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

[mbruizer187]

Testing it out since my canopy can hide it.DCED140B-8B46-4003-B1BC-0BF13D820075.jpg

[zhuls1]

Overhead sump, I like it. Now just need to make it 10x bigger LOL. Good idea for those that can't fit a sump underneath their aquarium, also don't have to drill the tank.

[mbruizer187]

ya the basket is only 9x9x4 in a 15qt tote but wanted to see how it would work/fit to start less than $20 invested except the fluorite $16 for that 15lbs,
but zero dust in water even though both litter and fluorite were still cloudy after tons of rinsing!

[Luke in Phoenix]

Testing it out since my canopy can hide it.

Good out of the box thinking. Hopefully the lights will not cause algae to grow around the basket. But then again, if the baskets are working, there's minimal algae right?

[shime]

These are my overhead sump/ bcb farm. Had these going since Oct 2017. Sumps are custom made.
20 baskets in a 40gallon breeder. 10 are in the 2 sumps on top which are from oct. The bottom baskets I made in Dec after i tested the baskets out via fishless cycle.
Used pantyhose to hold everything in works extremely well.
Theres 2 500gph pumps per each overhead sump.
I use a polyfil( that cheap pillow stuffing) prefilter for my mechanical.
The system right now can filter about 10 ppm nitrates a day. I dump in about 1/4cup ammonia every 2 days. Was very skeptical like anyone here would be.
I looked into this system because I wanted to get back into Heckels again. Was curious to see how the ph can hold I'm actually kinda surprised. My tds from tap is 46 with ph 7.4. After about 2 weeks with this much filtering i would assume this thing would crash but it holding at 6.6.
About a month ago the ph was left at 4.6 ( I was lazy and didnt bother testing ph, and waited until the top baskets were mature)and system still worked lowering nitrates if anyones curious.
My only concern with this system is medication. I will leave a bucket filled with these baskets cycling.

[zhuls1]

Bcb farm LOL. You say it can handle 10ppm a day of nitrates, how many baskets do you have on the system total? also, what is the total water volume? We might be able to use this information to size the filter appropriately.

[zhuls1]

"I dump in about 1/4cup ammonia every 2 days" Does it take 2 days for the Bcb's to remove all the ammonia at that dosage? Again how many BCB's were there?

Thanks
Zac

[shime]

20 baskets total 4-5" each
10 on top in the sumps
10 on the bottom still maturing

[shime]

"I dump in about 1/4cup ammonia every 2 days" Does it take 2 days for the Bcb's to remove all the ammonia at that dosage? Again how many BCB's were there?

Thanks
Zac

i put about 4 capfulls (almost 1/4 cup) of ammonia in yesterday. API tester is coming out 0 full yellow today. Nitrates are about 40-50 on the sechem tester but most likely off the chart. I can get maybe 1 more test of nitrate tomorrow as im pretty much out of that nitrite 1 bottle till Sat.

water volume is a 40 gallon breeder tank.
Once i know the other baskets are mature I will try find balance point.
Nitrates when i put the ammonia in was about 20ppm . I havent really waited till it hit 0 nitrates.

[Jenene]

I have been watching this thread very closely as I have 10 adult discus in a 75 gallon. I have been trying to get away with about a 60% change every other day so I can have part of a life without water changing every day. Riding a dangerous fence with ammonia at lzero but nitrates pushing between 5 and 10. Most likely at out 7 or 8. I have the perfect set up for this system if it proves useful. I run an Eshopps sump with an empty refugium space. If this really works it could help me avoid an expensive upgrade to a 125 gallon which would entail cutting a bigger hole in the wall, a new drilled tank and a new sump. My current tank is built into the wall between two rooms. I was tempted to upgrade but it would mean adding only an additional one or two fish since I am already pushing the limit here. This would be my band aid. Just waiting for someone to put the green light on.., Thank you in advance to the guinea pigs... I appreciate you.

[farebox]

Say Jenene, all I can talk about it what I have setup right now. I have a 125G bare bottom tank running a Lifereef Pre-filter system, 20G long diy sump with 4 BCB's. For the mechanical filter using pinky filter media cut to fit in plastic food container drilled with holes in the bottom. There are 10 4-7" discus, 4 Pinoy blue angel fish, 2 German blue rams, 5 sterbai cories, and 8 cardinal tetras. So far my system has been running for about two weeks now and totally happy with what is going on in my tank. Doing 50% water changes every three days now. Fish and water look perfectly great.

[Ryan925]

I have been watching this thread very closely as I have 10 adult discus in a 75 gallon. I have been trying to get away with about a 60% change every other day so I can have part of a life without water changing every day. Riding a dangerous fence with ammonia at lzero but nitrates pushing between 5 and 10. Most likely at out 7 or 8. I have the perfect set up for this system if it proves useful. I run an Eshopps sump with an empty refugium space. If this really works it could help me avoid an expensive upgrade to a 125 gallon which would entail cutting a bigger hole in the wall, a new drilled tank and a new sump. My current tank is built into the wall between two rooms. I was tempted to upgrade but it would mean adding only an additional one or two fish since I am already pushing the limit here. This would be my band aid. Just waiting for someone to put the green light on.., Thank you in advance to the guinea pigs... I appreciate you.

I totally hear you. I have cut way back on my wcs as well. I still cannot buy into the "I enjoy 100% changes daily" way of thinking. I understand the tried and trued methods of large daily changes but I love to see threads like these. If the technology, or rather science, is there why not utilize it to our benefit. I know there are many that do not and will not try "new" methods but I think there are many of us here that can benefit from these types of ideas. For those willing to think outside the box, so to speak, this is fantastic. There are many ways to skin a cat and the .ore threads like these the more ways to keep discus there will be. Kudos to those that put in the time and research to ideas like these to allow those with an open mind other options in this hobby

[Luke in Phoenix]

I totally hear you. I have cut way back on my wcs as well. I still cannot buy into the "I enjoy 100% changes daily" way of thinking. I understand the tried and trued methods of large daily changes but I love to see threads like these. If the technology, or rather science, is there why not utilize it to our benefit. I know there are many that do not and will not try "new" methods but I think there are many of us here that can benefit from these types of ideas. For those willing to think outside the box, so to speak, this is fantastic. There are many ways to skin a cat and the .ore threads like these the more ways to keep discus there will be. Kudos to those that put in the time and research to ideas like these to allow those with an open mind other options in this hobby

+1 100% agree

[shime]

Heres a youtube video explaining anoxic zones and the processes. He goes into expamples of flow rates and plenums. Mentions hugoh stones (small clay stones for media). This and Kevins Videos is where i got alot of the info.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fStGScLjao&t=406s

I'm also thinking about adding a 150 gph pump to the end of the sump where the O2 is low and put it through a 15w UV and return it back to the front of the sump.

[farebox]

Okay did nitrate (NO3) test today, result: near 0ppm. Started Anoxic Filtration 1/8/18. Looking good!