO3

[Mr Pleco]

I've been struggling to reduce Nitrates on my tanks for the last couple of years. Because of the volume of water, is their a tried and true water to manage their levels? RO units capacities for water are low compared to the waste (I'm on a municipal water supply) that I've seen and don't appear to be very efficient...OPINIONS? What's been your experince? the same goes with drip systems, I need some recent feedback .....Are these the 2 most reliable methods of reducing NO3 in a set up tank....any others????

Here's my recent water test results.....

TAP
GH-180
KH-120
PH-8.5 - this summer it was 7.0
NO2- 0
NO3- 20 has been as high as 40 PPM

125 AGA
GH-180
KH- 40
PH-7.0
NO2- .5
NO3- 160ppm--MAX

Feedback would be appreciated

 

[ziggy2]

Water changes should control your nitrates, nitrites on the other hand is a different story.

 

[Jesse]

I would recommend regular large (50%) water changes to at least knock it down to below 60 ppm. Of course, given your tap water, you won't be able to get it below 20 ppm.

 

[squint]

Purifying water will always require energy whether you pay for the electricity to distill water or to power a "zero waste" RO unit. A conventional RO unit is powered by water pressure, usually the result of the potential energy of water pumped into a storage tank high above ground by the water supply company.

The water isn't "wasted" as matter can be neither created nor destroyed. It just goes to the waste treatment plant where it doesn't really add to the work they have to do to process wastewater. Then it's discharged into a river or other body of water.

Distilling water doesn't "waste" any water but it'll cost more per gallon to produce due to its inefficiency. And the electricity required will put more CO2 in the atmosphere
.

 

[Merbeast]

Plants. Nature's little filters, and they work well.

 

[Mr Pleco]

Water changes should control your nitrates, nitrites on the other hand is a different story.

Thanks for the advice I normally change water on Wednesday’s and Saturdays approx 20- 25% at ea time.... So based upon the comments larger water changes are warranted, frequency ? or percentage? I was always afraid of ph swings when too much water is exchanged at one time. Paranoia? or something to worry about....

Thoughts? opinions?

 

[Mr Pleco]

Plants. Nature's little filters, and they work well.

Large cichlids and plecos in this tank, nothing would stay rooted for long..Heck they even rearrange the driftwood in the tank , their like little bulldozers.....Thanks for the information let me search the plant section....

 

[Ianab]

So based upon the comments larger water changes are warranted, frequency ? or percentage? I was always afraid of ph swings when too much water is exchanged at one time. Paranoia? or something to worry about....

The more water changes you do, the closer your tank water parameters are going to be to the tap water.
Now doing a big water change after a month of neglect is a BAD thing because the pH etc is sure to be different and your fish will notice the change. But if you changed 50% every day they would adjust to pretty much living in tap water conditions.

I think your main problem is the quality of your tap water though. If the tap water is 20-40 nitrate you are not going to get your tank below 40 even with huge water changes.

I would consider a RO filter, and then mix a bit of treated tap water back in to maintain some hardness and buffering. Alternatively you can get a mineral salt formula to add to RO water to give it some hardness and buffering.

Also if you have NitrIte present in the water, look at your filtering, stocking level and/or feeding. There may be more waste going into the tank than the filters can handle. That also relates to the very high nitrAte levels.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Mr Pleco]

The more water changes you do, the closer your tank water parameters are going to be to the tap water.
Now doing a big water change after a month of neglect is a BAD thing because the pH etc is sure to be different and your fish will notice the change. But if you changed 50% every day they would adjust to pretty much living in tap water conditions.

I think your main problem is the quality of your tap water though. If the tap water is 20-40 nitrate you are not going to get your tank below 40 even with huge water changes.

I would consider a RO filter, and then mix a bit of treated tap water back in to maintain some hardness and buffering. Alternatively you can get a mineral salt formula to add to RO water to give it some hardness and buffering.

Also if you have NitrIte present in the water, look at your filtering, stocking level and/or feeding. There may be more waste going into the tank than the filters can handle. That also relates to the very high nitrAte levels.

Cheers

Ian

Ian the N02 level is .5 well below 1PPM , so the nitrite test is indicating they are being converted. That's one thing about this hobby once you figured you have it worked out something changes. I've been doing a lot of reading this afternoon on this topic, looks like I'm going to have to do some DIY plumbing...heaven save us when I get the tools out...I make Tim the Tool man Taylor look like Norm Abram .......

 

[TEL]

I agree with Inab it might not just be your tap water it could be a combination of tap,fish wast and the ability of your filters to deal with it.