# Nitraguard



## binhle (Sep 19, 2011)

I'm thinking of using this product to bring down nitrate level in my tank (currently @ the upper 40 ppm). Any advice as to their effectiveness? Also where would I get some?


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## liz (Jan 16, 2008)

I have been using it for a couple years now and yes it works. It needs to be put in a flow area where it is going to get O2 which it needs to populate the bacteria.
I have my bag of cubes (submersed) hanging from skimmer output which is an ideal location for them. They get slight agitation and O2 from the bubbles that are produced at the output.

Close's to you would be SUM - Sea U Marine.


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## disman_ca (Nov 12, 2011)

I don't know anything about Nitraguard but I'm sure it could help. Just be careful that you don't become reliant on it. Try to determine what the cause of the nitrate is to help you eliminate it. In other words, it is natural to have mini cycles in the tank so you should try to balance the parameters so they don't cause a crash.


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## picoreef (Dec 26, 2013)

Been using it for about a year now. Took






my nitrates down from 10 to about 2.5. Im using it in a reactor and trying titanium since Jan. No real difference that I can tell yet. Heres a pic of the moded cadlights nano reactor which fits just enough for my needs.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


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## uniboob (Dec 29, 2012)

liz said:


> I have been using it for a couple years now and yes it works. It needs to be put in a flow area where it is going to get O2 which it needs to populate the bacteria.
> I have my bag of cubes (submersed) hanging from skimmer output which is an ideal location for them. They get slight agitation and O2 from the bubbles that are produced at the output.
> 
> Close's to you would be SUM - Sea U Marine.


I think you got it backwards, you are wanting them near your skimmer input to pull the stuff out...

No?


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## uniboob (Dec 29, 2012)

Here is some more info:

"Bacteria consume the high carbohydrate source found in the BIO-Cubes and form a biomass that absorbs nitrates and phosphates from the water in the aquarium. This biomass is then skimmed out with a protein skimmer or is consumed as a food source by corals and clams.

When culturing bacteria, 2 of the most important factors that will determine the size of the colony are surface area and food source. BIO-Cubes look like small open celled sponges giving the product a massive surface area. BIO-Cubes also has 400% more biologically available, insoluble polymer carbohydrates than any other product in the world. These 2 factors create conditions that are perfect for culturing and sustaining large bacteria colonies required to effectively remove phosphate and nitrate from aquariums. It is these 2 factors that have made Nitra-Guard BIO-Cubes the world’s best carbohydrate based nitrate removing media. Independent tests that were performed in real world scenarios revealed that BIO-Cubes had the ability to reduce nitrate levels from 60ppm to below 5ppm in 2 weeks while competing products claim to only start working after 2 weeks!

The Effects of Redfield’s Ratio on Carbohydrate based nitrate removers

Redfield ratio is the atomic ratio that exists between carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus that is found in plankton and throughout the oceans. This ratio also applies to yeast / bacteria that are responsible for nitrogen removal. The original ratio is found to be C:N = 106:16:1. The ratios of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus have recently been proven to fluctuate somewhat between different species of yeast. All 3 of these nutrients are required in order to make the process of nitrate removal possible. If the system becomes depleted in either one of these nutrients, biomass production will not happen and nitrate removal will cease.

The role of Phosphate in Carbohydrate based nitrate removers

Phosphorus is essential to virtually every living creature. Phosphate is a component of ATP, RNA, DNA, and also the phospholipids that form all cell membranes. Low phosphate levels will limit growth in aquatic systems. The lack of Phosphate in a system will severely restrict the growth of the yeast / bacteria that removes nitrate in a system. Think of it in this way, if nitrate were the bricks for building a house, then phosphate would be the cement. If there were no cement to hold the bricks in place during construction, no building can continue. This is also true with the yeast / bacteria that is cultured to remove nitrate from the aquarium as the absence of phosphate will cause the process of nitrate removal to cease. As a general rule of thumb, the amount of phosphate you will need is approximately 2% of the total nitrate for the process to continue. If your system is too low in phosphate levels, we recommend using Nitra-Guard BIO-Cubes Titanium. Nitra-Guard BIO-Cubes Titanium is the world’s first carbohydrate based nitrate selective media that is completely resistant to Redfield’s Ratio and does not require phosphate in order to remove nitrates."

Directions for use:

The amount required will depend on stocking densities and amount of food added to the aquarium. Heavier stock loads will require larger amounts of product to be installed:

Below 15ppm: 1ml Nitra-Guard BIO-Cubes per liter of aquarium water
15ppm to 30ppm: 2ml Nitra-Guard BIO-Cubes per liter of aquarium water
30ppm to 60ppm: 3ml Nitra-Guard BIO-Cubes per liter of aquarium water
Above 60ppm: 4ml Nitra-Guard BIO-Cubes per liter of aquarium water

Before installing your BIO-Cubes, soak BIO-Cubes in freshwater for 24hrs to prevent skimmers from becoming over-active. If skimmer does become over-active, switch skimmer off for a few hours and re-start. The skimmer will return to normal operation within 24 hours. Do not use Phosphate removers in conjunction with this product. First use BIO-Cubes to remove all nitrates and then use a phosphate remover to remove phosphate.

Installing your BIO-Cubes:

Nitra-Guard BIO-Cubes require very strong current and large quantities of oxygen in order to successfully remove nitrates. For best results, we recommend using Nitra-Guard BIO-Cubes in a “BOMB” Installation method.

If BIO-Cubes are to be used in a reactor it is advisable to have a venturi system installed to insure proper oxygenation of the BIO-Cubes. If BIO-Cubes are to be used in a filter bag or reactor, place them near the protein skimmer to assist in removing the nitrate and phosphate rich biomass faster. If you are using BIO-Cubes in a freshwater system, place a fine filter cloth over the canister of your filter. This will filter out the biomass which should be removed every few days. After 10 days, the bacteria colonies will become prolific enough to start lowering nitrate and phosphate levels in your aquarium. If nitrate and phosphate levels in your aquarium are high, some cloudiness may occur which clears in a few days. With time, BIO-Cubes start to biodegrade as they are consumed by bacteria. After 4 months, check BIO-Cubes and top-up levels to what they were when BIO-Cubes were installed.


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## picoreef (Dec 26, 2013)

They are near the skimmer input. You see the white tube that runs from the cadlights and goes down right into the input of the skimmer. You cant get any closer than that.

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## uniboob (Dec 29, 2012)

picoreef said:


> They are near the skimmer input. You see the white tube that runs from the cadlights and goes down right into the input of the skimmer. You cant get any closer than that.
> 
> Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


Was reffering to Liz's post.


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## liz (Jan 16, 2008)

uniboob said:


> Was reffering to Liz's post.


Yes, you are right I do have it backwards 
Will fix tomorrow!


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## kies1 (Oct 8, 2009)

This product has reduced my nitrates to near zero since use. Using the bomb method


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## binhle (Sep 19, 2011)

Thank you all for the info and direction on this post. Picked some up at SUM and is currently in the sump next to the skimmer output. However someone suggested that it's better placed at the input. Will wait 10 days and test for nitrate then move to the skimmer input.


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## liz (Jan 16, 2008)

binhle said:


> Thank you all for the info and direction on this post. Picked some up at SUM and is currently in the sump next to the skimmer output. However someone suggested that it's better placed at the input. Will wait 10 days and test for nitrate then move to the skimmer input.


I was wrong - it should be placed close to the *input* of the skimmer.


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## TankCla (Dec 31, 2010)

It does not say to place it near to skimmer input. Read the label on the box. Close to the skimmer, does not mean close to to the input. On the other side of the skimmer, is still near skimmer.
In the end it should be in the same skimmer area of the sump.



uniboob said:


> Here is some more info:
> 
> "Bacteria consume the high carbohydrate source found in the BIO-Cubes and form a biomass that absorbs nitrates and phosphates from the water in the aquarium. This biomass is then skimmed out with a protein skimmer or is consumed as a food source by corals and clams.


You shoot two rabbits with one bullet.


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## uniboob (Dec 29, 2012)

From my understanding if you have it near skimmer input you are going to pull more of the biomass out from water, on the output you are leaving more of the biomass for your corals and such.


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