nitrate levels

[prgwin00]

We have been trying to get our nitrate level down in our 55g over the last few weeks. We do water changes every couple of days. I tested at our faucet and it is on the high end of safe. Now our tank is just over the danger level. I figure we probably won't get it much lower using our tap water.

So my question is how to get it lower? Has anyone ever used a chemical from a store to reduce nitrate level?

How do you haul in 18 gallons of water a week from an outside source providing I can find one that has lower nitrate levels than we do? That would be at the very least for 25% change for all of our tanks.

 

[MatthewLaw]

have you considered using Prime? i know Prime is supposed to lower amonia, but not sure about nitrates!

have you considered buying a 20gallon bin, treating the water in there and then pumping it into the tank? if you can put the bin higher than the fishtank, i guess you could use a siphon 'pump' to get it in there?

 

[prgwin00]

I will have to see. Maybe two 5 gal buckets or something. They will just be a pain to haul unless I can find some with lids.

I found some stuff by Tetra called Easy Balance. It is supposed to stabilize pH and alkalinity levels and reduce nitrates. But I am not sure if I would want to use it weekly with every water change. I wish I could find something that just reduces nitrates without the oH and alkalin levels being effected.

 

[Macfish]

I found myself in the same boat. Amquel+ claims to remove everything, but I think it just makes things "safe" or harmless to fish.

Few things you can do -
Up your plant count so you have something natural taking the nitrates away.
Use an RO/DI unit to remove all impurities from the tap
Find a local water company that'll maintain a water filtering system to your house.

 

[Lotus]

I use plants to lower nitrates

 

[epond83]

Thats what i was going to say, my plants keep my nitrates way low. Do you have a problem with algea? I would think you would with all those constant nitrates for it.

Also i've seen denitrators for saltwater tank, lots of DIY plans on the web.

Also there is the option of instaling an RO system.

 

[Avalon]

In most cases, excess nitrates from the tap aren't very harmful. You would need your nitrates to be in excess of 60ppm on a consistent basis to develop chronic problems over time. Anything below 20ppm is safe. There is no magic liquid to bring nitrates down, so don't bother looking. Plants will do it, but then again, you'll be opening up another can of worms entirely going this route (which isn't a bad one if you're willing to learn).

I'd highly recommend an RO unit for your house if it's something you're willing to consider. Not only does it provide pure water for your aquarium, but your coffee, tea, and drinking water will taste much, much better!

 

[prgwin00]

Not much of a problem with algea, but what we had was a golden/orange color which a guy at petco said wasn't a surprise with our nitrate level. But we have been doing water changes 2 to 3 times a week, between 20-40% and our level has dropped.

I want to get some live plants. Our LFS is useless...I asked and they don't carry live plants because they can't keep them alive. So next time I am back where I can get to a different store I will get a couple, and get a bigger wattage bulb and some fertilizer for live plants.

We have just a filter pitcher for drinking water. I kinda looked for a system for the house, but they seem to be a little spendy and I don't have any extra money for one right now.

 

[Avalon]

If your "golden/orange" color was the AP NO3 (nitrate) test result, then you're not doing too badly, especially if it's dropping with constant water changes. I would recommend live plants to compliment your fish's enviornment...similar to a reef in a salt water aquarium. However, you'll need to do some research to make the most of them--there's a lot of info in the aquatic plant forum--just search and read.

As for a viable RO alternative, check out Aquasafesystems on ebay. A good RO unit will run you about $130 if you can install it yourself (it's easy)--far better than your local $500-$1000 install. I really like mine for the pure drinking water! But even if that's something you're not interested in, simply keep up on your water changes. Usually 50% per week will do you well.