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Thread: Nitrate control in discus tank

  1. #1
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    Default Nitrate control in discus tank

    Hello friends,
    In the nitrogen cycle, nitrate is the last step and if our biological filter is strong then nitrate triggers WC.
    Have any of you tried Algae scrubber?
    I am researching little bit on saltwater side and the mechanism and results of algae scrubber are pretty convincing.

    If we put that on a discuss tank then will it help to delay WC?
    That's the question I am trying to figure out.

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    Registered Member BrendanJ23's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    Nitrate is not the only thing that wcs remove. It can remove other nasties in the water as well. Plants such as a pothos vine are good at removing nitrates , as with other fully submersible plants too. Anaerobic bacteria will also consume nitrates.
    21 Discus, 7 Green Tree Frogs, 3 Eastern Dwarf Tree frogs, 1 Coastal Carpet Python,6 sawshelled/Murray river turtles, 2 dogs, a cat, 2 kids and a wife. Phew...what a mouthful


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    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    No, it will not delay a water change. Like mentioned above, you will only be removing the indicator which is nitrate and leaving all the nasties behind.

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    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    Agreed. There's more to water quality than nitrates alone... http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...-Are-Important

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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    Truth be told, no one knows.
    All these opinions about "other nasties" boils down to alchemy.

    I used scrubbers in my reef tanks, years ago, and they did an absolutely wonderful job in dramatically reducing nitrates, phosphates, etc.
    As you may know, growing SPS corals or raising seahorses require much more rigorous water controls than discus.
    I have tried scrubbers on discus but never got them to work for one reason only - I feed very heavily and do frequent water changes so I do not provide enough nutrients for the scrubbers to use.
    BTW, for those offering opinions on scrubbers who may have never used them, the algae growth in the scrubber does much more than incorporate nitrates. Algae growth removes many, many chemicals - such as phosphates, heavy metals, etc.

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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    Joy, I have seen an hobbyist in Daly City not far from you that had an algae scrubber with Discus and it worked out fine but he also believed in lot of water changes. The hobbyist actually was more into saltwater then fresh, but yes it can be done and even breeding too.

    Cliff

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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    Thanks all for your answers..
    Captainandy and Cliff, thanks for your confirmation.
    I like to experiment different techniques.
    Discus poop are big and with 20+ discus it will require frequent gravel vac.
    However, I was trying to understand the 50% water change concept for a 240gallon tank. Every few day gravel vac , and if I can push out big WC through algae scrubber.
    I have kept discuss for many years and freshwater for 25yrs..
    I want to do something in saltwater as well and in my research I found this. Might apply to discuss under strict control and see.

    Cliff, if you don't mind and can you share who in Daly city who is using this. I can surely learn something.

    Thanks

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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    Cliff, if you don't mind and can you share who in Daly city who is using this. I can surely learn something.


    Thanks[/QUOTE]

    Joy, the hobbyist is a guy name Wilfred Fong, his is a member of San Francisco Aquarium Society, creator of the Electric Blue Discus back in 1970,
    runs the Reef Study Group. You can contact him probably thru the San Francisco Aquarium Society.

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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    Thanks

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    Registered Member 14Discus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    I have two algae scrubbers in each of my larger discus tanks and I love them. Coupled with all my other factors such as my pathos roots, the nitrates are indeed reduced as opposed to no scrubbers. Most of that algae growth in the scrubbers is using nitrates to grow. Had the scrubbers not been there, the nitrates would be higher and the tank would have algae in it which mine has almost zero tank algae growth. I know others will disagree, but algae scrubbers are a key component in all of my fish tanks and even my winter koi pond in the basement. While the concern for ‘other nasties’ was mentioned, completing the nitrogen cycle by using up nitrates can only help the tank environment. Think about it.......we have to reduce NH3, have to reduce NO2, so why not facilitate reduction of NO3 as well to complete the cycle? This is in addition to WCs, not in lieu of WCs.

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    Registered Member Luke in Phoenix's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    Quote Originally Posted by 14Discus View Post
    I have two algae scrubbers in each of my larger discus tanks and I love them. Coupled with all my other factors such as my pathos roots, the nitrates are indeed reduced as opposed to no scrubbers. Most of that algae growth in the scrubbers is using nitrates to grow. Had the scrubbers not been there, the nitrates would be higher and the tank would have algae in it which mine has almost zero tank algae growth. I know others will disagree, but algae scrubbers are a key component in all of my fish tanks and even my winter koi pond in the basement. While the concern for ‘other nasties’ was mentioned, completing the nitrogen cycle by using up nitrates can only help the tank environment. Think about it.......we have to reduce NH3, have to reduce NO2, so why not facilitate reduction of NO3 as well to complete the cycle? This is in addition to WCs, not in lieu of WCs.
    Would love to see some pics of your algae scrubbers!

    I use them and will say that they are nothing less than a miracle. The algae uses up much more than nitrates. As for the other mystery things not filtered by an algae filter, nobody has ever been able to tell me what they are... There's likely something, I would just guess much less toxic than nitrates and this is why reduced WCs can work. I guessed hormones that would inhibit the growth of other discus but my discus always grew like crazy.

    Either way, just watch your fish. Discus are great in that you can literally look at them and know if they're happy or not. Do what they want and what works for you.

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    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    Algae and plants remove much the same things. Whether a scrubber, refugium or plants in the tank. All help remove toxic nutrients. Then there are other DOC and TDS which need to be removed by changing water.

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    Registered Member smsimcik's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    Luke, I can tell you what mystery things are not filtered by an algae scrubber. Primarily parasites like gill and body flukes swimming around in the water column, as well as opportunistic bacteria waiting to infect damaged skin or fins. Not to mention DOCs.
    Last edited by smsimcik; 07-08-2021 at 09:03 AM.

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    Silver Member Iminit's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    Interesting subject. So I looked up some algae scrubbers. Wow they have some big price tags!! Even saw a little magnetic thing on Amazon that was 4” squared for $218. Lol. Than I found this https://youtu.be/qGLnBvDkaO0. Big difference $25. Something to think about.

  15. #15
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrate control in discus tank

    There's a bit of a difference when your have salt water and fresh water tanks. For salt water it's best to use RO water, this removes most of the elements already "in most drinking water" eg: heavy metals, pesticides, pollutants and other run off from industry wastes. Nitrates and phosphorus produced by the food and animals in the system, are harmful to most corals and is best removed by a scrubber or refugium with some sort of macro-algae to regulate micro algae growth. And a surface skimmer is most often used to get these fatty organic compounds removed. Smaller WC's are best in salt water tanks. I had salt water once. For fresh water tanks most of us use tap water or aged tap water. All those elements in our tap water and that varies on your location on how much of these elements are in that drinking water. "Google your local water supplier to get a read out on what's in your water." All this will gradually build up in your tank mostly due to evaporation and in some cases may take a year or two to build up enough to become harmful to life in the tank even with smaller WC's.

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