There is a school of thought that suggests that if we can remove the nitrates and complete the nitrogen process, water changes can be extended. As I understand it, the Aquaripure filter uses a very low flow rate through a filter of sponge media (and a weekly injection of alcohol to encourage anaerobic bacteria that will process nitrates into harmless nitrogen. I'm not sure if removing nitrates is all there is when we do weekly water changes...then again, what if we only needed to do water changes every other week or once a month
...
Just maybe, in a salt water aquarium with good filtration and a protein skimmer, a denitrate filter would dramatically reduce the frequency and/or volume of routine water changes. This reduces the cost and effort involved in salt water changes. It's probably somewhat less of an advantage for fresh water, depending on how efficiently you do the water change. Although....just for a second...what if...you never had to do a partial water change? What if somehow the water was fresh all the time, leaving you to merely maintain filters and glass (and feed the fish of course)?
So how might we automate a process so the aquarium water is always fresh?
I'm experimenting with a few things to further improve water quality. I have a 60g Marineland tank (4'x1'x2').
I have a natural somewhat fine gravel to which I have added a fair amount of (pool filter) sand. To a point, this is to emulate the positive effects of a 'deep sand bed'.
I have 2 AquaClear 70 HOB filters on it. Filter #1 just uses sponge and floss material. Filter #2 uses a Fluval pre-filter sponge on the inlet tube and is loaded with Seachem Matrix. Matrix is claimed to have pore sizes small enough to support anaerobic bacteria that can process nitrates. In conjunction with the sand bed, my hope is to reduce nitrates.
In filter #1 I am planning to add Seachem Purigen. Purigen is a regenerative polymer adsorbant said to have an affinity for organics in solution (a freshwater means of filtering out dissolved organics like a protein skimmer does for salt water).
I'm thinking the above measures may produce crystal clear water that require fewer periodic water changes.
Thoughts?