Can’t Get Nitrates Below 40 Ppm!

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  • #51
It is a lava rock but I had the issue before I put the lava rock in the tank. When I researched it it is mainly to help lower the pH in my tank

Went to our LFS got some snails and three more plants. Hopefully this combo will help. Otherwise I have some more options if need be. I appreciate all of the input everyone has given me. I've learned a lot in the last few days!
 

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The white rock is a Texas holey rock
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If that's "texas holey rock" its possibly limestone. Not sure limestone is a good idea in a fishtank... I can barely remember but I thought I read that limestone can cause your problems... I don't know for sure. Just worth researching is all.
 
I have never seen my tank have nitrates that low and don't even know how often/how much of a water change I would need to do for that



Is this something that would even be worth the time or money? Should I wait and try to somehow lower my nitrates myself?
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By .5 I meant 50, if your starting at 30 [your tap water] that would be your tank adding 20 do to nitrite breakdown. It can be done but getting your tank below what your tap water is is almost impossible. Every water change would raise the nitrate level. If the fish aren't showing stress set a reasonable goal for your nitrate levels.
 

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  • #57
I don't quite understand what you're saying. Can you explain it differently please?
 
He or she is just say that using your tap when doing water changes will not keep your nitrates as low as you would like them to be. More plants will keep them at safe levels however
 
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  • #59
The snails I'm adding will help as well, right? Here's what my tank looks like now after adding more plants
 
Snails do make a nice cleanup crew, however they won't eat up nitrates. They will add to your bio load (but not much) Snails are always a nice addition to a community tank
 
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  • #61
Well if we end up needing to add more plants we will. Or even try out the other options
 

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I don't quite understand what you're saying. Can you explain it differently please?
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You said you tested your tap water and the nitrates were 30. That means your tank water will never be less than 30 no matter how many water changes you do. You can use nitrate removers to make it less , but when you do necessary water changes it will go back up. I'm saying try to keep nitrates at something above the recommended level [5-10]. 50-60 would be above recommended levels but if your fish look ok at these levels, just settle for that. It's not ideal but your only options would be to use bottled water [expensive] or nitrate removers [also expensive]. Plants help but don't expect a big improvement. Hope this is a little more clear.
 
If that's "texas holey rock" its possibly limestone. Not sure limestone is a good idea in a fishtank... I can barely remember but I thought I read that limestone can cause your problems... I don't know for sure. Just worth researching is all.
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Texas Holey Rock is fine for tanks and shouldn't increase PH too much. Its great for anyone with low carbonates and will hold PH steady.

It's not ideal but your only options would be to use bottled water [expensive] or nitrate removers [also expensive]. Plants help but don't expect a big improvement. Hope this is a little more clear.
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Matrix is a one time cost and goes in your HOB and allows the growth of anaerobic bacteria to denitrify and lower nitrates. Something like NitraZorb in combination with Matrix is a good option to keep them lower then 50-60. NitraZorb isn't expensive because it can be re-charged over and over with salt.

Bottled water would be the most expensive option for sure.

I think a combination of some moneywort or hornwort? and matrix and nitrazorb will allow her to keep them down below 30 though they will raise back up with each water change and then have to be removed again.
 
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  • #67
UPDATE: I was researching if there is a specific plant that will help soak up the nitrates more than others and found that floating plants will soak up more because they're technically not in the substrate. **** that being said I researched some more and just ordered some pennywort plants
 
You want something that gets it nutrients from the water column. I can see you having a jungle tank before too long.lol
 
I have used NitraZorb, and it works really well. I have nitrates in my tap also, and it takes care of them within a day or two at most.
 
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  • #70
Yeah I would imagine I would have a jungle within the next couple of months. Hopefully I can just get my nitrates at a level I want them to be at lol. And I'm a little apprehensive about the NitraZorb. Especially considering you have to recharge it every day. I guess I would rather use that as a last resort
 
You just recharge it when it quits working, so most likely weekly. Keep one on hand and one left in the salt solution. Its very easy, you just soak it in 4 tbsp salt aquarium or sea salt or kosher etc. Just salt, no additives.

the matrix will help but the combination would be much more effective. Also, just FYI the matrix will take about a month before you start seeing results as the bacteria needs to grow. If you add seachem stability it will happen a little quicker though.
 

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  • #72
From what I've read it says you have to recharge the nitrazorb every day? How do you know when it stops working?
 
No, no you don't recharge it every day. Some people only recharge it every few weeks it really depends on your nitrates your dealing with. Nitrates will not go down once its used up (like after a water change). I used to charge mine weekly.
 
Well, if you don't have a huge bio-load from your fish then I would try the SeaChem Purigen. You have to get a very small media bag (I mean pore size) to hold the purigen. It will definitely lower your nitrates if you place it in your HOB. You may want to buy enough to fill 2 of your media bags so you can recharge one while the other is in use. It worked for me very well, but I have 5 rather large fancy goldfish in a 46 gallon tank so my nitrates build up very rapidly so I found myself needing to change it out more frequently than I normally service my canister filter (once per 3 months). So in summary, it would be much easier to use with a hob where you can swap out the media bags easily.
 
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  • #75
No, no you don't recharge it every day. Some people only recharge it every few weeks it really depends on your nitrates your dealing with. Nitrates will not go down once its used up (like after a water change). I used to charge mine weekly.
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So if I went with the nitrazorb how often would I initially need to check my nitrates? And how long would it be before I saw a difference?

Well, if you don't have a huge bio-load from your fish then I would try the SeaChem Purigen. You have to get a very small media bag (I mean pore size) to hold the purigen. It will definitely lower your nitrates if you place it in your HOB. You may want to buy enough to fill 2 of your media bags so you can recharge one while the other is in use. It worked for me very well, but I have 5 rather large fancy goldfish in a 46 gallon tank so my nitrates build up very rapidly so I found myself needing to change it out more frequently than I normally service my canister filter (once per 3 months). So in summary, it would be much easier to use with a hob where you can swap out the media bags easily.
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Sorry but what is an HOB? Can you explain more what the Purigen is? Do I get it at my LFS?
 
So if I went with the nitrazorb how often would I initially need to check my nitrates? And how long would it be before I saw a difference?
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You should see a difference in nitrates within a few days with nitrazorb. It works well. I never saw a nitrate change (personally) with purigen though I have had a lot of success with Matrix as it can house anaerobic bacteria that will convert nitrates to nitrogen gas and release it, lowering your overall nitrates. I keep a pound of it in my pond filter and it has performed really well! I also keep some in my HOB filters (hang on back) filters in my regular 33g tank.

Once they start increasing again, you'll want to re-charge it. Because your tap nitrates are fairly high at 30ppm you'll always want to keep a new one in there (weekly). I think between that, some plants, and some matrix if you buy it you'll be able to maintain them around 20ppm. You have to remember you're starting from 30 and just regular food and waste will increase it by 1-2ppm a day. SO, if you stay at 30 or drop below that's a good sign that things are working like they should.
 
Sorry but what is an HOB? Can you explain more what the Purigen is? Do I get it at my LFS?
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HOB is a hang on back filter (the kind most of us use). Purifen is a product that you put in a little bag and stuff in the filter. It amplifies the effect of your filter, particularly by filtering out nitrates. I'm not sure the large pet stores carry it, but I've seen it at most (if not all) of the LFS's I've been too.

I haven't used it yet, so I can't vouch for how well it works, but it seems that a decent number of people here use it (which means that it must be worth something).
 
I think it works wells have used it for over 10 yrs.
It also comes packed in it own bag.
 
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  • #79
You should see a difference in nitrates within a few days with nitrazorb. It works well. I never saw a nitrate change (personally) with purigen though I have had a lot of success with Matrix as it can house anaerobic bacteria that will convert nitrates to nitrogen gas and release it, lowering your overall nitrates. I keep a pound of it in my pond filter and it has performed really well! I also keep some in my HOB filters (hang on back) filters in my regular 33g tank.

Once they start increasing again, you'll want to re-charge it. Because your tap nitrates are fairly high at 30ppm you'll always want to keep a new one in there (weekly). I think between that, some plants, and some matrix if you buy it you'll be able to maintain them around 20ppm. You have to remember you're starting from 30 and just regular food and waste will increase it by 1-2ppm a day. SO, if you stay at 30 or drop below that's a good sign that things are working like they should.
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So I can use the nitrazorb and the matrix in my HOB at the same time? Or just use one?

Also, I am looking on Amazon for some aquarium supplies and trying to look into the nitra zorb and some say size 30 or size 6... how do I know what I will need? And I also need aquarium salt correct?


Just added some pennyworts to my tank!
 
UPDATE: I was researching if there is a specific plant that will help soak up the nitrates more than others and found that floating plants will soak up more because they're technically not in the substrate. **** that being said I researched some more and just ordered some pennywort plants
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I have Pennywort floating in my tank and they are nutrient sponges. I prune a couple of handfuls out every week. But I also inject CO2. Do you inject CO2? Because that really kicks the plants into gear. I actually have to add quite a bit of nitrogen as fertilizer every week because my fish don't produce enough waste. But if I turn the CO2 off, the plant uptake really drops off.

You may want to look into CO2 injection, otherwise the plants might not uptake as quickly as you need.
 

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You should see a difference in nitrates within a few days with nitrazorb. It works well. I never saw a nitrate change (personally) with purigen though I have had a lot of success with Matrix as it can house anaerobic bacteria that will convert nitrates to nitrogen gas and release it, lowering your overall nitrates. I keep a pound of it in my pond filter and it has performed really well! I also keep some in my HOB filters (hang on back) filters in my regular 33g tank.

Once they start increasing again, you'll want to re-charge it. Because your tap nitrates are fairly high at 30ppm you'll always want to keep a new one in there (weekly). I think between that, some plants, and some matrix if you buy it you'll be able to maintain them around 20ppm. You have to remember you're starting from 30 and just regular food and waste will increase it by 1-2ppm a day. SO, if you stay at 30 or drop below that's a good sign that things are working like they should.
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I tried the Purigen and nitrates dropped like a rock! But, it would only last about 2 weeks because my fancy goldfish are like small sewage generators. I have not tried Nitrazorb so I'd be interesting in hearing how that works? I also just bought a liter of Matrix and plan to add it the next time I work on the canister so if I get positive results with that I'll let you folks know.
 
So I can use the nitrazorb and the matrix in my HOB at the same time? Or just use one?

Also, I am looking on Amazon for some aquarium supplies and trying to look into the nitra zorb and some say size 30 or size 6... how do I know what I will need? And I also need aquarium salt correct?

Just added some pennyworts to my tank!
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The pennywort should definitely help.
You would need a size 6, though it is quite large (just fyi). If you have a good size hob you can fit it in.
Yes, you can use both of them, I'd just put the matrix loose in your filters (that's what I do). It does take 3-4 weeks to start helping but I find it helps a lot. Today after my water change of 40% my nitrates were at 2ppm. I might have to purchase some liquid nitrate for my plants lol.

Aquarium salt is fine or any salt that has no other additives listed, just salt or sea salt as the only ingredients.

Also, I let green algae grow on my back wall of my tank. I find it grows and consumes nitrates and keeps other algae at bay even though I have a planted tank. It grows really fast.
 
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  • #85
So I would put the matrix and the nitrazorb in my HOB, correct? Sorry I just wanna make sure I'm understanding all of this. Don't wanna end up doing it wrong and killing my fish lol. And I have snails in my tank now so there taking care of my algae problem
 
I've never used Matrix so don't know about that, but the NitraZorb is placed inside your HOB filter. I put mine in the space behind the cartridge, so that the water flows through it first then through the cartridge. The bag is fairly large so you may not be able to fit it all the way submerged, depending on the size of your HOB. If your cartridge isn't new, you may get some backflow over the intake tube, when that happens I just adjust the flow down until it doesn't overflow anymore. My nitrates were high in my invertebrate tank the other day, but they went from 20-40 ppm to less than 5 ppm in 2 days. (I don't use the NitraZorb constantly, only when my tank starts to be unable to keep up with the nitrates in my tap from water changes.)
 
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  • #87
Would it be okay to constantly use it though? Considering my tap water has a nitrate reading of 30-40ppm
I also just realized I don't believe they come in a multI pack so I would have to buy two then, right? Since I would have one soaking until I swap them out
 
You can use it constantly. When you go out to get it, check the bag-I think it only takes a few hours to recharge it so you might only need one. I don't have the bag it came in so can't check it, but I think there is something on it that gives the recharge timing.
 
The recharge timing if only 4 hours I think so you could use one bag. Its just easier to throw one in some saline and plop a new one in the tank. Rinse it well before putting it into your tank. Neither of these items can hurt your fish

Matrix are like small pebbles so they can be loose or in a media bag in your HOB. They can slowly be swapped out for bio-max if you have it or other ceramic media as they will serve that purpose at the same time.
 

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No, I got rid of the purigen because it has to be regenerated with bleach and I felt like it was too much work to do this every two weeks...if it lasted longer I may still use it. I think it would be easier to use in an HOB where you can easily remove the media. My canister is so large I only service it every three months.
 
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  • #95
Well I plan on putting the nitrazorb in my HOB filter. I don't really mind recharging it every week or every other week probably when I do my water change because I've been struggling with my nitrates and if it keeps my fish happier I definitely don't mind the way I see it I've already put a boat load of money into my tank to get it the way I want I might as well do this as well lol
 
No, I got rid of the purigen because it has to be regenerated with bleach and I felt like it was too much work to do this every two weeks...if it lasted longer I may still use it. I think it would be easier to use in an HOB where you can easily remove the media. My canister is so large I only service it every three months.
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Purigen should last a lot longer than 2 weeks. I only had to regenerate mine very 3 months.
 
Well I plan on putting the nitrazorb in my HOB filter. I don't really mind recharging it every week or every other week probably when I do my water change because I've been struggling with my nitrates and if it keeps my fish happier I definitely don't mind the way I see it I've already put a boat load of money into my tank to get it the way I want I might as well do this as well lol
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I hear ya. Lol I budgeted 500 bucks for my tank. Now that I got it the way I wanted it, I'm up to 2000 . But I'm happy and my fish are happy.
 
Well, my bio-load is too high for the tank...that's why I do weekly 90% water changes. With purigen, my nitrates dropped immediately, but after 2 weeks started creeping back up. When I took the media bag out, the purigen had turned brown so I figured it was spent. At the time I had 6 orandas in the tank.

Sorry, this response was to El337, I forgot to hit reply with quote.
 
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  • #99
I hear ya. Lol I budgeted 500 bucks for my tank. Now that I got it the way I wanted it, I'm up to 2000 . But I'm happy and my fish are happy.
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Yeah I remember thinking mine would be at around 700 and I've stopped counting at how much at this point. I also remember thinking I would have only needed about 7 plants and I've already tripled that number

On another note, is purigen and nitra zorb the same thing? Slightly confused..

EDIT: You know you're lame when you get excited to come home to an Amazon package full of fish stuff that you paid extra to have overnighted because you didn't wanna wait to get the stuff until Monday
 
Ha ha, yes so true! You don't want to know how much I've spent over the past 4-5 years! Probably thousands and I really mean that. This year I started my outdoor water garden which of course added to that amount! But, I truly love the fish and the hobby (the plants etc) and find it very relaxing and rewarding taking care of my fishy friends

Purigen and nitrazorb are not at all the same.

Nitrazorb is an ion exchange resin, similar to what you'd find in a water softener except the media in there exchanges nitrates for salt so it does a good job at lowering nitrate levels while its working and then salt re-charges it. Purigen is more like super charged carbon and while some people may notice a nitrate reduction, I never did. I quit using it because after recharging it a couple of times and following the instructions I had some residual chlorine in my tank from the (chlorine bleach) recharge.
 

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