Denitrators vs Planted Tanks

[parrdog]

G'Day again,

Thankyou to everyone for helping with my reducing nitrate question. This leads to another question. Firstly, I am wondering how effective plants are at reducing nitrate ie plants like Val which are suitable for African tanks. Secondly, I have read good and bad stuff about denitrators. Does anyone out there use them with success, if so how much do they cost. I have also heard and read of people making their own. The reason I am asking is that I am changing over to a Tropheus colony in the future and I want to be ready. I currently do weekly 30% water changes, my tank is 5ft, is crystal clear and has zero ammonia and nitrite. My nitrate however is 40mg/l. If plants are really effective I think I will go that way but I need everyones advice first.

Thanks again,

Jamie.

[Nornicle]

its very difficult to have a nitrate reducing plant in an african cichlid tank, what I would recommend you do if you want to use plants, is to grow duck weed in the sump and plants in there (like a mangrove tree).

Val takes most of its nutrients from its roots and so is not so good as using free nitrogen floating around in the water.

can't help you on the denitrator bit

[gingerbeer]

I have never kept Tropheus and never had a chance to try this, but.....

Tropheus are herbivores, hence plants gotta be good. What you need is a plant that is fast growing (so you can replace it) and soft leaved (so fish can eat it).

Perfect plant - elodea. Could grow it in a bucket outside as it doesn;t like the heat and add to tank weekly to feed and absorb nitrates.

Would be interested in what the plant people and tropheus people think of this idea. I have played with it in my mind but .....

HTH

Stephen

[gingerbeer]

I have never kept Tropheus and never had a chance to try this, but.....

Tropheus are herbivores, hence plants gotta be good. What you need is a plant that is fast growing (so you can replace it) and soft leaved (so fish can eat it).

Perfect plant - elodea. Could grow it in a bucket outside as it doesn;t like the heat and add to tank weekly to feed and absorb nitrates.

Would be interested in what the plant people and tropheus people think of this idea. I have played with it in my mind but .....

HTH

Stephen

[anchar]

I regularly plant (replace) Vallisnera sp. in my tropheus tanks, but wouldn't say that the nitrates are appreciably reduced.

merjo

[CThompson]

Parrdog,

Give plants as a way of reducing nitrates in Tropheus tanks a miss. You will find it much simpler to make a denitate filter than maintaining some sort of system with plants to reduce nitrate in a Tropheus tank. To build a nitrate filter all you need is a separate “closed” container, filled with Denitrate (small sized biological media that looks like kitty litter), and reduce the flow throw rate.

For a matter of interest, if you want to go the rout of plants as a nitrate remover, I would use a separate tank, plumbed into the Tropheus tank, with either ribbon grass, or have it set up as some sort of “algae turf scrubber”, with lots of baffles, and high light.

Gingerbeer,

Plants would not grow fast enough to reduce nitrate, and provide food for fish, if planted in the same tank with Tropheus.

It would after all be a matter of balance. If the tank was BIG enough, and there were enough plants, and limited fish, then maybe it would work. But then you’ve got to take into consideration the pH Tropheus want, and what the plants want. The only plant really suitable for African water is ribbon grass, because of the way they get there CO2, (yer I know, Java fern and so on are tough enough), but they will not grow fast enough, in the standards sized tanks that we keep.

Craig