Szat Clear Water

[slippery slimecoat]

I had heard of this product in a discus group, and it intrigued me. Product similar (looking) to Purigen, but claims to remove nitrates and is recharged using salt and warm water. I have nitrates directly from my tap, so it is a constant battle keeping them down. Decided to roll the dice and order this stuff although I hadn't heard much about it. I bought two bags that are supposed to treat 150 gallons each. My system is approximately 175 gallons. I put both bags in my sump this last weekend after my water change.


Keep in mind the color to the nitrate tests look darker than they do in person, but hopefully will at least give some indication of how things go.

Before water change on 9/16/17 nitrates at 40+


Tap water nitrates at approximately 10 ppm


After approximately 70% water change nitrates around 20+ ppm


Nitrate test on 9/19/17. Feeding two out of the three days since water change. Approximately 10-20 ppm


The tank is a 5x2x2 with a 40 gallon sump. The stock is 11 clown loaches with all but two ranging from 4" to almost 10", 8-9" Uaru, 8" flagtail, five 5" filament barbs, and three 4" electric blue acara.

Typically feed once a day 5x a week, feeding what can be eaten in 3-4 minutes.

Filtration is a basic sump with filter socks, Sera Siporax and Bio Home media. Sock gets changed every 5-6 days. Sock was changed during the last water change.

I will try continue to monitor results and update this thread as time goes on.

 

[slippery slimecoat]

Also worth noting my water clarity has noticeably improved as well.

 

[Just Toby]

Very interesting, I have used ion exchange resins before and recharged them in salt, they worked well but was a pain to keep recharging.

I went over to an auto drip and grew pothos (devils ivy) and that worked well on my ray tank (rays produce about 3 times the ammonia of normal fish)

Thanks for the post, please keep the results coming.

Do you just float the pads in the sump?

 

[Bertie]

Can you let us know if it works, also there are other ways to keep nitrates down such as a algae scrubber and pothos. When I do a sump for my tank it will be a 160-170 gallon system and I will have 25 litres of k1 micro, an algae scrubber and a section for plants with bamboo, pothos and some others. To keep nitrates down in my current tank right now I feed 3x a day in one minute periods.

 

[slippery slimecoat]

Very interesting, I have used ion exchange resins before and recharged them in salt, they worked well but was a pain to keep recharging.

I went over to an auto drip and grew pothos (devils ivy) and that worked well on my ray tank (rays produce about 3 times the ammonia of normal fish)

Thanks for the post, please keep the results coming.

Do you just float the pads in the sump?

I wouldn't be surprised if they'll need to be recharged every 2-3 weeks. Especially with having nitrates straight from the tap.

I've grown a large pothos plant in my sump in the past. Didn't see a noticeable nitrate reduction from it. I'd love to do an auto drip, but where the tank is in the house makes it difficult to do. Someday...

They are really small beads in fine bags (very similar to purigen). I have one in the first chamber next to the filter sock. The other is between the baffles of the middle and last chamber.

 

[slippery slimecoat]

Can you let us know if it works, also there are other ways to keep nitrates down such as a algae scrubber and pothos. When I do a sump for my tank it will be a 160-170 gallon system and I will have 25 litres of k1 micro, an algae scrubber and a section for plants with bamboo, pothos and some others. To keep nitrates down in my current tank right now I feed 3x a day in one minute periods.

So far, as you can see, the nitrates have actually dropped as the days have gone on. So it is working. The question will be if it continues to drop, and for how long before needing recharging. Not really interested in messing with an algae scrubber. I have grown a little pothos in my day


This plant had more leaves on it, but broke a couple large chunks off while moving it. I saw ZERO noticeable nitrate reduction.

 

[Bertie]

So far, as you can see, the nitrates have actually dropped as the days have gone on. So it is working. The question will be if it continues to drop, and for how long before needing recharging. Not really interested in messing with an algae scrubber. I have grown a little pothos in my day
View attachment 1275275

This plant had more leaves on it, but broke a couple large chunks off while moving it. I saw ZERO noticeable nitrate reduction.

Oh maybe pothos isn't to effective, will have to look into that szat clear water

 

[slippery slimecoat]

Oh maybe pothos isn't to effective, will have to look into that szat clear water

Ultimately, in my opinion, I'd wait til you have your tank up and running. No need to fix a problem that isn't there. The only reason I'm testing it is because of the nitrates straight from my tap water. And even then, if it doesn't work that great over time, I'm not too concerned.

 

[Just Toby]

Pothos needs to be growing bigger to strip nitrate but if it grows it does strip efficiently

 

[slippery slimecoat]

The plant I had was pretty large and growing well. Just didn't see results others apparently have. I probably would've kept it in the sump just for the sake of having it, but my wife got a new kitten that likes to get into EVERYTHING hahaha. Apparently they can be poisonous to pets, so didn't want to chance it.