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Thread: What Are Bioload and Biomass and Why They Are Important

  1. #31
    Homesteader Filip's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are Bioload and Biomass and Why They Are Important

    PFS sand that we use in our tanks is ussualy 0.3-0.8 mm of grain size .
    Dirt and debris particles can be much smaller and finer size than sand and they get and collect deep inside the sand bed quite easily. You can easily check this , if you just give the sand a good stir with your hand . Your water will be filled with dirt and gunk if you try that .
    Last edited by Filip; 03-17-2018 at 11:00 PM.

  2. #32
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    Default Re: What Are Bioload and Biomass and Why They Are Important

    Quote Originally Posted by geo57 View Post
    Sand is a better substrate than gravel because feces and food are less likely to become trapped. However the sand at the top still collects a biomass because food suspended in the water column will stick to the sand particles at the top and thus collect to form a biomass.

    If food collects on the sand and causes a bio-load as you say, i would assume it will also happen on glass at the bottom of your tank. I know this is an old thread but i just have to say a bit of this logic is failed and faulty. Also when i clean my sand i usually vacuum up a bit of sand, leaving my bottom cleaner than a bare bottom tank. Unless your speaking facts it's all speculative, logic can be bent in many ways my friend.
    geo57,

    If I were to use a sand substrate, I would suggest that you consider using a product produced by SeaChem called Purigen. Purigen (when used properly) will absorb huge amounts of organic material, thus assisting the task of reducing pathogens. How this is accomplished is explained in detail at my Homestead page here at Simply Discus. The link below will direct you to my page:

    http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forumd...d)-NW-Arkansas

    I hope this will be helpful for you.

    Paul

  3. #33
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    george melendez

    Default Re: What Are Bioload and Biomass and Why They Are Important

    Hi Paul, to start with I use the best sand for aquariums that money can buy, I use national Geographic sand and I use white sand. Any thing and I mean anything shows up right away, and from what I have read and studied the only thing that will penetrate into the sand is oxygen. My tank is four foot deep, my arms are just over two foot long, no way i can stir with the hand lol. But I do come up with tools to do the same. I stir my sand up daily really, cause dirt and poop etc, show up so vividly I can't stand the look of it. When I stir my sand there is no gunk, I use a long siphon that I attach thick plastic picks at the end that protrude about two to three inches below the siphon, so that when they hit the sand i know I'mm close to pulling up sand, i just allow the debris to be pulled, then i rotate the siphon and stir that section of sand....waalaa clean. I use sand not because it looks better than BB, But because the fish love it. I agree it is more work to clean, but I do that for my fish. What I don't agree to is that bare bottom tank is cleaner, i think you can be just as clean with sand, a little more work but just as clean. I have done bare bottom before, as a matter of fact all my tanks use to be bare bottom...I just think fish like sand better.

  4. #34
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    Default Re: What Are Bioload and Biomass and Why They Are Important

    Quote Originally Posted by afriend View Post

    Cons: Only 325 sq in of filter area. You will need at least 504 sq in for a 75 gal tank with 7 adult discus. Probably does not filter to 25 micron level. You will need to have a separate purigen reactor.

    Paul
    Hi Paul,

    how do you determine what the sq in requirements are per discus? Also how do you determine how much a canister has in regards to sq in? (for example a 2217 Eheim?)

  5. #35
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    Default Re: What Are Bioload and Biomass and Why They Are Important

    Quote Originally Posted by kim457 View Post
    Hi Paul,

    how do you determine what the sq in requirements are per discus? Also how do you determine how much a canister has in regards to sq in? (for example a 2217 Eheim?)
    kim457,

    I developed the requirements for my filtration system experimentally. Basically, I set it up by guessing at what was necessary to accomplish my goal and then modifying it until I got the desired results. My show tank is 100 gallons and contains ten adult discus. I ended up using two Inland pleated filters contained in a single canister filter. Each of the two pleated filters provides 30 square feet and filters down to 25 microns. Here's a picture of one of them:

    https://www.marineandreef.com/Inland...p/ris02330.htm

    Note that the manufacturer has provided data on the size and filtration capability.

    My canister filter has a pressure gauge on it that measures the incoming water pressure. When the gauge begins to indicate an increase in pressure, I use this to determine when its time to service the filter. My goal was to create a filtration system that would provide at least one month of service without having to clean the filter. If I'm careful on what and how much I feed my fish, my experience has shown that the filter will last at least six weeks.

    I reviewed the specs on an Eheim filter and was not able to determine how much filtration area they provide nor the level of filtration. Sorry I can't be of more help to you here.

    Hope some of this is helpful.

    Paul

  6. #36
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    Default Re: What Are Bioload and Biomass and Why They Are Important

    Yep, thank you sir!

  7. #37
    Homesteader Filip's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are Bioload and Biomass and Why They Are Important

    Quote Originally Posted by kim457 View Post
    Hi Paul,

    how do you determine what the sq in requirements are per discus? Also how do you determine how much a canister has in regards to sq in? (for example a 2217 Eheim?)
    Quantifying the filtration needs is beyond our common science and knowledge Kim . There are just too many unknowns in this equation .One Example is that in the same tank under Same circumstances, if you feed BH 5 times a day you will have much bigger bioload than 1 dry feed per day in that same tank .And feeding is just one variable out of many more in this experiment .

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