Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fishtank Filtration and Cycling => Topic started by: Fiona on December 20, 2015, 12:20:11 PM
-
I'm still plagued by high nitrate levels so I've been perusing ebay and amazon and I've found filter pads that claim to remove it. Does anyone have experience with these or know of any potential problems of using them?
-
Some people report good results with API Nitra-Zorb. JBL NitratEx is also recommended, though one person has commented that it becomes less effective after being recharged numerous times.
Don't bother with things like Juwel's green sponges, it is generally accepted that they don't work.
Years ago there was something called nitrex. This was black, almost rubbery granules. It was put into a special flat box; the lid sloped gently and there was a slit along the highest edge. You buried the box under the substrate with just the slit showing. The idea was that the water inside the box became depleted of oxygen and anaerobic bacteria grew on the media which used nitrate as food, turning it into nitrogen gas which escaped through the slit as bubbles. I don't know if there is anything like this available now.
The problem with biological methods to remove nitrate is that the bacteria which do it don't like oxygen which is why they won't grow in the filter.
-
Thanks Sue, I'll try one of your recommendations and let you know how I get on.