Zero Nitrates, no water change,. This is aquarium 2021.
- Thread starter markstrimaran
- Start date
One week since, last biochar refill. Algea scubber is still producing about 2/3 of a cup weekly. After pressing water out thru a strainer.
Interesting! Thanks for posting just ordered some biochar to give it a go myself.
I'm finding this hard to follow because you mention algae growth, algae scrubbers, have photos of lights, emerged plants and garden beds.
Is there an algae scrubber as part of your solution? Any idea what percentage of nitrate removal is bio char and what percentage is other (plants, algae, biofilm etc)?
Is there an algae scrubber as part of your solution? Any idea what percentage of nitrate removal is bio char and what percentage is other (plants, algae, biofilm etc)?
When using only the Algea scrubber, I was in between 30 and 20 ppm Nitrates with a 35% water change, weekly. For several years.
Since the Bio char, I have been between 20 and zero ppm nitrate, with three 35% WC about once every couple of months. When I first added biochar, my nitrates were well over 100 ppm, going on 6 months with out any maintenance , I was too busy working 14 hour days.
Still going down currently have 4 cups of biochar inside reactor, algea has been growing well, lots of young females holding eggs.
Thank you for the clarification.
Good luck with your trials. Unfortunately this is not for me.
The title of thread states zero nitrate, no water changes, suggesting bio char is all that was needed. If this research stalls, there would be other chemical methods to remove nitrate so keep it up.
What I've seen so far is not practical for me as I have multiple tanks, some very large. It's the large tanks where nitrate reduction would be beneficial.
As a side topic, Australian farmers in North Queensland are starting to implement drainage ditches filled with charcoal in their rain catchment. In efforts to reduce nutrient/fertiliser run off that is destroying the coral reefs.
Good luck with your trials. Unfortunately this is not for me.
The title of thread states zero nitrate, no water changes, suggesting bio char is all that was needed. If this research stalls, there would be other chemical methods to remove nitrate so keep it up.
What I've seen so far is not practical for me as I have multiple tanks, some very large. It's the large tanks where nitrate reduction would be beneficial.
As a side topic, Australian farmers in North Queensland are starting to implement drainage ditches filled with charcoal in their rain catchment. In efforts to reduce nutrient/fertiliser run off that is destroying the coral reefs.
That is also what Arti Char is produced for, to trap Nitrogen applications in farm fields in the soil, and prevent leaching into the ground water.
The aquarium use is a hobby, but it is also works well at keeping, blue green algea from blooming out of control among other things.
Changed out biochar today, after 2 weeks. Nitrates went from about 20 ppm to less than 10ppm gradually. Harvested algea scubber twice, and did one 25% water change last week, cleaned out a detris pile. This week I hope hit 5ppm. I will probably do another 25% water change next weekend.
