# Effective nitrate reduction in 2.5 gallon tank?



## Davo (Feb 21, 2016)

Hi guys this is my first post here but I've been reading nearly daily for the past few months.

Back in early December I got Stormin Norman. He's the coolest betta and my goal is to keep him healthy and happy. I keep a betta log in the tank sitting upright like a tree trunk. It also has a floating betta log, and a betta leaf. 

He's in a cycled 2.5 gallon tank, with dimensions of about 11x6x8 inches deep with no tank mates. Its heated (80-82 degrees) but not lit (bright room) and its currently bare bottom (no gravel). There is no filter. Its heated (80-82 degrees) but not lit (bright room) and its currently bare bottom (no gravel). 

The water conditions have been closely watched. Ive been using API test strips (inaccurate, I've read), but have been confirming the readings with trips to local pet stores that use both stips and the API master test kit.

GH-180
KH-80
pH-7.5-8
Nitrite-consistently at zero or trace amounts since the tank finished cycling.
Ammonia-zero

Nitrates-this threw me off a bit. It started off around 5 ppm from the tap and now after a few months with some occasional rain in the area its about 20 from the tap (always after I let the tap water "age" for 24 hours).

I do a nearly 100% percent water change on sundays, and by then its up to about 30ish, its never gotten to 40 ppm. I did cut back on feeding to see if that would help with nitrates but its minimal.

I did put a few low light plants in-I have a small anubias hastifolia in there and its slowly growing (2 new leaves). I also have a java algae ball and a small bundle of lucky bamboo, with its leaves above water. I haven't seen much growth from these two plants. I got 2 bundles of anarchis but they quickly died and left a huge mess. I haven't noticed any nitrate reduction, but its obvious he loves live plants.

For now Im stuck with the 2.5 gallon tank due to size and cost concerns, but I'd like to find a way to reduce nitrates. Since I have no light, and the plants I have don't seem to be doing much I'd like some recommendations on both an inexpensive light and a plant that is more effective with reducing nitrates.

I like the 2.5 gallon because its very easy to clean and do a water change. I do travel a few times a year for up to 2 weeks and I'd like to keep Normans water as nitrate free as possible. I've also noticed he does not seem crazy about external lights in the room, but I suspect they may be needed to get any real nitrate reduction. Im hoping he will get used to an aquarium light.

Ok, so the questions-

Is is reasonable/plausible to actually see nitrate levels drop or hold steady in a 2.5 gallon tank, even if water changes aren't done up to two weeks? (I'd like the safety factor of longer, but currently do once weekly with tap water that is at 20 ppm)

Will I need lighting? If so what recommendations do you have? I'd like to aim for around 40 bucks or less.

What are some effective plants that dont need to be planted and dont shed leaves that are compatible with the above lighting?


Sorry for the long winded post, but Ive been reading and thinking about this stuff for months.


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## LittleStar (Oct 2, 2015)

Hi there. 
Just a quick thought: Many of us use sponge filters, they attach to a air pump and work in combo as a bubbler. They are very easy to use, and are a home to good microbes which keep your water at healthy parameters for your fish. You can check out the type I use at my link below and see it in video as well. There are many variations of sponge filters I'd check into these.

Good luck : )


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## Davo (Feb 21, 2016)

Hi LittleStar I like your tank.

From what I've read a filter won't help with nitrate reduction, isn't that correct?

I like the bare bottom tank because its easy to see debris and easy to clean.


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## christinamac (Jan 2, 2016)

I also have a 2.5 gallon tank and my nitrates tend to climb more than anything else, at a rate of about 5-10 ppm per day. I am also working on striking a balance, but here are a few things that I find help.

1. Lots of plants
2. Feeding the fish less
3. Filter media conductive to growing "good bacteria." I use Seachem de*Nitrate.
4. Seachem Purigen chemical filtration is very effective at removing nitrogenous waste. It is easy to tell when it needs to be replaced or recharged because it changes color. Purigen also polishes your water to crystal clear quality.
5. I do at least a 50% water change once per week depending on the nitrates. I try to keep the nitrates under 20 ppm. I usually end up doing two to three 25% water changes in a 7-day period, or one 25% water change in the middle of the week followed by a 50% water change at the end of the week. 

Unfortunately, smaller tanks just require more frequent water changes and closer monitoring.


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## Davo (Feb 21, 2016)

christinamac said:


> I also have a 2.5 gallon tank and my nitrates tend to climb more than anything else, at a rate of about 5-10 ppm per day. I am also working on striking a balance, but here are a few things that I find help.
> 
> 1. Lots of plants
> 2. Feeding the fish less
> ...


For plants Im thinking of hunting down some frogbit. Being a floating plant its supposed to work well for nitrates and I like that it would block out some of the light (which Norman does not like) from above. Another plus is he clearly just really likes plants. Im wondering how many I should get, and if its a good choice for a small tank.

For food Im primarily feeding ocean nutrition betta pro pellets. Initially I was feeding around 8 pellets+ over the course of the day. I cut back to 6, and now Im down to 4. Im hoping thats enough for him, I did notice its got lots of protein for growth, so Im wondering if thats a factor in leading to nitrates. Every 2 or 3 days I give him a pinch of Tetra betta min as well.

That seachem purigen looks very interesting! I don't currently have a filter but perhaps I will pick up a small bag anyway and put it somewhere in the tank. Im theorizing that since a 100mL bag can lower nitrates for up to 100 gallons for 6 months that it might sufficiently lower nitrates in a 2.5 gallon tank even without a filter to move water over it. Its also not supposed to interfere with either plants of beneficial bacteria. Have you tried it in your 2.5 gallon tank? Does it live up to the hype?


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## christinamac (Jan 2, 2016)

Any plant that is in contact with the water surface or extends out of the water has more access to CO2, and will then be able to take in more nutrients from your water (including nitrates). There are many plant options that would be happy at the water surface or extending out of the water, frogbit being one of them.

Four pellets per day sounds like a good amount to feed. I feed my Betta 2-4 pellets per day.

I love my Seachem Purigen, it is definitely worth all the hype. It does not interfere with beneficial bacteria or remove nutrients that your plants need. I use Purigen in the filter for my 2.5 gallon aquarium.

Purigen is a filter media, so it has to have water running through it in order for it to work. It really has to be placed in a filter of some sort. Just placing a bag of Purigen in your aquarium won't allow the Purigen to work.


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## Davo (Feb 21, 2016)

Im thinking about cutting back to 3 pellets a day. Even though they are smaller they have lots of protein which may be good for growth and Im hoping produce less toxic waste (if its like protein waste in humans). 

I picked up a lamp and 13 watt 5000K CFL bulb today, but Im going to do some research on optimum lighting frequencies and go from there, maybe hitting up ebay for a superior bulb. I also picked up 2 bundles of anarchis/elodea from petsmart. My last try a few months ago was a failure, but I read anarchis needs light to grow. There is a bunch of plant in the tank now, I may pull some out. I still want duckbit, but all they had was anubias on driftwood, and anarchis.

Norman is hanging out at the bottom of the tank (not lying on the floor, just the bottom half) so I don't know if he's feeling the light. Tonight's just a test though, want him happy.

Petco had purigen, so I got a 100ml pack, despite no filter. Im going to have to read more about it.

My plan is to change the water out this weekend, and then monitor water parameters next week to see how its doing.


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## Davo (Feb 21, 2016)

Well, had a tiny victory today in my tank, last week I purchased some anarchis, and got a lamp, and have been lighting the thank for 8-10 hours a day.

Today I checked the water quality and nitrates were down to around 20 ppm, which is right about what it comes out of the tap at.

Not sure if its the new anarchis, the other plants, or the reduced feeding (3 pellets a day) but it seems to be working a bit.

Further study will be required. I changed out the water today and got all excited because of rising bubbles in the tank. I thought it might be plant pearling but its most likely pseudo pearling.

I also put in an aluminum foil reflector behind my bulb tonight, its quite a bit brighter, which gives me more options for lighting.

It is nice to be better able to see Norman with lighting, he seems to be taking it in stride. The tank now looks like a forest scene, and sometimes he hangs out under the "shade" of the anubias, or in the logs. The fake plant really looks bad in comparison to the real ones under light.


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