Filter advice needed

[Mala]

I have a Jewel Rio 125 and i've decided to take the carbon sponge out. The thing is what can i put in it's place. I already have a nitrate removal sponge in there but i'd like to put something in the space left by the carbon sponge. Is there an alternative to using carbon?

 

[CFC]

i would add another course blue sponge under the green nitrate sponge, if its too thick you can cut it down to size with sissors.

 

[Fawke]

Interesting..... you have a Nitrate removal sponge?

How does that work and what are the implications on the good bacteria? presumably none if the nitrate the end product of the cycle......?

If it reduces nitrate and can go in an external canister filter, do you have any info/experiences with them??

Sorry to reverse the question....

In reply to yours, i agree with CFC, probably another course sponge would do the trick.....

 

[The-Wolf]

I added a phosphate remover to the lowest part of the filter basket
Hagen GreenX, don't buy the little tea bag sized one go for the big box, better value and the pack of 3 will last 9 months.

EDIT
Fawke
NEW! Juwel Nitrate Removel Sponge

To replace uppermost blue sponge in your Juwel filter
Less Nitratesless algae -better plant growth -healthier fish
Price is around £5, any juwel stockist should be able to get you one.

 

[CFC]

For external canister filters i recomend KENT marine nitrate removal sponge granules. This is a high tech media that lowers nitrates in two ways, the first is by directly absorbing some of the ammonia created in the tank so that it is removed from the nitrogen cycle and the second is by utilising anerobic bacteria which remove the oxygen part from the nitrate NO3 leaving only harmless nitrogen gas which disolves in the atmosphere. http/www.kentmarine.com/html/ns.html , dont be put off by it saying its for saltwater, it works just as well in freshwater too.

Has anyone actually had success with lowering nitrates using the Juwel sponge? I tried a free sample from the lfs and wasnt impressed, it didnt appear to make any difference to the nitrates.

 

[ddm18]

The-Wolf, I have to question your advice:

Less Nitratesless algae -better plant growth -healthier fish

Less nitrates - less algae = true
Less nitrates - healthier fish = true
BUT
Less nitrates - better plant growth = surely false?

Plants use nitrates to grow, which is why it also helps algae (a plant) to grow, and why having live plants in your tank reduces the nitrates (and why watering normal plants with fish water makes them grow really well).

Obviously you're right that lower nitrates is generally better, but I disagree with the plant growth thing.

Also, Mala, just out of curiosity, why have you decided to take the carbon out?

Oh, and another thing, sorry to slightly hijack this thread, but does anyone know whether I would be stupid to have carbon and peat in my filter? The reason I ask is that I know that peat turns the water slightly yellow-ish, and carbon removes that, but does the carbon also remove the other good stuff that comes from the peat, or is it just the colour? I've looked on packages of peat, and none of them say "Do not use with carbon", but does anyone have any experience?

 

[CFC]

Lower nitrates benefit plants by lowering algea which competes with the plants for nutrients in the water.

Carbon really isn't nessasary in a mature well balanced tank, regular weekly water changes are more than enough to remove acumilated toxins from the tank. The only time the is any need to use carbon is after a course of treatments. Using carbon as well as peat is pointless as all that will happen it the effectiveness of both will burn out twice as quick as they try to counteract each other.

 

[ddm18]

Thanks CFC, that's what I thought - nice to have confirmation though!

I still disagree with the nitrates/plants thing, however. Yes - algae competes with plants for nutrients, but surely the nutrients it's competing for are nitrates???

Also, my tank is mature (about 3 years), and without carbon the water is a definite yellow colour, carbon makes the water crystal clear. I know that there's nothing particularly wrong with the yellow colour, and that a lot of people like it, but I just think that the colours of the fish are better with clear water. Just my opinion.

 

[CFC]

I still disagree with the nitrates/plants thing, however. Yes - algae competes with plants for nutrients, but surely the nutrients it's competing for are nitrates???

Nitrates are not the only nutrients plants need to grow, if this were the case then there wouldnt be the need to add liquid and tablet fertilisers and macro and micro nutrients to acheive a healthy well planted aquarium. All aquariums planted or otherwise benefit from keeping nitrates below 40ppm and prefferably where possible below 20ppm.

 

[Mala]

Thanks for all your replies. ddm18 the reason i'm taking the carbon filter out is that i've never had to use any sort of medication in the tank and it's been up and running for over a year now. I feel i'm wasting money on carbon filters and the money could be better used elsewhere. I've only had the nitrate filter for 3 weeks now as my nitrate level was at 50. I've just done a test and it's still at 50.....so does it really work? My other readings are ammonia 0, nitrites0 and ph 7.3. The Wolf, i'm going to look round for the greenx. Only one question, is it ok in a jewel tank?

 

[The-Wolf]

The Wolf, i'm going to look round for the greenx. Only one question, is it ok in a jewel tank?

I have the rio 125 and I use it in there, as i said it goes at the very bottom
underneath the fine blue sponge move one fine blue up to the next basket and so on.
just so you know what to look for

HTH


ddm18
The infomation I posted was from an advertisment for the product, so
It is entirly possible that they have over exagerated the proprties of the sponge.
I do have one in my juwel tank, but as I use it in conjunction with the phospate remover (which I have had no algea probs since) I can not say for 100% that it does the job. The only thing is it is the same size as the blue sponges and ergo at the very least it does the same job they do.