Nitrate

The last by-product is also the most difficult to remove despite claims to the contrary (plants [read http://www.aquabotanic.com/plants_and_biological_filtration.htm to find which plants prefer nitrates], denitrators). At lower levels and short term exposure, nitrate may not be such a problem. But prolonged exposure brings some dire consequences like organ damage, etc.

The only practical means to remove is to do regular partial water changes and even this will not totally eliminate nitrates. Again Nitra-Zorb may be used to prevent accumulation and one may try the intricacies of a denitrator.

Around a week ago, I added a 'drip' system (I will write on this soon) for several of my fish tanks and today when I finally took time off from a very hectic schedule - I got for the first time, again a FIRST in my 3 decades of being a hobbyist, zero nitrates in all the tanks where the 'drip' system were used.