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Nitrates chronically above 40ppm has been linked to overall decline in fish immunity, especially as it gets above 80 and 100 or more.

Ideally, for plants, it wants to be around 5-10, maybe 15 at the most.

I have used Nitrazorb. I first did a series of water changes all in one day, spread several hours apart. This got my nitrates down to 5ppm or so. I put the bag in and was pleasantly surprised to find that my nitrates hadn't soared above the 40ppm mark. I do two water changes on Saturday or Sunday on my 36 gallon goldie tank a few hours apart, rather than shock them with one big 70% change.

Honestly, I'm still evaluating it. I need to recharge it and put it back in. One of the challenges I have is getting the bag to stay upright and in a way where the stuff is spread out. Otherwise, it just bunches up to the bottom of the filter reservoir . That does not maximize contact with the stuff.

I'll try my test again. My theory is that for my nitrates to soar above 40ppm, from 5ppm in less than one week, the actual daily nitrate output is quite high. All we can expect in a situation like mine, where the tank has heavy waste producers, is for the Nitra-Zorb to "control" some of that daily output. For example, without the Nitra-Zorb, my nitrate may be rising 7-8ppm daily. With the nitra-zorb, it may only be rising 3ppm.

Now, I removed my plants and that didn't help. I need to get a big wad of hornwort and toss it back in.

I always say that people should dictate their water changes based not on time, but on nitrate targets. If you have a target of 20ppm, do as many water changes over one or two days that gets you down to 5ppm or less (spread out over several hours to not shock fish and water of same temp). When you reach your target, you know it is time to do the water change again. What you will find is that your tank requires water changes weekly, twice weekly, or even every other day to maintain your target. If you can't handle the aggressive schedule, then you know it is time to upgrade or reduce the load.

Does this make any sense?

One word of caution is that the first time you may get down to 5ppm and do a 30% water change when you hit 20ppm. That 30% water change may not get you back to 5, rather you may find yourself at 10. In such a case, you could be at 30ppm if you come back at the same interval the following week. Nitrates really creep up on people when they aren't watching. The next thing that happens is their fish are beginning to get sick easily and when they measure their nitrates they are shocked to find them upwards of a 100ppm.

stallion81, We ended up taking the Nitra Zorb out now. If it starts to climb again, then we will replace it. But like you, I might just do H2O changes instead. Nitra Zorb did work, but it was a hassle putting it into the canister filter. Plants look cool. and the fishys love them too. Thanks for you help in this matter. RGS***Tiger.

Last edited by TigerAngel at 19-Apr-2005 20:45

Great to hear Tiger. Just use 1 bottle at a time as you dont put in the 2nd 10 drops till after 30 seconds. Great detective work. Oh and BTW the Nitrazorb DOES work nicely, but I'll try to NOT use it as it was stock and % H2O change on my part. He HE I got some more plants too.

Will I found out today what my problem was.
"Contaminated Nitrate bottles!"
I was using Pharmaceuticals Nitrate testing kit. I was doing daily water changes in both tanks. 4 buckets for 67gal tank, and 3 buckets for 42gal tank. The Nitrate came down to 25-30 in 67gal. And 15-20 in 42gal. Was finely very happy, until I had to get another Nitrate kit, as I run out of the other. So I got Hagen Nitrate kit. Did my test. 67gal 15-20, and 42gal 10-15. Say what!. I still had some of the Pharmaceutical brand left. So I tested again.
This is the result.
Using Pharmaceutical for 67gal 30-40
Using Hagen for 67gal 15-20

Using Pharmaceutical for 42gal 15-20
Using Hagen for 42 gal 10-15

Could not understand this, so I took a sample of my water around to the LFS. He tested it using Pharmaceutical brand, and the 67gal tested out at 15. He rang the manufacture up and they told him, if I put the lids back on the wrong bottles (which I did) this will contaminated that bottle's content. They said that they are going into having different colour lids, so people do not put the wrong lids back onto the bottles.

So after all my water changes, and etc, it ended up being contaminated bottles, causing faust reading.
Oh well, one good thing out of all of this. I ended up getting some live plants (to help with the Nitrates) and the fishys love them. Mulch mulch.] Always wanted to try live plants. ***Tiger

Update.
Just tested my 42gal - (which I am doing 20 ltr water changes per day.)Saturday it was 40 - 60. Today it is just over 20. Will continue doing water changes until Wednesday, which is my water/clean/vac day. But its looking good.

Tested hubby's 67gal - (which he is using Nitra-Zorb)
Its still going down, but very slowly. Tested Saturday it was 40 - 60 after using Nitra-Zorb for 24 hrs. Now nitrates tested today was just over 40. His next water change/clean/vac is tomorrow Tuesday. We took the Nitra-Zorb out to recharge it. Even though it has only been under 72hrs. Will replace after the water/clean/vac tomorrow. Like Cory Di states, water/clean/vac will lower the Nitrates and then will replace the Nitra-Zorb so it will only have to fight the Nitrates at the level after the water/clean/vac.
Thanks again for your help. Let you know how it is doing.*** Tiger.

Tiger, when I first used NitraZorb, I did a succession of water changes to get my nitrates below 20ppm. Keep in mind, the stuff not only has to pull out what is already in the tank, but it is fighting that which is building daily. It has a limit to its capacity to pull nitrate. The lower your starting point, the easier it is to control. Also, the higher your nitrate is, if you don't want to get it down with a series of daily or twice daily water changes, you will need to recharge it. At the rate you are going now, I'd recharge every 3-5 days. It's simple so just follow instructions. Hopefully, you've saved the tub.

Where the nitrazorb can help is with extracting some of the nitrate that is produced daily. When, and if, you get it to 5ppm for example, the nitrates will still rise, but not as quickly because some of them are going directly into the bag.

Last edited by Cory_Di at 03-Apr-2005 10:03

Thanks Guys and girls for your replys.

I had tested the tap water.
PH = 7.4
ammonia = 0
nitrite = 0
nitrate = 0

Nitrate caused by = overfeeding and overstocking.

42gal
Wednesday 30% water change/vac/clean. Since then 2 x 10ltr buckets change daily. Tested nitrates on Wednesday 40 -60ppm. Tested again Saturday, no change. Will test again Monday.

67gal
Added Nitra-Zorb on Friday. Tested nitrates Friday 40 - 80ppm. Tested again Saturday after 24hrs, Nitrates 40 - 60ppm. Looks like its coming down. These test charts its hard to tell the difference between 40ppm and 80ppm. Will test again on Monday.

Thanks Cory-di. Since my nitrates have been high, some of my older/poorer fish have develop dropsy and since died.
Like you said it effect their immunity system.

Also thanks for the word of caution. That makes alot of sense. Once I get the nitrates down past 20ppm, then do another test after a day or so, once it starts to climb again I would again do these daily water changes to keep it down. If it mean once a week water/vac/clean, then end of week another just water change, then be it. If that is what it takes to keep my fish healthy and the nitrates down. (unfortunately) Hopefully it will get into a routine again. Thanks again***Tiger

Read very carefully what is said about Amquel. It applies to Ammo-Lock-2 and even Prime and similar products. It creates a temporary false-positive reading for ammonia. It can last for 8 days based on my experience. In cycling tanks the false reading can be quite high (like off the charts).

[link=http://www.novalek.com/kpd51.htm]http://www.novalek.com/kpd51.htm" style="COLOR: #C000C0[/link]

Dont want to take over Tigers post,but seems more insight here. Well I've been doing alot of testing and now I'm confused. My tap ammo fluctuates between trace and .5. Tap nitrates/ites are always 0. Well I switched to Amquel+ from aquasafe and today tap ammo was trace but after I added amquel+(5gal buckets), I had a horrid reading of ammo at 1.0+. Its almost like the bottle of Amquel is ammonia? Whats up with that? Last time I conditioned 24hour water, tap ammo was .5, used aquasafe and 24hrs later it read trace. Now the new 24hr water conditioned with amquel+ has only sat for just over an hour,but why does it go sky high after I added the Amquel?

If a nitrat is a problem it doesn't always help to make blinde water changes. That is, somtimes the water change could be the cause of the problem. Nitrat is a common thing in tap water, it's just a question how much Nitrat the tap water contains.

If anyone consider a Nitrat above 40 ppm. a problem I would suggest a lower stocking density, more fast growing plants and a caution in feeding, as these factors are the main cause for high nitrat.

http://www.reptiledirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=851

NITRA-ZORB
Has anyone in Australia used this product?. If so, how good is it. Any information at all on it would be very appreciated.
If not, is there a product you do use to remove nitrates.
I have nitrates between 40 - 80 in 2 tanks. Do weekly and part weekly water changes., and have reduced my feeding.I still can not get the nitrates down.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Any help. Thanks ***Tiger

Last edited by TigerAngel at 28-Mar-2005 19:59

Has anyone of you measured the nitrat levels in your tap water? Usually High nitrat levels aren't dangerous to fisk even tough it's considerd to be irretating to fish in high levels. I am not one of those who recommends chemical substance in exchange for good maintenance (i.e. regular water change), but it's somtimes necessary to use some if f.ex. the nitrat level is to high in the tap water.

Thanks for the instructions. Nice FF, looks about the same size as mine. I didn't mean get more now(as your having probs), but if you do ever free up some space, the more the marrier. I'm currently attempting to breed mine with some L. Fulleborni/P. Saulosi, so if I get lucky maybe I could send you some little ones. Dont know how good shipping is overseas though. I'm not in it for the money, just the curiosity. And with me also, I'm not letting my wife feed anymore, so I can determine if it might be a combo of overstocking/feeding. As my fish seem to be growing a bit too fast. But good luck with the nitrAtes and I hope we both can keep them down. I'll hit you back if I get any cat fry as I'm "stripping" this weekend.

This is Donny. My Synodontis Eupterus (Featherfin Squeaker Catfish).

TigerAngel attached this image:

http://www.aquariumpros.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=APG&Screen=APH110

stallion81 - Thank you for your reply. I have purchase one to do 208ltres. My nitrates are around 40-80 in the 67gal tank. So hopefully this may work. I'ved also increase the air in the tank. Directions for you in the above link.
Once I have this under control, I might purchase a product called Easybalance.http://www.tetra-fish.com/catalog/product.aspx?id=74
Either way I might run Nitra-Zorb in the 67gal and Easybalance in the 42gal, as both tanks are 40-80.
I love to get more of the Cuckoos catfish, but for 3 things.
1- At this stage the nitrates are too high for them.
2- I really have too many fish already in that tank = overfeeding = high nitrates.
3- Here in oz there are around $35.00 each.
The pair I have cost me $70 and I don't see the little buggers. Only late at night after I turn the light off. And then sometimes I might get to see them. They will swim up and down the glass, so all I get to see is their belly's. A bit disappointing. My Synodontis Eupterus is a different matter. I have a bell in the centre of the tank, and he pocks his head out of the top, or lays upsidedown in front of it.
I let you know how things work out. Thanks again.***Tiger

I have never used Nitra-Zorb so i cannot say how good it works.

But give it a go if you want.

-- Gomer

Hey Tiger. I'm having same probs as you are, although I am able to get them down with water changes(3 days in a row). I have been using 7.4 size Nitrazorb(2 in my 55,2 in my 125). Now I lost instructions so cant remember how long I can run it for. So I went with 5 days. Started running day 1 after a 50% h2o change. Did 25% on day 2 and 3. Got nitrAtes down to 30 in both tanks. Pulled nitrazorb today. NitrAtes are 40 in both tanks. So I'm thinking its not a great remover, but more of a stabilizer so to speak. If I'm guessin right its prolly your 42g and 67g? I myself am going to take the advise I got from my post and thin out my stock. Maybe you should consider the same. Also if you do and have the room to, bump up your Multipunctatus school, you will not regret it. I have 7 and they are UNREAL together. So I'll prolly recharge mine and keep running it untill I get my stocks down, then will not need it. We may not feel that we are overstocked, but in my case a 6" Syno Angelicus and a 9" Poly Ornate probably should be considered as 30" of fish rather than the actual 15". Maybe look at "DARN NITRATES" in GENERAL FORUM for similar answers. Hope this helps.

Above 40 Nitrates in and unplanted tank is not healthy.
And if it also removes ammonia and nitrites, even better.
My Synodontis multipunctatus does NOT like high nitrates. And if I have any fish that is feeling a bit poorly, it can bring on disease that ends up in dropsy. It backs down their immunity system. ***Tiger.

Why are you worried about nitrates of that level?

Nitra-Zorb removes ammonia and nitrite also, just that would make me not want to use the product.

-- Gomer

Last edited by Gomer at 29-Mar-2005 00:20