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

  1. #16
    Registered Member Shaun's Discus's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Quote Originally Posted by Filip View Post
    I haven't got time to read the whole article or watched all of their videos but I think they are referring to a kitty liter made of "Diatomaceous earth " . Its a baked clay product with similar properties to L.E.C.A products or laterite.
    Planted tank enthusiasts and Bonsai hobbysts use the diatomaceous earth clayballs and reffer it as Kittydama (name for a cheap alternative of the expensive Akadama soil ).

    I have watched a video of a sump filled with baskets of kitty liter and a pump underneath them to push water through the baskets .
    I just don't understand how an oxygen depleted area can be achieved with a material as porous as the kitty liter and a pump pushing water and aerating on top of it ?
    If the main purpose is to create an anoxic area , area without any oxigen in it , shouldn't be more appropriate if we just use a deep sand bed ?

    This sump on the video seems to me like any other sump filter , but just filled with kitty liter instead of other bio filtration materials.
    The BCB requires laterite and clay baked cat litter.
    Also note, its Anoxic NOT Anaerobic,,, 2 different things completely
    Being an ION filter as well and the "special" bacteria we are trying to produce is a Facultive heterotroph, this is what makes the magic happen.

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

    Quote Originally Posted by Luke in Phoenix View Post
    Thanks for sharing. What were your nitrates before the BCB baskets?
    Please let us know how it progresses!
    Nitrates never got above 5ppm over a week as I was doing 50% w/c's EVERY day. Since the BCB's have been in I now only do 50% every second day. The test will be in another 3 or 4 weeks when I see what happens with the nitrate readings after w/c every 3 days then 4 and so on. I aiming for 1 to 2 ppm with a w/c one a week or even every second week.

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

    Is there any reason why a person couldn't use kitty litter in a media bag placed in a canister filter?
    Would that be effective?

  4. #19
    Registered Member Shaun's Discus's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Quote Originally Posted by smsimcik View Post
    Is there any reason why a person couldn't use kitty litter in a media bag placed in a canister filter?
    Would that be effective?
    Two things, kitty litter alone doesn't constitute a BCB, you need Laterite in the middle of it. Secondly, the system doesn't work with high flow and in a canister, how do you stop all the muck and filth entering the basket?. Canisters are nothing but nitrate producing filth machines and IMO are not good for a discus setup. Sump is the only way to go, especially if you decide to use BCB's

  5. #20
    Registered Member Luke in Phoenix's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Quote Originally Posted by smsimcik View Post
    Is there any reason why a person couldn't use kitty litter in a media bag placed in a canister filter?
    Would that be effective?
    Funny, I actually asked the same thing and received a response from Kevin Novak on one of his youtube videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9evm...re=em-comments

    My question is the 3rd comment.

  6. #21
    Registered Member zhuls1's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    I am also going to be trying the BCB's, I am upgrading my tank to a 120g with a sump so there should be plenty of room. will have to share results.

  7. #22
    Registered Member Luke in Phoenix's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Quote Originally Posted by zhuls1 View Post
    I am also going to be trying the BCB's, I am upgrading my tank to a 120g with a sump so there should be plenty of room. will have to share results.
    Great, thanks!
    I will share the results of a new build I'm doing towards the end of next year also after I move houses.

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

    Hi everyone . it took a while to gather the material but it's done . so last night I dropped 2 baskets in the sump of the wet dry.
    it's a change of plan ,my spare tank is occupied and life is super busy. went with fluorite,it's the best I could find , and in one basket a sprinkling of chelated iron . so if everything goes accordingly the bacterial colony should be established in february .
    side note ; when I put the BCB in the sump the tank received a good cloud of clay dust , although I thought I gave them a real good rinsing , the fish were swimming in the fog , and started to behave in a more excited , active manner . this morning it's
    still going on with pursuits ,shaking , bowing and wood pecking ..... just a note we will see

  9. #24
    Registered Member zhuls1's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Thanks allwet, keep us informed. By the sounds of what Dr Kevin Novak was saying, in the temps discus tanks are kept at it likely will only take 4 - 6 weeks to establish.

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

    Quote Originally Posted by allwet View Post
    Hi everyone . it took a while to gather the material but it's done . so last night I dropped 2 baskets in the sump of the wet dry.
    it's a change of plan ,my spare tank is occupied and life is super busy. went with fluorite,it's the best I could find , and in one basket a sprinkling of chelated iron . so if everything goes accordingly the bacterial colony should be established in february .
    side note ; when I put the BCB in the sump the tank received a good cloud of clay dust , although I thought I gave them a real good rinsing , the fish were swimming in the fog , and started to behave in a more excited , active manner . this morning it's
    still going on with pursuits ,shaking , bowing and wood pecking ..... just a note we will see
    Using pantyhose or nylon mesh instead of the knitting canvas that Dr Novak uses helps alot with the dust.

  11. #26
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    I came across Dr. Novak's videos two nights ago and wanted to try it out. I was thinking of using planting baskets as described here:http://www.mankysanke.co.uk/html/anoxic_filtration.html
    I got laterite from LFS, and still need the cat litter. Can't wait to try it on 55 gallon tank I have at work (teaching lab). I want to see if it really does reduce nitrates. Also am eager to learn about the results from the rest of you.

  12. #27
    Silver Member Willie's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Hobbies are great for testing new ideas and it's also a lot of fun. But we all agree that this is not a substitute for large and frequent water changes. This seem to be a lot of work to slightly reduce nitrates and phosphates, at the risk of adding many unknowns to the water column.

    Couldn't we achieve the same purpose with no unknowns by growing Porthos?

    Willie
    At my age, everything is irritating.

  13. #28
    Registered Member zhuls1's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Willie, I must say I strongly disagree with most of your points mentioned.

    1. It's not a substitute for large and frequent water changes - I can agree with this

    2. This seem to be a lot of work - It is a rather simple build actually, doesnt take much work at all, just 5 minutes of your time.

    3. to slightly reduce nitrates and phosphates - Its claim is that it will more than slightly reduce nitrates and phosphates, If it works as intended, it should significantly reduce or practically eliminate nitrates and phosphates. It will also remove many other ions and toxins from the water

    4. Couldn't we achieve the same purpose with no unknowns by growing Porthos? - No we could not. Pothos will not do anything other then reduce nitrates and phosphates. Even than, there impact on nitrates and phosphates are limited. Pothos also require light.

    5. unknowns - ?, what is there that is unknown? whether it will work or not? If so, that is the point of experimenting.

    6. adding many unknowns to the water column - there are no unknowns being added to your water column, kitty litter is just baked clay. It is inert.

  14. #29
    Silver Member Willie's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    I think as long as there are large and frequent water changes, then nitrate and phosphate levels will be very low. For the perfectionist, adding some Porthos can reduce it even further. When trying something new, I always ask myself what is the upside and what is the downside. The upside seems small IF there are large and frequent water changes.

    There are clearly unknowns in this approach. Baked clay is not clean nor is it inert. It is, by its nature, an attractant - which is why it's chosen for kitty litter. It will attract dissolved ions in the water, but will have had attracted additional ions prior to your putting it into the water column. Clay is used in all sorts of industrial processes to remove certain compounds. I don't know if kitty litter is only baked clay or if additional products have been added. Either way, unknown things are being added to the water column in this approach. The downside is, therefore, unknown.

    In my experience, I don't add anything to the water that I don't understand 100%. I'm not advocating against your approach, but simply pointing out an alternative. Using Porthos has no downside, although probably little upside with large, frequent water changes.

    Willie
    At my age, everything is irritating.

  15. #30
    Registered Member zhuls1's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Hey Willie,

    I appreciate your concern, but the kitty litter advertised as being natural is simply baked clay with no additives. It is, in fact inert. It acts as an attractant due to its crystalline structure. Essentially, it is just a cheaper version of zeolite. Many people in this hobby seem to forget that nitrogen is not the only toxin in the aquarium nor is the nitrogen cycle the only cycle happening in the aquarium, there are countless other cycles, for example, the phosphorus cycle. Removing Ions, this method of filtration removes many more toxins than typical filtration methods. There have been many informal experiments among the community, some people do 50% every other day, some do 90% twice a day. It is frequently concluded that the more water changes you do the better the growth of the discus. If this method of filtration could achieve growth similar to doing 5 90% waterchanges a day as an arbitrary example whilst only doing 50% every other day waterchanges, why wouldnt we use it. It most certainly couldn't cause any harm, only benefits. I agree about not adding anything to your aquarium that you do not understand, which is why thorough research is necessary. Dr Kevin Novak has done extensive research on this field. This article may give you a better explanation of how it works http://www.mankysanke.co.uk/html/anoxic_filtration.html.

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