Prototype - Green in Sump

[bravobb]

API Master test kit :-
Monthly water changed is only due next week, so i did a test to check before i do a water changed next week.
I am not very good in colours, so if i am not correct or you think it it something else, please highlight.

After waiting few minutes
PH 7
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0.25ppm
Nitrate 40ppm


After 20 minutes
PH 7
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0.25ppm
Nitrate 40ppm


Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8WxCZETEJw

[bravobb]

Did a water changed, added salt and added more plants.
Will do another measurement tomorrow.

[bravobb]

After water changed done on the 27-01-13 and added salts and more plants... the test results does not seem to have much different.

The following results are carried out today.


PH should be around 7.6 (could be due to water changed)
Ammonia is still zero
Nitrite should be zero
Nitrate seems to be still around 40-80ppm...
Is there no way to bring now the nitrate to zero ?


With flashlight

[wongce]

Bring down nitrate to 0? i am trying to bring it up... lol

You can try using faster growing plants / or do more frequent WC to bring it down..

[bravobb]

Bring down nitrate to 0? i am trying to bring it up... lol

You can try using faster growing plants / or do more frequent WC to bring it down..

I do not think WC will help as i already did it few days back... (can't be doing it everyday or every hour.... this is not practical)
I guess you wanted more nitrate is for your plants ?
For me, this tank is mainly for fauna, the flora is just a helper and not the main cast, thus the need to bring drop the nitrate as much as possible.

[milk_vanilla]

You may try filter media like seachem matrix, that heard could filter your nitrate as well as nitrite and ammonia. Honestly i never use this and how effective it will, but i think its option you can consider.

My tank is planted tank, so i dose nitrate > 25 ppm a week, indeed i need nitrate.

[bravobb]

You may try filter media like seachem matrix, that heard could filter your nitrate as well as nitrite and ammonia. Honestly i never use this and how effective it will, but i think its option you can consider.

My tank is planted tank, so i dose nitrate > 25 ppm a week, indeed i need nitrate.

I have seachem matrix in my Cichlids and ray tank... (If you see my prototype-IOUS... it also measured around 40ppm nitrate and that tank filter also has 2kg of seachem matrix....)

[wongce]

Nitrate does not dissappear. There might be some product to absorb them but if not mistaken you might end up spending more money changing them frequently.

For cheapest way to remove/reduce nitrate is
@Add more plants
@Do more wc
@Less bioload

My guess is your fish is generating a lot of waste?? E.g predator fish,gold fish,platys are poo-masters

Yup i am trying to bring it up as i need nutrients for my plants...haha

You have a sump-full of plants right? Maybe its time to add more plant into it. If your tank has space,you can try some simple floating plants(might cover some light),but its better than wc every few days (back breaking)

[bravobb]

You are right, nitrate does not disappear.
If i remember correctly, according to Diana, plants prefer to take ammonia and nitrite.
Also, my biomedia produces nitrite from ammonia due to its nullify process, so most likely my plants will never take nitrate.

For your information, my sump have 5 compartments, only 3 compartments are suitable for plants, currently one compartment is almost full of plants.
another compartment with moss ball and java moss and christmas moss. There are still room for more plants but i need to monitor the plants health before i introduce more.

[Tones]

Cant ever get rid of nitrate completly in my tank