Help, Nitrate headache

[Kheong]

Imagine a start of 100ppm of nitrate, and every day, the livestocks contribute another 25. So day 1, day 2, day 3, etc, looks like 100, 125, 150, etc.

Imagine everyday 10% water change, after 1 week, it will look like 100, 90+25, 104+25, etc.

And let's say 50% every 3 days, so it goes like 100, 100+25, 125+25, 75+25, 100+25, etc.

So from above example, we can see that larger water change provides more effectiveness, i.e every 3 days, the nitrate will reset back to 100.

Another example i can think of is... imagine you are in a smoke-filled room. Everyday, it gets diluted by a bit, then more smoke is added, then dilute by yet a bit, then add smoke, the cycle continues.

However, if let's say the smoke continues for 3 days, then gets diluted by half, I believe the non-smoke will feel more relief than the small dilution everyday.

[PNT Guy]

Originally Posted by marshy

How does bioearth reduces nitrate?

To put it simply is having the clay binding with nitrate(NO3-). As negatively charged ions tend to be attracted by the clay.

[itchy]

Originally Posted by marshy

I read an article about this.
Someone actually did the math calculations as well as do the actual test measurements.
It works out that all things being equal, its more effective to have larger water volume change at a less frequency than small water volume change on a daily basis.
I can't remember or find that site now.

This what I'm doing.
2x weekly 50-60% WC.

Originally Posted by Kheong

Imagine a start of 100ppm of nitrate, and every day, the livestocks contribute another 25. So day 1, day 2, day 3, etc, looks like 100, 125, 150, etc.

Imagine everyday 10% water change, after 1 week, it will look like 100, 90+25, 104+25, etc.

And let's say 50% every 3 days, so it goes like 100, 100+25, 125+25, 75+25, 100+25, etc.

So from above example, we can see that larger water change provides more effectiveness, i.e every 3 days, the nitrate will reset back to 100.

Another example i can think of is... imagine you are in a smoke-filled room. Everyday, it gets diluted by a bit, then more smoke is added, then dilute by yet a bit, then add smoke, the cycle continues.

However, if let's say the smoke continues for 3 days, then gets diluted by half, I believe the non-smoke will feel more relief than the small dilution everyday.

Thanks bros, learned something new today, will practise it.

[ESP]

http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/sh...57#post7670857

Originally Posted by nid

Ever since my medias matured, I have been having very high nitrate readings, as bad <250 and at best 100ppm. I do water changes every 2 days, 10% to 20% each time. Last night I did a 40% water change as a last resort to reduce my nitrate levels to my dismay, still 100ppm. Now I'm thinking what should I do.

Should I,

1)add some plants? And if yes what plants.

2)use medias that reduce nitrate(I dun have any space left in my ios through)

3)use chemical help.

Pls advise, getting very stress as recently my fishes appetite seems to be dropping.

Thks for all the advise bros, I have taken everything into consideration and read past threads and came up with this plan.

I'm going to do the extreme wc by changing 20%, then top up then repeat till I get zero or close. Dun know how harmful it will be to my fish but I dun like doing a huge water change at 1 shot, no point getting my nitrate to zero but my fish up lorry, I got 5 small ITs and they are weak fish.

I also got JBL BioNiteEx, frm what I read, should be effective if ppm is not too high. Since there is very little sunlight reaching my tank, it impossible for me to keep many plants anyway so use bio media.

I also have been using bio earth frm day 1, at first once every 3 days, now once a week.

Hopefully nothing up lorry, I actually have very high bio load, but unwilling to give up any of my fishes, if really cannot maintain low nitrate then consider letting 4 of my ITs go.

Wish me luck everyone, and thank you to all. Cheers.

PS, I read that bio-balls will help, anyone with any experience with this area?

Originally Posted by marshy

I read an article about this.
Someone actually did the math calculations as well as do the actual test measurements.
It works out that all things being equal, its more effective to have larger water volume change at a less frequency than small water volume change on a daily basis.
I can't remember or find that site now.

This what I'm doing.
2x weekly 50-60% WC.

Lol bro marshy, i wonder how much is ur water bill.. Lol

[Kheong]

Originally Posted by nid

Thks for all the advise bros, I have taken everything into consideration and read past threads and came up with this plan.

I'm going to do the extreme wc by changing 20%, then top up then repeat till I get zero or close. Dun know how harmful it will be to my fish but I dun like doing a huge water change at 1 shot, no point getting my nitrate to zero but my fish up lorry, I got 5 small ITs and they are weak fish.

I also got JBL BioNiteEx, frm what I read, should be effective if ppm is not too high. Since there is very little sunlight reaching my tank, it impossible for me to keep many plants anyway so use bio media.

I also have been using bio earth frm day 1, at first once every 3 days, now once a week.

Hopefully nothing up lorry, I actually have very high bio load, but unwilling to give up any of my fishes, if really cannot maintain low nitrate then consider letting 4 of my ITs go.

Wish me luck everyone, and thank you to all. Cheers.

PS, I read that bio-balls will help, anyone with any experience with this area?

Sometimes not possible to get to near zero, cause i remembered there was a period my block water from the tap the nitrate already 40ppm. So even if do 100% wc, bestest also is 40ppm nia.

[itchy]

Since u know that your tank main culprit is high bioload, think you should handle the problem at the root instead of keep making water changes?or maybe increase your medias?

Originally Posted by nid

Thks for all the advise bros, I have taken everything into consideration and read past threads and came up with this plan.

I'm going to do the extreme wc by changing 20%, then top up then repeat till I get zero or close. Dun know how harmful it will be to my fish but I dun like doing a huge water change at 1 shot, no point getting my nitrate to zero but my fish up lorry, I got 5 small ITs and they are weak fish.

I also got JBL BioNiteEx, frm what I read, should be effective if ppm is not too high. Since there is very little sunlight reaching my tank, it impossible for me to keep many plants anyway so use bio media.

I also have been using bio earth frm day 1, at first once every 3 days, now once a week.

Hopefully nothing up lorry, I actually have very high bio load, but unwilling to give up any of my fishes, if really cannot maintain low nitrate then consider letting 4 of my ITs go.

Wish me luck everyone, and thank you to all. Cheers.

PS, I read that bio-balls will help, anyone with any experience with this area?

[ilove2pigs]

Originally Posted by PNT Guy

To put it simply is having the clay binding with nitrate(NO3-). As negatively charged ions tend to be attracted by the clay.

are you very sure this is what actually happens, that negatively charged ions are attracted by the clay?

have you personally experienced a significant drop in your own tank nitrate level upon using BioEarth?

Originally Posted by itchy

Since u know that your tank main culprit is high bioload, think you should handle the problem at the root instead of keep making water changes?or maybe increase your medias?

bro, its hard to give up fish, only easy to add, in fact already thinking of adding lol. Media wise not many nitrate ones in the market now, I have brought the only I want I seem to be able to find. Other medias np as my other readings are 0.