HagenKB

Fluval Nitrate Remover

My Nitrate keeps rising, even after I put in the Nitrate Remover. What can I do to care for the Fluval Nitrate Remover?

My Nitrate keeps rising, even after I put in the Nitrate Remover. What can I do to care for the Fluval Nitrate Remover?
A lot of factors could have occurred to explain this phenomenon. The first thing to do in that case is to proceed with a 50% water change to reduce nitrite and nitrate level and add an air pump (this will reduce the effect of nitrite toxicity). The Fluval nitrate remover is a resin and it can be saturated (once the resin has absorbed all the nitrite and/or nitrate that it can).

At this point we recommend recharging the resin with brine solution of 50 g of iodine-free aquarium salt in 500 ml of freshwater. Add the entire filter bag with exhausted resin into this solution and leave it for 24 to 48 hours. Repeat these steps until the brine solution stays colourless (it largely depends on the 'load' of nitrate it absorbed). Then, rinse the filter bag containing resin with freshwater and put it back into the filter. Be sure
that the resin is not compacted in the filter and that a maximum of water can pass through the resin. It is important to make regular water changes
even when using Fluval nitrate remover (the intensity will be reduced).

Also, tannin and other persistent organics will be absorbed by the resin and will decrease the efficiency of the resin.

It is important to verify what is causing the high nitrite and nitrate level. Fish load, overfeeding or a new aquarium set-up that not had beneficial
bacteria established can cause both a high nitrite and nitrate level.

Unfortunately the resins are such that they really do not have a noticeable colour change to identify when they are full and require a recharge. This may be the actual original problem and recharging the resins with the salt bath suggested above and a water change with water that has minimal nitrate in it will help get you over the hump.

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