Thread: Zeolite - do many people use this outside of showers?

I've put a bag of zeolite in the filter to combat the autumn nitrogen spike as the biological filtration slows with dropping temperatures.

I've also added some clay too.

I'll test the water parameters later but it's been in there since Saturday so we'll see if the nominal amounts I normally have disappear.

I thought Zeolite absorbed ammonia rather than nitrates?

Nitrogen cycle.
Remove ammonia then it won't be broken down to nitrites then nitrates

Ah that makes sense, should’ve turned my brain on

Yes, that's correct, zeolite will reduce a nitrite spike by adsorbing the ammonia that the ammonia bugs (nitrobacter) use to convert it to nitrite but zeolite shouldn't be necessary over winter because the filter bugs don't die, they become less and less active at a rate that matches the rate at which the fish appetite, and therefore their ammonia output decreases.