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

  1. #286
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    I've got a 90 with a 30 gallon sump that was originally a wet/dry setup. The water comes in, hits the drip tray that has a pinky filter in it. Then below that I put the CBC with another marinepure bioballs on top of another pinky filter to hold down the litter and act as a buffer to any current stirring up the litter. It sits on top of another marinepure block so that the CBC gets water contact from all sides. Then then water leaves that chamber and goes through poret foam and into the heater/pump chamber which has a sponge filter going and a panty hose leg full of sphagnum moss and peat. I have 6 discus (5.5"-6.5"), 6 cories, 12 cards, 12 glowlights, 8 candy canes, and 8 silver hatchets and one lonely nerite snail. And I added 1 water sprite bunch, 6 wisteria sprigs, and an oriental sword in mid-January, all of which are growing well. And it has a pool filter sand bottom of around an 1" deep. pH is 5, TDS is 125, and no nitrites/ammonia. I also use 50 gallons of RO/DI with discus trace and equilibrium for my WC's every weekend, so I don't have any phosphates.

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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    My guess its the PH5 that's slowing things down or halting the denitrification. Just briefly googling low ph effects i got this https://www.climate-policy-watcher.o...tion-rate.html. From that article ph below 6 and above 8 depresses the rate of denitrification.Though this study is from water waste systems.
    When my test system ph crashed i still had denitrification but it was from established baskets grown at ph 7. The readings i took where at ph 4.3 but i quickly water changed to get back 7. Yours on the other hand is at a constant ph5.

  3. #288
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    I kinda figured that. My 2 bit theory is that since the ammonia stays locked up as ammonium, this might affect denitrification since ammonium doesn't have a free ion that would be attracted to the kitty litter/zeolite. This, plus the acidic environment that I think affects the reproductive rate of the bacteria, slows the denitrification rate to a crawl. This article seems to back this up as to why I get nitrates but no reduction: http://aem.asm.org/content/70/11/6481.full

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    Registered Member farebox's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    It could be all that other bio media you have in the sump. Shaun from down under advised me to remove all other bio media once the BCB's basket got going...also in Dr. Novak in his video mentioned that he removed all other bio media. I have pinky filter media for the mechanical filtration and just 4 baskets in my sump only.

  5. #290
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    I've seen that too. However, until the BCB gives an indication of establishing itself, I'm not risking a recycle. Been there and got that t-shirt when I upgraded to this tank. The more I've researched, the more I think Eddie was right. Low ph is slowing down this process and even if it establishes itself, it may not be fast enough to have any appreciable impact on the nitrogen cycle.

  6. #291
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Quote Originally Posted by Luke in Phoenix View Post
    I was just at walmart today and saw this baked clay litter. 25 pounds for $3.98. Wow, that's a pretty cheap diy project
    Attachment 113234
    Hi Luke just bought same clay litter strut washing it and it looks like mushy substance do you think it’s good

  7. #292
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    This latest point about the affects of low ph on anoxic filtration changes everything. I had enquired about this earlier on in the tread and got a slightly different answer. However, the consensus now appears to be moving in a different direction. Keepers of wild heckels sometimes run their tanks at extremely low ph levels. My system which relies on an established bio filter, runs at around ph 4.8. This is what most people would describe as a “crash”. If ammonium can’t be processed by the kitty litter, then the idea of switching to an anoxic system may not work for me. Thanks anyway.

  8. #293
    Homesteader Paul Sabucchi's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    If practice proves that a very low pH is an obstacle to this kind of filtration it would be a disappointment but from a logical point of view there must be a different explanation than "it does not attract ammonium" because Novak specifies that the negati e charges in the litter attract the positively charged ammonium molecules, and the lower the pH the more ammonia will be in the positively charged form. On the other hand it may be similar to establishing conventional nitrifying bacteria, you have to start at a reasonably close to neutral pH then slowly lower it

  9. #294
    Registered Member farebox's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Hey Ditofa I'm using the same stuff in my system. seems to be working out just fine for me....

  10. #295
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Hi Farebox / Ditofa,

    How did you go about cleaning the litter before use?

    I just purchased some of the same, similar packaging, litter as you show in your pic. However, the granules are quite small and nothing like the size as shown by Dr. Novak..

    I will persist with the traditional substrate type cleaning method but it is quite sludgy.

    Do we know of a suitable alternative to litter?

    Regards,
    Rob

  11. #296
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    I placed it in the baskets and just ran water over it slowing until all loose stuff stopped coming thru the holes. Then carefully lowered into the sump to kept loose stuff from falling out. Yes this cat litter doesn't look like the stuff Dr. Novak used, but it says "Special Cat Litter" on the bag??? I also read somewhere that you could use Oil-Dri Premium Absorbent from Lowes $9.98....
    Last edited by farebox; 03-18-2018 at 01:50 PM.

  12. #297
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    I was preparing some baskets and the last bag I opened had most of the litter is a broken up state. Not the large granules that I found in the other two previous bags. I used a sieve plate to let go of those smaller grains. I'm loosing about half the bag really.

  13. #298
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Thank you both. I will do the same and sieve out the larger granules.

    Will let you know how this progresses once in the tank.

  14. #299
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Hi,

    After a few hours of seizing the larger granules, I rinsed these and unfortunately the larger pebbles turn to mush pretty much once wet with water. After a short time they can be compressed by hand so not retaining any form. Despite similar packaging to the one shown, this one is manufactured in Toronto so plausible to a different formula - my search continues.

    One question; would the baked clay pieces used in hydroponics be an option here?

    Here is a link: https://www.aquaponicsusa.com/produc...bed-media.html

  15. #300
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    That kind of media I think might not absorb the chemicals that the cat litter would. It's baked too hard, but hey, if someone knows that it does work, then great! I got tons of it. Also, you would have to crush it pretty hard, this stuff is designed to keep conditions well aerated.

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