Header banner
Revain logoHome Page
Traci Loge photo
Myanmar, Naypyidaw
1 Level
467 Review
0 Karma

Review on πŸ§ͺ Denitrate - 4 Liters / 1 Gallon by Traci Loge

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Excellent solution when used with undocumented tips

This product is very effective, but Seachem does not document well what makes it successful. It's only on their forums and not every piece of advice in one post, they're all scattered around. I've used these tips in three different aquariums and they always work. Use 4-5 times more than Seachem's directions if you have high PPM. You MUST use a slow flow of 20-40 gph, 25-35 gph is the sweet spot. I use a large media reactor from Avast that holds 4 liters and in front of it a more than half-closed ball valve to throttle the flow. When I put it in I add 1/8 teaspoon sugar and about halfway down I add another 1/8 teaspoon sugar. Sugar is your simple carbon on which bacteria feed and multiply rapidly. Do all of this after a water change if your PPM is below 40. You will not fail if you do this. Those with small PPMs don't need a large dose, but you do need to slow down the flow rate. I have a 38 gallon bow, no live plants, no big hooks. I keep rainbows, gourami, etc. My nitrates have gone up 60-80ppm each week. When I started using 4 liters of denitrate as directed, my PPM dropped to 0 in 3 days. Stay there for 3 months while doing 50% water changes every month. I continue to do 50% water changes every month for the next 3 months and it increases by 5-15ppm between changes. Over the next 3 months, nitrates increase by 15-40 ppm between changes. So now I know it's time to change media or give it a good rinse and reuse. It's the safest, most effective, and least expensive means of removing nitrates, but it's cumbersome and slow flow requires good management, setup, and maintenance. I'm very glad I learned how to do it. I only check my nitrates once a month and change my water once a month. None of the fish died or got sick. Have been doing this for over 1.5 years.

Pros
  • High marks for support and durability from testers
Cons
  • The list will go on.