That may be true but the bottle says nothing about freshwater and there are no products on the instant ocean website that make any claims of being OK for freshwater. As far as I know all they make are products for saltwater. Maybe it says something on the back of the bottle about it but just because a vendor says you can use it does not mean that it is correct. After all, a vendor is a salesman, not a chemist.
Instant Ocean Natural Nitrate Reducer experiment
- Thread starter Inglorious
- Start date
Organic carbon dosing is a proven method of reducing nitrates and phosphates. Whether or no this particular product works remains to be seen, but ime it takes several weeks for the effect to kick in since you're depending on a bacterial culture. The carbon source is just an intermediary food source that allows the bacteria to utilize nitrate and phosphate as an O2 source. I have no experience with it in FW but I took a neglected 5000 gal SW tank from NO3 readings in excess of 320 ppm to under 20 ppm in a few months changing only 150-200 gal a week to backflush the filter. Consider that there was (and is) a significant bioload in the system the whole time the nitrates were dropping. Have you noticed an increase in water clarity? That was one effect that I noticed within days of starting the dosing.
TO: Instant Ocean Team
Date and time of inquiry: Tuesday, January 25, 2011, 3:17:05 AM
Question: Is your Instant Ocean Natural Nitrate Reducer a Salt water only product or can it be used just as well in Fresh water tanks?
I did not see any reference to Salt water use only on the actual bottle and have been using it in Fresh water tanks for some time.
Their reply
Hello,
It can actually be used in freshwater. We are considering adding that to packaging.
Best regards,
US Aquatics Consumer Support
How well it works in Fresh water or whether it works better in Salt water I do not know, but I can read the vendor response and since they make the stuff I will give them the benefit of the doubt they know what it can do and in what type of tanks.
You believe what you want.......................
Date and time of inquiry: Tuesday, January 25, 2011, 3:17:05 AM
Question: Is your Instant Ocean Natural Nitrate Reducer a Salt water only product or can it be used just as well in Fresh water tanks?
I did not see any reference to Salt water use only on the actual bottle and have been using it in Fresh water tanks for some time.
Their reply
Hello,
It can actually be used in freshwater. We are considering adding that to packaging.
Best regards,
US Aquatics Consumer Support
How well it works in Fresh water or whether it works better in Salt water I do not know, but I can read the vendor response and since they make the stuff I will give them the benefit of the doubt they know what it can do and in what type of tanks.
You believe what you want.......................
That's cool, I hope it works as well in fresh as has been reported in salt. The OP certainly has a tough case to test it on, if it works for him I will be a believer. 
Natural Nitrate reducer is polycaprolactone which is a biopolymer that works as an organic carbon source. Bacteria feed on it and as they grow they ingest nitrate and phosphate from the environment which lowers the levels of these nutrients in the water. In a marine tank the excess bacteria are then skimmed out with the protein skimmer thus exporting the nitrogen and phosphorous from the system. Freshwater aquariums do not have protein skimmers (the water density is not enough to make a small skimmer work) so the nutrients do not get exported and the nitrogen and phosphorous get recycled back into the system.
As a result I would be surprised if it had any effect in freshwater. Regular water changes could help export the excess bacteria I guess, but regular water changes also dilute nitrate and phosphate too. So is it really having an effect that would not have occurred otherwise?
Andy
As a result I would be surprised if it had any effect in freshwater. Regular water changes could help export the excess bacteria I guess, but regular water changes also dilute nitrate and phosphate too. So is it really having an effect that would not have occurred otherwise?
Andy
From the research I've done on this product my understanding is that the nitrate is converted into nitrogen gas which then just escapes through the water surface, so a skimmer isn't nessecary to remove it. It might not have any true effect on freshwater, but it might also be the miracle solution to nitrate that we're all looking for. That's why I'm not only trying it out, but tracking my results for everyone to see.
Yes, It will turn into nitrogen gas if in an anaerobic environment and anaerobic bacteria are able to grow. This is however not generally found in sufficient quantities in aquaria. The gravel bed is where anaerobic bacteria can grow and the size, density, and depth of the gravel has a great effect on how efficient this is. You can find out all about Tetra's research on the product through their patent on the product (US Patent 7,244,358). Although their Natural Nitrate Reducer is pretty different from the granular material they used in their testing.
The week three test results are finally in pH, ammonia, and nitrite are still normal @ 8.2,0,0 while my nitrates are(drum roll please)...40ppm! My treated tankwater is now reading almost identical to my non-treated tapwater. I am really impressed by the difference this product has made in such a short period and will continue to use it to see if I can actually get my tankwater cleaner than it is from the tap.
