how do i lower the nitrate levels in my tank?

Thanks,

[Redbeard]

Yes I do have balls, thank you for noticing.

[Redbeard]

John, you inspire me! I never admited it before but I to have a tank that hasn't had a water change in over 2 years. It's a planted tank with Otocinclus affinis, Trichogaster leeri, and Caridina japonica. Actually doing better without changing water.

I think Sam said he had a problem with nitrites too though. If he has animals I'd still suggest water changes for that.

[JohnO]

Redbeard,

I too think that water changes are necessary if you over stock or haven't got the horsepower in terms of filtration and biology and planting or if something bad happens.

If you don't have that situation then nature will take it's course over time and you will achieve a balance.

It's a bit like if you have a simple tank with simple filtration, allow the nitrogen cycle to begin and become established and you have too many fish in the tank. *One or more of the fish will die until the balance is achieved, or *the biology will increase to cater for the extra fish, one or the other.

Either way a balance is achieved :-)

By the way, you should be proud that you haven't HAD to change the water, after all isn't that the whole idea of this hobby? *Nature in a box :-)

As far as Sam is concerned, and very big Nitrite readings are evident, then yes by all means do a water change, and do it quickly :-) *but that doesn't solve anything IMHO it just delays the inevitable.

John

[somethingfishy]

"Never buy a car you can't push mate!"

John I finally get this, you never change your cars oil you just top it off. *

Maybe change the oil filter every once in awhile

[JohnO]

[quote author=somethingfishy link=board=Freshwater;num=1074885859;start=30#34 date=08/11/04 at 15:52:17]
John I finally get this, you never change your cars oil you just top it off. * *Maybe change the oil filter every once in awhile[/quote]

Not quite, * but you can be sure I don't change 10% of the oil in my car every week, nor do I rotate the air in my tyres, and it's not my habit to use RO/DI water and test for Strontium in my radiators water either *

John

[Birdlady]

Hey there JohnO! Do you ever add supplements? My aim is also minimal water changes. I will be adding verrrrryyyy slowly (that's the plan anyways...) to my animal stock when I start

[JohnO]

[quote author=birdlady link=board=Freshwater;num=1074885859;start=30#36 date=08/11/04 at 16:39:28]Hey there JohnO! *Do you ever add supplements? *My aim is also minimal water changes. *I will be adding verrrrryyyy slowly (that's the plan anyways...) to my animal stock when I start [/quote]

BL,

Other that adjusting the Alk, Calc and Mag I add nothing but food :-)

In my opinion, stabilty is the key. When you start, and add rock water and sand, the biology starts. The thing is it does not start balanced, so you get the initial algae blooms, the Diatom blooms etc. etc. The trick is to actually do nothing unless the imbalance is so great that you need to intervene.

Again in my opinion, if you use a tank full of live rock and buckets full of live sand in the initial set up you will be more prone to that huge imbalance I mentioned above, it will still work, there is no doubt about that, but what a trip that is :-)


John

[somethingfishy]

Are you saying you add your LR and LS slowly to your tank? I do find this interesting even though I disagree with the subject.

[Gresham]

I don't add any soup to my tank, just adjust alk/calcium and magnesium like JohnO. At one stgretch, I went nearly 2 years with out a water change, and the only reason I changed some, was because I rearranged the rocks and stirred up a bunch of detritus I wanted out.

You disagree that in JohnO's and MANY others (including myself) have found in their experience that you really don'tr need to do massive water changes or even small ones, *IF* you keep you balance right, or you disagree in the very concept? You'll have to disagree with Dr Walter Addy (sp?) as well. In his systems (The Smithsonians tank is one of his) he doesn't change water, in fact, his system is against that very concept of changing water. Dr Rob Toonen did a study on water changes and was in favor of less changes as they didn't do much. Another author did the math on doing water changes, the math showed how little you do when changing small amount. I believe Morgan Lidster has had a system going for 10 years with no real water change.