Take that Nitrate ;-) (6 week test)

[SteveR]

What you'll prob find is it has little difference and depending on the fish your keeping in there, which btw are they the ones in your signature it's not clear, how many of each are there and what size, will just eat them all LOL

 

[Lissaspence]

From what i understand about yuccas they don't like a lot of water. You can't really just throw any plant in a tank and have it grow. Also what kind of lighting do you have? If there isn't a lot of light the plants won't grow very fast and therefore not use up a lot of nitrates

+1

 

[SteveR]

Many fish eat plants...I smell some holey plants coming up...

 

[knifegill]

I just can't picture anything tenacious enough to eat a yucca root. Maybe a panaque.

 

[Lissaspence]

My plants are in my convict breeding tanks. They pick at the roots here and there but they haven't done any damage...

 

[pjsmetana]

Try pothos vine and lucky bamboo. I understand these are good consumers of nitrate and don't require intense light to do so.

+1

 

[nfored]

Yes it is the fish in my signature.
1 Oscar, 2 bala sharks, 1 rainbow shark, 1 Texas Cichlid, 1 Jack Depsy, 1 firemouth. The tinfoil was beheaded by the texas or the oscar a couple days ago.

I have thought about upgrading the light, as I currently only have 2 17 watt lights, however the plants are almost touching the lights. The first yucca I place in the tank is growing new roots and appears to be doing okay, but its only been about 2 or 3 weeks so it could turn for the worst. I choose this plant because it made it through the winter, I figure if it can survive ICE then it would be okay.

I have Pothos and that are doing well growing new leaves and looking green, as well as developing a nice root structure.

 

[knifegill]

Cool! How are the nitrates coming along? Any lower than usual?

 

[nfored]

Possible drop notice, very very slight color change, however with the nature of nitrate test it could be nothing. Added 3 more clipping of Pothoas plants. I have also spotted more root growth as well, Also I promise even though in the pictures the nitrate looks off the chart its not its still 40 or so.

A thought has occured to me and I would like everyones input. Maybe this will work but not like I first thought, maybe it wont reduce nitrate. Maybe instead it will interupt the cycle, plants like Ammonia more then they like nitrate. So maybe if I get enough plants they will consume the Ammonia before it turns to NitrIte; thus preventing new NitrAtre formation. So eventually through water changes I will get back to nutral. Nutral being 20ppm that is in the tap water. What do you think.

 

[Sab_Fan]

I'd say you're on the right track . . . I've used plants to control ammonia and nitrates in my tanks for years, although I do it by keeping the plants in my tanks . . .

I suppose if I had fish that ate plants, I might try a "refugium" approach, growing the plants in a sump or similar situation . . . would definitely focus on plants that are aquatic or semi-aquatic, to get the most out of their potential to uptake nitrates . . .