Nitrate levels

[Guppy10]

Hi, tap water nitrates are 50 so pointless doing water changes unless tank levels go up. Any ideas ? I'm trying floating plants for now. Don't want to add chemicals as this is against my belief.

 

[Retired Viking]

Fast growing floating plants will help, also moss balls like nitrates. Some sites list them as #1 or #2 at dealing with nitrates. I have hornwort, anacharis and water sprite also. I "plant" some of them. Like you I also try and avoid adding chemicals

 

[Byron]

The water changes are necessary for the health of the fish regardless of nitrates. It is true that substantial water changes, along with not overstocking, not overfeeding, and regular filter cleaning, will keep nitrates from occurring within the biological system; but so much more is achieved than just this. All the other "pollution" needs removing as much if not perhaps more.

Nitrates in the soource water need to be dealt with in a different way, in addition to the regular water changes. @AbbeysDad has good experience dealing with this, and he will likely spot this and advise.

Plants will certainly help but not do much in this case because most of them only turn to nitrate when ammonia/ammonium is exhausted, and then assuming the light and other nutrients are still sufficient to continue photosynthesis. Plants have more effect on nitrates occurring within the aquarium, because in using the ammonia/ammonium there is less being taken up by nitrifying bacteria/archaea which means less nitrite and less nitrate down the road.

 

[Naughts]

I tried plants (aquatic and aquaponics) to reduce tap nitrate and it had no effect. I now use Nitrozorb in the filter and nitrates remain at safe levels for my fish. I don't like additives/ chemicals either but the natural method left my fish in unsuitable conditions so it is necessary here.

 

[Retired Viking]

I tried plants (aquatic and aquaponics) to reduce tap nitrate and it had no effect. I now use Nitrozorb in the filter and nitrates remain at safe levels for my fish. I don't like additives/ chemicals either but the natural method left my fish in unsuitable conditions so it is necessary here.

Your trying to do what your think is right for your fish and that is good. I also try to avoid chemicals but we already add water conditioner to remove chlorine so some chemicals are necessary.

 

[Naughts]

Your trying to do what your think is right for your fish and that is good. I also try to avoid chemical but we already add water conditioner to remove chlorine so some chemicals are necessary.

I don't think Nitrozorb is a chemical as such, it is absorbent (absorbent?) like zeolite or carbon. You could say it alters the water chemistry but so do plants and fish.

 

[seangee]

I have 50ppm in my tap. In my experience plants help stop the nitrates from rising but will do very little to reduce them. I used to be paranoid about cleaning and not overfeeding. If you only have one tank and its reasonably small the Pozzani filter works really well https://www.pozzani.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=185

At 50ppm the cartridge is good for about 600 - 800 litres and when I used it replacement cartridges cost £13. It drops nitrates right down to 0. Make sure you always have a spare cartridge because it doesn't degrade gradually. One day your water comes out at 0 and when its depleted it goes straight back up to 50ppm. In theory the cartridges can be recharged but I never succeeded in doing this (and I tried). I did this for about a year when I was changing 100 litres per week. This meant I was getting through the cartidges quite quickly and I ultimately switched to using RO water (just as well because I have 2 extra tanks now and change 200 litres per week). This was the better solution for me because I keep soft water fish so I used to have an additional filter to reduce the hardness, RO was the easiest option for me.

 

[Guppy10]

Anything added to water to alter hardness/ ph/etc etc is a chemical treatment so please do not kid yourself.
I am trying to reduce the nitrate in tap water or tank water.
The hardness is an issue so a remedy would be good.
Amm 0 Cl 0 Ph 7_8 Kh 15_20 Gh 8 -16 no3 50 no2 o

 

[Retired Viking]

I have 50ppm in my tap. In my experience plants help stop the nitrates from rising but will do very little to reduce them. I used to be paranoid about cleaning and not overfeeding. If you only have one tank and its reasonably small the Pozzani filter works really well https://www.pozzani.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=185

At 50ppm the cartridge is good for about 600 - 800 litres and when I used it replacement cartridges cost £13. It drops nitrates right down to 0. Make sure you always have a spare cartridge because it doesn't degrade gradually. One day your water comes out at 0 and when its depleted it goes straight back up to 50ppm. In theory the cartridges can be recharged but I never succeeded in doing this (and I tried). I did this for about a year when I was changing 100 litres per week. This meant I was getting through the cartidges quite quickly and I ultimately switched to using RO water (just as well because I have 2 extra tanks now and change 200 litres per week). This was the better solution for me because I keep soft water fish so I used to have an additional filter to reduce the hardness, RO was the easiest option for me.

What filter do you use to reduce the hardness?

 

[Guppy10]

I'm on same page as see gee so adding stuff is not foolproof n he went with ro. That's not a chemical additive however you look at it.

 

[Guppy10]

I don't have a filter to reduce hardness. A sponge n a big canister, which is prob why my overstocked n bad mix is still alive lol. Regular changes but it's not perfect ,,,, hence the plants.
I have learnt a lot from you guys so I made bad choices but after tons of research I now no better. My soft water fish are mint so not happy to get rid tho live bearers would be fine here.

 

[seangee]

What filter do you use to reduce the hardness?

It was another of Pozzani's filters. Like the nitrate filter it is a de-ionising filter so no chemicals.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I don’t believe anyone is arguing that less is best when it comes to chemicals.

 

[Guppy10]

Wot means do you use ? Iv no idea... But it would be good to lower the parameters on these values. Rainwater is not an option !!!

 

[Retired Viking]

It was another of Pozzani's filters. Like the nitrate filter it is a de-ionising filter so no chemicals.

Thanks