So, I just tested my tap water for the first time the other day and I'm at 40ppm of nitrates straight out of the tap. With 2 7" Tiger Oscars and one 5" Pleco in my 125 gal this is a problem. The only solution I have is to add plants to help absorb some of the nitrates. I've built two 24 gal (roughly) 13" tall by 29" long by 15" (inside dimensions) wide tanks out of polypropylene for wet dry and a refugium. Due to stand restrictions I couldn't make one big tank so these will be connected though one or two large bulkhead fittings. Ok, on to the questions :help:
1) The wet/dry will be right before the refugium so is there any way to stike a balance of not gassing off too much CO2 while still retaining the function of a wet/dry?
2) Floating or submerse? I believe I read that floating can draw some of their CO2 from the air itself so maybe that's where I should be looking with a wet/dry?
3) What types of plants are nitrate hogs, hardy, and low maintainance? I'm going to aim for 1.5 wpg or so in the refiugium and as the plastic is black I won't be letting any light out..
4) If I go submerse what type of substrate?
5) I'll be getting about 700 gph of flow. Will this be too much for the plants and do I need to divert the majority of the flow straight to the pump compartment to allow much lower flow to the planted area of the refugium?
6) How do I avoid algae in the main tank?
7) How large of a concentration of plants should I look to get to bring my nitrates down to a stable 5-15 ppm range. Keep in mind it's a 125g.
I think that's all for now. My main goal here is low maintainance and effective with effective being the number 1 priority obviously. Any and all advice will be very gtreatly appreciated
1) The wet/dry will be right before the refugium so is there any way to stike a balance of not gassing off too much CO2 while still retaining the function of a wet/dry?
2) Floating or submerse? I believe I read that floating can draw some of their CO2 from the air itself so maybe that's where I should be looking with a wet/dry?
3) What types of plants are nitrate hogs, hardy, and low maintainance? I'm going to aim for 1.5 wpg or so in the refiugium and as the plastic is black I won't be letting any light out..
4) If I go submerse what type of substrate?
5) I'll be getting about 700 gph of flow. Will this be too much for the plants and do I need to divert the majority of the flow straight to the pump compartment to allow much lower flow to the planted area of the refugium?
6) How do I avoid algae in the main tank?
7) How large of a concentration of plants should I look to get to bring my nitrates down to a stable 5-15 ppm range. Keep in mind it's a 125g.
I think that's all for now. My main goal here is low maintainance and effective with effective being the number 1 priority obviously. Any and all advice will be very gtreatly appreciated