My inline canister experiment

[Squiggle]

I think the easiest way to get a carbon source would be, as fishmosy suggested, to use the balls they use for nitrate reactors, they will deplete over time as they are a usable carbon source for the anaerobic bacteria to use to reduce nitrates :encouragement:

[hsoje]

I think the easiest way to get a carbon source would be' date=' as fishmosy suggested, to use the balls they use for nitrate reactors, they will deplete over time as they are a usable carbon source for the anaerobic bacteria to use to reduce nitrates :encouragement:[/quote']

Ill definatly look into it...

has anyone had any experience with them? got any recomendations ?

[Squiggle]

I've never used a nitrate reactor in my own tanks but I have installed them for other people, they use a dosing pump to move the water slowly through the reactor & the anaerobic bacteria slowly use up the balls as a source of carbon, they also use nitrogen & phosphorus from the tank water in something called the Redfield's Ratio(not sure what it is exactly, I'd have to look it up, I think it's 106:16:1 of C:N:P). They work very effectively in removing nitrates but, as fishmosy has already mentioned, they don't add any vital trace elements that the shrimp will need to moult & grow their new shell. so some water changes will still be needed once these elements are depleted :victorious:

[hsoje]

Interesting never thought of using a doseing pump to slowly move water through media. Looks like you've given me some good weekend reading for the next few weeks...ahaha

[Squiggle]

Yeah you just have to make sure the pump has enough flow to lower the nitrates but then not too much to allow the water to de-oxygenate, calcium reactors work the same way for saltwater tanks, slowly dosing calcium for the corals & other invertebrates. There is so much you can read up on this sort of thing, I've been keeping fish for a long time & I'm always reading & learning stuff every day that I didn't know, that's what I love about this addiction(some might say it's an addiction to knowledge), there's always something to learn :victorious:

[hsoje]

Ditto squiggle definatly not a hobby for the people who don't like to read