Nitrate Filter

[azg10]

hi, i have been having problems lately with high nitrate levels, at the minute i have 2 fluval 4plus filters in a 450l tank, i just wondered whether there was a nitrate sponge available for this filter, or whether i could use the green juwel ones in my filter. Just to save on the amount of water changes etc thanks in advance

 

[GoldLenny]

What are your test results, stocking and PWC schedule?

Are you keeping your gravel well vacuumed and filter media maintained? If you leave excess detritus in the gravel, it will break down into eventual nitrates. If you put off filter maintenance where you have excess detritus building up in your filter media it will break down into eventual nitrates.

Here's an article on my blog all about nitrates which might give you other things to look at. http/goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/02/nitr...-thanks-to.html

While there are ways to remove nitrates, they do not replace the need to do regular PWC's.

 

[rdd1952]

I agree with GoldLenny. Unless your tank is extremely overstocked, a weekly 25% water change should always keep nitrates below 20 ppm, unless, of course, you tap water is already higher than that. The only valid reason I could see for using a nitrate sponge would be if you have 20 to 40 ppm of nitrate straight from he tap meaning you could never get it any lower than that naturally.

Another natural option is to add lots of live plants to use ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to help keep them low.