Can This Help Reduce Nitrates

[phishstixx]

Would a AC filter filled with gravel and lucky bamboo help lower nitrate levels. Cause I have spare filter and trying to find some use for it.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

lucky bamboo??

you need to address why you have high nitrates, if your tap water if high in nitrates it's pretty much unavoidable, if it's not then you're probably under filtered, overstocked or not doing enough maintenance so resolving that issue will resolve nitrate problems.

can you give us some more info on your tank, what size, water stats, fish, equipment, maintenance routine

thanks

 

[GoldLenny]

If you are having nitrate issues and your tap/source water isn't the cause, then you need to do better gravel vacuuming and filter maintenance and more frequent PWC's. It could also mean your tank is severely overstocked. Tell us more about your set up. Can your tank handle running the extra AC filter? If so, run it as a regular filter. I have always kept two filter systems running on all of my fish tanks except for a former Betta tank and only 1 on my cherry shrimp tank.

You could add fast growing floating plants like anacharis. They would get lots of light from floating close to the light. They would get lots of CO2 from the air and then they would suck up the nutrients from your water and add O2 to the water. The anacharis would do a much better job compared to lucky bamboo, which would utilize some of the nutrients but would not add O2. This does not stop you from having to do proper tank maintenance but it would certainly help the overall ecology of the tank.

I did have three stalks of lucky bamboo growing in a 2G vase with a betta that I rescued after Hurricane Katrina, until I set up a 10G tank for the Betta a few months later. Definitely use your removed tank water to water all of your plants when you do water changes. The plants will love it.

 

[phishstixx]

Thanks for the fast replies as far as my tank will its a 20g and is way overstocked but I have a cannister Eheim 2213 and a aqua clear running and all my stats are fine my nitrates are around 40 which isn't a whole lot just want to know it I could use the aqua clear once my cannister has been running for a month or so cause I don't think the aqua clear is really needed. Just did my weekly cleaning and didn't really find much to get up off the gravel. And thanks I all ready use my water change for the house plants at least I know I'm not the only one that does that(know my girl won't think I'm crazy anymore) I have 23 total fish in my tank right now but I got the okay to get a 72 possibly 90g tank from the misses. I just need to make sure she has a wonderful mothers day