Nitrate supplementation - right solution for my tank?

spiral_72 wrote:
I have added some plants just for that reason. Actually, they look
really good! When I get paid this week I hope to add a couple more. I
guess I need to update the pic though.

Wow, Elaine... Those are some really nice tanks! I especially like the
lighting you have. Please let me know how the nitrates work and what
your phosphates are.
My nitrates do drop about 2 points after a couple days. I originally
assumed the plants were absorbing it, but I'm not so sure. If I let the
tank alone the nitrates will drop close to zero again after about
ummmm, 7 days. As far as I know the only two things to rid your water
of nitrates is, new water, or plants.

Actually, there are anaerobic bacteria that can reduce nitrate all the
way back to nitrogen gas. They sometimes grow in deeper layers of the
substrate if there is low oxygen, and the sal****er varieties are
considered necessary for maintaining a healthy reef tank. Problem is,
in freshwater, anaerobic areas in the substrate can also grow sulfur
reducing bacteria that convert harmless sulfates into toxic H2S.

There's a ton of old denitrification info on the Krib because many years
ago we were trying to grow those bacteria in special filters and slowly
dripping coils. I even found my post of an awful experience with a
commercial denitrator 11 years ago.
http://www.thekrib.com/Chemistry/nitrate.html#4 This is why I'm such an
advocate of graven vacuuming even in planted tanks.

So...yes, there are other processes that can remove nitrates from an
aquarium. If you think your nitrates are disappearing too fast, start
gravel vacuuming deeply anywhere there isn't a plant with roots that are
oxygenating the substrate. Patches under bogwood and rocks are
particularly prone to go anaerobic. If you smell a "rotten egg" smell,
you hit a patch of anaerobic substrate and will need to change some water.

Anyways, I'm not gonna dominate someone else's post with my problems
again..... I'll be silent. Good luck!
my aquarium page, info and pics at:
www.geocities.com/spiral_72/Spirals_page.html

Thanks! The tanks are running with 14 watt 5500K spiral compact
screw-ins in the hoods. 2 bulbs over the 5 gal and one over the 2 gal.
The betta tank is going to look really cool once the baby's tears for
the foreground and Alternanthera reineckii (Telanthera rosefolia) for
some contrast come in.

I'll post on the nitrates and BGA once the tank settles down and I know
what the effect is going to be. Nobody in town carries a FW phosphate
kit so that's going to have to wait until I need enough stuff to be
worth mail ordering again.

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__