Amazing nitrate control with lucky bamboo

[scottts210]

I have a 210 gallon new world cichlid tank. I've had to perform 30% water changes every 2-3 days to keep nitrates below 20ppm. I tried to control nitrate rise using a floating up-flow algae scrubber, which never seemed to have any real impact, and I even weighed the amount of food I feed the tank to make sure I wasn't over feeding.

I know this isn't news to anyone more experienced, but I've never had live plants in any tank and with Oscars, a pike, and five silver dollars, I didn't think plants would work in this tank. My first attempt to use plants involved submerging about 20 stalks of luck bamboo in the tank with the roots in the gravel. While visually interesting, this didn't yield any noticeable benefit and the fish did eat and uproot the plants constantly. I also realize complete submersion of lucky bamboo is not consider OK by a lot of people. Judging by the lack of effect on the nitrates, I'd say the bamboo wasn't growing much while fully submerged.

My latest attempt was to install lucky bamboo along the back of the tank with just the roots in the water, and some small LED grow lights above them, like this:



ONE DAY after doing this nitrates dropped to between 5-10ppm and have stayed there for over a week. I run the grow lights for about 12 hours a day. They aren't particularly powerful, just 5 watts each.

I have not had to change any water for a week+. Probably not exciting to others but as a first time plant user, it's amazing to me that 22 stalks of lucky bamboo has reduced my water usage and maintenance by an enormous amount. We'll see how long they last.

The holders for the lucky bamboo are made by Poth-o-carry and they fit the rim of the 210 perfectly. So easy to use. I'm still amazed.

 

[Midwater]

And the bamboo looks good sticking out the top of the tank. Great results.

 

[duanes]

I am also a proponent of using terrestrial (or semi terrestrial, and aquatic) plants to use up nitrate.
Although I don't do water changes just because of nitrate alone, I think of nitrate as an indicator other chemical species, we don't have the capacity to test for, to judge the concentration of other deleterious agents, such as growth inhibiting hormones, and the like in a tank, and cause chronic diseases like HITH and bloat, so continue to do regular water changes even though my tanks nitrates are undetectable. My average tanks test results below



In non-polluted water where I collect cichlids, nitrates are always undetectable, probably because trees and other foliage along the river banks,extend roots into the water, and eat nitrates as fast as they are produced.

For my situation, I hang dieffenbachia in the main tank, but heavily plant my sumps.

My sumps are also filled with aquatics like Vallisneria, lilies, mangrove tress, and floaters like Salvina.

 

[scottts210]

I am also a proponent of using terrestrial (or semi terrestrial, and aquatic) plants to use up nitrate.
Although I don't do water changes just because of nitrate alone, I think of nitrate as an indicator other chemical species, we don't have the capacity to test for, to judge the concentration of other deleterious agents, such as growth inhibiting hormones, and the like in a tank, and cause chronic diseases like HITH and bloat, so continue to do regular water changes even though my tanks nitrates are undetectable. My average tanks test results below
View attachment 1526984


In non-polluted water where I collect cichlids, nitrates are always undetectable, probably because trees and other foliage along the river banks,extend roots into the water, and eat nitrates as fast as they are produced.
View attachment 1526974View attachment 1526975View attachment 1526976
For my situation, I hang dieffenbachia in the main tank, but heavily plant my sumps.
View attachment 1526977View attachment 1526978View attachment 1526980
My sumps are also filled with aquatics like Vallisneria, lilies, mangrove tress, and floaters like Salvina.
View attachment 1526981View attachment 1526982View attachment 1526983

Wow! Your use of plants is very impressive and beautiful. Thanks for sharing them.

 

[scottts210]

And the bamboo looks good sticking out the top of the tank. Great results.

I like the way they look, too.

 

[duanes]

Thanks for the compliment.
I also feel terrestrial plants, with their roots hanging in the tank adds to the correctness of biotope.
Even though many of the streams I snorkel don't contain aquatic plants, the roots are the perfect cover for cichlids, like the one in the last 30 seconds of the video below.
Cichlid (Chogorro), in the Rio Utive, Panama
or throughout the video taken in Mexico
Eden2
Below Magdalena riverine biotopes in Colombia S America,

 

[Deadeye]

I’ve only got 6 stalks of lucky bamboo in my tank, but if they are indeed that efficient I may have to get more.
duanes - have you found terrestrial plants to be more efficient at pulling nitrates than aquatic ones?

 

[scottts210]

I’ve only got 6 stalks of lucky bamboo in my tank, but if they are indeed that efficient I may have to get more.
duanes - have you found terrestrial plants to be more efficient at pulling nitrates than aquatic ones?

Right now by my calculations the 22 stalks are using about 3ppm nitrate per day from 210 gallons of water. Hopefully they maintain that rate.

 

[duanes]

I’ve only got 6 stalks of lucky bamboo in my tank, but if they are indeed that efficient I may have to get more.
duanes - have you found terrestrial plants to be more efficient at pulling nitrates than aquatic ones?

I believe the larger the plant the larger the nitrate uptake.
My dieffenbachia are about 5 ft tall, and the stems quite thick (@ the diameter of 2"PVC pipe), the root ball about the size of a basketball.

I went out of town for 2 weeks, so no water changes, and even thought the predatory goby littered the tank with a dozen carcasses, when I tested the water, ammonia and nitrate were still both zero.

Even with the heavy planting, I expected to detect something after the carnage, but nada.
Beside the Dieffenbachia, there are a dozen mangrove trees ranging from 10" to about 2 ft tall
The mangroves are in the foreground of the shot, diefenbachia at the other end of the 6 ft sump

 

[scottts210]

I believe the larger the plant the larger the nitrate uptake.
My dieffenbachia are about 5 ft tall, and the stems quite thick (@ the diameter of 2"PVC pipe), the root ball about the size of a basketball.
View attachment 1526996
I went out of town for 2 weeks, so no water changes, and even thought the predatory goby littered the tank with a dozen carcasses, when I tested the water, ammonia and nitrate were still both zero.
View attachment 1526989
Even with the heavy planting, I expected to detect something after the carnage, but nada.
Beside the Dieffenbachia, there are a dozen mangrove trees ranging from 10" to about 2 ft tall
The mangroves are in the foreground of the shot, diefenbachia at the other end of the 6 ft sump

This is what I'm trying to achieve - the ability to leave town for a couple of weeks without worrying about water chemistry.