# Is there any cheap/efective way to get rid of nitrAtes ???



## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

Hi guys , 

well my tap water is very high in nitrAtes , and i cant lower it !!!!!!!!!!!

I tried to keep water in a bucket for 2/3 days,it didnt help.

I tried using bottled water,it didnt help and i was told that it might be dangerous because it could contain sodium !

I tried using nitrate minus,it didnt help ....

My local fish shop do not have this RO water...

So what now ?????? Does that mean we can not keep fish ?

Please help me,this fish tank was set up for 5 & 4 year old kids ... ???

Anyone ?????


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Put a whole lot of plants into the tank. Check with your water company as to why you have such high nitrates. How high is it by the way?


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Fast growing plants will help.

If you can't buy bottled water (can get pricey over time), then you could always try ordering some Nitrazorb. For your small tank you only need the small pouch, (which is around $10.) It lasts for approximately 2 months. I'm using it in my 10g tank and will be using it in my 20g and 36g when they have cycled.

I'm also using AmQuel Plus. It's supposed to detoxify any ammonia, nitrite or nitrate that are in your tank. So, it will lower the levels and make them less toxic. I bought an 8oz bottle for around $10.

So far, I'm using those 3 methods for my tank, (plants, Nitrazorb and AmQuel) and my nitrates are under 40ppm. Usually around 20-30ppm.


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

tank is planted... bottled water tried.... 

nitrazorb,how much does it help Holly ??


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

my tap water is 40-80 ppm .

these figures long term dont do any good... from what i been told.,


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

susankat said:


> Put a whole lot of plants into the tank. Check with your water company as to why you have such high nitrates. How high is it by the way?


plants been there for a while... before fishless cycle started.
And what could possibly water company say ? i mean i can give them a ring,but how do i react to whatever they say ? what answers am i lookiing for ? what do i say to them ?


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Well, my tap water has 80ppm and using the Nitrazorb takes it down to about 30ppm. I've just started using AmQuel as well, just to see if I can get the levels lower.
It's made enough of a difference that I can keep Oto Cats, where as without the Nitrazorb, they always died on me. (Sensitive fish...)


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## lifelonglego (Jul 3, 2010)

I have had great success using Seachem's Matrix and Purigen together. I brought down the nitrates from 80+ to 5 without water changes in about 2 months. 

It would be a good idea to have two purigen pouches, so that you can alternate them. I had a huge nitrate spike when a fish died while I was recharging a purigen pouch, alhough the levels are coming down fairly repidly now that I have replaced the pouch. 

And I know, shame on me for not doing frequent water changes.


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## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

how many and what type of plants exactly?

if you just have like 3 or 4 small plants, the effect will not even be noticed. but if you have enough, they will eat up all of the nitrates. my ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates all stay at 0 and never budges because of all the plants in my 30 gallon. Java Ferns (Lace and regular), Anacharis (3 bunches, each 10-15 shoots), Argentine Swords (about 10 of them scattered around the tank), a single Amazon Sword, Apongetons (6 or 7 main bulbs, and about 5 new plantlets that have spawned off of those), and what I think is the biggest nitrate eater is the Westeria; it's growing now as kind of a "bush" made up of about 5 small clippings (well, started off as small about 2 weeks ago, but now it's reaching all the way from the back of the tank to the front)


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

Thank you 

These are plants in my tank :

5 x Aponogeton natans , ( small )
7 x Java Ferns,
2 x Anubias barteri var. nana 'Petite' , ( small)
10 x marimo moss balls ,
5 x Elodea Densa ,
Hornwort,
2 x Nymphaea rubra red lily ,(small)
10 x Ludwigia repens .

I am kind of limited because i only got one 15w light , some plants wont grow in such a low light . and the tank is only 60x30x30 cm .

I could fit few more plants in it,will have a look at westeria .


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

sondre said:


> 5 x Aponogeton natans , ( small )
> 2 x Nymphaea rubra red lily ,(small)


Plant wise, I would be a little concerned with these two for what you have going on in your tank.

I'm sure the Hornwort is loving your high nitrAtes. Another good plant to use but can get big if you don't keep it in check is Ceratopteris thalictroides (Water Sprite). It's a nitrAte sponge as well.

You do have quite a bit of plants in there. Kinda surprised that they aren't keeping the nitrAtes down.

The reading you took, was that out of the tap or in the tank? Can you provided readings for both?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Seems like the majority are slow or medium growers. The more stems you have in there the better. Ambulia is a good one. Wisteria another. Cabomba maybe. They will have to be kept pruned, but not overly so. More ludwigia will work....I could send you a ton if you weren't in the UK.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Usually when nitrates are that high from the tap there is some problems in the water lines. I had that problem once. Called the water company and they did some investigating of the problem and found where there was some organic matter leaching into the lines in the neighborhood. They finally found the area where it was happening and had to replace lines. It happens a lot in older areas where the main lines are older and actually in need of replacement.

After the lines were fixed, I never had that problem again.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

You might want to check your phosphate levels as well. If both nitrates and phosphates are high, dosing your tank with sugar will help provide a source of organic carbon, and the three (nitrates, phosphates, and organic carbon) will feed bacteria that consumes all three. Not sure what their byproduct is, but I'll see if I can dig up the article one of the other posters on here gave me on the subject...

Here it is:
Vodka Dosing by 'Genetics' and 'Stony_Corals' - Reefkeeping.com


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

Thank you all 

Been in a pets shop today,bought 2 more plants,but not sure what the are called,even staff at the shop didnt know , lol
Could you please help me with this .

I did have water sprite,but got rid of it,because it got too big ...

I also bought "Aqua-detox" , says "Nitra-zorb" inside , so thats the one that Holly been using


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I've never seen those plants before. Were they underwater at the store you bought them from? They might not be aquatic plants....


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

sondre said:


> Thank you
> 
> These are plants in my tank :
> 
> ...


Incandescent or flourescent?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

As I understand this your are doing a fishless cycle with plants and have nitrates.


As you dump ammonia in the there the plants will consume ammonia and get all the nitrogen they need from that ammonia. And not consume nitrates. 

Then as the tank matures bacteria reduces the ammonia and the plants start getting thier nitrogen from nitrates. At that point nitrates will drop.

the nitrates will come from the bioload (even ammonia you add) almost exclusively and not from your input water. With sufficient plant life nitrates will read 0 regardless of the input water. Which is further helped by not doing water changes as well.

my .02


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

Gizmo said:


> I've never seen those plants before. Were they underwater at the store you bought them from? They might not be aquatic plants....


Yes they were under water .



Guys what to do when plants get too high ? 

Some of my plants grow too fast ... already got rid of water sprite , it was taking over my tank,and my elodea densa & hornwort are growing very fast aswell , but as they dont have roots i just cut them from the bottom , is that how it should be done ? But with water sprite it had big roots,so i didnt know what to do with it ..


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> As I understand this your are doing a fishless cycle with plants and have nitrates.
> 
> 
> As you dump ammonia in the there the plants will consume ammonia and get all the nitrogen they need from that ammonia. And not consume nitrates.
> ...




Thank you 

Its Flourescent light . Fishless cycle finished , got fish in it now . Added 5 neon tetras last week,2 of them died,so added 6 more today .


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

You prune!

Most plants will find other ways to grow when their leaders are cut. Most are weeds so they will grow no matter what you break off and tear out. I have to prune my plants weekly.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

sondre said:


> Thank you
> 
> Its Flourescent light . Fishless cycle finished , got fish in it now . Added 5 neon tetras last week,2 of them died,so added 6 more today .


ok so now you're in the fish in cycle.

First don't feed the fish for a week (which you probably already have).

then only feed a flake or two per day.

Now the hard part. just wait. 

See if the nitrates drop down in about 2-3 weeks.


my .02


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

The first plant looks like cherry hedge, which isn't really aquatic. It will last awhile but will eventually die. The second one is an amazon sword. The pic is one that is grown emersed.


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> ok so now you're in the fish in cycle.
> 
> First don't feed the fish for a week (which you probably already have).
> 
> ...


Yes you are right,i was feeding them,i didnt know until about 2 days after i added fish . so i added 6 new neons today,they not been fed yet,should i keep them all without food for a week ? but others been eating , are they going to be ok for aweek without food ?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Stem plants you let grow to the top, then cut half way down or a little lower or higher if you prefer, and then re-plant the cut portion. I try to cut just above a node. New sprouts, usually at least two, will grow out of that cut portion.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

sondre said:


> Yes you are right,i was feeding them,i didnt know until about 2 days after i added fish . so i added 6 new neons today,they not been fed yet,should i keep them all without food for a week ? but others been eating , are they going to be ok for aweek without food ?


they should be fine for up to a week with no added food.

my .02


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

ok,so i will leave them without food for a week , is there a reason behind this ? what difference does it make if you dont feed them ?

What about water change ? Last water change was 18th july , 4 days ago,did 14 litre change , the tank is 50 litre.

After i done wc,i filled up a bucket of water for the next change,yesterday i added nitrite minus to see if it would help . Today i found something at the bottom of a bucket,right in a middle,somehing white . I picked little bit of it,and it felt like salt/sand , so i stirred water to see if it would dissolve , but it didnt . 
What is this ? should i throw away this water ? anyone had anything like that happening to them ?

I will add pictures of it,so you got better idea of what i am talking about here,first one not very clear,picture of it in a bucket,and the other one is what it looked like when i picked it up.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

That was in the bucket you filled for your next wc? Just looks like sediment. Calcium maybe...although that should dissolve? Not sure.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I get that too. It's hard water deposits that are coming from my hot water heater. Found the same stuff coming out of my shower faucet and the hot water inlets on the washing machine and dish washer.

My snails like it


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