FAQ: I’m using Seachem Matrix™, but my nitrates are not coming down, it’s been at the same level for awhile now, what’s wrong?

Nothing’s wrong. The product is working just as it should. The removal of nitrates essentially comes down to one parameter: rate. The rate at which your tank is producing nitrates and the rate at which it can remove them. If you fill a bathtub with the spigot wide open and try to keep it from overflowing by draining it out of a straw, it won’t be long until it overflows. However, if you drain it at the same rate it fills, the level will always stay the same. Or, if it nearly fills up and then you drain it at a rate faster than it is filling, the level will drop. The same applies to nitrate removal. To lower nitrates you must equip your tank with the capacity to remove them at a rate greater than or equal to the rate of formation. So, if your nitrates are holding steady and you want them to come down, increase the amount of Matrix™ you are using or use de*nitrate™ in addition to the Matrix™ (de*nitrate™ will more efficiently remove nitrates per volume of product assuming a flow rate of not more than ~50 gallons/hour). If you need to use a higher flow rate, than stick with Matrix™ or try Pond Matrix™, both of which support anaerobic denitrification at higher flow rates.