# effectiveness of kent marine nitrate sponge



## im_a_clownfish

Hi All,

Since the cost and timeliness of having a salt water tank (and only using bottled RO water for the tank) is fairly high, I was wondering if anyone had any luck with the kent marine nitrate sponge. It's a granular material made of a zeolitic medium that apparently fosters anaerobic bateria growth to keep nitrates low in the tank. It apparently absorbs ammonia too.

I was thinking about buying a phosphate reactor and putting this media inside as theres no room left in my filter with my phosphate removal media.

Anyone have any luck with this sort of product? I have a fairly heavily stocked tank, and yes, to ideally keep nitrates low its good to do water changes frequently (and believe me I do) and decrease the fish bioload, but I'd like to see if some higher-tech options would work too. Maybe save a bit of $$$ in the long run...

Any feedback?

Thanks!

-James


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## Fishfirst

Never tried it, but usually nitrate reducers don't work, or don't work well enough for the money they are sold for.


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## leveldrummer

could always super-size your skimmer. or... get a bigger tank! if your gonna drop a bunch of money on something, get your own ro/di unit, that would help save money on bottled water from the store.


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## Osiris

Think it works just not as long as one thinks prolly as long as carbon is effective for. 

Just send me your fish i'll help lighten the load


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## cheseboy

I personally would not use that stuff. I also hear it's aluminum based and is bad for leather corals. As in when you first put it in your leather corals will shrivel up. Supposedly they get better with time but I would not take the risk. I personally think you should get a Deep sand bed it will cause your nitrates to go crashing down and is the best Long Term solution. Then again basically tropical play sand is no more. Almoast all the companies have gone down the Pooper or they have stopped making that product. So it's gonna cost you a lot to buy aragmax.


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## leveldrummer

deep sand beds are good but risky imo, they can crash, and when they do, they crash hard. and take everyone with them.


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## violet

I tried that product you mentioned 'clownfish, albeit in fresh water. Save your money. What is not mentioned is that anaerobic bacteria also produce some nasty stuff too.

Leveldrummer is right. An RO/DI is worth every penny, pays for itself quickly. look for a used one. Everything except the membrane is cheap to replace.


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## im_a_clownfish

Hmm..darn...anyone had any luck with the nitrate sponges? I plan to put it in a phosphate reactor and keep the flow to a trickle so the anaerobic bacteria have aplace to live. Plus, this makes it easy to change the media, so the bad bacteria dont buid up either, like in a plenum or deep sand bed. Violet - how did you use the product? Was it just in a canister filter or some sort of filter? Or did you have a special low flow/low oxygen container for it?


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## im_a_clownfish

Instead of the phosban reactor packed full of the nitrate sponge running at a trickle to promote anaerobic bacteria growth, would a hob filter with caulerpa be better? I dont have much room on my tank (its viewable from both sides, and want to minimize this.

Could I just stuff the phosban reactor I bought with caulerpa and since it's clear and near a window, the plants would get lots of light....

Can caulerpa be submerged as long as it has light?

suggestions?


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## Fishfirst

anaerobic bateria won't grow with o2 around... unfortunately it looks as though you want to put it in a filter or a reactor of some sort to bring O2 to it which would defeat the purpose of it being in your tank in the first place... Put the money into a fuge, or into more water changes, or into a better skimmer... don't waste your money


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## im_a_clownfish

I was going to run the reactor at a trickle to keep the oxygen levels down to promote the anaerobic bacteria.

If I don't do that - Can I put cauperla in the reactor? (its clear so light will get in but will also submerge the cauperla. Will cauperla live and work submerged if I keep a high flow with lots of oxygen?


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