First week water results

[AbbeysDad]

It's pretty common these days to have somewhat high nitrates in source water, especially in agricultural areas. I had a heck of a time with my well water due to a 95 acre farmers field across the road. I believe they used to use a fair amount of chemical fertilizer. Fortunately for me another farm began leasing the land and they rely on liquefied manure for fertilizer....lower air quality when the spray, but better water! So my friend @Byron pointed out a couple of my articles on high nitrates and here's a deep dive into filtration and water quality.

 

[Characf]

It's pretty common these days to have somewhat high nitrates in source water, especially in agricultural areas. I had a heck of a time with my well water due to a 95 acre farmers field across the road. I believe they used to use a fair amount of chemical fertilizer. Fortunately for me another farm began leasing the land and they rely on liquefied manure for fertilizer....lower air quality when the spray, but better water! So my friend @Byron pointed out a couple of my articles on high nitrates and here's a deep dive into filtration and water quality.

Really appreciate all the advice you've given me, do you think the nitrazorb would work on this or do you need a more slow process for it to filter efficiently?

 

[Essjay]

That just mentions removing chlorine and metals.
Nitrazorb is recharged in salt water so puts sodium into the water.


This is the type of filter which removes nitrate

Pozzani No10 Aquarium Nitrate Reduction Filter System

Nitrates are present in most tap water to some degree, mainly derived from pesticides and decaying organic matter. This filter is intended for tank filling only. It is not intended to be used as a circulating filter. The replacement cartridges for this system are the NR600 cartridges which can...

www.pozzani.co.uk

 

[Characf]

That just mentions removing chlorine and metals.
Nitrazorb is recharged in salt water so puts sodium into the water.


This is the type of filter which removes nitrate

Pozzani No10 Aquarium Nitrate Reduction Filter System

Nitrates are present in most tap water to some degree, mainly derived from pesticides and decaying organic matter. This filter is intended for tank filling only. It is not intended to be used as a circulating filter. The replacement cartridges for this system are the NR600 cartridges which can...

www.pozzani.co.uk

Abbeys dad uses nitra zorb, it's sold by API as a nitrate remover, perhaps that's why he puts the water through the nitra zorb then back through a filter before his 5g bucket? I think I'll have to rig something up like that

 

[AbbeysDad]

Really appreciate all the advice you've given me, do you think the nitrazorb would work on this or do you need a more slow process for it to filter efficiently?

Nitrazorb resin pouches is/was intended to use in filters to adsorb nitrates. To filter source water (like my little invention) you need to pass water through the resin slowly to ensure it has the residence time to remove the nitrates.

hat just mentions removing chlorine and metals.
Nitrazorb is recharged in salt water so puts sodium into the water.

Although the nitrazorb is recharged with ordinary salt water, it rinses clean and does not put sodium in the aquarium. Through some chemistry magic the sodium causes the adsorbed nitrates to be released from the resin, then the salt water is discarded and the resin is rinsed well with fresh (tap) water.

Abbeys dad uses nitra zorb, it's sold by API as a nitrate remover, perhaps that's why he puts the water through the nitra zorb then back through a filter before his 5g bucket? I think I'll have to rig something up like that

Thankfully, I don't have a need to prefilter water now. Although perhaps it wasn't really necessary, I put the water through an inline carbon filter after the nitrazorb filter for even more pure water.

 

[Essjay]

So nitrate removers don't work like water softener media. I will remember that for the future!

 

[Characf]

Update- Guppies all doing well, more plants added and majority doing well. No ammonia and surprisingly a drop in Nitrates? Not even done a water change since my last test. Also got the nitra zorb and rigged a filter similar to Abbeysdad, being a plumber I rigged up 6mm hose and 3 bags of nitra zorb in a plastic bottle and its came out 0ppm of nitrate so thanks for that! Going to do a 75% water change today so my tank will be below 5ppm nitrates and water change after hopefully barely present.

Dare I say it, am I ready to stock? Some pictures below on how its looking. I need to fine tune my aqua scaping I kinda just shoved everything in.

 

[Essjay]

As ammonia and nitrite are staying at zero, yes you can start to stock. Slowly. One group of fish at a time, and monitor ammonia and nitrite for several days after each addition. As the plants grow they'll be able to take up more and more ammonia.
If you intend shoaling fish, it is better to add the whole group at the same time rather than a few now and a few more later. They'll be less stressed and settle in better in a bigger group.

 

[Characf]

As ammonia and nitrite are staying at zero, yes you can start to stock. Slowly. One group of fish at a time, and monitor ammonia and nitrite for several days after each addition. As the plants grow they'll be able to take up more and more ammonia.
If you intend shoaling fish, it is better to add the whole group at the same time rather than a few now and a few more later. They'll be less stressed and settle in better in a bigger group.

I made an order online, went a bit mad tbh. Have bought 20 odd fish. Hopefully I don't regret it.

They're not coming until Tues, shall I cancel the delivery and half that number? Also yoyo loach was moderate risk to guppies do you think that'll be okay?

 

[Essjay]

20 might be pushing it with the number of plants you have. If you had a surface full of floating plants, it would be a different matter. And by full I mean almost the whole surface covered.
But the problem with ordering a few fish on-line is the delivery charge per shipment, and that can mount up to more than the cost of the fish if only a few are bought each time. Are there any local shops which stock the fish you want?


How many yoyo loach? These are shoaling fish which need a group of at least 6. I can't find your tank size, but these loaches need a 120 cm/4 foot long tank for a group. They are noted as nipping the fins of long finned fish like bettas and guppies. When shoaling fish are kept as too few, they can become even more aggressive than usual.

 

[Characf]

20 might be pushing it with the number of plants you have. If you had a surface full of floating plants, it would be a different matter. And by full I mean almost the whole surface covered.
But the problem with ordering a few fish on-line is the delivery charge per shipment, and that can mount up to more than the cost of the fish if only a few are bought each time. Are there any local shops which stock the fish you want?


How many yoyo loach? These are shoaling fish which need a group of at least 6. I can't find your tank size, but these loaches need a 120 cm/4 foot long tank for a group. They are noted as nipping the fins of long finned fish like bettas and guppies. When shoaling fish are kept as too few, they can become even more aggressive than usual.

4ft, 300 Gallons.
and I got 4, the tropco website said 3 or more, but tbh 6 would be too many considering my tanks not huge. I have family that keeps bostorious community so I'll have to monitor

 

[Characf]

And yeah I got a pets at home around the corner, but I've been told not to purchase fish from places like this? Although I'd did get the guppies from there and they asked for a water sample and the fish seem to be thriving.. but their selection wasn't brilliant

 

[Essjay]

Pets at Home don't have the best reputation. Do you have a Maidenhead Aquatics near you? They are not perfect but better than P@H and usually have a better selection.

Your tank is plenty big enough

 

[Characf]

Pets at Home don't have the best reputation. Do you have a Maidenhead Aquatics near you? They are not perfect but better than P@H and usually have a better selection.

Your tank is plenty big enough

Yeah I have one 40 mins away, I'll have a look there! Also I have until Tuesday so I might run out and buy a lot of duck weed and some other floaters

 

[Essjay]

Shops don't tend to sell duckweed or indeed many floating plants. I've bought mine on-line. Look at Aqua Essentials.

Duckweed in invasive. Once you have it, it's well nigh impossible to get rid of it. I must have had one tiny plant come in with another plants and it took ages to totally eradicate it from both tanks.
Look at (smallest to biggest) - salvinia, red root floater, amazon frogbit, water lettuce, water sprite.

This is the frogbit I used to have in my main tank, and this is what I mean by a surface full of floating plants