Pool filter sand to eliminate nitrite/nitrate

[eykw]

went down to the local pool shop to buy some pool filter sand. i got what i wanted. when the shop keeper found out i was gonna use it in a fish tank, he pointed out another type of sand which can be use to eliminate nitrite (nitrate? he wasnt't sure which one) he said his boss uses it in his filter. he actually showed me a 3 ft tank in the office and the sand was used as a medium in a eheim 2213. just wondering if anyone has heard of this or uses it in their filtration? if so how can it be done? cheers, Eric

[Ben]

Personally i would use eheim media for eheim filters. I can not imagine the pool sand product being highly porous, plus if there is a lot of detritus in the tank the eheim cannister may get clogged very quickly.

[ILLUSN]

I believe the sand he offerd you was zeolite based, these are on the market now and are much cheeper to buy then zeolite bagged for aquariums.

[RipSlider]

Unless your planning on putting it into an FBF, then a medium as fine as sand probably doesn't go too well in a filter, unless you bag it in small amounts as you do with Carbon.

I agree that it sounds like a zeolite. There are more effecient ways of getting nitrate ( not nitrite ) out of the water, but the benefiit of zeolite is that you can wash it ( hot water + salt and leave to soak ) and re-use it, unlike the ion-exchange systems that also combat nitrate.

So, it's not quite as good, but you can re-use it.


If you've got a sand bottom, maybe have a read on wwm about Phelums. Far more efficient way to remove nitrate.

Steve

[endless]

Just wondering where i can this information on phelums