High Nitrate

[MatsP]

Like Bas, though, I claim no expertise in ion exchange. Anybody can look at Wikipedia and learn far more and better than said here.

I make no claim to be an expert either, but I believe that the documents that I've referred to are conceptually correct, and I certainly haven't heard of anyone saying that the use of ion exchange resins will increase the ion content in the water. The De-ionization resins used to purify water AFTER (or instead of) RO units certainly do not leach ions into the water...

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Mats

[Bas Pels]

I wonder how the adsorption works

Nitrate is an anion which does not bind very well to kations. In highschool I had to learn a few rules of thumb about what salts dissolve - all nitrates do

Therefore nitrates are not easily cought into any matrix, and I'm quite curiouw what and how it is / it works

Especially since chloride is also not easily bound. The same goes for sodium, but sodium exchangers are not specific, while nitrate adsorbers are said to be highly specific.

[Bas Pels]

Like Bas, though, I claim no expertise in ion exchange. Anybody can look at Wikipedia and learn far more and better than said here.

I make no claim to be an expert either, but I believe that the documents that I've referred to are conceptually correct, and I certainly haven't heard of anyone saying that the use of ion exchange resins will increase the ion content in the water. The De-ionization resins used to purify water AFTER (or instead of) RO units certainly do not leach ions into the water...

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Mats

As these resins exchange any positive ion for H+ and any negative ion for OH- (wich combines to H2O) your observation, while correct, is opven for more interpretations

Still, these are ion exchange resins. These resins have positively charged spots, and others have negatively charged spots. As long as something negative comes along, something else negative can get away from the resin (and the same goes for positive)

Comparing this system with nitrate absorbin resins, the latter are said to be specific, while ion exchange resins are not specific (sometimes even far from specific). Therefore the meganism has to be an other - and therefore the 1:1 for ion exchange is not velid

[dw1305]

Hi all,

You could use emerse plants => no worries about co2 then

You certainly can reduce nitrates with an emersed planted filter, either the over-tank type illustrated, or with floating plants such as "Nile Cabbage"(Pistia), Water Hyacinth (Eichornia), Salvinia etc. We used to do some work on the bio-remediation of landfill leachate, and particularly planted trickle filters have an enormous filtration capacity. Both the shallow films of water running through the trickle filter and the rhizosphere around the root of floating plants are more highly oxygenated than in other types of filter, allowing gas exchange for both O2 (in) and CO2 (usually out). A continual problem with working with any "water" with a large BOD is, by definition, the oxygen intensive nature of both the ordinary heterotrophic decomposition and the bacteria involved in the ammonia - nitrite - nitrate conversion. For most aquarium keepers you can ignore the anaerobic de-nitrification NO3 - N2 & N2O reaction

cheers Darrel

[taksan]

As for WC's I have learned... I do 50% every 2nd day on all my tanks. And I do them ...have not missed one WC in 5+ years. If I'm not around I have a friend do them.

[Viktor Jarikov]

That's a commitment and a patience of a saint!

[taksan]

Nitrazorb ....
It works great IF YOU DO NOT RECHARGE IT !!!!!
Throw it out and put in a new pouch (s)

I spend $500 a year on it .... its money well spent.