nitates and nitrites removal

Question
my 44 gal freshwater tank has reached the stage that the bio filters are working good, so now my biggest job seems to be to keep the nitrates/nitrites down. I use filter media (carbon and ammonia removing media)and have read something about a product called nitro sorb, which I am wondering if this is the way to go. I have one very large, fancy, comet goldfish. It seems that there are ways to  cut down on water changes, but must involve treating water(tap) or the tank with various methods. The ten to fifteen gallon water changes are hard for me to do. What in your opinion is the easiest way to handle this.
Thank you for your time.

Answer
Hi Cathy;

In a healthy tank there should be no nitrItes present at all once it has finished it's initial cycling period. If your tank is less than 8 weeks old and/or you tend to overfeed (most of us do sometimes) the nitrites will be elevated. Partial water changes will make it safe for the fish until things get straightened out. NitrAtes are a different toxin that builds up over time in a healthy tank and must be removed by water changes and/or by a massive population of live plants. Most tanks just can't support enough plants to do that though.

The only effective and healthy way to keep the nitrates down is to make 25% water changes every week. I know there are products that say they lower it or remove it but I'm not convinced of their effectiveness. Nitrates are not the only reason regular water changes are necessary anyway. Trace elements and minerals that control pH and and other things are replenished when a water change is made. There are simpler ways to do it than hauling buckets around though. I use a water changing unit made by a company called "Python". It is so easy to drain and fill tanks with this thing. I have used it for years, especially when I had to make weekly water changes in 30 tanks in the store! It hooks up to your faucet and has a special attachment that will use the water pressure from your faucet to 'pump' water out of your tank and down the drain. It has a larger tube at the tank end to vacuum the gravel at the same time too. When filling a tank back up with tap water all you have to do is add a full dose of water conditioner to the fish tank before you fill it and adjust the temperature on your faucet to what it is in the fish tank. The water conditioner you added to the tank instantly removes chlorine and other toxins as the water goes into the tank. I used my own version of this unit for many years before the commercially made ones came out (if only I had patented it!...Darn!)). Here is a link to their web site so you can see it;

http://pythonproducts.com/

Lee's makes one too but includes a "fish saver" screen at the vacuum end;

http://leesaqpet.com/PICCAT/11570-71.htm

Ask for these at your local fish store, department store or shop online for them.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins