Gary Nelson
Member
Hi, is anyone using this in the filters as bio media? I keep reading it removes NO3?
It is another one of those advertising blurbs that may be true in a specific set of circumstances, but "deeply sceptical" doesn't even cover it for me. This subject is covered pretty fully here: <Alfagrog for reducing Nitrates? | UK Aquatic Plant Society>I keep reading it removes NO3?
The whole thread is worth reading.What-ever else people tell you on other forums etc, you just need to remember that biological filtration is all about oxygen. The key parameter for scientists who are interested in water quality (at the Environment Agency etc) is BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand). What this quantifies is the total amount of dissolved oxygen that would be used by the biological (bio-load) and chemical processes within that water body. The higher the BOD is, the more polluted the water is, and the more oxygen we have to supply.
Hi gary, I used to use this on my high tech tank a couple of years ago. Worked brilliantly and didnt notice any negative effect
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Hi all,
It is another one of those advertising blurbs that may be true in a specific set of circumstances, but "deeply sceptical" doesn't even cover it for me. This subject is covered pretty fully here: <Alfagrog for reducing Nitrates? | UK Aquatic Plant Society>
If we assume that you can have both aerobic and anaerobic filtration in the filter, it depends upon the flow through the filter and how often you clean the media. The idea with "Seachem Matrix" is that the inner pores are anaerobic and within these de-nitrification of NO3 to N2 gas occurs, in the larger macro-pores aerobic bacteria convert NH3 - NO2 - NO3. But, how are you meant to get the flow at a level where you get the mix of aerobic/anaerobic? if all your filter material becomes anaerobic, you lose all your biological filtration and toxic ammonia levels build up.
This is from <Filter maintenance. How regular do you do it? | UK Aquatic Plant Society>, and for me it really summarises biological filtration. The whole thread is worth reading.
cheers Darrel
THE....MATRIX........HAS....YOU....NEO...Cheers Alastair, think I will get some and give it a go.