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Ulli Bauer
Crustaforum-Team
Age: 34
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 277
Location: Weinstadt
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Hi,
I was wondering if any of you had a special recipe for keeping the nitrate down in your tanks.
The background: My tap water at times has a nitrate content of up to 40 mg/l.
In my long-running tanks I get it down to under 12 mg/l.
I use:
1) fast growers like Najas guadalupensis, Elodea, Hydrocotyle, Lemna minor.
2) more fast growers
3) even more fast growers.
Furthermore I remove dead plant parts quickly, and dead animals (if I'm faster than the Amano shrimp. For the most part, the Amanos win.)
I've also experimented with zeolite that's supposed to bind nitrate, but the results weren't so clear.
Soo. Now I have a maturing tank where the plants have only started to kick into growth. Here the nitrate's at about 25 mg/l; too much for the black tigers, which are destined to go into that tank.
The one thing that's different is the apple snail. I put that one in to get the nitrification process going (which worked out beautifully).
I fear the solution would be "remove the apple snail", but I'd really like to leave it in that tank.
Or maybe "give the plants some more time". Yes, I know. I'm impatient...
Any ideas?
Cheers
Ulli |
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If it ain't broken, don't repair it. |
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waterfaller1
Age: 49
Joined: 26 Mar 2008
Posts: 48
Location: Orlando FL
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| Use RO water? Do you know the TDS of your water? |
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_________________
Excess on occasion is exhilirating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.
~W. Somerset Maugham |
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Ulli Bauer
Crustaforum-Team
Age: 34
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 277
Location: Weinstadt
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Hej,
no, I use tap water, as did the breeder.
And, uuhm, I don't know the TDS. Why?
My water's rather hard.
KH - 8,
GH - 15
pH - 7.5
NH 4 - not traceable
NO3 - 25
NO 2 - not traceable
Cu - not traceable
Cheers
Ulli |
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_________________
If it ain't broken, don't repair it. |
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Ulli Bauer
Crustaforum-Team
Age: 34
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 277
Location: Weinstadt
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Well, for whatever reason, the nitrate's down and the plants grow like crazy. I had to prune already.
Oh, and Betty the applesnail is still in there.
Cheers
Ulli |
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_________________
If it ain't broken, don't repair it. |
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