Matrix

[wrighty.uk.gorl]

As the title say's any one used matrix and does it really work.

Trying to lower me nitrate and dont want to spend £20 and it just a gimmic

 

[spectrum]

Never tried it myself, from what I've read somewhre it works just fine at removing nitrates. Honestly though you're better of just doing more frequent water changes, as any product you buy to remove nitrate will exhaust itself, and stop removing the nitrate. You can probably have things that simulate the natural environment of the anaerobic (I think) bacteria that remove nitrates made but they would be a lot of money.

 

[wrighty.uk.gorl]

Never tried it myself, from what I've read somewhre it works just fine at removing nitrates. Honestly though you're better of just doing more frequent water changes, as any product you buy to remove nitrate will exhaust itself, and stop removing the nitrate. You can probably have things that simulate the natural environment of the anaerobic (I think) bacteria that remove nitrates made but they would be a lot of money.

I want my nirate lower than 40ppm and it comes outta my tap at that it is just getting on my nerves that i can never get it under 40ppm

 

[mtv8dmarine]

Well there are a couple options here. You can consider planting your tank and that will help. Since the high nitrates are coming from your tap you may just look for a different water source. Those are really the only two permanent options. Liquid conditioners like you mentioned only last so long before they wear out.

 

[wrighty.uk.gorl]

Well there are a couple options here. You can consider planting your tank and that will help. Since the high nitrates are coming from your tap you may just look for a different water source. Those are really the only two permanent options. Liquid conditioners like you mentioned only last so long before they wear out.

My tank is rather heaverly planted and it dont really seem to do much it hangs around the 35 to 40ppm mark. Different water source is not a option really

You say liquid conditioners ? Marix is rock ? I was kinda under the impression it got rid off the nitrate through bacteria

 

[cybergibbons]

Matrix is a bio-media, providing a very large surface area.

It claims to support de-nitrifying bacteria, so that nitrates can be converted back to nitrogen. De-nitrifying bacteria are anaerobic to the extreme - even the smallest amount of oxygen means they won't function. So somehow Matrix promotes these conditions, but no idea how.

 

[spectrum]

Oh right, sorry, didn't realize it was coming out of the taps with nitrate in. Matrix wouldn't be a permanent solution to your problem, as you would have to replace it every so often, there is nothing I can suggest as I don't really know much about this sort of thing. Sorry.

 

[cybergibbons]

Oh right, sorry, didn't realize it was coming out of the taps with nitrate in. Matrix wouldn't be a permanent solution to your problem, as you would have to replace it every so often, there is nothing I can suggest as I don't really know much about this sort of thing. Sorry.

Matrix doesn't chemically remove nitrates, it claims to promote the growth of de-nitrifying bacteria. It only needs replacing as often as any other biomedia.

 

[spectrum]

Matrix doesn't chemically remove nitrates, it claims to promote the growth of de-nitrifying bacteria. It only needs replacing as often as any other biomedia.

As you said though, the conditions for the bacteria need to be completely anaerobic, and its not really possible to remove the oxygen before it passes the matrix media, as this would also mean it at the same time passing the bacteria that remove the ammonia and nitrite with no oxygen, which would kill them. I don't really see how it could work, without a special unit to remove, then replace the oxygen before and after the anaerobic bacteria, and that would cost a lot.

 

[wrighty.uk.gorl]

Matrix doesn't chemically remove nitrates, it claims to promote the growth of de-nitrifying bacteria. It only needs replacing as often as any other biomedia.

As you said though, the conditions for the bacteria need to be completely anaerobic, and its not really possible to remove the oxygen before it passes the matrix media, as this would also mean it at the same time passing the bacteria that remove the ammonia and nitrite with no oxygen, which would kill them. I don't really see how it could work, without a special unit to remove, then replace the oxygen before and after the anaerobic bacteria, and that would cost a lot.

How i understand it there is bacteria the grow on the outside off the matrix to remove the oxygen then the bacteria in the matrix convert the nitrate but as been pointed out i not convinced as was hoping that some one had used to confirm this

 

[cybergibbons]

I've yet to read of anyone who has had a noticeable effect on nitrates, and even then it would be anecdotal.

Matrix seems to be as good as any of the other ceramic biomedia products - maybe give it a go and see what happens?

 

[wrighty.uk.gorl]

I've yet to read of anyone who has had a noticeable effect on nitrates, and even then it would be anecdotal.

Matrix seems to be as good as any of the other ceramic biomedia products - maybe give it a go and see what happens?

Yer thats what i gonna have to do me think !

Will post my result in a few weeks and see what happen.