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Where have all the nitrates gone?

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Subject Author Date
Where have all the nitrates gone? Peter Ashby 09-21-2005
Posted by Peter Ashby on September 21, 2005, 11:34 am
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Our 10G community tank seems to have developed a nitrate reactor. The
nitrates simply don't rise above 10ppm (nitrites 0). Air driven UGF
under gravel, 5 adult scissortail raspboras, 4 neons, one adult female
ancistrus catfish, one adult Yo-Yo loach and an indeterminate number of
kuhli loaches (mix of adults and intermediates, they have bred). No
added carbon source so the plants grow but not enough to soak up that
amount of NO3.

We also have blue-green algae which grows largely on the Java fern
leaves closest to the surface but is not generally an issue. The tank
has been set up for a few years now, we haven't lost a fish in about
8months, since the scissortails were added. I am not about to meddle
with this, a successful ecosystem should be left alone imho.

Peter

--
Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country

Posted by Siamese Ninja Fish on September 27, 2005, 9:36 am
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The N03 in my tank never gets above 2ppm. I think that it must be because
there are plants in my tank and also because there are no nitrates in my tap
water. The phosphate level though has risen to over 5ppm since I stopped
cleaning the gravel regularly. For some reason though the nitrate level has
remained the same.

Are you sure that its blue green algae that you have growing on your Java
fern?. As when I had it in mine you could see that it had spread more each
day, once it got established. That was with 1ppm P04, 2ppm N03, and under
2watts per gallon of light for twelve hours a day.


> Our 10G community tank seems to have developed a nitrate reactor. The
> nitrates simply don't rise above 10ppm (nitrites 0). Air driven UGF
> under gravel, 5 adult scissortail raspboras, 4 neons, one adult female
> ancistrus catfish, one adult Yo-Yo loach and an indeterminate number of
> kuhli loaches (mix of adults and intermediates, they have bred). No
> added carbon source so the plants grow but not enough to soak up that
> amount of NO3.
>
> We also have blue-green algae which grows largely on the Java fern
> leaves closest to the surface but is not generally an issue. The tank
> has been set up for a few years now, we haven't lost a fish in about
> 8months, since the scissortails were added. I am not about to meddle
> with this, a successful ecosystem should be left alone imho.
>
> Peter
>
> --
> Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country



Posted by Peter Ashby on September 27, 2005, 3:38 pm
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> > Our 10G community tank seems to have developed a nitrate reactor. The
> > nitrates simply don't rise above 10ppm (nitrites 0). Air driven UGF
> > under gravel, 5 adult scissortail raspboras, 4 neons, one adult female
> > ancistrus catfish, one adult Yo-Yo loach and an indeterminate number of
> > kuhli loaches (mix of adults and intermediates, they have bred). No
> > added carbon source so the plants grow but not enough to soak up that
> > amount of NO3.
> >
> > We also have blue-green algae which grows largely on the Java fern
> > leaves closest to the surface but is not generally an issue. The tank
> > has been set up for a few years now, we haven't lost a fish in about
> > 8months, since the scissortails were added. I am not about to meddle
> > with this, a successful ecosystem should be left alone imho.
> >
> The N03 in my tank never gets above 2ppm. I think that it must be because
> there are plants in my tank and also because there are no nitrates in my tap
> water. The phosphate level though has risen to over 5ppm since I stopped
> cleaning the gravel regularly. For some reason though the nitrate level has
> remained the same.

that would work except we have no more plants than the tank has ever
had. With this load in the past I have had to do 20% changes weekly just
to keep the NO3 below 50ppm. Something has changed recently.

> Are you sure that its blue green algae that you have growing on your Java
> fern?. As when I had it in mine you could see that it had spread more each
> day, once it got established. That was with 1ppm P04, 2ppm N03, and under
> 2watts per gallon of light for twelve hours a day.

It seems to be limited to the higher levels of the tank where it can get
most light. I am thinking of throwing an air driven box filter with some
PO4 removal media in it in. I have a couple of internals I could use but
they dramatically increase the water flow and they are noisy (tank is in
a bedroom). I was thinking if I can get the PO4 down (I haven't measured
it) I can then do the 48hr dark treatment. Of course if it is the B-G
that is eating the NO3 I will regret that..... I rather think that with
the relatively inefficient air driven UGF the tank has developed
anaerobic pockets in the UGF and the NO3 are being reacted in there.

Peter

--
Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country

Posted by Siamese Ninja Fish on September 27, 2005, 4:56 pm
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I used rowaphos for a while. It did slow the growth of the blue green algae,
but with the P04 at 0ppm all my plants stopped growing. I did start removing
it, but it was difficult to get the levels right for the plants as it zeros
the phosphate levels within a day or two of use.


>
>> > Our 10G community tank seems to have developed a nitrate reactor. The
>> > nitrates simply don't rise above 10ppm (nitrites 0). Air driven UGF
>> > under gravel, 5 adult scissortail raspboras, 4 neons, one adult female
>> > ancistrus catfish, one adult Yo-Yo loach and an indeterminate number of
>> > kuhli loaches (mix of adults and intermediates, they have bred). No
>> > added carbon source so the plants grow but not enough to soak up that
>> > amount of NO3.
>> >
>> > We also have blue-green algae which grows largely on the Java fern
>> > leaves closest to the surface but is not generally an issue. The tank
>> > has been set up for a few years now, we haven't lost a fish in about
>> > 8months, since the scissortails were added. I am not about to meddle
>> > with this, a successful ecosystem should be left alone imho.
>> >
>> The N03 in my tank never gets above 2ppm. I think that it must be because
>> there are plants in my tank and also because there are no nitrates in my
>> tap
>> water. The phosphate level though has risen to over 5ppm since I stopped
>> cleaning the gravel regularly. For some reason though the nitrate level
>> has
>> remained the same.
>
> that would work except we have no more plants than the tank has ever
> had. With this load in the past I have had to do 20% changes weekly just
> to keep the NO3 below 50ppm. Something has changed recently.
>
>> Are you sure that its blue green algae that you have growing on your Java
>> fern?. As when I had it in mine you could see that it had spread more
>> each
>> day, once it got established. That was with 1ppm P04, 2ppm N03, and under
>> 2watts per gallon of light for twelve hours a day.
>
> It seems to be limited to the higher levels of the tank where it can get
> most light. I am thinking of throwing an air driven box filter with some
> PO4 removal media in it in. I have a couple of internals I could use but
> they dramatically increase the water flow and they are noisy (tank is in
> a bedroom). I was thinking if I can get the PO4 down (I haven't measured
> it) I can then do the 48hr dark treatment. Of course if it is the B-G
> that is eating the NO3 I will regret that..... I rather think that with
> the relatively inefficient air driven UGF the tank has developed
> anaerobic pockets in the UGF and the NO3 are being reacted in there.
>
> Peter
>
> --
> Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country



Posted by Gill Passman on September 27, 2005, 6:05 pm
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Siamese Ninja Fish wrote:
> I used rowaphos for a while. It did slow the growth of the blue green algae,
> but with the P04 at 0ppm all my plants stopped growing. I did start removing
> it, but it was difficult to get the levels right for the plants as it zeros
> the phosphate levels within a day or two of use.
>
>
>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>>Our 10G community tank seems to have developed a nitrate reactor. The
>>>>nitrates simply don't rise above 10ppm (nitrites 0). Air driven UGF
>>>>under gravel, 5 adult scissortail raspboras, 4 neons, one adult female
>>>>ancistrus catfish, one adult Yo-Yo loach and an indeterminate number of
>>>>kuhli loaches (mix of adults and intermediates, they have bred). No
>>>>added carbon source so the plants grow but not enough to soak up that
>>>>amount of NO3.
>>>>
>>>>We also have blue-green algae which grows largely on the Java fern
>>>>leaves closest to the surface but is not generally an issue. The tank
>>>>has been set up for a few years now, we haven't lost a fish in about
>>>>8months, since the scissortails were added. I am not about to meddle
>>>>with this, a successful ecosystem should be left alone imho.
>>>>
>>>
>>>The N03 in my tank never gets above 2ppm. I think that it must be because
>>>there are plants in my tank and also because there are no nitrates in my
>>>tap
>>>water. The phosphate level though has risen to over 5ppm since I stopped
>>>cleaning the gravel regularly. For some reason though the nitrate level
>>>has
>>>remained the same.
>>
>>that would work except we have no more plants than the tank has ever
>>had. With this load in the past I have had to do 20% changes weekly just
>>to keep the NO3 below 50ppm. Something has changed recently.
>>
>>
>>>Are you sure that its blue green algae that you have growing on your Java
>>>fern?. As when I had it in mine you could see that it had spread more
>>>each
>>>day, once it got established. That was with 1ppm P04, 2ppm N03, and under
>>>2watts per gallon of light for twelve hours a day.
>>
>>It seems to be limited to the higher levels of the tank where it can get
>>most light. I am thinking of throwing an air driven box filter with some
>>PO4 removal media in it in. I have a couple of internals I could use but
>>they dramatically increase the water flow and they are noisy (tank is in
>>a bedroom). I was thinking if I can get the PO4 down (I haven't measured
>>it) I can then do the 48hr dark treatment. Of course if it is the B-G
>>that is eating the NO3 I will regret that..... I rather think that with
>>the relatively inefficient air driven UGF the tank has developed
>>anaerobic pockets in the UGF and the NO3 are being reacted in there.
>>
>>Peter
>>
>>--
>>Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country
>
>
>
Most of my heavily planted tanks record zero nitrates....I feed the
plants - end of story - and then cut back the mega growth - BTW I don't
have a CO2 unit and just the standard lighting I get with my tanks

I have had algae issues but the over excuberant plants plus some algae
eaters and elbow grease on the front of the tank have dealt with
this...and yep some of my Java fern does have some blue/green algae - I
view it as food for the ottos as they won't take anything else and the
Plec and very fat Flying foxes take care of the rest

JME
Gill


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