Zeolite...

[limsteel]

Greetings, recently was advice by people here that my high fish fatality is likely due to High Nitrite after rescape... Did a search, and found that Zeolite is used to absorb Nitro compound, I bought a pack to try out. I added some into my CO2 reactor (about the height 5cm).

My tank usually has a slightly whitish blur look. after adding within few hours my tank looks EXTREMELY CLEAR! So clear that it looks atificial! My NO3 level is still at between 12mg/l to 25mg/l

I know some bros here will again ask me to change water! but the clearness of the water really make me wanna carry on using this cheap and good product! of course water change will still be on schedule 30% weekly...

same camera, same tank, different time (11 days)

[budak]

good grief! zeolite absorbs NH3 and NO2, yes, but not indefinitely. after a while it has to be recharged by emmersion in a salt bath. It DOES not absorb NO3. Happy recharging then every few weeks/days. good that you are still changing H2O, but why rely on zeolite if you have plants in the 1st place? If your tank setup is healthy, let the nitrifying bacteria do the NH3>>NO2>>NO3>>plant absorption conversion.

[juggler]

Lim: Zeolite will absorb your source of N away, maybe even your fertiliser. Sooner or later, your plants could be starving.

[vinz]

Lim,

It helps clear the excess, but remove it once it's done its job.

[loupgarou]

oh yeah, if you add salt to your tank = means the zeolite is not working..

some people don't know and put zeolite in tank, then fish get disease so they add salt = instant ammonia release from hte zeolite and everything else in tank dies from ammonia toxicity.

[David]

errrhh Lou....if he happens to add salt into the tank, the Zeolite will release whatever it has absorbed.

LS...relying on Zeolite does not help you become a better aquarist but rather a chemical dependant hobbist... NO3 at 12 to 25 is not a big issue as you still need a certain amount for your plants....if your NO3 reading concerns you, you could either manupulate your K values or get aquatic plants that are NO3 hungry.

[limsteel]

"relying on Zeolite does not help you become a better aquarist but rather a chemical dependant hobbist..."

Yo Dave... this sentence hit me very hard... hahah! OK I chemical junkie. The salt thingy really never occur to me, but I have never add salt to my tank.

OK the zeolite stay in my tank only till the water clears up, the out it goes. "Clarity" is my main concern here, not the Nitro compound.

[ek]

don't mind if I ask this. Does zeolite and activated carbon affect pH and water hardness?

[madans]

Hi Everyone,

While on the topic of zeolite I have a few related questions. Any one with a better understanding of zeolite and it's uses please help.

I have read that some enriched substrate manufacturers use volcanic rock like pumice enrich them by soaking by them in micro and macro nutrients and then claim the nutrients are only available to the plant roots as the plant demands them.

Zeolite too absorbs ions in preference to sodium ions and vice versa. Can I try something similar with natural zeolite ? What are the other issues here ? The zeolite will be buried in the substrate only.

May be there's a cheap way to make enriched substrate on demand ?

Madan Subramanian
Bangalore, India.

[loupgarou]

well, you can try..

[David]

Hi Limsteel

I am sorry if my words came too strong to you. Actually the reason I wrote the earlier thread is because I have been looking at your postings and I feel that you can be a very good aquarist.[]

[madans]

One thing I can see Limsteel from the 2 photographs taken 11 days apart is that your plants have visibly taken off.

I have had this occur in my new tanks numerous times and the result has always been an abrupt increase in water clarity. So I will not attribute the clarity to zeolite alone.

Yes in some cases when your plants are not doing well you may have green water and thus the clarity issue, zeolite sure helps then.

But looking at the way your plants have grown in 11 days ( see the forground ) and the amazons new leaves, larger, the excess ammonia, no2 may well have disappeared on it's own when the plants used them up to accelerate growth.

YMMV.

Madan Subramanian
bangalore, India.

[limsteel]

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On 6/23/2003 11:35:57 AM
"I feel that you can be a very good aquarist.[]"
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Yo Dave, you too kind... careful my head swelling.[]

Madans, the 2 pics you see is an example. sadly they are the only pics that I can show the contrast. I put the zeolite in and the water clears up in a few hours. Crystal clear!

At first I was told the same explanation, my plants had made proper use of the neutrient, thus clearing up the tank. But further trial in my friend's Louhan and parrot bare tank displays the same results in the same amount of time.

I understand, I should not focus too much on the chemical treatment offered by various brands. Letting an aquarium be natural is the ultimate goal.