Seachem Matrix for nitrate control?

[angelcraze2]

I'm curious if anyone has any insight on Seachem Matrix filter media. Seachem claims it reduces nitrate with anaerobic bacteria, but I rarely hear of anyone suggesting this for nitrate control.

From the Seachem Site

Plastic bio-materials provide only external surface area, whereas Matrix™ provides both external and internal macroporous surface area. These macropores are ideally sized for the support of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. This allows Matrix™, unlike other forms of biomedia, to remove nitrate along with ammonia and nitrite, simultaneously and in the same filter.

https://www.seachem.com/matrix.php

[Slaphppy7]

Sounds like (to me anyway) that it just does the same thing as any other porous media does

[angelcraze2]

I'm not sure. If somehow anaerobic bacteria can colonize in the filter, it would theoretically work to lower nitrates. Just like an anaerobic bed in salt water. Idk, that's why i'm asking first before I invest in it. Thanks Matt for your thoughts.

[datfish]

I have probably 2L of it and I still have nitrates - don't get my wrong, it's a great biomedia, but I haven't seen a downward turn in nitrate production. Purigen will prevent to creation of nitrates and has more benefits anyways. Pristine also helps remove nitrates in my experience.

[250Gimp]

Sounds a lot like market-speak to me.

[angelcraze2]

I have probably 2L of it and I still have nitrates - don't get my wrong, it's a great biomedia, but I haven't seen a downward turn in nitrate production. Purigen will prevent to creation of nitrates and has more benefits anyways. Pristine also helps remove nitrates in my experience.

Does it increase though? Maybe it keeps it at bay? I mean, did you initially reduce nitrates to 10ppm first? I was finding my 120g was accumulating 15ppm nitrate in 10 days. This is in a pretty heavily planted tank I thought. I don't know when they started to accumulate because I admit, I stopped testing because they are always 0ppm in my planted tanks. But this 120g, I accumulate them. I'm trying to clean it up (thought it was clean, but anyway) trying different things like adding emersed and fast growing plants, using probiotics too, but I haven't seen an improvement yet.

[datfish]

Does it increase though? Maybe it keeps it at bay? I mean, did you initially reduce nitrates to 10ppm first? I was finding my 120g was accumulating 15ppm nitrate in 10 days. This is in a pretty heavily planted tank I thought. I don't know when they started to accumulate because I admit, I stopped testing because they are always 0ppm in my planted tanks. But this 120g, I accumulate them. I'm trying to clean it up (thought it was clean, but anyway) trying different things like adding emersed and fast growing plants, using probiotics too, but I haven't seen an improvement yet.

I did 80% water change, then a 30% the next day, and another 30% the next day before adding the matrix. No noticable dent in nitrate production. 15ppm over 15 days isn't terrible by any means, purigen would probably reduce that by half. Haven't used probiotics myself, so I can't speak on that.

[angelcraze2]

I'm just not used to nitrates registering, I feel so much better knowing I don't have to worry about them. When nitrates rise in a large tank, it's more difficult to get them down as you must know.

I have 8 angelfish, about 6 tetras left, 3 GBRs and a BN pleco. I wouldn't expect there to be that much accumulation and i'm reluctant to add more tetras at this rate. What do you think?

For info on using probiotics if you're interested
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f.../#post-6415196

[Taurus]

I would not count matrix for nitrate reduction. I looked into the stuff a few years ago and the conclusion I came to is that it is just another form of biomedia.

[Taurus]

Sounds like (to me anyway) that it just does the same thing as any other porous media does

Exactly...