Reducing Nitrate

[New Boy]

What's the best nitrate reducing product in the uk market?
I've not really been worried about nitrate before but after a few mails yesterday I though it would be good to test but found out to my horror that it is over 50 ppm (can't really tell how much as tetra test not v clear)

I do 15-20% water changes weekly but also tested my tap water and that is also quite high - between 40 and 50 ppm

I did a 25% water change yesterday but obviously as my tap water is high the effect is small (nitrite and ammonia are fine)

I can't really go down the route of RO water as my labs are hard water fish and the barbs are hard water bred so will be used to it (plus it's so expensive)

Obviously I need to do bigger and more regular water changes too (and I've ordered some more plants to stick in there) but What is the best nitrate reducer to add or put in the filter??

Thanks

 

[Eelzor]

I don't really know why nitrate would still rise even after changing water. I would never use chemicals to fish tank unless I was desparate and my fishs lives were at stake. Water changing all the way to lower nitrate. Its the best way.

 

[EddieW]

New Boy,

I am trying out a product called PolyFilter from Poly-Bio_Marine. It claims to remove

Ammonia/Ammonium * Nitrite * Nitrate* Copper*Formalin*Chelated Copper * Phosphate * Antibiotics * Amino-Acids * Dyes * Proteins * Toxic Metals* Phenols * Insecticides (including Pyrethrum)

The web site for the product is here.

I have a problem with high nitrates in my tap water too - must be Thames Water's standard brew

I have started using a water filter at home but can't use one for my work tank so I am going to try the pad there. I'll let you know how it works out.

Eddie

 

[andyt_uk]

with tap water nitrates being so high, water changes arent going to have much effect on it - not sure what my tap water is like - i keep meaning to test it.

more plants would be my solution

do you have friends or family who would have a different water source - perhaps visit them and steal some water which may be lower in nitrate - which would improve matters in a small water change

i might be tempted to consider more fish - with a vague theory that more fish = more ammonia, which in turn = more nitrite, hence more nitrate, which will encourage more good bacteria, and may reduce more nitrates but that may be a dangerous game as why if the nitrates are high now arent there enough bacteria to cope with it.

i'm sure someone like Alien Anna can advise better on that subject

 

[EddieW]

Andy,

Not sure you are likely to get much nitrAte reducing bacteria in a normal aquarium. The only nitrate de-nitrifying bacteria (AFAIK) need anaerobic conditions which you won't get in the tank or ordinary filter. You MAY get some in the substrate but this is more likely in the deep sand bed of a saltwater tank.

There are sulpher based external nitrate filters which can remove nitrate from the water column, but the typical flow rate is about 10 litres per hour - compare this to a Eheim Classis 2211 filter with about 300 litres per hour. The reason the water has to flow slowly is to allow the dissolved oxygen to escape thus providing the anaerobic conditions required.

A product I just found on-line might be of interest to New Boy:

Nitragon Model lll Tap Water Nitrate Filter
Nitragon removes up to 90% of Nitrate from tap water, and will also remove Phosphate.

The unit is connected to the cold water mains supply (tap connectors are not supplied as tap fitting vary considerably) and the flow is adjusted to approximately 25 gph (full tap flow is about 200 gph). Allow about 5 gallons to waste

Collect required amount of water in a suitable container. Amount of water produced before unit is exhausted depends on the level of Nitrate/Phosphate in the water supply. Average is 30 - 70 gallons

The unit can be recharged using dishwasher salt (1 lb per gallon of water) and flushing this through the unit very slowly (about an hour). The unit should then be flushed with 3-5 gallons of fresh tap water before the unit is ready for use again.

Good quality Nitrate/Phosphate test kits should be used to monitor the output from the unit.

Unit is cylinder shaped 560mm long, and 65mm diameter. Flow inlet is from either end

Price: £49.87

Note that the price shown is from one on-line supplier, you may be able to find better prices.

I also found this:

Interpet Nitrasafe
For Effective Removal of Nitrate in Water
Nitrasafe can be used in freshwater aquariums or to pre-treat water change water, it is:
Easy to Use : sachet can be placed directly into the aquarium or in the filter
Fast & Effective : removes up to 7,000 mg of nitrate to a safe 25 mg per litre, in a few hours
Reliable : Nitrasafe cannot "dump" removed nitrate back into the aquarium
Economical : the sachet is rechargeable with a simple salt solution
NOTE : Not suitable for use in Marine aquariums, but can be used to pre-treat the water

There are other nitrate removing/reducing chemicals available - make sure that there is little or no chance of them returning the nitrates if they become super-saturated.

HTH, Eddie

 

[andyt_uk]

Andy,

Not sure you are likely to get much nitrAte reducing bacteria in a normal aquarium.

doh - more coffee please

 

[Lateral Line]

As stated, there are bacteria that reduce nitrate, but they are anaerobic, require an organic carbon source the reactors tend to be quite large, very slow, and incredibly difficult to maintain, they either get to much O2, not enough organic carbon, too much this, too little that, and if not just right can start producing H2S or CH4 - you get the picture?!!!

There are ion exchange resins that will remove nitrates, however, they are "used up" in the process so need to be replaced periodically.

More expensive resins can be "recharged", however, each time they are recharged they loose some effectiveness. Also, the recharging tends to involve backwashing them with very strong salt solutions and so forth, meaning you need to rinse and rinse and rinse after a recharge - if your tap water is full of nitrate, by the time you've got rid of the salt, it may be time to start again!!!

 

[andyt_uk]

i notice juwel sell a nitrate filter sponge
-- but i gather words like juwel & filter are swear words round these parts

http/www.aquacare.co.uk/index.htm

then again, if i remember correctly new boy has a juwel trigon tank

 

[CFC]

I recently purchased a nitrate filter from THIS company, havnt rigged it up yet as ive been busy changing things around and have actually shut down the tank it was intended for but others may find them interesting.

 

[Fly258]

New Boy,
I would test your tapwater regularly, I had similar problems with my tapwater and checked it the next day and found it had dropped from over 50 ppm down to 20 ppm virtually overnight. Needless to say I did a water change and afterwards filled a few containers ready for the next one. Im not sure what the water company do around here but the nitrate goes up and down like a tarts drawers
Jim

 

[Wasserpest]

The best nitrate removing product is called... healthy growing plants! Obvious, but I haven't seen it mentioned yet. In my planted tank, I have to ADD nitrate weekly to keep it from going down to zero. Some plants are even known as "Nitrate sponges", for example Riccia fluitans.
Unless your fishies eat plants, or you can not sufficiently light over your tank, or you just hate the look of a lush planted tank and prefer green and red plastic... this is what I would suggest.

 

[CFC]

Well obviously having a lush tropical underwater garden would help reduce nitrates but like you said it dosent work in all types of tanks, most cichlids will destroy plants faster than a caterpillar on steroids and large fish constantly uproot them as they swim about the tank, plus in areas like London where the nitrates sometimes climb to 80ppm in the tapwater and the phosphates are through the roof the dreaded hair algea tends to colonise a tank and choke plants up faster than they can grow.