Would love to hear about your choice of filtration pros and cons.

[Jenene]

Hey guys, I have been learning so much about caring for Discus on this forum since August and now my 75 gallon with 6 of Kenny's fish (and 2 new in QT) are doing great. I think we all kind of reinvent our systems as we learn or new products come out on the market.
Right now I have a Eshopps R-100 sump with a 200 micron filter sock and a refugium containing Miracle Mud and some Java Moss. I have a big compartment of bio media with bags of bio balls, ceramic rings and just added a giant bag of Seachem Matrix. I also use Purigen and 100% Polyfill for polishing. My water is crystal clear and everyone is healthy. Water test are great and stable. Thinking about adding a fluidized bed. At what point is overkill? I see a lot of you use sponge filters and tanks are thriving.

I am just really interested on why people choose what they do and how it works for them. Have you changed things or always done it the same way? With such big and frequent water changes- how much is really needed?

Thanks in advance for sharing. Maybe someone will learn something new.

[Ryan925]

Hey guys, I have been learning so much about caring for Discus on this forum since August and now my 75 gallon with 6 of Kenny's fish (and 2 new in QT) are doing great. I think we all kind of reinvent our systems as we learn or new products come out on the market.
Right now I have a Eshopps R-100 sump with a 200 micron filter sock and a refugium containing Miracle Mud and some Java Moss. I have a big compartment of bio media with bags of bio balls, ceramic rings and just added a giant bag of Seachem Matrix. I also use Purigen and 100% Polyfill for polishing. My water is crystal clear and everyone is healthy. Water test are great and stable. Thinking about adding a fluidized bed. At what point is overkill? I see a lot of you use sponge filters and tanks are thriving.

I am just really interested on why people choose what they do and how it works for them. Have you changed things or always done it the same way? With such big and frequent water changes- how much is really needed?

Thanks in advance for sharing. Maybe someone will learn something new.

If it's not broke don't fix it my friend. :)

Your tank, fish and water look great. Sounds like you have more than enough filtration as-is.

Enjoy them don't complicate things ;)

Just my. 02

[Jenene]

If it's not broke don't fix it my friend. :)

Your tank, fish and water look great. Sounds like you have more than enough filtration as-is.

Enjoy them don't complicate things ;)

Just my. 02

Just trying to keep up with the Jones's Ryan! I think the refugium is what I am questioning. I don't want to rock the boat so I will leave as is for now- but I am curious. Your planned system project is over the top. It interested me enough to see what other's are doing kind of like window peeping..tank peeping?I can't wait to see yours!

[Ryan925]

Just trying to keep up with the Jones's Ryan! I think the refugium is what I am questioning. I don't want to rock the boat so I will leave as is for now- but I am curious. Your planned system project is over the top. It interested me enough to see what other's are doing kind of like window peeping..tank peeping?I can't wait to see yours!

Giving me too much credit ;). It's really not all that impressive I don't believe. Actually when I started researching it seemed so complicated and overwhelming. The more I watched vids and looked out photos or seems fairly seem. Now we will just see about execution lol. If I can ever get a free minute I will get over to tap plastics and gets my baffles cut

[kris2341]

i personally went from an overfilled canister filter to a 20 gallon sump myself for my discus... never looking back! that sucker weighed in at 30 lbs once filled..

cleaned and placed all my established bio filter media in it

had the overflow drain into a 100 micron filter sock

added some brightwell aquatics xport bio and NO3 plates which i eventually plan to have these plates be my primary nitrification and denitrification for my system. these are nicer because they dont trap debris like typical ceramic media, while letting water flow through them more freely for bacteria growth, probably the best bio media ive seen to date.

have a sochting oxydator W which is carefully controlling, releasing, and reacting hydrogen peroxide in my tank to aid in redox and breakdown of organics

installed a two little fishes media reactor which i placed some purigen

and finally have a 55w jebao UV sterilizer which i fitted with a high quality low pressure UV bulb for proper performance.

theres always some way to do things better, but it usually comes at the cost of added complexity. I think im doing fine atm, water is clear, i am changing it frequently in order for my system to keep up with the bioload of all my new fish, i vacuum and change filter socks daily, sometimes more than that.

the tank itself is 55 gallons, covered in water hyacinths on top and lit by a 90w LED fixture to further aid in denitrification and consumption of organics as well as provide shade for the discus from the bright light. it is barebottom with driftwood and anubias mounted to the wood, quite nice!

[Jenene]

i personally went from an overfilled canister filter to a 20 gallon sump myself for my discus... never looking back! that sucker weighed in at 30 lbs once filled..

cleaned and placed all my established bio filter media in it

had the overflow drain into a 100 micron filter sock

added some brightwell aquatics xport bio and NO3 plates which i eventually plan to have these plates be my primary nitrification and denitrification for my system. these are nicer because they dont trap debris like typical ceramic media, while letting water flow through them more freely for bacteria growth, probably the best bio media ive seen to date.

have a sochting oxydator W which is carefully controlling, releasing, and reacting hydrogen peroxide in my tank to aid in redox and breakdown of organics

installed a two little fishes media reactor which i placed some purigen

and finally have a 55w jebao UV sterilizer which i fitted with a high quality low pressure UV bulb for proper performance.

theres always some way to do things better, but it usually comes at the cost of added complexity. I think im doing fine atm, water is clear, i am changing it frequently in order for my system to keep up with the bioload of all my new fish, i vacuum and change filter socks daily, sometimes more than that.

the tank itself is 55 gallons, covered in water hyacinths on top and lit by a 90w LED fixture to further aid in denitrification and consumption of organics as well as provide shade for the discus from the bright light. it is barebottom with driftwood and anubias mounted to the wood, quite nice!

Thanks for your input Kris! Your system sound very intricate. Could you explain the brightwell aquatics xport bio and NO3 plates? Maybe post a picture or a link? Have never heard of these! Would love to see pics of your set up and tank. Do you have them posted on the Forum anywhere else? Thanks so much for your contribution to this thread.

[farebox]

At first started out with an Fluval FX5 filter on my 125G tank. Next changed to an DIY PVC overflow and 20G DIY sump with K1(Kaldness bio media), two Poret foam pads, and Seachem Matrix bio media. One day have a little flood and next decided to go with an LifeReef pre-filter box/overflow system. Been running well over two yrs. now without an hitch (turn return water pump off 3 x daily during feeding time). I have wasted a lot of $$ by trying different filter media and now will just stay with the the K1 moving bed filter, 20ppi/30ppi Poret foam, and MarinePure bio spheres, and Purigen reactor on the system. No more changing around, "if it ain't broke why fix it", KISS (keep it simple concept). By the way I used Josie's from Chicago Discus info from her sump for her 300G tank. Video:https://youtu.be/LZp1CFdzsdg

[Ryan925]

At first started out with an Fluval FX5 filter on my 125G tank. Next changed to an DIY PVC overflow and 20G DIY sump with K1(Kaldness bio media), two Poret foam pads, and Seachem Matrix bio media. One day have a little flood and next decided to go with an LifeReef pre-filter box/overflow system. Been running well over two yrs. now without an hitch (turn return water pump off 3 x daily during feeding time). I have wasted a lot of $$ by trying different filter media and now will just stay with the the K1 moving bed filter, 20ppi/30ppi Poret foam, and MarinePure bio spheres, and Purigen reactor on the system. No more changing around, "if it ain't broke why fix it", KISS (keep it simple concept). By the way I used Josie's from Chicago Discus info from her sump for her 300G tank. Video:https://youtu.be/LZp1CFdzsdg

Hey Roland I really like that setup. Seems so simple. I am in the process of designing a sump out of a 40 breeder. I really like how that sump utilizes emersed, submerged and fluidized media. I am also planning a fluidized bed K1 compartment.

Couple questions. How loud is that baby? Seems like a lot of noise. Is it mainly from the fluidized bed or is is from the wet/dry?

Second is what reactor are you running for purigen? Been really wanting to do one but seems all ideas I have seen require mods and don't seem to always be reliable in keeping purigen bypasss..

Thanks

[kris2341]

Thanks for your input Kris! Your system sound very intricate. Could you explain the brightwell aquatics xport bio and NO3 plates? Maybe post a picture or a link? Have never heard of these! Would love to see pics of your set up and tank. Do you have them posted on the Forum anywhere else? Thanks so much for your contribution to this thread.

http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/xport_bio_plate.php
http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/xport_no3_plate.php

here you go, ill post pictures of my sump later!

[Willie]

Less is more. Most discus hobbyists would like to know everything that goes into the tank and minimize operations to avoid equipment breakdowns, etc. I run all my discus and altums tanks on double stacked Hydro V's. Tanks 40 gal or less get a set of two Hydro's. 75 gal tanks two sets of two Hydro's. A 110 gal gets 2 sets of triple stacked Hydro's.

[Ryan925]

Less is more. Most discus hobbyists would like to know everything that goes into the tank and minimize operations to avoid equipment breakdowns, etc. I run all my discus and altums tanks on double stacked Hydro V's. Tanks 40 gal or less get a set of two Hydro's. 75 gal tanks two sets of two Hydro's. A 110 gal gets 2 sets of triple stacked Hydro's.

What do you mean by everything that goes into the tank? What could possible be bad about the media being used in a sump? As far as break down there is really only one main component ofthe sump equipment and that's return pump. An air pump can break down just as easily and shut down sponges also.

Id prefer to be along the lines of what Jenene is thinking and have more than enough bio filtration, relative ease of maintenance and not tons of equipment in the display tank.

Not saying sponges are wrong or bad. I understand they are one of the simplest most effective filtration method but not everyone wants them in a display tank

[farebox]

The noise level is noticeable from the K1 tumbling and the airstones running. I have the tank in my living room, but I can tolerate the little noise coming from the sump, also i was able to quite the water noise entering the sump with foam pads in a general dollar plastic food storage container bottom drilled with holes to let water flow out. The purigen reactor used was an NextReef MR-1. Another SD member advised me on how to set it up to keep the purigen from flowing out (Afriend).

[Ryan925]

The noise level is noticeable from the K1 tumbling and the airstones running. I have the tank in my living room, but I can tolerate the little noise coming from the sump, also i was able to quite the water noise entering the sump with foam pads in a general dollar plastic food storage container bottom drilled with holes to let water flow out. The purigen reactor used was an NextReef MR-1. Another SD member advised me on how to set it up to keep the purigen from flowing out (Afriend).

Cool man thanks. I plan on doing a decent sized K1 section. I am going to put lids over each section of my sump also. Hoping that will cut down on noise and evaporation

[rickztahone]

If I had to get some form of filter besides sponge filters it would be a sump.

I wouldn't go back to a canister filter. My reasons aren't as good as others here. Simply put, I hate things sticking out in my tanks. I hate hoses, tubes, heaters, you name it, I hate it. So, my builds always try to hide everything. A sump does this in spades.

My sump has so many things jammed in to it and still has a whole bunch of space. Granted, it is a 40g breeder, but still.

Now, if I didn't care for aesthetics, then I would simply run 2 sponge filters stacked. There is no simpler way to keep discus than 2 sponges. You see the accumulated crud, and you clean it up, simple!

[Jenene]

The noise level is noticeable from the K1 tumbling and the airstones running. I have the tank in my living room, but I can tolerate the little noise coming from the sump, also i was able to quite the water noise entering the sump with foam pads in a general dollar plastic food storage container bottom drilled with holes to let water flow out. The purigen reactor used was an NextReef MR-1. Another SD member advised me on how to set it up to keep the purigen from flowing out (Afriend).

Thank you for all your information Roland. Just as I was hoping there are things here that others can find useful. Just a heads up though it looks like that NextReef reactor has been discontinued and if others are looking for this model it may be difficult to find. It looks great though- very clean design.

[Jenene]

If I had to get some form of filter besides sponge filters it would be a sump.

I wouldn't go back to a canister filter. My reasons aren't as good as others here. Simply put, I hate things sticking out in my tanks. I hate hoses, tubes, heaters, you name it, I hate it. So, my builds always try to hide everything. A sump does this in spades.

My sump has so many things jammed in to it and still has a whole bunch of space. Granted, it is a 40g breeder, but still.

Now, if I didn't care for aesthetics, then I would simply run 2 sponge filters stacked. There is no simpler way to keep discus than 2 sponges. You see the accumulated crud, and you clean it up, simple!

Yes, that is the great thing about sumps. We love to hide our stuff! Another plus that I haven't seen mentioned yet is the additional water volume. Also you can see what is going on in there with a glance where an out of sight/out of mind canister can get nasty. I have one on my community tank and I have been guilty of neglecting that monster. Just kind of a pain to take apart. I do get the ease and simplicity of the sponge. I have one in my QT and it does the job but it is not pretty to look at.

[Jenene]

http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/xport_bio_plate.php
http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/xport_no3_plate.php

here you go, ill post pictures of my sump later!

Wow Kris the capacity of those plates is crazy! Thanks for the links they were really interesting. One thing I noticed was it claimed to buffer ph. Do you notice this in your set up? That is one thing I would like to avoid since my ph is very stable from tap to aging to tank- I wouldn't want to mess with it however the plates sound extremely efficient. Really looking forward to your pictures!

[kris2341]

the BIO plate is made with aragonite to avoid acidic conditions within the pores to keep the bacteria alive. Though that construction would mean that the plate does offer some form of buffering capacity to the aquarium's pH, i do not think it is significant enough to raise it too high.
That being said, my local tap ranges from 7.5 to 8.0+ regularly so my water is already quite buffered, making this media ideal for me as things are already elevated.

Also, i do not expect these plates to handle 1000 gallons of water by themselves, mainly because they were made with reefs in mind. In a proper reef, the live rock does most of the biological heavy lifting with these likely just being supplementary to that. I expect a single plate to be able to reliably handle 100-250 gallons of freshwater at best, good clean media though!

http://i.imgur.com/vADmjSr.jpg

tank just before water change.


http://i.imgur.com/OoKHae6.jpg

my sump in its current messy state, i actually only have the NO3 plate atm as the BIO plate is currently on order but the plan is to stack the two together for the BIO plate to handle aerobic biofiltration and the NO3 plate to handle anaerobic biofiltration.

I eventually plan to remove the seachem matrix thats spread all along the bottom once the plates are established, as the matrix is a dirt magnet waiting to happen as you can see

[Jenene]

the BIO plate is made with aragonite to avoid acidic conditions within the pores to keep the bacteria alive. Though that construction would mean that the plate does offer some form of buffering capacity to the aquarium's pH, i do not think it is significant enough to raise it too high.
That being said, my local tap ranges from 7.5 to 8.0+ regularly so my water is already quite buffered, making this media ideal for me as things are already elevated.

Also, i do not expect these plates to handle 1000 gallons of water by themselves, mainly because they were made with reefs in mind. In a proper reef, the live rock does most of the biological heavy lifting with these likely just being supplementary to that. I expect a single plate to be able to reliably handle 100-250 gallons of freshwater at best, good clean media though!

http://i.imgur.com/vADmjSr.jpg

tank just before water change.


http://i.imgur.com/OoKHae6.jpg

my sump in its current messy state, i actually only have the NO3 plate atm as the BIO plate is currently on order but the plan is to stack the two together for the BIO plate to handle aerobic biofiltration and the NO3 plate to handle anaerobic biofiltration.

I eventually plan to remove the seachem matrix thats spread all along the bottom once the plates are established, as the matrix is a dirt magnet waiting to happen as you can see

Kris, your tank and fish look amazing. Is that tile on the bottom? I don't see any seams. I had cut a nice light tile but I was afraid of detritus getting caught under it. I think if I re-cut to fit better it it will be safer. I love the ease of the BB but I am not a fan of the look and itching to change it. Either tile or a light layer of sand.

Thank you so much for explaining your set up. There are a few unique techniques that I could see others looking into for their tanks. Would you mind explaining the sochting oxydator in a little more detail? Have never heard of that either. Is that a carry over from a reef set up?

My water also runs high in ph a very steady 8.0 so maybe the plates would be an option at some point. Another question about these (sorry!) but do they float?

Thank you again for offering up your ideas and pics. Very interesting sump and a gorgeous aquarium!

[Ryan925]

the BIO plate is made with aragonite to avoid acidic conditions within the pores to keep the bacteria alive. Though that construction would mean that the plate does offer some form of buffering capacity to the aquarium's pH, i do not think it is significant enough to raise it too high.
That being said, my local tap ranges from 7.5 to 8.0+ regularly so my water is already quite buffered, making this media ideal for me as things are already elevated.

Also, i do not expect these plates to handle 1000 gallons of water by themselves, mainly because they were made with reefs in mind. In a proper reef, the live rock does most of the biological heavy lifting with these likely just being supplementary to that. I expect a single plate to be able to reliably handle 100-250 gallons of freshwater at best, good clean media though!

http://i.imgur.com/vADmjSr.jpg

tank just before water change.


http://i.imgur.com/OoKHae6.jpg

my sump in its current messy state, i actually only have the NO3 plate atm as the BIO plate is currently on order but the plan is to stack the two together for the BIO plate to handle aerobic biofiltration and the NO3 plate to handle anaerobic biofiltration.

I eventually plan to remove the seachem matrix thats spread all along the bottom once the plates are established, as the matrix is a dirt magnet waiting to happen as you can see

I am very intrigued by these plates as well and have a couple questions.

With your current sumo setup how do you know water is flowing through the plate and not just around it?
I thought about stacking these between baffles so the water is forced to flow through but they I see they want an extremely slow flow rate. Reading the description they are talking 10-20 GPH..

So if the main system is running 600-700 GPH would a separate path of water need to be created just for the plate to have proper flow rate and be effective?

[kris2341]

My tank is a pure and simple barebottom of exposed acrylic, just the brown paper was never taken off. nothing fancy! it just looks good as is.

As far as the bio plates, unfortunately one cannot really be too sure of a great deal of water flowing into them as they are indeed restrictive. However, one can expect the plates to function well enough through the properties of diffusion. As long as there is water circulation in the vicinity and there are nitrogenous compounds in the water, it can get to the bacteria in the plate.

The plates are EXTREMELY porous, i cannot stress that enough, that one plate in my sump weighs less than a pound dry i believe. It is also quite delicate, i had to be sure not to grip it too tightly or else my finger tips would dig into the plate. Thankfully they do not float, once penetrated thoroughly with water anyways.

On the topic of the Oxydator, it is a rather interesting device that one loads dilute H2O2 which it then dispenses into the water as safer oxygen ions that increase redox of the water by breaking down organics. Otherwise making the bacterial activity of the water and algae less of an issue.

http://www.theculturedreef.com/algae-control.html

My goal with the Oxydator is to increase redox of the water and saturate it with oxygen which would then pass through my UV sterilizer, which would FURTHER increase the redox of the system allowing for the breakdown of harmful organics, dissuade harmful bacteria/fungi/algae growth and leave my water clean and clear.

Funnily enough, the Oxydator is marketed as a device for both fresh and saltwater aquaria, but its following is almost exclusively in reefing, probably because thats where the majority of people who use high end filtration systems are into reefing and not so much freshwater where one can get by with just water changes.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rhf/feature/

to further clear up the water and decrease organic load, I wound up getting some very specific activated carbon from Red Sea after a Red Sea distributor came to my local reef shop to talk about a few things. Apparently their new carbon is cleaner and more potent than even the ROX 0.8 carbon that ive been using everywhere in my house. It is the Red Sea Reef Spec carbon

Its currently in my sump (the little black bag on the xport plate)

It was said that apparently, the cause of HITH and HLLE from carbon is because of carbon obtained from other than coconut based sources, and that most carbon used in the hobby is actually recycled carbon that has been regenerated by use of phosphoric acid leading to phosphate leeching (i dont think this is important in discus aquaria).

This red sea carbon is promoted as being, overall more effective than any other carbon on the market, and isnt recycled like most others in the hobby, at the very least it seems to pretty good for me! whatever i can do for my fish.

The carbon from red sea is much darker and cleaner looking than my bucket of ROX 0.8, that i can pour it on my hand and it wont really get dirty from carbon dust. It also makes an even louder sizzle when rinsed though apparently rinsing doesnt even seem necessary anymore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wGMcXs2OWs

[Ryan925]

My tank is a pure and simple barebottom of exposed acrylic, just the brown paper was never taken off. nothing fancy! it just looks good as is.

As far as the bio plates, unfortunately one cannot really be too sure of a great deal of water flowing into them as they are indeed restrictive. However, one can expect the plates to function well enough through the properties of diffusion. As long as there is water circulation in the vicinity and there are nitrogenous compounds in the water, it can get to the bacteria in the plate.

The plates are EXTREMELY porous, i cannot stress that enough, that one plate in my sump weighs less than a pound dry i believe. It is also quite delicate, i had to be sure not to grip it too tightly or else my finger tips would dig into the plate. Thankfully they do not float, once penetrated thoroughly with water anyways.

On the topic of the Oxydator, it is a rather interesting device that one loads dilute H2O2 which it then dispenses into the water as safer oxygen ions that increase redox of the water by breaking down organics. Otherwise making the bacterial activity of the water and algae less of an issue.

http://www.theculturedreef.com/algae-control.html

My goal with the Oxydator is to increase redox of the water and saturate it with oxygen which would then pass through my UV sterilizer, which would FURTHER increase the redox of the system allowing for the breakdown of harmful organics, dissuade harmful bacteria/fungi/algae growth and leave my water clean and clear.

Funnily enough, the Oxydator is marketed as a device for both fresh and saltwater aquaria, but its following is almost exclusively in reefing, probably because thats where the majority of people who use high end filtration systems are into reefing and not so much freshwater where one can get by with just water changes.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rhf/feature/

to further clear up the water and decrease organic load, I wound up getting some very specific activated carbon from Red Sea after a Red Sea distributor came to my local reef shop to talk about a few things. Apparently their new carbon is cleaner and more potent than even the ROX 0.8 carbon that ive been using everywhere in my house. It is the Red Sea Reef Spec carbon

Its currently in my sump (the little black bag on the xport plate)

It was said that apparently, the cause of HITH and HLLE from carbon is because of carbon obtained from other than coconut based sources, and that most carbon used in the hobby is actually recycled carbon that has been regenerated by use of phosphoric acid leading to phosphate leeching (i dont think this is important in discus aquaria).

This red sea carbon is promoted as being, overall more effective than any other carbon on the market, and isnt recycled like most others in the hobby, at the very least it seems to pretty good for me! whatever i can do for my fish.

The carbon from red sea is much darker and cleaner looking than my bucket of ROX 0.8, that i can pour it on my hand and it wont really get dirty from carbon dust. It also makes an even louder sizzle when rinsed though apparently rinsing doesnt even seem necessary anymore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wGMcXs2OWs

Do you monitor ORP with your system?

[atlantadiscus]

Your filter ideas are very similar to what I use- UV sterilization{level 2 to not only handle bacteria and algae,but parasites too and raise redox} And Marinepure which is very similar to the bio material you use.I also use the Red Sea carbon and mix it with Purigen placed in a media bag- excellent combo to keep your water crystal clear and adsorb organic compounds.With generally 5 feedings per day for 8 Discus in my 56 gallon planted tank,I change only 50% water 2x/week and nitrates are under 5ppm.

[kris2341]

Do you monitor ORP with your system?

not yet, but i do plan to get an ORP meter or controller once funds become more available to see what is going on in greater detail, my current methods arent nearly as aggressive as say.. ozone so there is little need for it for the protection of my fish.


Your filter ideas are very similar to what I use- UV sterilization{level 2 to not only handle bacteria and algae,but parasites too and raise redox} And Marinepure which is very similar to the bio material you use.I also use the Red Sea carbon and mix it with Purigen placed in a media bag- excellent combo to keep your water crystal clear and adsorb organic compounds.With generally 5 feedings per day for 8 Discus in my 56 gallon planted tank,I change only 50% water 2x/week and nitrates are under 5ppm.

sounds like an excellent working example of what I am attempting! if i can get results similar to those with a single 80-100% water change a week, that would be excellent. For now however, i am doing daily water changes of about 60% as the system catches up with the new fish and new food

[Ryan925]

Your filter ideas are very similar to what I use- UV sterilization{level 2 to not only handle bacteria and algae,but parasites too and raise redox} And Marinepure which is very similar to the bio material you use.I also use the Red Sea carbon and mix it with Purigen placed in a media bag- excellent combo to keep your water crystal clear and adsorb organic compounds.With generally 5 feedings per day for 8 Discus in my 56 gallon planted tank,I change only 50% water 2x/week and nitrates are under 5ppm.

Great info as I am planning my sump. Do you use the carbon /purigen before or after the bio?


not yet, but i do plan to get an ORP meter or controller once funds become more available to see what is going on in greater detail, my current methods arent nearly as aggressive as say.. ozone so there is little need for it for the protection of my fish.



sounds like an excellent working example of what I am attempting! if i can get results similar to those with a single 80-100% water change a week, that would be excellent. For now however, i am doing daily water changes of about 60% as the system catches up with the new fish and new food

Cool. Got it. Sounds like a good system. I install chemical automation and equipment on commercial and high-end residential pools. We use a combination of ozone, UV, salt chlorine generation and co2 to keep water chemistry balanced and pools looking pristine. The controllers constantly monitor ORP and PH and operate equipment accordingly. Trying to apply this knowledge towards aquarium filtration. Although it may be apples and oranges some of the same basic principles can apply.

I'm on the process of plan img a sump so all of this info is extremely valuable. Nice to hear from people using the stuff since there are a million options out there.

[atlantadiscus]

Ryan,my carbon/purigen bag is before the bio media,but that is just due to my setup limitations-otherwise I would probably lean towards placing it after,but not convinced there is a big difference as the main thing is to place both the bio and chemical after great mechanical media to keep them as clean as possible.PS took your advice and bought "the bag" and large bottle of Purigen vs using the "pre bagged 100ml" version- much more economical in the long run and allows me to mix the purigen with the carbon which I feel helps reduce compaction of the tiny purigen granules.

[Ryan925]

Ryan,my carbon/purigen bag is before the bio media,but that is just due to my setup limitations-otherwise I would probably lean towards placing it after,but not convinced there is a big difference as the main thing is to place both the bio and chemical after great mechanical media to keep them as clean as possible.PS took your advice and bought "the bag" and large bottle of Purigen vs using the "pre bagged 100ml" version- much more economical in the long run and allows me to mix the purigen with the carbon which I feel helps reduce compaction of the tiny purigen granules.

Hey good to hear. Ya the bag is the sh** lol. Good idea on the mix.

This info has been great. I'm now rethinking my sump design

[Jenene]

Hey good to hear. Ya the bag is the sh** lol. Good idea on the mix.

This info has been great. I'm now rethinking my sump design

Wow...me too now. That thread went way better than I thought. Who new there was all that crazy stuff out there. Here I was all happy with my mud. Yikes! I think it is time to clean things up a bit and upgrade a little bit at a time. Things are good now- don't want to rock the boat but there are some great ideas here. Thanks guys!

[Pices]

Thanks to Jenene for posting such an informative thread! Really great stuff here. I've been researching things to replace my miracle mud to get my tank "Discus" ready. I was looking at purigen reactors but some complain about the noise. Now after reading Kris' post, I've found my answer. Kris, thanks for taking the time to post such detailed info and links! I just ordered a bio plate and a NO3 dimpled brick to go in my sump. Can't wait to get rid of that sludge and have a clean sump! Hope I'm not missing anything with my new plan. One thing I am confused about is that I've read that a UV sterilizer kills good bacteria as well as bad bacteria which seems to defeat the whole purpose. What am I missing here? I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks to all of you for your input.
Patty

[Ryan925]

Thanks to Jenene for posting such an informative thread! Really great stuff here. I've been researching things to replace my miracle mud to get my tank "Discus" ready. I was looking at purigen reactors but some complain about the noise. Now after reading Kris' post, I've found my answer. Kris, thanks for taking the time to post such detailed info and links! I just ordered a bio plate and a NO3 dimpled brick to go in my sump. Can't wait to get rid of that sludge and have a clean sump! Hope I'm not missing anything with my new plan. One thing I am confused about is that I've read that a UV sterilizer kills good bacteria as well as bad bacteria which seems to defeat the whole purpose. What am I missing here? I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks to all of you for your input.
Patty

Patty your beneficial bacteria is attached to suefaces like your bio media, substrate etc and very little in the water column. The uv would kill any pathogens in the water column as well as algae spores etc

The KEY to uv is flow rate. Without proper flow rate the uv is not effective. Where most people fail with uv is not properly sizing it for their system

[Pices]

Ryan, you changed that question mark above my head into a lightbulb! Thanks! I have a UV that I haven't hooked up. With your help I'll be growing in knowledge as my discus grow physically and we'll both be ready for that 125 gal at the same time! I have pool sand and wood in the tank, but my sumps a mess!

[Clawhammer]

I have two canister filters and a hydro IV on my 120. The thing I can't stand about my canisters is the bacteria buildup in the hoses. Whenever I drain the canisters to clean or change media, ugly reddish brown bacteria is blown into the water column when restarting the filter. I will convert to a sump at some point.

[Ryan925]

I have two canister filters and a hydro IV on my 120. The thing I can't stand about my canisters is the bacteria buildup in the hoses. Whenever I drain the canisters to clean or change media, ugly reddish brown bacteria is blown into the water column when restarting the filter. I will convert to a sump at some point.

Same here hate that house gunk. I have a sump planned if so can ever get the time to build my stand to fit it

Picked up a 40 breeder for $40 at the petco sale