I suspect its a mechanical or biological imbalance, some people may have to much space around the baskets, not enough flow around them, too few baskets etc.
I’m wondering why some are getting great results while others, like myself are not. I went over previous pages looking specifically for pH readings since it is a measurement of free H ions and the basis of these baskets involves ion exchange. Most people do not report pH. I noticed the successful people who did post pH had a pH of around 6.8. Also a person with a very low pH of 5 had poor results. Perhaps the #of Hydrogen ions available makes a difference in the ability of baskets to attract to the laterite/ flourite? I’m curious and wonder if people here might take a minute to post their pH for comparison?
Patty
If the discus are happy, I’m happy
I suspect its a mechanical or biological imbalance, some people may have to much space around the baskets, not enough flow around them, too few baskets etc.
In the sewerage literature pH strongly effects the affinity of zeolite for ammonium. Too low and proton competes for the available sites.
3 big BCBs in my tub ponds seem to be working ok, 15 goldfish, 8 rainbow shiners and a few Aphanius. NO3=O ( never increased for a year), pH 7.5
Fish are fed once or twice a day and not particularly sparingly.
My pH is 7.4. I cycled my tank with only BCB's and was dropping between 2 and 4ppm ammonia each day for about 3 weeks after it cycled. 0ppm readings across the three parameters. I've had 9 very small fish in for around two weeks and no water changes. Parameters still the same, but I think my BB are dying under such a small bioload. I need to be careful about how many fish I add in one go.
I think there's much to learn about flow rates and basket size v's bioload. This, IMO, is where the anoxic method becomes really fuzzy. I'm interested to see how my parameters read, the more I increase the bioload.
Here's my sump set up on my journal thread - http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...03#post1292703
Patty, it'd be good to know your full set up on how you approached the anoxic method?
Well, I have 9 baskets, but have room for 1 more in a 125 gal tank. My pH is 7.2 using pH meter. I was also wondering about the flow of water. I just added another small pump to my sump yesterday so we’ll see if that helps. I’ve removed all other biological filtration. I have 2 filter socks that I change with every other day wc’s 70-80%. My nitrates are at 10, 5 out of the tap. We have hard water here. KH is 0-50 with api test. TDS meter shows 233. My water is very clear. Here’s a pic
5AAF42F9-286D-43C8-BE38-9A3D9601A107.jpg
If the discus are happy, I’m happy
My guess would be that a plenum works initially but will eventually fill up from gunk settling into it. Once it is overloaded with gunk (official term for fish poop and uneaten food), nitrates will start to rise because the bacteria cannot keep up. The baskets are not supposed to get filled up with any junk because water flows around them.
- Luke
I haven't done a water change in 2 months. Have you ever seen so many wigglers in a community tank!? After a few days, the parents moved them to a corner where they eventually got blown away by the water flow and sucked in the filter.
wigglers 1.jpg
I should have cleaned the algae from the glass so it looked better but oh well. A couple fish in this tank don't look 100% because they were in my algae scrubber experiments with no water changes for 8 months (not recommended!)
Wigglers 2.jpg
Wigglers 3.jpg
My setup has the BCB canister filter and an algae scrubber.
Cheers, Luke
Last edited by Luke in Phoenix; 07-24-2018 at 09:14 PM.
I’m curious and wonder if people here might take a minute to post their pH for comparison?
Patty[/QUOTE]
my ph generally sits about 6.8 , GH and KH is about 1, amm 0 ,nitrite 0 and nitrate 5- 10
I'm wondering if your baskets are too small? Guessing your nitrate is increasing from what it is in the tap? Nine sounds quite a lot, for the sump size, and this is only a theory of mine, but perhaps, if your nitrate is increasing, or even remaining the same, you might not have enough surface area in the centre of your baskets to create a large enough anoxic environment? I didn't bother with the outer flower baskets so I could get the biggest baskets possible, thinking this would create a larger, anoxic centre. It seems to have worked, but I emphasise this is only guess work.
Is there flow all around all sides, top and bottom? I had problem with flow across the top and added a surface skimmer.
Your water looks super crystal clear by the way
Patty, I just wondered if there is a flow problem, it might not be that there isn't enough, but if you're using the outer baskets, there might not be enough water getting through to where the BCB's are? For example, you might have only a few small holes in them, so not much water getting through? Just an idea...
[QUOTE=Pices;1292720]Well, I have 9 baskets, but have room for 1 more in a 125 gal tank. My pH is 7.2 using pH meter. I was also wondering about the flow of water. I just added another small pump to my sump yesterday so we’ll see if that helps. I’ve removed all other biological filtration. I have 2 filter socks that I change with every other day wc’s 70-80%. My nitrates are at 10, 5 out of the tap. We have hard water here. KH is 0-50 with api test. TDS meter shows 233. My water is very clear. Here’s a pic
I'd check the basket to see if works. Try putting 1bcb in a 5 gallon bucket with little aeration. Fill with new aged water. Add a couple drops of ammonia, check readings and add more till you get to 2ppm. Check your readings (ammonia/nitrate) every 12 hours or so. Dont bother with ph after the ammonia as it will skyrocket and settle in a half a day. Record your nitrate reading when you hit zero ammonia. Then wait a day and check your nitrates again. You may see a drop in nitrates as this will tell you its working. Now empty the bucket and refill with new aged water. Now add ammonia till 4ppm and check readings till 0 ammonia. From here your nitrate readings will tell you if its working as it may be identical to the 2ppm reading if not wait a day and recheck. If the nitrates are much higher and not dropping then i believe its most likely the basket.
Last edited by shime; 07-26-2018 at 01:30 PM. Reason: spelling and stupic junk