DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

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Originally Posted by Rockfella

Congrats. Can you please share the litter you used.
TIA.

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Fast forward to second 59 of this video and you'll see the kitty litter that worked for me: https://youtu.be/4uefD7acEiI

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Originally Posted by Luke in Phoenix

Fast forward to second 59 of this video and you'll see the kitty litter that worked for me: https://youtu.be/4uefD7acEiI

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Got it! How are the BCBs doing after you moved?

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Originally Posted by RNJ

For anyone who is interested:

https://aquariumscience.org/index.ph...nosis-reactor/

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No source no info who wrote it nothing. How can it be trusted?

Novak has another tank with no plants.. working fine.

@farebox: For some reason none of your videos play in YT for me.

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Originally Posted by Rockfella

Got it! How are the BCBs doing after you moved?

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I just set it up again today on a tank with no algae scrubber so I'll be testing it as the only biological filtration with another canister filter in line before it with physical sponge filtration to keep the BCB canister filter extra clean. I've noticed a few things that seem to be consistent among BCB adventurers.

- BCB's seem to initially absorb nitrate somehow before they're fully cycled. People think it's working already and then it seems to stop but the bacteria is just still developing.
- Cycling time for ammonia and nitrate is the normal 6-8 weeks with some anoxic bacteria at that time but then the "deeper" anoxic bacteria start to build after that. I would say 3-4 months for a full anoxic cycle although it does filter nitrate before that.
- I can't find any size recommendations. such as you'll need X size if you feed X amount of cubes per day. A test like that would be very helpful.

I'm still partial to algae scrubbers because I like to physically "see and remove" the waste / algae from the tank but BCBs are an excellent solution. I likely use both on my next tank build. If I build another canister filter I would do the cheap DIY 5 gallon bucket canister filter.

This guy does a good job documenting his BCB test for the first time. Highly recommend reading: https://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk...,268722.0.html

I'll also add the aquarium I set it up on is a bare bottom no plants tank so there are no other nitrate filters. We'll see how it goes.

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Originally Posted by Luke in Phoenix

I just set it up again today on a tank with no algae scrubber so I'll be testing it as the only biological filtration with another canister filter in line before it with physical sponge filtration to keep the BCB canister filter extra clean. I've noticed a few things that seem to be consistent among BCB adventurers.

- BCB's seem to initially absorb nitrate somehow before they're fully cycled. People think it's working already and then it seems to stop but the bacteria is just still developing.
- Cycling time for ammonia and nitrate is the normal 6-8 weeks with some anoxic bacteria at that time but then the "deeper" anoxic bacteria start to build after that. I would say 3-4 months for a full anoxic cycle although it does filter nitrate before that.
- I can't find any size recommendations. such as you'll need X size if you feed X amount of cubes per day. A test like that would be very helpful.

I'm still partial to algae scrubbers because I like to physically "see and remove" the waste / algae from the tank but BCBs are an excellent solution. I likely use both on my next tank build. If I build another canister filter I would do the cheap DIY 5 gallon bucket canister filter.

This guy does a good job documenting his BCB test for the first time. Highly recommend reading: https://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk...,268722.0.html

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Great thanks.

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Originally Posted by Luke in Phoenix

I'll also add the aquarium I set it up on is a bare bottom no plants tank so there are no other nitrate filters. We'll see how it goes.

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Excellent. No plants or plenum supporting the filter. Ultimate test! Keep us posted.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luke in Phoenix

I just set it up again today on a tank with no algae scrubber so I'll be testing it as the only biological filtration with another canister filter in line before it with physical sponge filtration to keep the BCB canister filter extra clean. I've noticed a few things that seem to be consistent among BCB adventurers.

- BCB's seem to initially absorb nitrate somehow before they're fully cycled. People think it's working already and then it seems to stop but the bacteria is just still developing.
- Cycling time for ammonia and nitrate is the normal 6-8 weeks with some anoxic bacteria at that time but then the "deeper" anoxic bacteria start to build after that. I would say 3-4 months for a full anoxic cycle although it does filter nitrate before that.
- I can't find any size recommendations. such as you'll need X size if you feed X amount of cubes per day. A test like that would be very helpful.

I'm still partial to algae scrubbers because I like to physically "see and remove" the waste / algae from the tank but BCBs are an excellent solution. I likely use both on my next tank build. If I build another canister filter I would do the cheap DIY 5 gallon bucket canister filter.

This guy does a good job documenting his BCB test for the first time. Highly recommend reading: https://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk...,268722.0.html

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One thing I notice people do is make smaller baskets. Recommended size is 30x30x20 cm for one adult koi. Larger size will have more "Zone C" for better efficiency. Not everyone has a sump, getting the right litter is not easy in all countries. There are many variables that can go wrong with many people in this method.
This thread is detailed and he has mentioned basket size too, he also stated bigger one performs better than the small one.

I have been running 2 BCB's 11x7x14 sized in my 29 sump for my 125 tank for a few months now. This and filter floss is all I use for filtration. I feed daily twice and siphon very rarely. I get 5-10 nitrates every 3 days. I do a 40% water change every 4th day.

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

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Originally Posted by Shan_Evolved

I have been running 2 BCB's 11x7x14 sized in my 29 sump for my 125 tank for a few months now. This and filter floss is all I use for filtration. I feed daily twice and siphon very rarely. I get 5-10 nitrates every 3 days. I do a 40% water change every 4th day.

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

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Simply stunning!

Hoping to see some photos of yr 29 gallons sump and great job for the whole aquarium set up.

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Originally Posted by Shan_Evolved

I have been running 2 BCB's 11x7x14 sized in my 29 sump for my 125 tank for a few months now. This and filter floss is all I use for filtration. I feed daily twice and siphon very rarely. I get 5-10 nitrates every 3 days. I do a 40% water change every 4th day.

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

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luke in Phoenix

This guy does a good job documenting his BCB test for the first time. Highly recommend reading: https://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk...,268722.0.html

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OP has sand at the bottom. Not recommended by Dr. Novak. Plenum. I guess we need to go all guns blazing on AFS. Large BCBs/plenum.

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Originally Posted by Shan_Evolved

I have been running 2 BCB's 11x7x14 sized in my 29 sump for my 125 tank for a few months now. This and filter floss is all I use for filtration. I feed daily twice and siphon very rarely. I get 5-10 nitrates every 3 days. I do a 40% water change every 4th day.

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

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Now those are some happy discus! Shan, you're killing it brother. It doesn't get any better.

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Originally Posted by Rockfella

One thing I notice people do is make smaller baskets. Recommended size is 30x30x20 cm for one adult koi. Larger size will have more "Zone C" for better efficiency. Not everyone has a sump, getting the right litter is not easy in all countries. There are many variables that can go wrong with many people in this method.
This thread is detailed and he has mentioned basket size too, he also stated bigger one performs better than the small one.

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Ah, nice find! At least that size is a starting point.

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Originally Posted by Shan_Evolved

Are you unable to get seachem flourite red? The center is actually only used to give iron for the cycle to establish or something (I forget exactly but it was a Novak video explaining). The most important part is to have the baked cat litter

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He recently said baked is preferred because it doesn't create a mess in the filter/sump not that one is better than the other functionally.