I had previously said I have zero nitrates. Well, I was wrong. I mistakenly was thinking
of nitrites. My nitrite level consistently measures zero on my test kits.
So, I have further investigated nitrates today and have read that nitrate won't kill your
fish but certainly will slow the growth of your fish. This probably explains the approx.
16 months to get my fry to 2 inches.
I purchased a Tetratest for nitrate and made inquiries at my local fish store. The test
kit states nitrates should remain below 25mg/l. Between 25-50mg/l is cause for water
changes and increased algae growth. Above 50mg/l will have harmfull effects on fish and
aquatic plant growth will stagnate (though blue-green algae will flourish).
My local tap water has about 10mg/l of nitrates. My grow out tanks were tested today at
about 50mg/l.
The fish store said there are several ways to control the nitrate level. First, I could
use RO water for my water changes. Unlike my tap water, RO has no nitrates.
They also showed my a filter system they use on their tanks at the store. They have a
Tunze system which removes the nitrates. The filter fits inside the tank and at the water
outlet there is a small narrow tube that guides the fresh water back to the top and drips
it over a coarse granular material which somehow removes the nitrate. I had to leave for
an appointment so I was unable to get more info.
Does anyone have experience with the Tunze filtration systems? Does anyone know what the
granular material is? The Tunze filter was $150 and suitable for a 55 gal tank.
Other questions I have are; If I can consistently maintain my nitrates at nominal levels,
how much faster might my fish grow? Would I cut the time to saleable size in half? Also,
what is the material that removes the nitrates? Does it remove nitrate by absorption or
does it break it down?
Any comments or suggestions about nitrate management and its importance would be
appreciated.
Bill Taylor
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