Reduce Nitrate In Your Aquarium The Easy Way

High levels of nitrate commonly occur in existing fish tanks that have not undergone regular maintenance and routine water changes. It is very important to find a solution to reduce these nitrate levels because they will eventually be deadly to the fish as well as cause an algae bloom.

The first effect of high nitrate levels can be seen in the plant life. Even though plants consume nitrate, if the levels are too high there would be too much for them to make use of and it will kill off the plants. Then when these plants rot in the aquarium, they in turn release nitrate into the water, increasing the levels even more.

Then it will begin to affect the fish. The presence of nitrate in the water will reduce the amount of oxygen in it, thus higher nitrate levels equals to less oxygen. The lesser the oxygen levels, the harder the fish would have to struggle just to catch a breath of air and they will soon die.

Reduce Nitrate Naturally

You don't have to spend your hard earned money on expensive equipment or chemicals in order to reduce the level of nitrate in your aquarium. Here are five tips that will help you reduce the level of nitrate and maintain it at healthy levels:

1. Change the water each week. Throw out at least 20% of your aquarium water and top it up with new water at least once every week. Regular water changes not only reduces the level of nitrates but will also reduce the amount of fish waste which is the source of nitrate.
2. Do nitrate level tests. Get nitrate strips from your local pet store and test the new water before you put it into aquarium. These strips are very cheap and will help you test your water source for contamination. You never know if your water source is high in nitrates.
3. Add in a coral reef or two into a salt water aquarium. These are ideal in keeping a balance on the level of nitrate.
4. Don't have too many fish. Too much fish poop will shoot the nitrate levels to the ceiling.
5. Clean up the tank. Get rid of all leaves that are dead or brownish before they begin to decay.

Products That Reduce Nitrate In Fish Tank Water

If you really want to purchase equipment to reduce your nitrate levels, here are some choices for you.

1. Nitrate Absorbing Filter Media. An example of this is the Purigen which you can buy from That Pet Place. These are synthetic absorbents that controls ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates by removing waste that would otherwise release these harmful compounds.
2. Nitrate Cartridges. Certain filters such as Fluval G6 allows for removable nitrate cartridges that can quickly remove nitrate from fish tanks.
3. Protein Skimmers. Protein Skimmers work by bringing fish waste to the surface using tiny bubbles that latch themselves to the waste and this will then be easily discarded from the skimmer.

But no matter what steps you take, whether natural or paid, the key point to remember is that keeping the tank clean and changing the water regularly is the key to low levels of nitrate in the aquarium. Just doing this alone will ensure that you do not have to worry about the level of nitrate in your fish tank ever again.