How to Quickly Reduce Nitrate in a Fish Tank
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How do I lower the nitrate levels in my fish tank?
High nitrate buildup, sometimes referred to as old tank syndrome, can be a common problem for longtime aquarium hobbyists. This usually happens when regular water maintenance and change routines are skipped.
Nitrate is the end product of the bacterial reduction of ammonia to nitrite and then nitrate. Nitrate accumulates in aquarium water until it is absorbed by plants or removed by water changes.
In freshwater, nitrate is relatively non-toxic even at high levels (200 mg / L or more), but in saltwater aquariums, it can be a problem for marine invertebrates, so it must be kept at low temperatures.
Lower levels (less than 20 mg / L). Some marine aquarists are reluctant to do regular water changes to reduce nitrate, as they would then need to add more salt to the aquarium, so they only supplement the evaporated water with fresh water (because the salt does not evaporate). This does not remove the nitrate, but it does allow the nitrate to rise and can cause problems in the aquarium.
This nitrate reduction method is an instant nitrate reduction water change method. You can quickly reduce nitrate to zero with no ill or harmful effects on your aquarium residents.
In fact, the behavior of the reservoir inhabitants can be considerably improved later. You may notice that the fish will become more active, start to eat better, and show more vivid colors within a few days.
Important considerations
An important consideration before starting a massive water change (or any other, for that matter) is to remember that the pH in your tank will also change (probably upwards).
Before beginning this water change, it is wise to slowly adjust the pH of your tank water to where it will be when you are done.
You can adjust the pH upward with regular baking soda or downward with one of the many products on the market to lower the pH of your aquarium water. This will prevent tank creatures from experiencing a "pH shock", which can be fatal to more sensitive tank creatures.
This method was tested when an experiment was carried out to test it. The nitrate in the test tank was allowed to rise to a dangerously high level, literally off scale, to observe the transitions the tank would go through. The experiment was successful. This allowed the testers to observe the formation of different algae.
Established aquarium residents also survived; a 15-inch snowflake eel, various types of hermit crabs and snails, some crabs, two zoanthid colonies, non-living corals, and live rocks. The testers even added a pair of freshly mated coral shrimp the day after the water change procedure was completed without a hitch.
Rapid nitrate reduction method
Many people try to lower their nitrate levels by doing a series of 20% partial water changes. This will lower your nitrate (or any other chemical) levels but is pretty ineffective if the goal is to bring the levels down to near zero in the shortest time possible, with as little water as possible.
For example, if you reduce the water level in the tank to 20 percent of normal and then fill the tank to a level of 40 percent, you have already cut your nitrate levels in half. If you then fill the tank to the 100% level, your nitrate levels will be 20% of the original level you started at.
If, on the other hand, you lower the water level by 40-20% again and then refill the tank, you will end up with a nitrate level of 10% of what it was at the beginning. Do the 40-20% reduction one more time and you will end up with a nitrate level of 5% of what you started with.
So if you started with a nitrate level of 100 parts per million and used this method, your 100 ppm nitrate would drop, in a short period of time, to five ppm, which is considered an acceptable level even for corals.
Why is it safe
Some people worry that the rapid reduction in nitrates will "hit" the creatures in the tanks. This is an understandable concern, but under the circumstances, it is of utmost importance to quickly reduce potentially harmful toxins in a tank.
For example, it would be like standing in a closed garage with a car engine running, filling the garage with carbon monoxide. Then imagine someone telling you not to open the garage door because quickly reducing carbon monoxide levels is more harmful than reducing carbon monoxide levels by 20%.
The scenario is the same. Fish and other tank inhabitants swim in a poisonous substance that will kill depending on exposure.
Of course, the best way to avoid the urgent need to reduce toxic nitrate levels is to follow routine maintenance and regular water changes. If you're in a position where everything you've tried doesn't seem to work, and rising nitrate levels are still a problem, try this method of changing the water.
You can also be careful when using this method. If you are concerned about "surprising" the inhabitants of your tank, you can still do this process for a period of time (waiting a few days between each water change process) until the nitrate is reduced.
Enjoy The Video Tutorial about How to REMOVE NITRATES from your Aquarium. 3 steps to Balance Nitrate levels in your Aquarium
Source: MASS Aquariums
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