Cheapest way to get nitrates down

High nitrates have long term negative health effects on fish. It lowers their immune system making them more susceptible to a wide range of issues where even slight stress can foster lethal results. It also shortens their life span. We should strive to keep nitrates as low as possible in the aquarium, definitely less than 20ppm. 40-50ppm is unacceptable. Usually, routine partial weekly water changes handles this...except in the more rare cases like this (and mine!).
An RO system is overkill when in-line nitrate filtration is readily available (same as used for refrigerators, ice makers, etc. Alternatively, adding nitrate gobbling plants* and products like API Nitra-Zorb Seachem's Phosguard can deal with phosphates and silicates.
* A heavily planted low tech tank is also an answer to keep tank nitrates low(er) and provide purer water for the fish.
You're correct but research has shown that levels of 80+ppm have little long term effects on many freshwater species (I've been searching for weeks for the paper I read as I'd quoted some info from it in another thread but I can't find it online anywhere) obviously some species and juvenile fish especially are more sensitive than others and lower is always better but I wouldn't consider 40ppm high at all. I'd actually doubt the accuracy of the hobby test kits, nitrate tests especially are woefully inaccurate and not precise at all given they're mostly dependent on x number of drops being used.
 
You're correct but research has shown that levels of 80+ppm have little long term effects on many freshwater species (I've been searching for weeks for the paper I read as I'd quoted some info from it in another thread but I can't find it online anywhere) obviously some species and juvenile fish especially are more sensitive than others and lower is always better but I wouldn't consider 40ppm high at all. I'd actually doubt the accuracy of the hobby test kits, nitrate tests especially are woefully inaccurate and not precise at all given they're mostly dependent on x number of drops being used.

I remember that thread, and would still be interested in seeing the study mentioned. I cannot agree that nitrate does not matter, as this goes against all known scientific evidence and reason.

Most of the nitrate studies deal with non-aquarium fish, that is true. And most are also not long-term but more designed to find out at what level nitrate is likely to kill the fish outright. One cannot apply such results to all fish.

I went into this issue in detail with Neale Monks. Neale has consistently advised keeping nitrate below 20 ppm for all fish, and beyond that as low as possible. Some fish species are more susceptible to nitrate short-term than other species; Neale specifically mentioned all cichlids and mollies. Over on the cichlid forum they advise 20 ppm as the maximum for nitrate, citing nitrate as probably linked to Malawi bloat and hole in the head. Neale said this is certainly a risk, and he suggested it is best to consider nitrates as simply more like stress that is weakening the immune system and wearing down the fish. And this of course makes it more susceptible to diseases it would otherwise be able to fight off.

Given that none of our aquarium fish live in water containing nitrate at levels anywhere near what we are considering, and their physiology has evolved over thousands of years to function best in such environments, it is safe to assume the fish will be healthier with nitrate as low as possible. And healthy fish is hopefully what we all want.

Live plants have been suggested, and it is true that these will help to keep nitrates low. But this is not going to matter much in most setups. Plants take up ammonia/ammonium as their preferred source of nitrogen, and except in a high-tech planted tank using diffused CO2, very bright lighting to drive photosynthesis, and daily nutrient supplementation, their uptake of nitrate will be minimal. Plants only turn to nitrate when ammonia/ammonium is no longer sufficient; the plants have to internally change the nitrate back into ammonium, and this uses valuable energy so it is only going to be significant when all the other factors are present. Nitrate will be low, usually less than 5-10 ppm, often at zero, in natural or low-tech planted tanks that are not overstocked but biologically in balance; this is because there is so little nitrate occurring because the plants grab most of the ammonia/ammonium and little gets through the nitrifying bacteria process, and what does may get snapped up by some of the plants, all depending upon the species, number, and fish load.

Byron.
 
Here's my primer on pre-filtering high nitrate source water.
High Nitrates in Source Water

And/or you can use API Nitra-Zorb pouches in your filter. They can be recharged and reused several times in aquarium or non-iodized salt water.

Note if used in your filter, place last after polyester floss to minimize compromising the product with detritus.

Hope this helps!
This is good and the type of thing i am.looking for but my tap wouldnt allow me to make one of these.
Is there a standard way of building one of these?

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Does this absorb nitrates quick?

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Yes and no. Floating plants are naturally fast growing plants, so this means they require more nutrients of which nitrogen is one. They will take up ammonia/ammonium first, then possibly turn to nitrates depending upon the sufficiency of other nutrients and the light. Everything has to be balanced. But floating plants do use more, though it may not be significantly more to deal with an initial problem. The Water Lettuce certainly will not hurt, and will be beneficial in the long run.
 
As they said pothos, floating plants, or any plant that has leaves above the water and has access to the CO2 in the air (which is pretty much endless).

Look up what a riparium is. It will take a bit of time as plants adjust and start growing, but I'd say it's the cheapest and most effective solution. If done properly you might even find yourself with no nitrates at all.
 
Between floaters and pothos I haven't had nitrates since day one.

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Yes and no. Floating plants are naturally fast growing plants, so this means they require more nutrients of which nitrogen is one. They will take up ammonia/ammonium first, then possibly turn to nitrates depending upon the sufficiency of other nutrients and the light. Everything has to be balanced. But floating plants do use more, though it may not be significantly more to deal with an initial problem. The Water Lettuce certainly will not hurt, and will be beneficial in the long run.
Thanks byron. It wont hurt to get some then. So ill just add some. [emoji4]

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