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Refuguim on a water butt ? Advice/help

fz1ben

Member
Joined
24 May 2013
Messages
97
Hello all

I'm after help/advice with a project I have in mind, my tap water nitrates are very high around 40ppm.Im keeping wild caught tanganyika cichlids so need to reduce this but don't want to go down the ro route due to waste/cost

I prepare 220l of water for weekly changes in a water butt in my garage I was thinking of running a refuguim on my water butt and filling both with floating plants and hanging some bright lights above them.

Do you think this could reduce my nitrates by much in a week?
If yes what plants and lights would you recomend?

Any more ideas or input would be great;)
 
There's a filter media product in the fluval lab series that is designed for reducing Nitrates.. I have used it but wasn't really checking results to see how effective it was. Some people rate it, others didn't notice any difference.
 
I did have a look at this but I want something to reduce the nitrates before it goes in the tank.

I'm going to try plants first but not sure on best type and the best lighting to use to promote the fastest growth
 
I don't really want plants on the tank mate already have 2 planted tanks, plus need to lower tap water nitrates for my 3 fry tanks.theres no room in those for plants,

Do you think filling the water but and refuguim with frog bit and a good light will reduce the nitrate level?
 
It should do, yes. Don't make the light too extreme though, as they can get a bit burned.
 
Whatever you can afford really. T8s of appropriate size would be perfectly ok. No need to put too much thought into it, since floating plants grow quite readily in the presence of nutrients.
 
Try Spirideka Polyrhuiza if you can locate it in your region. This plant is using its long roots to absorb nitrate. However, it can only grow well in a very nitrate-rich still water body. So it will soon turn into smaller shape and even rot if nitrate is not sufficient to support its fast growth. So not sure whether your 40ppm water can sustain it, or whether it can extract nitrate in your water body to zero before it runs out of its life.

Spirideka Polyrhuiza would require sunlight to grow.
 
Try Spirideka Polyrhuiza if you can locate it in your region. This plant is using its long roots to absorb nitrate. However, it can only grow well in a very nitrate-rich still water body. So it will soon turn into smaller shape and even rot if nitrate is not sufficient to support its fast growth. So not sure whether your 40ppm water can sustain it, or whether it can extract nitrate in your water body to zero before it runs out of its life.

Spirideka Polyrhuiza would require sunlight to grow.


Guess you mean Spirodela polyrhiza ('Giant duckweed')?. Not sure if that's readily available over here in the trade, although I believe it is native.

NBN Interactive Map
 
I have sunlight coming into the garage through 2 small windows but not sure it'll be enough.I could set a light unit up above them.
If the lighting was correct what difference in a week could I realistically expect to 40 ppm of nitrates
 
Guess you mean Spirodela polyrhiza ('Giant duckweed')?. Not sure if that's readily available over here in the trade, although I believe it is native.

NBN Interactive Map
I checked it again and It should be Pistia stratiotes with English names as water cabbage,water lettuce. It can develop into giant shape if the water is fertile and sunlight is strong. However, I read a study on some floating plants that they can absorb nitrate and store it in their body when nitrate is plenty in water, but they will release nitrate back to water when they detect it is thin in water. So...
 
You just have to keep thinning the stuff out, rather than letting it sit there; physically removing the nitrates.

they will release nitrate back to water when they detect it is thin in water

Where did you read this?
 
Vegetable filters are commonly use in various applications including natural swimming pools & koi ponds.
I dont honestly know if the theory is correct but they do seem to work, the theory is the watercress absorbs nitrates & is regularly harvested by being physically removed from the pond complete with the stored nitrates!
 
You just have to keep thinning the stuff out, rather than letting it sit there; physically removing the nitrates.



Where did you read this?

This is a common rural technique to farm floating plants to feed fish for quicker growth at lower cost in China, with a lot of academic research projects on optimum conditions to farm floating plants and research reports published.
 
You need to compare costs to prep 220l of water with plants & 220l via RO.

I get 1000l water for £4.32 (water £1.17 per 1000l, waste £2.20, standing charge per week = £0.44). Thus 220l will cost £0.95. Ok waste charged at 92%, as they assume not all water goes in waste.

For instance using 50W bulb (or 100W 12hours) will cost 1000/50 * 24 * 7 * 0.15 (24 hours, 7 days & £0.15p/kWh) = £1.26 a week.
Total cost water and electricity £2.21.

For 110l RO water cut 50% with 110l tap water and assuming 4:1 waste to RO so that's 440litre waste, 110RO + 110 tap -> 550litres which will cost £4.32 * (550)/1000 = £2.85.

So 64p per week cheaper after faffing with plants, that may or may not work in lowering nitrates or doing it with RO where you can guarantee your nitrates at any level your require.

Just my 2p worth.
 
I'm with ian_m on this one. Get an RO system. Easier in the long run.
 
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