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

  1. #586
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

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

    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.

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

    In the sewerage literature pH strongly effects the affinity of zeolite for ammonium. Too low and proton competes for the available sites.

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

    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.
    Attached Images Attached Images

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

    Quote Originally Posted by shime View Post
    Pretty sure since Cesar is from NYC that he uses the same water i do from tap. It comes from the Catskills where there is no filtration and only chlorine and UV is used. Its basically rainwater. Our tds is 40 at the moment and GH and KH is 1.http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/wsstate17.pdf
    I think I did the test before straight from the tap and got the same results. I will repeat soon. Thanks for the link Shime! Isn't our water fantastic!

  6. #591
    Registered Member lastflea's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Quote Originally Posted by Pices View Post
    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
    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?

  7. #592
    Registered Member Pices's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Quote Originally Posted by lastflea View Post
    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

  8. #593
    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 Pices View Post
    I’m curious and wonder if people here might take a minute to post their pH for comparison?
    Patty
    I don't really monitor my ph closely but it's usually around 6.5 - 7.5

    Best, Luke

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    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 Tindomul View Post
    Paul,

    As an anecdote, I used to have a 20 gallon long tank, that I used as an emersed setup for Cryptocorynes. I used to get them to flower all the time ( I had a thing for aroids). The plants were all in clay pots filled with Flora base which seems to be red clay (possibly from the iron). I had plant tags which showed that I had set them up in 2007-2008, and I had about 10 of these in the tank. I had a thick layer of substrate as well of the same flora base. When I decided to get back into fish keeping, I used this tank to house my newly arrived Nanacara fish (6). I started testing the water, doing water changes while waiting for the tank to cycle. After about 1 month, I realized that my tank was already cycled. My Ammonia never spiked, and always had 0ppm Nitrite and Nitrate. I believe now that in essence the entire tank was one large BCB. Especially the plant pots. I began to get a major bout with Cyanobacteria, and then I started researching what to do about. I found Dr. Novak's videos about using plenums and then I found the BCB videos. I changed the layout of the tank. Got rid of the Flora base, built in a plenum, unpotted the Crypts, and put in a thin layer of laterite, and thick layer of catlitter on top. Sowed the plants directly in and no more potted plants. The difference is that I now I have Nitrates. I am forced to do biweekly water changes to keep it under control when as before I did not have to do that. The plenum, laterite and catlitter substrate is now well over 4 months old, so that is not doing the job of a BCB basket. What I am missing are the clay pots with the florabase. I believe that they were BCB's, and I had them long before I had ever heard of them from Dr. Novak's videos. I still have two of these original clay pots with the original florabase and Crypt still growing in them. I have them in my quarantine tanks, one with the 40 Tetras and the other with the Bolivian Rams. And wouldn't you know it, the tetra tank takes a lot longer to get 5.0ppm reading on the Nitrates. I feed them three times a day too. I created a new pot with cat litter and a layer of laterite. I placed a Crypt in it and I hope that it matures as well and acts like a BCB.
    So Paul, to answer your question, I think it is the actual BCB's doing the job, not the substrate or the plants.
    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

  10. #595
    Registered Member Luke in Phoenix's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    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.

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

    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

  12. #597
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    Quote Originally Posted by Pices View Post
    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'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

  13. #598
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    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...

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

    [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

  15. #600
    Registered Member Luke in Phoenix's Avatar
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    Default Re: DIY "Anoxic Filtration System" eliminates nitrates? Anyone tried this?

    [QUOTE=shime;1292919]
    Quote Originally Posted by Pices View Post
    I'd check the basket to see if works. Try putting 1bcb in a 5 gallon bucket with little aeration.

    Great idea! This could actually be used to test the filtration capacity of any basket. Or even a canister BCB.

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