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Aquarium Science
Author: David Bogert
Index: 1 Basics, 2 Cycling, 3 Food, 4 Water, 5 Toxins, 6 Filtration, 7 Media, 8 Filters, 9 Aeration, 10 Diseases, 11 Symptoms, 12 Treatment, 13 Stocking, 14 Equipment, 15 Plants, 16 Algae, 17 Fish, 18 Maintenance
This is a website dedicated to freshwater aquariums. It is based on SCIENCE AND LOGIC, not on parroted internet “advice”, anecdotal “It worked great for me“, or the marketing hype of some profit-driven marketer.
What needs to be emphasized is that this research has pointed out that there are a huge number of ways to be successful with freshwater aquariums. The aquarium is a natural system and Mother Nature is very flexible. One does not need to invest huge amounts of money and time in fish-keeping to have beautiful tanks. Nor does one need to do a ton of research before getting into the hobby. And above all, there is simply no “right way” to do things in this hobby.
So if one is a newcomer to the hobby just relax and enjoy it. If you obsess over every detail and believe all the negativity on social media along the lines of “don’t do this or you will kill your fish” you will not enjoy the hobby and you will leave in relatively short order.
There are 18 chapters leading to over 400 articles on almost all aspects of keeping a freshwater aquarium. These articles have NO links to profit-making sites and thus have no “questionable motivations” in their recommendations, unlike all the for-profit sites you will find with Google. Note I do admit a bias against several companies which blatantly use huge amounts of egregious “pseudoscientific bedazzlement” to sell worthless aquarium products. I can’t help it.
Bookmark and browse! Note that a search bar at the bottom of each page allows one to search the entire site for any particular subject. Note that the entire website is “open” in that any written material can be freely quoted and used without regard to copyrights.
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Multilevel Information
This website is designed in descending levels of difficulty, the first level on any given subject which is very simple, a second more complicated level, in some cases going all the way down to sixth and seventh levels which can be very wordy, convoluted and difficult. Note that because each article has to stand on it own in this hierarchy, we often repeat ourselves as we go from simple to complex explanations.
First Level: Keeping it Simple
We start out with a very simple fifteen-point list of what to do with a new aquarium, This simple list can be found in the article:
Second Level
Then we add a second level of complexity when we discuss three very important topics: chlorine, cycling, and the amount of food in this link:
1.1. Guidelines for Beginners
Third Level: Guidelines for Beginners
Then we add a third level of complexity when we give condensed versions of various topics in articles 1.1.1. to 1.1.14.
1.1.1. What to do with Your First Aquarium
1.1.2. A Simple Way to Cycle an Aquarium
1.1.3. Fish Food Simplified
1.1.4. Water Parameters
1.1.5. Filters for the Newbie
1.1.6. Filter Media
1.1.7. Aeration
1.1.8. Stocking a Tank
1.1.9. Brown Algae in a New Tank
1.1.10. Plants and the New Hobbyist
1.1.11. The Most Common Fish Disease – Ich
1.1.12. How to Make Fish Thrive
1.1.12.1. Guideline Example
1.1.13. Fish for the Beginner
1.1.14. Aquarium Maintenance
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Fourth Level: Basic Fishkeeping
Then there are the rather verbose general interest articles in the “Basics of Fishkeeping” section 1.2. though 1.7., the fourth level of difficulty.
1.2. 150 Myths
1.3. Marketing Hype
1.4. Sources of Data
1.5. Aquarium Options
1.6. Causes of Rapid Fish Deaths
1.7. Causes of Slow Fish Deaths
Fifth and Sixth Levels: Fishkeeping in Depth
Then there is the fifth level of difficulty in the 18 chapters seen at the top of this article in maroon (also seen either below this section [mobile use] or on the right side [computer screen]). These 18 “chapters” then lead to the sixth level of over 400 “articles” on various aquarium subjects.
Seventh and Eighth Levels: The Scientific Research Papers
Some of these articles have a seventh and even an eighth level of difficulty which delve into the basic science underlying the hobby with many scientific journal articles, book excerpts, and other references. These are long and tedious dissertations only for real aquarium nerds like the author.
Hierarchy
The articles are arranged in a hierarchy. Take the three articles on nitrate for instance. The main article “5. Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and Chlorine” is a general overview. This article links at the bottom of its 5. article to the hyperlink “5.4. Safe Nitrate Levels”. The article, “5.4. Safe Nitrate Levels”, talks only about nitrate. At the bottom of the 5.4. article, there is a link to the article “5.4.1. Nitrate in Depth”. This final 5.4.1. article is a very boring, verbose, and lengthy look at the scientific papers on nitrate. This is a very typical “hierarchy”.
The Author
The author’s credentials are in the following article
97. Author of Aquariumscience.org
The listing of some eighteen chapters in maroon either below or to the right side leads to over four hundred articles on all aspects of keeping tropical fish. These articles have NO links to profit-making sites and are thus unbiased in their recommendations, unlike all the for-profit sites one will find with Google. Bookmark and browse.
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Dave says
In reply to Tim …. 1,2,3, No, the rings have too much flow to allow trapping of much in the way of “brown gunk” and feces. The only “large particle” mechanical filters that I’ve seen work to clarify the water are UGFs where the flow is so low that the feces and brown gunk can drop out of circulation. If your pot scrubbers are accumulating brown gunk and stopping flow, you need to either add a lot more filtration OR severely reduce your feeding
4, no, UV sterilizers do nothing to fertilizers
Tim says
@Dave
1: Ceramic pipes are useless as bio media, but can’t the pipes be used as a pre-filter? The water flow remains high for a longer period of time (less cleaning) AND the swirling water flow leaves a lot of dirt behind before it reaches the biological filter. This way I have to clean my biofilter with pot scrubbers MUCH less, which is ideal. What do you think?
Eheim has the same vision: https://eheim.com/en_GB/aquatics/filter-media/mechanical/mech/mech-840g#
2: the same but for plastic (bio) balls? This may be even better as a pre-filter because it does not release abrasive particles that could damage the pump…
3: Or do you recommend another type of pre-filter medium that you do NOT have to clean very often?
4: Is it true that ultraviolet light (UV-C sterilizer) breaks down plant food in the water column?
Dave says
In reply to Frederic …….. Uncleaned brown coated rocks, mud, wood or decomposing brown leaf litter will all have sizable populations of beneficial bacteria and will seed any cycle.
Frédéric Picher says
Thank you! Lots of things you tell are intuitive to me, but I am not a scientist. For years, I dissmissed most of the “good” advices of people driven mostly by their beliefs. I’ve put so much in my aquariums, the cleanliness type persons would have died just imagining the filth and poison that would come out of that. I learned a lot with your lessons. I have a single question,if you mind: Will adding dirty things like Wood, rocks, mud, or leaves (unwashed for sure) contribute to the cycling of the tank?
Xabier says
Hi Dave,
I posted already very few times some time ago in your comments.
I recall that once I spoke here about black beard algae, my aquarium was getting steadily crowded with that alga even my water parameters were according the tests, all great. Very Low nitrites and nitrates, 0 ammonia, Undergravel filtration with 2x powerheads with 600 l/h each of theoretical flow.
So I thought about that, and having learned some theory from your website, adapted it to my concrete aquarium and water situation and I put a shock treatment consisting:
– CO2 bottle, 1 drop/second
– 5 sticks divided by 2 pieces each, and buried area equally distributed (126 l aquarium) of this company https://www.easylifeaquarium.co.uk/products/freshwater/plant-food/root-sticks
– Add more plants. Vallisnera gigantea
And wait.
As the plants were thriving in the aquarium the BBA started dying, changing its color to white. I saw changes in only 7-10 days. And after 3-4 months the algae disappeared totally. I was really impressed of the change. WOW
Fish stock was and is still low. But plants, mainly vallisneria gigantea, now they cover all the ground surface.
I think that happened becouse:
-Either the plants did not get enough nutrients from the substrate and the algae was winning the nutrient war. I was fertilizing with drops in the water column. The algae captured the most of the nutrients from the water, before they were available to the plants. The Ceratophyllum demersum I had in the water tank grew enormously = they captured also the nutrients.
But fertilising with those tabs under the gravel limited the availability in the water column and algae starved and died. When I started the shock treatment, I put away all the Ceratophyllum demersum and only left one 10 cm segment. This segment has barely grown up! fertilising with the tabs.
– CO2 helped to the plants.
A recent video of the tank. Water is crystal clear. It was also when I had the BBA.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/028NIO56cF9EHfwcVI7NAl8mw
Ben z says
@Yan
Ben z here. Haven’t managed to find the screenshots I know I took, but if and when I do I’ll email them to u.
Anyway what they said about those “toxins” being “harmful” is technically true. It’s as dangerous as the carbon monoxide from car exhaust. Ask those folks if they would like to buy a revolutionary new device from me that they just have to carry in their pocket, and it emits a special magnetic field that induces the carbon monoxide to be immediately oxidised to carbon dioxide within five feet of their person. That magnetic field is also well attuned to the natural frequencies and wavelengths of the body’s subtle EM field and allows for more efficient ion transfer channels and therefore has a beneficial modulation effect on cell metabolism.
It’s patent pending, but I’m doing a special one time promotion. Each unit costs only $19,999.99! It’s a special locket infused with the secret recipes Dave got from those Tibetan monks.
hahahhahahaha…
Yan says
HI Dave,
my baloney detection kit is on while reading about fake plants and colored gravel on some social media group. The idea that plastics/resins/epoxies are leaching toxins and or microplastic in the water and it’s harmful to fish.
Do you have plans to add a new section on the subject in the futur?
Yan
Bhuwan Chander says
Dear Dave,
There have been a few spelling mistakes, therefore, I am again resending the mail. You are requested to delete my earlier mail. The correct version is as under:
Hi Dave,
I am very grateful that I found your website. Initially, I followed Father Fish, but it was always plagued with all sort of algae and there were limited options of keeping big fish. Then I tore down the tank and followed Kevin Novak’s method, but the bottom of the tank was not clean which kept the aquarium water not absolutely clean also the color of the fishes was always very light i.e not true colors, also there were a few algae issues. Lastly, after finding your website, I made a few adjustments like replacing slow moving plenum with a powerhead and changing all the sump media with pot scrubbies. Now there is absolutely no work apart from changing 50% water after every 15 days, using hose to drain the water and then I sit back, then again I plug in the hose to tap water and again sit back. Fishes ( 4 blood parrots and 3 tin foil barbs) are very extremely healthy, colorful (which they were never), crystal clear water, no health issues and no algae issues (the lights are the same). I have also been able to help my friends and relatives (who every week used to take out all the fish, clean all the ornaments, gravel, filter, etc,) and fish keeping for them had become a headache and also their fishes were dying too, by installing a DIY undergravel filter and a powerhead on their aquariums and were on the verge of leaving the hobby. Now, they too are extremely happy as they have a maintenance free aquarium and no death of fishes since I switched to your suggestions.
Thanks for all your guidance and help which you provided promptly whenever I asked you via email.
Regards,
Bhuwan Chander
Bhuwan Chander says
Hi Dave,
I am very grateful that I found your website. Initially, I followed Father Fish, buy it was always plagued with all sort of algae. Then I tore down the tank and followed Kevin Novak but the tank was nor crystal clear. Lastly, after finding your website and made a few adjustments like replacing slow moving plenum with a powerhead and changing all the sump media with por scrubbies. Now there is absolutely no work apart from changing 50% water after every 15 minutes using hose and then I sit back, then plug in the hose to tap water and again sit back. Fishes ( 4 blood parrots and 3 tin foil barbs) are very extremely healthy, colorful (which they were never), crystal clear water and no health issues.
Thanks for all your guidance and help which you provided promptly whenever I asked you via email.
Regards,
Bhuwan Chander
Jack says
Any thoughts on dumping dehumidifier water back into an aquarium? The internet is full of crazy thoughts on this, but logically I’m inclined to think it’ll be fine?
Aj says
I noticed today a lot of my cichlids have a grayish-white tint to the surface of their eyes. For some of them, it’s hard to see as it has a more web-like appearance, and others have an obvious off white spot right in the middle of the of the surface. There’s definitely been some hefty fighting going on since a couple are scraped up pretty good, but I find it weird that all but maybe 2 or 3 have the same eye problems. They are behaving and eating fine.
I’m going to do a hefty water change tomorrow just in case it is bacterial, but I wanted to rule out the possibility that maybe chlorine did this? I added water a couple days ago and did add dechlorinator but I wonder if the city dumped a bunch of chlorine in, where the amount of dechlorinator I used wasn’t enough.
For all I know though, maybe they ALL decided they needed to have a testosterone-fueled brawl at once and everyone got pecked in the eyes. I’ve seen the cloudy eyes before on one or two cichlids (plus scrapes…) but it would clear up the next day.
Vincent says
Long time no see everyone.
So I found a Broken Link on the Oscars page.
The link between that page and Sizing Filters in Depth doesn’t work correctly.
Yan says
@Ben Z
Thanks, I remember that we exchange on the subject. I still have to find the source tu calculate sans surface on regards of grain size.
Ben z says
@Dave and Blake
Anecdotally, I have let reused dry, seasoned pot scrubbers (and other filter media) before and they work very well. By dry I mean sitting in a ventilated balcony for months. Note that I live in a humid climate though.
I would reason that “beneficial bacteria”, defined as your garden variety filter microbiome as a whole, not just the nitrifiers, won’t actually die out completely. While there’s no good way to know if the nitrifying bacteria survive, I’m sure the bacterial community as a whole do. They’re resilient.
Also, nitrifying bacteria are probably most common in natural substrates like soil. It stands to reason that any given bacterial species (plural) grow where their preferred food source is most common, and animals pee in the soil, logically one would find nitrifying organisms in abundance there. And soils in many parts go through dry n wet seasons. And farmers don’t seem very worried about nitrification of the ammonia fertilizers they use. So while I agree with Dave that assuming drying out is a bad thing is a prudent assumption, I would add that you’re probably overthinking it. In absence of any prominent problems with ur aquarium health, all is probably well.
P.S. I have actually informally tested scenarios like yours – sump water goes absurdly low, etc, aquarium water quality goes bad for two weeks (I was trying to get some fish to spawn), then I top up with fresh water (no water changes, purely top up). Water clarity is always restored within 24 hours for me.
Ben z says
Yan,
I might have a screenshot of our past conversation in the sand filter section. Will email u if I find it!
Ben Z
Yan says
Hi Dave, is it possible to access past comments? I’m looking for a link I posted in the sand filter section but It’s no longer there.
Dave says
In reply to Blake … not really significant enough to matter enough anyways
Blake says
I can fit my pot scrubbers in my sump if I weigh them down/compress them with a heavy object sitting on top. More pot scrubbers means more surface area for biological bacteria, even if compressed, right? Good strategy or not really significant enough to matter enough anyways.
Dave says
In reply to Tim …… Yes, its fine.
Tim says
@Dave
Is this potassium sulphate composition suitable:
EC Fertilizer. Simple fertilizer. Potassium oxide (K2O) 51%, Potassium (K) 42%.
Ty says
Heya mate,
I would just like to say thanks so very much for sharing all of your knowledge in this game, you have helped me out tremendously. 🙏
Dave says
In reply to Blake …. There is no research I could find as to how long beneficial bacteria can dry out. Lacking good data I would say the safest course of action is to assume ANY drying out will kill beneficial bacteria.
Blake says
Every once in awhile I let my sump water level go too low and most of the pot scrubbers become exposed to air. Can’t imagine that’s great for the beneficial bacteria. Would I ever add some ground soil to a mesh bag/sock and put it in the sump just to keep beneficial bacteria levels high?
Also, how fragile is the beneficial bacteria? Exposed to air for a few days means probably dead? Dead within a few hours? Or does it not really matter because the living beneficial bacteria will reproduce and spread so quickly as soon as water is returned?
Dave says
In reply to Tim … No, dry food won’t go bad. The only function of the “sell by” date is to sell more food.
Tim says
@Dave
Do I need to monitor the shelf life of dry food?
Ben z says
@dave and @vincent
Those roller filter mats are a miniature version of belt filters used in aquaculture. The aquaculture belt filters work very well at aquaculture stocking levels. They are also VERY expensive but they do reduce labour costs. So Dave is right on both counts.
I will point out that for a LARGE commercial operation they do make economic sense since labour costs aren’t exactly low.
But by the same token, they don’t make sense for a home aquarium unless your time is extremely valuable. Which it might be for some folks
Dave says
In reply to Sahin …. If lucky bamboo is allowed to grow up out of the water it can reduce nitrates slightly
Sahin says
Hi Dave,
any experience with lucky bamboo plant to reduce nitrate? Thanks.
Dave says
In reply to Blake …. Tons of copepods is good news. But one might want to read up on amount of food to feed as they might well indicate overfeeding.
Blake says
Thanks for the answer Dave. Love your content. I have read everything I can find.
40 gallon sump with tons of pot scrubbers in an 8 month old tank. There are piles of what appear to be copepods crawling around in there? Thousands. Is that a problem? Good news, bad news?
Dave says
In reply to Blake … There is indeed research which shows baths where the fish flop around in a concentrated bath of medication ARE effective.
Blake @Dollars_to_discus says
Hey Dave, question first then context.
Question.
Does a Shotgun approach to medicating sick discus only work if the medication is eaten or do baths with the medications actually work?
Context.
500 gallon tank of 50 discus. Few sick discus. Only 3-4 are showing symptoms:
-always separate from the entire schooling pack
-not eating
-one is overly skinny, with unusual white long stringy feces
(I am an absolute reckless idiot and don’t quarantine thousands of dollars worth of fish, I know)
Likely internal only as of now. I have the 47 healthy ones eating a food mixed with amoxicillin, praziquantel, metronidazole. But the 3 sick ones aren’t eating. Any advice I can get from you is amazing.
Dave says
In reply to Tim ….. 1, Carbon ONLY removes the coloring from the driftwood so it will only be useful for however long the driftwood leaches tannins into the water. That being said, some “driftwood” (for instance Mopani) can leach tannins for years.
2, I’m not familiar with those lighting fixtures. They should work well based just on what I know about LEDs. Note that LEDs are three to five times more efficient than fluorescent tubes so divide the T8 wattage by four before comparing the two methods.
Tim says
@Dave
1: In the previous message I meant PERMANENT whether carbon granules can ALWAYS be in a canister filter? (and of course replace the carbon granules after 1 to 6 months)
2: Could these be good LED plant tubes and LED strips for a plant aquarium? (see link below) These provide considerably less light output compared to the classic fluorescent T8 lamp. The lamps are intended for illuminating houseplants, growing vegetables, etc.
https://b2b.bioledex.de/pflanzen/
Dave says
In reply to Tim ….. Carbon filled sponge is a rip-off. The urethane coats the holes in the activated carbon, rendering it useless. Carbon granules will remain active one to six months depending on the loading. And it won’t work permanently.
Tim says
@Dave
1:Can this be an activated carbon SPONGE?
2:How long does activated carbon remain active on average in a (plant) aquarium?
3:This can be used PERMANENTLY?
Dave says
In reply to Tim …. 1, Use activated carbon. Carbon does NOT remove ANY plant nutrients.
2, Varying the temperature will not do anything to anything
Tim says
@Dave
1:What can I do if the new driftwood shows a little discoloration in my plant aquarium? activated carbon removes the plant nutrition.
2: Does a difference in day and night temperatures in the aquarium provide added value? For example, 23 degrees Celsius at night and rising to 26 degrees Celsius during the day.
Dave says
In reply to Vincent …. You are 100% correct. The roller filter mat devices are all just “as an EXTREMELY wasteful and overly expensive way to do mechanical filtration, at the slight benefit of doing less maintenance”.
Vincent says
Dave, a Question for you.
So a friend of mine brought up Cade Aquariums recently after hearing my hesitance of making a sump. Frankly they are very expensive so its unlikely I will go this route, BUT looking at the Altumate led to a question.
So you favor a Filter Sock if you are going to add Mechanical filtration to a Sump.
And your opinons of Wet-Dry filters are reasonably well stated so don’t need to be followed up.
But what are your thoughts on roller filter mat? It seems to me as an EXTREMELY wasteful and overly expensive way to do mechanical filtration, at the slight benefit of doing less maintenance…
But I want to be sure their isn’t some perk/downside/upside I wasn’t seeing.
Dave says
In reply to Tim ….. I chop it with a pair of scissors. And it is very desirable to keep tablets small. Otherwise you can overload an aquarium.
Dave says
In reply to Long …… No caveat with Poret foam. And you’ll have plenty of flow with the set-up you describe.
Vincent says
@Ben Z
Oh I am well aware of the flaw in my thought process. LOGICALLY you should always order your fish/aquatic products 1 by 1, quarantine each of them for 6 weeks and then add them to the tank.
Realistically, I am doing better then most people even having a quarantine tank.
So here is my order of what I THINK happened, having had a few more days to think about it.
1) Transport. They were transported without heat, in a carboard box with no insulation as juvaniles and were exposed to likely tempuratures around 5C due to winter in Victoria. That they survived the trip didn’t meant they were healthy. So like you said, they could have been dying even as I put them in the tank.
2) Quarentine Meds: I treated some organisms in my quarentine tank with what I SUSPECT is Fenbendazole based on what it targets and what it kills. (Planaria, Hydra, and snails but is largely shrimp safe) I then had emptied the quarantine tank entirely and then refilled it…. but I did not remove the algae and did not rinse it thoroughly. It was then left empty for 2 weeks except the Sponge filter. I figured that would be enough HOWEVER Its possible enough Fenbendazole remained in the tank that the Nerites were doomed.
1 seems more likely, but I cannot dismiss 2.
ben z says
@Vincent
Ben z here. While I have no idea what happened to your snails, and I doubt anyone else can draw any sound conclusions based on what little you’ve described, I do want to point out a slight flaw in your train of thought, which is that “surely there’s no disease that can affect both snails and shrimp.” The fact is that aquatic veterinary medicine is very, very limited, far too limited for any blanket statements to be made. There could well be a host of such diseases. In fact, it would be surprising if there weren’t.
And if I had to guess, I think your snails probably died of stress during the shipping process. Most aquarium snails are harvested from the wild. The long, long journey to your tank was probably too much for the poor little guys.
Long says
Hi Dave,
I’m planning to use undergravel filter for my new 125-gallon tank and have some practical questions about the setup.
(1) I plan to use 3-inch poret foam with a light gravel filter on top. As I understand from your calculation, the foam is 2x better than gravel in filtration capacity. So is there any caveat of using poret foam?
(2) I plan to put powerheads on 3 tubes and HOB on 1 tube. Is it enough for 125-g tank?
Thanks,
Long
Vincent says
Well this is weird.
So I added some Nerites to my Quarantine tank, and for 2 days nothing was an issue. They were cold cause the people who shipped them didn’t use a heat pack (something I am very angry about) but started to move when put in warm water.
Day 3 I added some Red Cherry shrimp and 2 Caridina typus (aka Australian Ammano Shrimp). The package was late and its winter, thus due to the cold the Caridina typus wasn’t moving at all, laying on their back in the package… I thought it was dead till I put them in the Quarantine aquarium (still in the net) to see if it was just suspended animation… they quickly sprang to life and swam into the tank. Given the stress they were through I covered the tank in a black sheet and let them relax.
Now OBVIOUSLY mixing stuff inside quarantine is a risk. A massive risk. However I only have the one qt and I figured it would largely be safe… surely there was no illness that effects both Snails and shrimp. Meanwhile the shrimp all came from the same place.
Soooo, the snails appear dead. All of them died in 24 hours hours. I am leaving them alone for another two days as I have heard Nerites can rest, seemingly dead….but since I have seen no movement in 48 hours and they are on odd angles it seems unlikely they are just sleeping.
Thing is… the shrimp are all fine, so I don’t suspect snail leaches are hiding in the ornaments. Also Leaches wouldn’t kill like 6-7 snails in 24 hours surely. But it would be weird that the snails died all at once due to disease.
Could it be possible that a lack of a nutrient they need, or being poisoned by an excess of something… I have heard of Nerites being far more sensitive then other snails. But surely they aren’t more sensitive then shrimps.
The speed of death and the fact it got all of them at once is what shocks me the most.
I would almost suspect that the Caridina typus killed them, especially since I THOUGH I saw the hatch of one of the snails disconnected from the snail (can’t find it now) BUT none of them have been eaten and everything I have heard from google says Caridina typus is, like the regular Amsno Shrimp seen overseas, is primarily an algae eater.
I am just kind of lost.
Tim says
@Dave
concerns DIY carrot capsules,
What is the best way to finely chop the steel wool?
why only size 4 of gel capsules?
thank you
ps, I’ll think a little less😉
Dave says
In reply to Tim ….. You are overthinking things. Stop with the RO water unless you have really bad water. And simply follow the directions for the fertilizer. And yes, changing from nitrate to ammonium can definitely change the leaf size in some species of plants.
Tim says
@Dave
1:During a bi-monthly water change I use both osmosis and tap water (50/50). Then should I add extra magnesium and calcium in this case? What is the best ratio of magnesium to calcium?
2: Could it be that plants have to get used to a new nitrogen source? The new leaves of the rotala macrandra are very small. I now use potassium separately with ammonium half an hour before the lights come on instead of potassium nitrate. I also added 2 gel capsules with 3 times phosphate and 24 hours later 1 gel capsule of iron sulphate to the rotala macrandra. I will soon make the capsules according to YOUR recipe with calcium and magnesium sulphate as a binder. (may work better than my gel capsules 🙂)
Dave says
In rely to Tim ….. There are two types of tablets or gel caps. One is in a matrix of Plaster of Paris (I’ll call this a “tablet” even though the “tablet” can be enclosed by a gel capsule). The second form is where a timed release fertilizer like Osmocote is put into a gel capsule (I’ll call this a ‘capsule”). Tablets are useful as two separate types (iron and phosphorous) put into any type of substrate. The iron tablets should be placed at least two inches away from the phosphorous tablets. Capsules with Osmocote are much less effective, especially with large particle substrates. The iron and the phosphorous are just too well mixed, especially if well aerated high pH water can get to them easily.
aj says
Yeah, I eventually stopped panicking and realized the heat is doing all this. A few days ago I woke up and discovered a majority of my hornwort turned brown and shed a billion leaves… it got way too hot for even that. The fish in question was put in a hospital tank for a few days and is now better thankfully, and back to his punky, mean self.
I’ll put an airpump in the tank today to supplement the box fan I keep in the bedroom. Just one of those things you’d never think of living in alaska: having to actually worry about fish tank temperature of all things.
Tim says
@Dave
The following ONLY applies to tablets and not to gel capsules?
Dave says
In reply to Tom…. both iron and phosphate can be put in the substrate as tablets at the same time. You are depending on the low diffusion rate in a fine substrate to prevent the two from meeting too quickly
Tim says
@Dave
involves making your iron and phosphate root tablets;
There must be an interval of 1 day when both tablets are placed in the substrate,
Since the iron and phosphate (in the substrate) are released slowly, will they eventually bond with each other? Or do I get it wrong?
Dave says
In reply to Joni ….. My experience says Prazipro is not that critical with regard to dosage. In any case, why are you so sure it is flukes? Skin scrapings?
Dave says
Aj …… This heat wave is creating perfect conditions for epistylis and flukes. Adding an additional air pump and stone will cool the tank down a few degrees.
Dave says
In reply to Vincent …. I’d go ahead with the swarm.
Aj says
Update again sorry: definitely bacterial. So far it’s just one fish and weirdly the bossiest, healthiest one. I can see signs of epistylis on him, and trying really hard to get a foothold on other fish but it doesn’t really succeed. Pulled out the kanaplex from the freezer for the first time in over a year and while he’s not eating, he isn’t really getting worse either, so I’m crossing my fingers.
The wild theory I have on where the disease came from… is probably my cat! He drinks from the open top of the aquaclear filter a lot, and I mean a LOT. Completely ignores the water I put out for him; he just loves fish tank water too much with how hot it’s been. I strongly suspect with how nasty cat saliva is, that maybe something super gross from his mouth got in the tank and with all the biting and snapping the tank boss does, he probably ingested it somehow off another fish. I’ve since covered the filter and of course the cat is sulking now.
Anyways I’ve got a long day of water changes ahead of me! Wish my broken back luck lol
Vincent says
So after 4 months of patience, my tank is stable, I am seeing Seed shrimp, and copipods, swimming around happily, and both my plants and and algae levels are in a fairly good place.
I got a bit more hair algae then I would like but the shrimp will deal with that in due time.
If an aquarium is supporting a healthy ecosystem, is it ready for Neo shrimp, or would you wait a little longer?
I am also considering getting just a single Amano shrimp to deal with some of the hair algae and wait longer before introducing the larger rainbow shrimp swarm.
Aj says
Update: I just realized what may have happened. Last week I was fishing out dead leaves from another fishless tank that I’ve been putting a lot of goldfish flakes in, kind of as an experiment with some of the plants I’ve been growing in it. I used the same net not long after to fish out dead leaves in the main tank. I don’t know if maybe something got carried from it, even though there’s no fish in the first tank?
Either way, Im going to switch to medicated antibiotic food/ich-x (somehow I still had some leftover??) and hope it helps, especially after reading about your concerns with Paraguard. It looked like it did help at first glance when I added it yesterday (a couple single spots on one fish have disappeared within in hour, and some of the spots on the scolofi are mostly gone as well but not entirely), but the scolofi is still doing the head and body shaking like somethings irritating him, and man is he crabby. I’d be pissed off too if I was constantly itchy.
Aj says
There’s some weird stuff going on with my cichlids. A few days ago I would see a single whitish, mucus-colored spot on one fin, and then the next day it jumps to another fish. I’ve seen a weird translucent trail coming from the spots sometimes, which made me suspect a worm, but wasn’t entirely sure; I ended up thinking it’s just mucus. I thought it was just the usual injuries they get from fighting but now one of the cichlids is acting like something is irritating him. Looking really closely at him, I see the same small mucus-colored spots on the body, only he has multiple of them. They’re extremely hard to see with his white-blue color.
It doesn’t look like ich or epistylis; they’re too translucent looking. I’m not entirely sure what they are. My guess is flukes but I have never seen any red/black spots on any of the fish. I’m also not sure why this is happening so suddenly (maybe the very warm weather we’ve been having gave the parasites a leg up, I have no ac and this place is designed to trap heat… it’s miserable). Would Paraguard work in this case or should I get prazipro? I have no income so I’m really hoping I don’t have to buy anything.
Joni Williams says
The fluke treatment says prazipro in food and water along with kanaplex (food only) and quick cure (in water only) so what would the measurement be of meds for a feeding? I don’t want to overdose them but I want to make an impact on these flukes! I’ve been battling these for a month and I think I’m coming up short on treatment! I know the prazipro has to be precise bc it’s so potent! Thank you
Dave says
in reply to long ……Section on shrimp should broadly apply to crayfish.
Long says
Hi Dave,
I see that you have a very good section dedicated to shrimp. I wonder if it applies to crayfish as well because I’m interested in raising them.
Thanks,
Long
Dave says
In reply to Tim ….. Don’t use the Profito (largely iron and potassium). Instead use my recipe with iron tabs and phosphorus tabs.
Tim says
@Dave
Sorry, I don’t understand the following correctly? Are you saying that I would be better off adding the ammonium sulphate together with potassium sulphate every morning (i.e. your recipe)?
You said that ammonium sulphate should be added with a little phosphate? Isn’t it better to put phosphate in the substrate?
And not use this plant food? https://www.easylifeint.com/products/freshwater/plant-food/profito If so, when?
Dave says
In reply to Tim …. Sure two fertilizers can be used with different dosing pumps. But I fail to see any good reason for doing in that way. What do you gain? I guess you can use the estimative index method (alternating days of regular fertilizer and micronutrient). But note it HAS to be alternating days. And your ammonium sulfate HAS to have some phosphate with it.
Tim says
@Dave
Can the daily dose of ammonium sulphate (with dosing pump) be taken together but separately with a plant food (without nitrate and phosphate) that contains not only potassium but also trace elements and minerals (also daily with a dosing pump)
It’s about these plant foods (this is a Dutch company, I have set the American translation for you):
https://www.easylifeint.com/products/freshwater/plant-food/profito
Dave says
In reply to Tim ….. Both translations are accurate. One looks at solely sulfur and one looks at sulfur trioxide. It is pure and can be used at 208 level. And it will acidify over the long run.
Tim says
@Dave
I found a 20kg bag of ammonium sulphate in an agricultural store (Belgium in Europe).
I don’t really understand why there are 2 different compositions on the packaging:
Dutch translation has this composition:
ammonium sulphate, N (+SO3),21 (+60)
21%ammonium nitrogen(N)
60% sulfur trioxide(SO3)
soluble in water
English translation has this composition:
sulphate of ammonia,
N (+S),21 (+24)
21% ammoniacal nitrogen(N)
24% water-soluble sulphur(S)
It is said that this has an acidifying (?) effect
This is probably not PURE ammonium sulfate?
Is this product suitable for making an ammonium sulphate solution?
if so, dissolve 208 grams in hot distilled water?
Dave says
In reply to Sahin ……. Clearmax will reduce phosphates. It will NOT reduce either nitrates or nitrites.
Şahin says
Hi Dave,
do you think Fluval Clearmax is helping to reduce phosphate? It also says the product is good for lowering nitrite and nitrate. It is resin balls for canister filters. Thanks.
Dave says
In reply to Ben z An alternative hypothesis is simply that, rather than temperature, your experience and knowledge are what are tipping the scales in your favor. No way to test the hypothesis but common sense says it is probably valid.
Dave says
That will do just fine
Tim says
@Dave
Is a gravel substrate of 0.4 to 1.4 mm suitable for a plant aquarium and the gel capsules? Or do you recommend a different size?
Dave says
In reply to Joy …. Just use the three foams provided.
Ben z says
@dave
Thanks for the reply, that’s useful to know. What about a typical indoor aquarium located further north, say along Oregon latitudes? What would the room and aquarium temperatures be like during summer and winter? I’ve been wondering if temperature differences can explain why some algae/diseases seem so prevalent in the English speaking internet but almost non existent in my real life experience.
Joy says
Hi Dave i have a question
I bought a Sunsun HW-603 for my 10 gallon tank, should i change the media to static K1 or just use the original 3 foams provided?
Dave says
In reply to Ben Z ….. I run my air conditioning at a steady 25 degrees Celsius which gives an aquarium temperature of 26 to 27 degrees Celsius. It is on 24/7.
Ben z says
@Dave
Ben z here. I mentioned running a test of FF style substrates with an O2 probe before. Im going to set one up soon, in July hopefully. Before that, can I confirm – what are aquarium temperatures and indoor temperatures TYPICALLY like for you guys in Florida, in deg C? Do you guys typically keep the A/C going 24/7 throughout the year?
Dave says
In reply to Tim…… I only add fertilizer of any sort a maximum of every other day.
Tim says
@Dave
concerns ammonium value:
If I add your miracle gro recipe DIRECTLY to the plant aquarium, I measure a value of 1mg/l ammonium. After a few hours I measure another 0.5 mg/l ammonium (as you recommended). How long can this value be kept? Or should it be kept CONSTANTLY at 0.5 mg/l? –> Won’t fish and other life be affected by this?
Dave says
In reply to Tim … definitely use the Osmocote for roses, ornamental shrubs. And I have little experience with hydroponics in an aquarium so no, no advice there.
Tim says
@Dave
1: concerns osmocote granules from Miracle Gro for use in gel capsules:
I can buy them in 2 variants;
-for roses, ornamental shrubs
-for camellia, azalea, rhododendron
which variant is best to buy?
2: Can you recommend a particular brand of hydroponic plant food that is suitable for making plant food? (which may be available in Europe)
Thank you
Dave says
In reply to Tim ….. Yes and yes with the caveat that trace elements such as iron are best added to the roots.
Dave says
In reply to Ryan …. Sorry, I would not be interested. Just read all the articles on discus in this website and you should be just fine.
Dave says
In reply to BrentL. …. KH isn’t called “buffering” without good reason. The relationship is decidedly logarithmic. And it is decidedly unpredictable, due largely to the presence of other things like hydroxy and phosphates. KH, pH and carbon dioxide is not called the “Bermuda Triangle” of fish keeping for nothing. Go there and you may never come out. Just keep doing what you are doing and sooner or later the pH will start coming down.
Ryan says
I would like some help setting up a discus tank. I am to the point I want someone to just say buy X, Y, and Z after hearing my basic limitations and preferences. Money shouldn’t be a limiting factor. Are you interested in architecting an aquarium buildout through phone/email?
Tim says
@Dave and…
1: Can calcium be added to the substrate near the roots of the plants?
2: Can nitrogen (nitrate or ammonium) be added to the water column together with minerals and trace elements?
BrentL says
Hi Dave,
Follow up questions about the RO water, please.
So I’ve replaced ~25% of tank water with RO water in an attempt to lower the pH. I thought the decline in pH would be approximately proportional to the percentage of change with RO water. But I was stunned to find that my pH did not move AT ALL!
The tank started out with 8.5 pH, 28 dGH, 18dKH, the replacement of 25% using RO water did proportionally decrease the GH and KH, but the pH remains around 8.5 after 4 days. What would be the reason behind it? Is it because the KH is still too high; despite it is lowered, it continues to buffer the water? If so, would you know if there is a break-point in KH where it begins to lower the pH?
Side note: I found out that if I pre-mix the RO water with 1/3 tank water, and then pour the mixture into the sump fish are no longer stressed.
Thanks for your insights.
Brent
Tim says
Thank you Vincent!
Vincent says
@Tim I can answer this for you.
tl;dr: The best thing you can do for a filter is leave it alone. Putting the mechanical filtration at the front of the filter does that. Putting it at the end means you need to disturb your biomedia to clean your mechanical filtration. This is a more significant to your filtration then the loss of a few bits of waste that the biomedia could consume that you denied it.
So TECHNICALLY you don’t need mechanical filtration at all. Biological Filtration, as you have pointed out will do most of the job mechanical filtration will do as anything that grows bacteria will also block large and some fine particles.
These large and fine particles will slowly break down via micro-organisms until they are small enough for bacteria to consume.
You make that system big enough and you never have to clean your filter, because the larger and fine waste will never build up to such level that it blocks the the flow. This is the ideal for all aquariums.
The thing is that some people don’t have a lot of space. So it becomes important for the filter to be as space efficient as possible. Or they have a Fluidized bed which has a maximum size it can filter out, and clogs can actually effect its action. Or perhaps they don’t have much time so want to limit how often they have to pull apart their entire filter.
By putting a fine mechanical filtration at the start of the filter, it is the part that gets clogged, and since its easy to remove and clean, you can do so without disturbing the rest of the filter. This can turn a long job of a complete clean into a 5 minute job of pulling out the mechanical filter, rinsing it and chucking it straight back in.
Meanwhile putting a mechanical filter that needs to be cleaned weekly at the bottom of a filter that needs to be cleaned every 3 months is PAINFUL. You are now disassembling the entire filter to clean the mechanical filter, and only cleaning one part of it. Not only is this inefficient, but it also disturbs the ecosystem you are cultivating in your biological filter.
And your mechanical filtration WILL need to be cleaned frequently if its doing its job properly. Some filters specifically make it easier to remove the mechanical filter because of this, keeping it separate from the biofilter entirely.
You are correct, that doing mechanical filtration at the start removes some of the decomposing parts of the biological filtration ecosystem. But not all of it. The Autotroph bacteria eating your Ammonia and Nitrite will have heterotrophs bacteria eating them, and micro-organisms eating them in turn. And some of that stuff will grow old and die, at which point carrion eaters will spring up to eat that in turn, starting to break that stuff down. This replicates the effect of the fish waste that is blocked by mechanical filtration. Likewise the mechanical filtration will not catch everything and thus some stuff reaches the biofilter anyway.
Mechanical filtration is a compromise. The ideal is a large filter you never need to touch. Thus properly installed mechanical filtration should be in a place that is easy to clean without disturbing the rest of the filter. 99% of the time thats the front.
Vincent says
So I have a question…
Boiling drift wood is largely unnessasry (washing it might be required if you grabbed a piece from somewhere where poison maybe sprayed, but full on boiling is overkill) and most of the reasons to do so are myths.
It also softens the wood.
HOWEVER, at least one Black water page I watch recommends boiling the wood and other black water matter simply because it sinks faster, and an hour in a pot can save a great deal of time waiting for multiple lots of wood to stop floating.
I figured I would test this for my shrimp tank (as softer wood isn’t a bad thing there, just more shrimp food, and softer wood would encourage watermolds which is even more shrimp food) and yes MOST things sink quite rapidly after 1-3 hours boiling. I have 1 piece of Cholla wood that still isn’t sinking after 5 hours, but everything else sunk well before that and was removed from the pot.
That said 1 gumnut that was sunk via boiling did start floating again latter for no apparent reason. I left it in the aquarium and it sunk on its own, but when I asked, they said thats a rare but not unusual thing and boiling it one last time would make it stay down for good.
That said… is this use of boiling worth it outside of shrimp tanks? Just purely to sink wood for aquascaping? My gut says no, because if you need to sink something in a hurry, glue and rocks can do the job….
But that is a compromise…you have to hide the rocks then in your scape.
Dave says
In reply to BrentL ….. You just have some sodium hydroxide in your water. It is harmlessly and temporarily affecting the slime coat and gills. Go ahead with using the RO water. Just “age” it for several days in buckets.
BrentL says
Hi Dave,
Is there anything in Reverse Osmosis water that would stress fish? I know it sounds like a ridiculous question.
When I replaced 5% of tank water using RO water, fish start “hanging out” at the bottom, appear slightly stressed, similar to when they are startled. The tank was not disturbed since I added the water to the sump. A day later, I tried again and added 10% of RO water to the sump (over 15 minutes). Strangely, a few hours later, most fish showed symptoms of labored breathing, “coughing”, or attempting to shake off something.
Would you have any guesstimate as to what might cause the stress? CO2 in RO water? The pH of RO water was 6.2 straight from the RO holding tank, then it settled to 7.5 after 12 hours. Does that mean there is a lot of CO2 in the RO water? But then my tap water’s pH is 7.5 and settled at 8.6 after 24 hours; it also has similar amount of CO2 and my fish was never bothered by the tap water during water changes.
Reason I use RO water is that my tank’s pH sometimes exceeds 8.6, 500ppm GH and high KH. I’m been experimenting with RO water to lower the pH, because I’m suspecting that is the root cause for my recent fish sickness. Then I encountered these strange issues…
On a separate note, I’m puzzled why RO water has pH of 7.5 after settling, when TDS meters reads close to zero (~10) and GH is 0, and KH is 0? Isn’t pure water 7.0??
Thanks for any insights!
Brent
Dan says
Hi Dave,
Yesterday evening I noticed that my fish had ich. I looked in my medicine cabinet and all I had at the moment to treat them was API super ich cure. I went ahead and followed the dosage instructions. It says once every 48 hours and a 25% water change 48 hours after 2nd dose. Curious if you think the instructions sound correct or if this medicine is proven to work or if I should go buy some ich x. Woke up this morning and checked on the fish. They still look like they are sprinkled with salt, but I know it hasn’t been long enough. This aquarium is well established and has gunk in the filters but I recently added some fish. Filters seem to be operating well without clogs. I have two large sponge filters. I also have a 7W UV sterilizer. It’s a 55 gallon tank. I have 3 rainbows, 3 pearls, 2 corys, 5 harlequins, and 5 platy
Jp says
Hi Dave,
On cloudy eyes again. Same symptoms happened to most of my goldfishes 2 days after I connect to the main filteration. I fed little food to them. It is the 3rd occurence already. I suspect it is due to my canister filters. 1 month ago I switched off the pump to my canister filters (I have two pumps running for one tank) and I only realised after two days. When I switched it on, there was a foul smell and I just let the pump running. I realised it was after this incident that my goldfishes start to have issue with cloudy eyes. Do you think it is due to the good bacteria dying off and bad bacteria accumulated? Any recommendations on what I should do?
Tim says
@Dave
regarding filtration:
You write that science says that mechanical filtration should be done first and then biological.
Don’t the microorganisms need the dirtiest water FIRST (biological filtration) and then (possibly) mechanical filtration last? (The latter may be necessary if the micro-organisms are not yet doing their job properly.)
Jp says
In reply to Dave, I didn’t and maybe I should try to reduce and change my feed.
Any idea if those yellow powder, those sold in sachet, will also kill the beneficial bacteria? I added some in my main filteration thinking the source could be my main filteration.
Dave says
In reply to Jp…Do NOT replace the filter material in you canisters if it is foam, K1 or pot scrubbers. Otherwise replace. Have you tried cutting way back on the food?
Jp says
I’m the guy who asked about cloudy eyes previously. I quarantined my whole tank of goldfish and fed them with antibiotics plus the yellow power in the water and they recovered. The main filteration was diverted and running during the 10 days quarantine period. About 3rd day after switching to the main filtration system, the cloudy eyes and white slime came back and affect half of the goldfish. I’m thinking if I should replace all my filter material in the canisters. Any idea what goes wrong and what can I do to prevent future occurrence?
Dave says
In reply to Tim…. “Six of one half a dozen of the other”. I.e. it doesn’t matter.
Tim says
@Dave
regarding phosphate pills versus iron pills:
There must be at least 24 hours between the two because they work against each other. which one would you add first; Phosphate or iron pills?
Dave says
In reply to Tim
1, Air pump should be installed during cycling (first six to eight weeks), unless it is a high tech planted with CO2.
2, I use both, “six of one, half a dozen of the other”.
3, No ANY aquarium of ANY size is a “miniature ecosystem”. So either method will work with ANY size aquarium.
Tim says
@Dave
1) Should an air pump be installed in the aquarium (the first 6 to 8 weeks)?
2) Do you prefer the very best ‘seed material’ to ‘brown dirt’ from a well-functioning aquarium filter?
Or is pond mud better?
3) You talked about a ‘miniature ecosystem’:
Do you mean that this method (level 1) is only suitable for a small aquarium (for example 60 liters)
Can I start a larger aquarium of approximately 400 liters with the simplest (level 1) method or do other rules apply?
(THANK YOU, I’m learning more and more)
ps: I have the plastic ‘donut’ pot washer sponges
already tested and after 3 months even the filter looks crystal clear with ‘brown stuff’ in the sponges.
Dave says
In reply to Tim …… There are two distinct methods for “cycling” a high tech planted tank. The first is to set up a miniature ecosystem and let it cycle for six to eight weeks without plants or fish or light, just a little food and urine. Then add one plant per gallon, a light, and go. The second method for a high tech planted tank is to simply add lots of plants and go. I prefer the first method. And I don’t put the seed material in a sock in the filter. I just leave it out in the tank, generally in a sock draped over the filter inlet. Obviously if you put the sock in the filter you just want to leave it be.
Tim says
@Dave
Better translatian of this:
1) is a high tech tank
3) wick= sock
Tim says
@Dave
Involves ‘cycling’ an aquarium (without fish and without plants) in the simplest way (level 1)
1) Is this method also suitable for setting up a planted aquarium?
2) Does the aquarium need to be darkened?(better?)
3) You recommend squeezing the wick with the ‘seed material’ that is in the new filter every few hours? Shouldn’t it just stay in the filter?
Dave says
In reply to Tim ….. 1, it is the same organisms in all environments
2, Yes they like a dark environment simply because they are now not competing with photosynthetic organisms for space.
Tim says
@Dave
1) About ‘seeding’ a new canister filter with beneficial micro-organisms: This could also be done via fresh garden soil, compost, used potting soil, etc. Shouldn’t they adapt to the underwater culture? Is there no difference with micro-organisms that live in water?
2)Is it true that beneficial micro-organisms like a dark environment?
Dave says
Blake …. HYPOTHETICALLLY they will kill stationary beneficial bacteria, obviously a bad thing. But the risk to the eyes takes precedence. DON”T DO IT. SAFETY FIRST. Note that the open UV will also destroy plastic pot scrubbers. So that is three reasons not to do it.
Blake says
Will open UV sterilizers kill beneficial bacteria in sump? Yes, bad for eyes I know. But hypothetically, if I throw a few of those cheap open UV sterilizer bulbs in the sump with all the pot scrubbers, will they kill all of the beneficial bacteria?
Dave says
In reply to Tim …. Go ahead and heat up the fertilizer solution.
Tim says
@Dave
I have made your recipe plant food from potassium sulfate and miracle gro;
Can I still heat up this mixture? The potassium sulphate has not yet completely dissolved.
Dave says
In reply to BrentL ….. Correlation does not imply causation. Hunt for another cause.
BrentL says
Hello Dave,
Could autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria sicken fish if they are suspended in the water?
My 180g tank is over-filtered, with a sump filled with ~200 pot scrubbers. Water has been crystal clear. Problem-free for months. One day, I thoroughly cleaned about ~30 pot scrubbers because they were slowing down the flow. At the same time I stirred the gravel (which is quite clean) a bit while moving things around. A few days later, 6 of rainbow got sick; no external signs; stopped eating; a bit labored breathing – it’s been couple weeks now; 1 died, the rest limited/not eating.
So, I been thinking could the “disturbance” of either pot scrubbers or the gravel cause autotropic and heterotrophic bacteria to overload temporarily and sicken the fish?? I did not think that would be likely, considering the water remained pretty clear even after the disturbance (no cloudiness observed). But then bacteria floating in water may not be visible.
There was no spike in ammonia, since there are still abundant matured pot scrubbers in there. So I wondered, IN THEORY, could the free-floating “good” bacteria be the cause?
Thanks for any insights.
Brent
Dave says
In reply to Tim… It would give added value to grind the superphosphate IF you are putting it into capsules with Plaster of Paris.
Tim says
@Dave
Does it offer added value if I first grind the granular triple superphosphate into powder before I put it in a gelatin capsule?
Dave says
In reply to Tim ….. Six of one half a dozen of the other
Dave says
In reply to Jim….. Flow inside a canister will always be too low and in the wrong directions to allow for any fluidized bed action. So just fill it up.
Jim says
Dave,
I have a question about using K1-type plastic media in a canister filter.
Does the water flow allow the K1 to move about, thus creating a mini fluidized bed within the filter basket? Or is the water flow through the filter so strong that it just forces the media against the side of the filter basket opposite the flow so that it remains static?
If the flow causes movement, then I would think I’d want to fill the filter basket only half full of K1. But if it not, then I’d want to fill it up and just treat it as any other static media.
Tim says
@Dave
Are vegetarian gelatin capsules better than animal ones for putting in the substrate?(for making fertilizer capsules)
Since I have a heavily planted aquarium with small fish, does the above not apply?
Dave says
In reply to Tim …. The iron sulfate I use is yellowish green. I can’t say as I’ve seen anything else. And, yes, a tuft of steel wool can be used.
Tim says
@Dave
What color should iron sulphate be for use as a nutrient in the substrate?
On the internet you see powders with colors such as green, blue, yellow, brown…
a tuft of fine steel wool (000) may also be used?
Dave says
In reply to Tim ….. Iron oxide is not good around the roots of plants. It will tie up phosphates without releasing any iron.
Tim says
@Dave
Is iron oxide good for introducing into the substrate near the roots of the plants?
Dave says
In reply to Sahin ….. No that isn’t normal. It indicates hypoxic conditions are occurring. Overfeeding, overstocking, inadequate filtration and/or poor aeration can be at fault. More about this can be found at this article: https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/18-5-heavy-stocked-maintenance/
Şahin says
Hi Dave,
I have a 400 lt pleco-tetra tank with FX4+internal filters. There is 10 cm thick sand bed in the tank and whenever I pull some sand, a bad-smelling purple-colored sand appears. Is this normal? Thanks.
Dave says
In reply to Tim ….. You must have a rapid gro where the nitrogen is in the form of nitrate instead of ammonium. Change nothing. Wait at least 24 hours between iron and phosphorus additions.
Tim says
@Dave
1: I have dissolved the plant food miracle gro with potassium sulphate in a bottle according to your recipe.
As a test, I added the dosage for moderately planted aquariums to a bucket of clean tap water.
I do not measure (0 mg/l) ammonium. (??)
How much (mg/l) ammonium should at least be added for the plants in need?
Maybe I created the (adjusted) composition incorrectly: (??)
I made 25 grams of potassium sulphate and 30 grams of miracle gro in a 0.5 L bottle.
As a dose I would put 20 ml in my 200 liter aquarium and 5 ml in the 50 liter aquarium.
Addition is best done when the lights turn on correctly?
2: How much time should there be between the two when iron and phosphate are applied to the substrate? (so that they do not counteract each other)
Dave says
In reply to JP ….. Cloudy eye is a tough nut to crack. Melafix is worthless. Best bet is a good antibiotic in the food and only in the food.
And an undergravel can give crystal clear, particulate free water.
JP says
Hi Dave,
Absolutely love your site and it has tons of good info. I have an issue with my goldfish that I am constantly facing. My goldfish tends to have cloudy eye on one side and I am using melafix to cure it. It did went away after around 3 days of dosage but It always come back. Tank is definitely overstock but I have one overhead sump(with moving and static K1 mostly)plus two big canisters (with foam mostly) doing the filteration works. Water is close to crystal clear so I wouldn’t say it is due to water quality. I am doing 25% water change/week as well as a preventive measure. Any idea what it is due to and what could help prevent it from having such issue again? Also, Understand you use undergravel filter as the only mechanical filter. How do you keep the water particle free?
Max says
To Dave or other commenters. Can you reccomend a good 10 or 15 watt heater for a 2&1/2 gallon tank with under gravel filtration? My Dad said he used to go with the most expensive heater sized for the tank he was heating.
Dave says
In reply to Tim ….. I use undergravel filters as my mechanical filter so I can’t speak from experience but here goes anyway.
1, The placement of the mechanical media is not dependent on flow. You want the mechanical filter to be directly underneath the lid so it can be easily removed and cleaned once a week or so. You do not want to be doing a complete teardown on a canister once a week for a lot of reasons.
2, I would use polyester pads for mechanical filtration. In the US we have “Pinkie Pads” but I’m sure there is an equivalent in Europe.
3, Stack the doughnuts upright as tightly as one can
4, Yes the Eheim classic is a better design than most of the canisters on the market
Tim says
@Dave
Since my biological filtration is not yet optimal, I am considering a temporary mechanical filtration together with the biological one. (I still see fine particles of dirt floating in the aquarium)
My questions:
1:Where should the water pass first when it enters the external filter?
(first mechanical or biological filtration?)
2: Which filter medium do you prefer for the (temporarily) mechanical?
3:maybe a stupid question:
As a biological medium I use plastic pot scrubbers…
Should the ‘donuts’ be stacked UPRIGHT or FLAT in the filter? (Eheim classic 600)
4:(a general question concerns external bus filters)
some canister filters are NOT equipped with baskets, such as the Eheim classic.
Don’t those filters work better than the filters WITH baskets (much more bulk filter medium can be placed)? Don’t the baskets also block some flow?
thank you in advance
Tom Whiteman says
I love your site and refer to it often.
Vincent says
So Brainstrust time.
There is a company in Australia that sells a product called Planaria fix. I brought it last time I had problems with them and just assumed it was another betel nut extract, or something similar.
I have gone back and checked the bottle again and it also claims to kill Hydra and Vorticella while being safe for shrimps (but may kill some snails)
Does that mean (assuming its not marketing lies) its likely Fenbendazole? Not sure if Fenbendazole works on Vorticella, google isn’t clear.
Also I just realised this site basically doesn’t discuss Vorticella. I know it basically only targets shrimp and thus isn’t exactly this sites key focus, but it still surprised me.
Ben z says
@andrew
I agree. But I just wanna add a bit more… WHO guidelines have to consider the blue baby problem, which is a good reason to err on the side of caution. And they deal with human health after all, which is yet another reason to be cautious. After all, “first, do no harm.”
Hence their guideline value of 50mg/L (~11mg/L as N) cannot be directly applied to the aquarium.
In fact, strictly speaking, it’s illogical to apply WHO safe drinking water guidelines to the aquarium, or any aquatic ecosystem. Two thoughts come to mind: (1) should we apply the recommended chlorine values too? (2) which aquarium has “drinkable” water? LOL
On the topic of nitrates… to be honest I don’t think nitrates are even that big a deal. Algae usually takes care of that quite well in a healthy aquarium. And the hobbyist nitrate tests out there aren’t that reliable in the first place.
There’s also some research evidence that higher levels of nitrate allow some biofilm organisms to assimilate more phosphate than needed for their metabolism. Then, when nitrate levels are lowered by dilution, these microbes release the phosphates they’ve been holding onto and drive phosphorus levels in the water up. Another reason for not chasing zero-nitrate?
AndrewK says
Re: safe nitrate
Thanks for reviewing, Dave (and thanks for offering access, Ben)
Finally made time to really read through the article.
As you point out, the conclusions are at odds with the data/literature they review. It’s as if their legitimate concern about the effects of “excess” levels of nitrate overcame logical thinking. The WHO safe drinking guidelines of 50ppm are the concluded precautionary “should” levels; however, the levels that caused issues in all the data/cited literature (except Kincheloe-1979) were many, many times higher. And then they go on to add a variety of qualifiers: long-term studies are needed to determine safe levels, a variety of confounding factors need to be accounted for etc, etc.
The number of qualifiers alone would disqualify the concluded recommendations!
From my read of the article, the warranted conclusion (with respect to fish), is that excess nitrogen compounds can be harmful to fish, but further studies are needed to determine what “excess” and “harmful” mean. And that’s not even taking into consideration making destinctions between different species, age of the fish etc. ad infinitum.
Ben z says
@dave and Johnny
Regarding the sinking K1… I just want to chime in and say I have seen K1 media that’s manufactured to sink from day 1, so that they work better when fluidised by air pumps in certain types of closed vessels. The point being, it’s not just one type of plastic out there now in the market.
Ben z says
@andrew
Ben z here. Yes, I still have institutional access to databases. But you found the paper before I saw your post, hahaha. Still, happy to help when I’m needed in future.
Dave says
In reply to Andrew K … I saw the you tube and looked up the reference. Didn’t change a thing. My beer analogy still holds for the aquarium. The DATA in the study supports that. Unfortunately, like Carmargo, the authors go off and try to conclude a limit of 44 ppm for aquatic fish. That is an editorial opinion. IT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE DATA IN THEIR OWN STUDY!!!!!
AndrewK says
Safe nitrate levels: OK, so right after I posted that, I check again and found a downloadable version of the article.
I would still appreciate actual science folks taking a look 🙂
AndrewK says
New paper on “safe” nitrate levels.
The Secret Life Inside Your Aquarium had a recent YouTube that discussed the above.
Unfortunately the paper he references is paywalled, and like many of you I no longer have access to such.
I recall one of the frequent posters here still does: BenZ? Vincent?
The paper is A critical review on the effect of nitrate pollution in aquatic invertebrates and fish, authors Banerjee, Garai, Saha, Saha, Sharma, Maiti.
I gather it’s one of those meta-analyses papers, so it’s possible it covers nothing further to what Dave’s already referenced.
Am hoping one of you who has access could take a look or better also share the full article with Dave for analysis. Possible it has something new and solid to say,and like any good thinker/researcher/scientist we should be prepared to modify our stance in light of compelling new evidence 😉
Dave says
In reply to Vincent ….. Complete waste of time
Vincent says
Science time:
So I am cycling an aquarium right now and I am at the point where I have a bunch of Nitrite floating around.
Now I know buying Nitrite isn’t legal in Australia due to it being both an explosive component and used in suicides…
But lets say I take a bunch of that water (say 2l) and boil it down to 100ml. (Note to everyone not Dave: Boiling it dry would create a salt powder mixture that contained both Ammonia and Nitrite in a hot container. That is what chemists call, a bad idea.)
Assuming the initial water contains 5ppm of Nitrite (the top of the api scale, and given the water turned instantly purple when the formula went in and then went back to blue after the 5min, I can say its beyond that) that means this new volume is roughly 100ppm nitrite.
Will that Nitrite remain as Nitrite if I store it in a jar for say 2 years, or would it break down?
Deep down I really doubt adding that at the start of the cycle reduces the time in any meaningful way. On a small tank maybe it saves a day or two, on a big one its probably unnoticeable.
But I am curious if this is a complete waste of time or just mostly a waste of time.
Dave says
In reply to Johnny…YOU’VE JUST RUN A VERY GOOOD EXPERIMENT. Now for the control. When you get the new K1 try putting it in a barrel with water that has been dropped to a pH of 6.0 or lower. If the K1 remains floating it is hardness. If the new K1 sinks over time in acid water it is the grade of plastic. You can probably just do the control by continuing to run the K1 and acid water you’ve already used. If it sinks with a few days of operation it is the grade of plastic.
Dave says
In reply to Johnny …. Sorry, I do not use air pumps so I don’t have any data on that.
Johnny says
I want to share something strange with my K1 media. I purchased 15 litres of K1 media a week ago from my local pet store. As I needed more and was not available at the pet store so I ordered more and while another 15 litres arrives I thought instead of cycling the media I bought, I would just put it in a barrel with a powerful power head and let it just run.
After 2 days all the k1 media sank to the bottom. I mean when all k1 stays in motion when power head is on but when I turn it off, all of them, sank to the bottom of the barrel.
I thought it must be due to lime scale as I have very hard water, I asked you about this. You said the K1 might be made up of wrong grade of plastics. But if it was made up of wrong grade of plastic, then it would be been sunk right when I dropped them into the water. But that was not the case. As my curiosity raised, today I just did one thing.
I bought some muriatic acid. Now after switching off my power head all the k1 went down to the bottom. I took some muriatic acid in a 10 ml cap and poured it in to the barrel. Now as I poured the acid, suddenly my K1 started to float to the surface. In the beginning some K1 started to float very fast, and slowly all of my K1 started to float to the surface. I am confused about it. In the next 5 minutes, all k1 media was floating. Now I need your help about this. Was sinking of k1 due to hard water? Or bacteria film? But all of them sank to the bottom in just 2 days of operation so it cannot be bacteria growth.
Please can you explain what might have happened?
Thanks.
Johnny says
Is 30 litres per minute air pump good to move 30 litres of K1 in barrel? If not…what would be the recommended air pump in general for fluidized bed?
Dave says
In reply to Ben z …. I have no idea about any of these three questions.
Ben z says
@dave
What about cat food? I recall seeing some canned cat food that had >50% protein after deducting the moisture content. Not sure if it’s cheaper weight for weight compared to fish food though. I’ve never kept cats.
And, I wonder, if one makes gel food containing oils, how do you keep the oils in the feed such that you won’t get an oil film on the water?
Also, I know researchers do trials with omega 3 oils to adjust fat content, and presumably they turn it into some sort of dry feed. Which brings me to my third question: how they blend it into the feed without letting heat oxidize the fatty acids.
Dave says
In reply to Johnny …. Definitely do NOT feed dog food. Dog food is largely cereals which are low in protein and high in carbohydrates. The highest protein level I’ve seen in a dog food is only 27%, which is abysmally low for a fish food.
Johnny says
I am wondering whether I can feed my fish dog food. It seems one of the dog foods available in my locality has good amount of proteins.
Following are the ingredients of one the large dry pelleted dog foods:
Cereals and cereal by-products, chicken and chicken by-products, meat and meat by-products, soya oil, defatted toasted soy flour, vitamins and minerals, iodised salt, mannan oligosaccharides and antioxidants.
Can I feed my fish a mixture of both dog food and fish food?
Aj says
Edit: Nevermind! Turns out I needed to adjust the flow of water so I could get better circulation throughout the tank and it’s starting to clear up now.
AJ says
Ive noticed in my tank that there are a lot of floaties in the water. It’s not milky/cloudy, but its not exactly crystal clear anymore either; it looks like lots of little white and brown specks floating around and it got more numerous today. I suspect it’s because a couple times in the past week, when I fed some dry food, there was a ton of tiny crumbs stuck to my fingers… I’m down to the bottom of the bag and trying to make it last due to lack of income but I didn’t realize it had so many tiny crumbs… kind of like a chip bag lol.
I didn’t think much of it because my filtration is pretty good but I guess it wasn’t good enough for the amount of crumbs that got sucked into the gravel from the ugf, I assume this is the same brown gunk stuff that’s found in the filter/gravel and they just had a big bloom because of all the extra food? All the fish are fine but I’m thinking I should switch on uv for it.
Johnny says
Okay got it Dave.
Thanks.
Dave says
K1 which is not in movement it only one third as effective as moving K1. You may need to add a powerhead to sweep the bottom.
Dave says
In reply to Johnny …. I’ve never had sinking K1. I guess in theory you could have a lime scale film but that’s an very fast buildup. I’d be more inclined to say you have some defective K1 made with the wrong grade of plastic.
Johnny says
Actually I am talking about lime scale deposits. I think there is a thin layer of it on my K1 which has made them sink instead of float in just 2 days. I don’t know if this is fine.
Can it affect biofiltration?
Johnny says
Understood Dave. Thanks a lot.
Another question regarding to K1. I purchased 20 litres of K1 and put it in my barrel with 3200 litres per hour power head placed at the bottom of the barrel pointed to the surface. It’s day 2 and the K1 has already started to sink. Some K1 media have also sunk to the bottom of the barrel. Is it normal?
One thing I want to clarify is I have very hard water with high levels of bicarbonate. I think the constant movement of K1 from bottom to surface has created thin layer of bicarbonate on plastic which makes them sink. Can it be so?
Dave says
In reply to Johnny …. The two methods are interchangeable depending on the feeding level. Let us say that you are feeding adult fish at 1% of body weight per day. Then your 250 grams simply becomes 25,000 grams of fish. And while I’ll leave the exact math up to you, fifty liters of K1 fluidized can handle a LOT of fish.
Dave says
In reply to Blake …. You are correct. your pot scrubber sump is doing all the work. No need to switch to anything else.
Johnny says
Got it Brad. Thanks for sharing.
Brad - UK says
@Johnny
You must have read my mind a few months back! I went around this thought process with Dave (i.e. can I calculate +/- filter capacity based on the amount of food I feed – 0.5% / 1% / 2%, etc), but Dave advised me not to go down that rabbit hole. So I haven’t!
I think its a case that there are so many factors to all of this, that adding another dimension to the filter efficiency calculation ‘math’ is just a step too far.
Thanks,
Brad
Blake says
I have two filters on my closed loop system 500gallon tank. One is a sump filled densely with pot scrubbers. The other filter is a nu-clear canister filter and is pretty much only mechanical filtration; no real place to put more than 3-4 pot scrubbers let alone a fluidized k1 bed ha.
I’m somewhat regretting that second filter and realizing that the sump is probably doing a disproportionate amount of the filtering in my decently stocked discus tank. Should I switch the second filter out for something that would allow much more surface area for biological bacteria? Or really won’t make much of a difference given the fact that the 40 gallons of pot scrubbers I have is enough surface area already?
Johnny says
Actually I am new to this so just asking…
Can we measure filter efficiency or capacity by amount of food put in tank in grams instead of grams of fish in the tank? I read on a site where it stated that 50 litres of moving K1 will oxidize 250 grams of food in 24 hours. I know there are lot of parameters here but I am going with general assumptions. So whenever I setup any new tank, should I ask how many grams of food can my filter handle daily instead of grams of fish in the tank? Also is that true that 50 litres of moving K1 can digest 250 grams of food in 24 hours? Assuming filter is 1 year old and other parameters with the best possible cases.
Dave says
In reply to Brad and Johnny ….. Agree with the 17 liters. But note one cubic foot of fluidized K1 type media will give 540 square feet of surface area or 5.4 pounds of fish at the 100 target.
Dave says
In reply to Ben Z …. There are six requirements for nitrates to be reduced to nitrogen gas. The anoxic requirement is just one of them. The other five are restrictive enough that there is zero chance of any reduction of nitrate to take place in the aquarium, even if it turns out anoxic conditions do exist in the aquarium.
Dave says
In reply to Johnny …. I’ve only used wavemakers and I would use at least four wavemakers. Intuitively I don’t see powerheads as being up to the job. But then I’ve never tried them.
Brad - UK says
@Johnny
You will need to wait for Dave to answer that one! Sorry, I am no expert in fluidised beds – still on smaller aquariums with Canisters.
Johnny says
Thanks Brad – UK.
Another question is can I use power heads instead of wave makers in fluidized bed to circulate k1?
And how many such powerheads/waver makers should I use in my fluidized bed? Considering that my fluidized sump is 3 ft by 1.5 ft by 1.5 ft.
Brad - UK says
@Jonny
I make that around 17 litres of K1 required for 60% loading in 1 cubic foot.
My calcs for double-checking:
– 1 Cubic Foot = 1,728 Cubic Inches
– 60% of 1,728 Cubic Inches = 1,037 Cubic Inches
– 1,037 Cubic Inches = 17 Litres (cubic Inches / 62)
That used (as static media) should allow for 1.5 Pounds of fish (708 grams) at the 100Ft/2 target.
Ben z says
@Dave
Yes, I definitely will get around to that sometime in April. Will consult you on some experimental design parameters when I do.
I agree with you – in theory one can have anoxic conditions without nitrate reduction to nitrogen.
A thought – is it possible, in theory, that an anoxic pocket can reduce nitrate to nitrite and then to NOx, and that NOx is then oxidized in some other part of the substrate/tank back to nitrate before it can go to N2 and escape the tank?
Johnny says
A question about K1 media quantity. How many litres of K1 media will fit in 1 cubic foot of filter box with 60 percent K1 loaded?
Dave says
In reply to Ben Z …. I think it would be fascinating to just simply set up a FF deep substrate tank (one inch fortified soil and three inches of sand with plants and fish) and then simply measure the oxygen content at two depths of the substrate over the span of several months. I’ve often felt guilty of experimenter bias on the whole topic. While my testing showed pretty conclusively that nitrate reduction to nitrogen gas is impossible in a deep substrate, the testing did not prove that low oxygen conditions does not occur. One can in theory have anoxic conditions without reduction of nitrates. I would really appreciate it if you would set up and perform such a test.
Ben z says
@Dave
The whole anaerobic/anoxic confusion, judging from the comments here, seems to be just a terminological tempest in a teapot. the so called super soil is just some form of particularly fertile soil. Dumping something like that into a thick, slow flow substrate will definitely result in low oxygen conditions (and a possible cesspool if stirred up).
But is that anaerobic or anoxic or hypoxic? I think most folks in the hobby simply don’t appreciate the distinction between the terms in the first place.
That said, I actually have the resources now to set up FF deep substrates and test the O2 levels regularly using a proper oxygen probe. How about if we collaborate on this experiment and get some concrete data?
Dave says
In reply to Nenad …. That is typical of the misinformation put on on anaerobic substrates. Even 10 cm beds cannot go anaerobic or anoxic. They can go hypoxic and they can reduce insoluble iron to soluble iron. Father Fish has some wonderful tanks and his methods work well. But they do so for reasons other than what are ascribed to by Father Fish and his followers. The science is quite complex and requires some dedication and rereading of one article in particular. Read this article for a complete analysis of one of the most common aquarium myths. http://aquariumscience.org/index.php/14-2-4-anaerobic-myth/
Nenad says
PM:When I asked person on FB who shared FF YT video about depth of substrate,anaerobic bacteria and micro and macro organisms this is his reply: ” The substrate itself is about 10 cm deep, of which 3 cm is super soil. So not regular soil but super soil. The super soil concept isn’t really an FF idea at all. It was invented by cannabis growers so that they wouldn’t have to return to the crime scene and fertilize illegal plants. All in all, this is a massively overweight country. In order for such soil not to release too much nutrients, the flow in the aquarium has been drastically slowed. In slow flow oxygen cannot penetrate deep into the substrate. The idea with sand is such that it has a larger surface area useful for the development of gravel microorganisms. As water penetrates more slowly through the sand, it gradually releases oxygen and produces large amounts of carbon dioxide. On the other hand, nutrients from the soil, penetrate more slowly to plants, whose roots are not actually able to penetrate the soil, because it is in anaerobic conditions, but root systems are fed through sand that is constantly watered by the soil underneath through slow nutrient leakage. About 6 cm deep in the sand, aerobic activity no longer exists because oxygen is used. Here in FF substrate there is super soil mixed with iron, soda, lime, iron and magnesium. Furthermore, iron-reducing bacteria have the ability to use iron as an electronic acceptor in the respiratory process. These bacteria use iron instead of oxygen as a terminal electronic acceptor in the respiratory process, thereby reducing iron to a low oxidation state. Specifically the most famous of these bacteria is Shewanella. The degradation product of iron under anaerobic conditions is usually ferrous or Fe2+ ions. These iron ions can be dissolved in water and are therefore available to plants. Ferrous ions are extremely useful for plants because they are essential nutrients and play an important role in many metabolic processes of plants. Overall, if you took super soil and put it under the gravel, the gravel could not slow down the nutrient release process and would very quickly have too much nutrients in the water, which would lead to the development of bacteria found in the water column, which are moss pity. Therefore, the principle of using super soil is impossible with the Walstad method. In a slowed anaerobic, i.e. anoxic environment, the degradation process is slow and the earth itself takes a lot of time to spend.”
Nenad says
Hi Dave,can you please check this video https://youtu.be/0tbQnZVor_A?si=8Fdqs_SPK1vqgJbu
What this dude talking abou 🤣🤣🤣?Do you agree or disagree with his facts?
Dave says
In reply to Hanul …. An oil film is not good. It indicates severe overfeeding. I would add an air stone till the oil film dissipates. Just don’t be surprised if a few plants die back with the air stone treatment.
Dave says
In reply to Vincent ….. Just keep on adding 1 ppm ammonia till three things simultaneously have occurred 1, clear water 2, zero ammonia after 24 hours 3, zero nitrite after 24 hours
Vincent says
So day 3 of the cycle (using a Nitriteless, 1ppm ammonia targeted version of your method) and I have a Bacteria Bloom. Might have added a touch to much sugar…or maybe the yeast was in the freezer to long. Or maybe its just summer so their is more bacteria literally everywhere.
I assume that due to Assimilatory denitrification I shouldn’t assume its cycled until either I detect Nitrates OR the bloom has past, rather then going off the Ammonia level alone? Or is 1ppm of Ammonia a day added more ammonia then a Bloom can absorb?
Also you were not kidding about how effective adding some buffering stuff (In this case shell grit) to the Substrate would be for raising pH.
The pH of my previous aquariums hasn’t been constant (cause soft water) but rarely was higher then 7.4-7.6 (pale blue on the API normal pH test kit)
I haven’t done a high range test yet (I was just doing a ‘is it above 7.5’ test for Cycling) but the result was a dark Blue colour.
So definitely above 7.5.
Hanul says
Hello,
I recently switched my fish only 17gallon tank to low tech easy plant only tank with just fine sand substrate. Fish in the tanks are 6 ember tetras and 6 cherry barbs(plan to add some more). I use canister filter Eheim pro4 600 filled with k2 media. It hasn’t been even opened since I set it up 2 years ago. The water is crystal clear. Since I have plants in the tank now, I avoid making surface agitation as you said it’s not good for plants. Now the problem is that I have oil film on the surface. It has unpleasant smell, and I am worried that this oil film will block gas exchange so my fish get suffocated.
Is it inevitable to have such oil film on the surface in planted tank? What causes this? Is there anything I can do to prevent this to happen without using a surface skimmer.
I’ve learned a lot from this website. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Dave says
I have no information on good adhesives. Note most reef supply stores have good safe adhesives for aquariums.
Vincent says
I swear one day I will just buy screened gravel instead of aquarium gravel.
Followed by swearing that I will one day add water to my UGF before I add the gravel to the aquarium.
I know the small amount of sand that falls through filter plate that wasn’t properly screened out of the gravel by the store or by washing it isn’t a big deal
And I know that with time the airbubbles trapped between the filter plate and the gravel will escape.
Nature is adaptive and patience is the key.
Still feels wrong to just let it happen.
Max says
To Dave: Thank you for the advice and the great website. Do you have any information on fish safe adhesieves.
Dave says
In reply to Max …. A small tank will do best with JUST an undergravel filter, especially with a betta. The high flow of any sump pump would drive any betta bonkers.
Skip the charcoal, it is useless.
Six guppies and a betta should be easily handled by a cut down ten gallon undergravel plate filter with a small air lift pump at one end.
Dave says
In reply to Blake The dense packing of the pot scrubbers forces a turbulent flow in the pot scrubbers so you will be just fine.
A wavemaker aimed at the surface such as to give a lot of choppy waves will help a great deal with aeration.
Dave says
In reply to Josh G …. You are 100% correct, with the caveat that it is much less important than it would seem. I doubt if you would see a performance difference between 50% to 80%
Max Besteman says
I have recently become interested in having an aquarium. I got a 1 gallon plastic tank kit from Meijer to try and save a comet gold fish i was given with no experience what so ever and it died. It was awful. I cleaned the tank and got a betta at Meijer he is half the size of the other ones that were there. Then to replace the cheap plastic tank I got a 2.5 gallon glass Top Fin tank but it needs a better filter then the jury rigged air powered tetra small internal filter from the previous kit. My Dad said to make an internal sump for it but it has a plastic bottom so I got a Marineland 5.5 gallon all glass tank 16in long by 8in wide by 9 1/2 tall . Can you Give Me advice for the filter? I want to have my Betta and a half dozen Tetras, Guppies, or something . Having the sump in the end I calculated at most 4in by 6in by 7in of water for cubic inches of 144 accounting for minus an extra inch or so of space. Or the least would be 2in x 4in x 7in =56 or 48 cu in. the rest of the sump would have a return pump or uplift tube and a heater. I was thinking of having a under gravel filter to go in the tank as well. The sizes would either be 12in x 8in =96 sq in or 14in x 8in = 112 sq in to go with the sizes of the sump. How thick should the gravel be, how much and what kind of foam should I use? How many fish can I keep with either size? I’m also thinking of using charcoal in a reusable bag in the sump with the foam. I was thinking of getting a Penn Plax 10 gallon ugf on Amazon and cutting it down to fit, what would you suggest? I actually enjoy the in depth explanations but can’t seem to figure out how to apply the math to my tank. That’s why I’m asking you because you are experienced and have done lots of testing.
Blake says
Is there any risk of me not having turbulent flow through my sump?
GPH: probably ~300
Sunk size: 40gallon
Media: packed DENSELY with pot scrubbers
The water seems quite… stagnant. It’s obviously moving through the sump because the output is putting out a lot of water. But just not sure if I have laminar flow in there due to the dense amount of pot scrubbers or lack of flow rate.
Also, would a wave maker in the sump ever help?
Josh G says
When you say “Too much K1 and the bed won’t fluidize well”. You mean it won’t move around very well? So if I see dead spots maybe try removing some?
Dave says
In reply to Josh G … Too much K1 and the bed won’t fluidize well.
Josh G says
Is there a way to tell if you put too much k1 in the fluidize bed?
Ben z says
PS, I should mention that one alternative to drilling the bottom of the tank and using standpipe, is to drill a hole at the side where you want to maintain the water level, like a bathroom sink overflow. If there’s a leak somehow, the risk of draining the tank is far far smaller. The risk of the hole clogging is the same as the risk of pvc overflows clogging.
Ben z says
When drilling a round hole through glass, depending on how thick it is, and your level of skill/comfort with specific tools, the results vary very greatly. But a few general principles apply:
1. If using a standard handheld drill and those round diamond bits, note that a drill is not a very precise tool because of the pistol grip. To hold it at a perfect 90 degree angle constantly while drilling is not easy. Couple that with a cheap diamond bit and a lack of practice… it is very hard to get a good result. If you must use a drill, splurge on a good glass drilling bit sized for your needs. The drill doesn’t matter as much as the bit.
2. An easier way, and my preferred way, is to use a circle cutting attachment with a rotary tool. Again, bit is more important than tool.
3. Measure twice, cut once. Remember that your line has a width too. If in doubt, err on the side of caution and make a smaller cut. You can always enlarge the hole, but you can’t fill it in.
4. Most importantly, remember that drilling glass isn’t like drilling wood. The bit isn’t “cutting” as much as it is chipping teeny bits of glass away with each rotation. Hence, the speed (rpm) of the tool is your friend. Do not apply downward force to make the tool go faster. You run the risk of creating a fracture that spreads out n cracks the glass. Just hold the tool in place and let it do the work. That applies to all power tools… and if it’s not doing the work, you’re using the wrong tool.
Finally, remember that the glass is turning into dust that’s floating everywhere. Wear safety goggles and respiratory protection. You wouldn’t eat glass, so don’t breathe it in.
If you’re new to this and anything above doesn’t make sense to you, then you’re probably not yet equipped to work on glass. One good way to learn is to get some scrap glass and practise outdoors until u get the hang of it. Even seasoned professionals try out on scrap when they have a new tool, bit or material.
If that all sounds too cumbersome, then just pay a professional to do it for you. At least you’ll have someone to blame if things go wrong.
Dave says
In reply to Vincent … Sounds like a valid analysis to me.
Vincent says
So I figured I would check if my understanding of Drilled vs Overflow was correct, so I figured I would ask here.
Broken into 4 catagories:
Risk of failure: If setup correctly the risk of catastrophic failure (A flood or the sump running dry) is equally zero. The lesser failures (either a leak in drilled or a syphon failure in overflow) are also very unlikely if setup correctly, user error can cause the former only once, but the latter repeatedly.
So very minor win to Drilled.
Simplicity during water change (aka idiot proofting if left in the care of another):
The nature of having multiple syphons to setup in an overflow, while drilled you just have to turn a pump and tap off, then on, means…
This category goes to drilled.
Noise: This seems highly controversial so I am guessing the answer is, “If setup correctly, its a tie.” Seriously though correct me on this.
Cost:
If doing it yourself, it seems like drilled is the cheaper option, although if something goes wrong and you crack your tank, suddenly your costs skyrocket.
If buying pre-drilled vs buying and setting up an overflow… it depends on the price of pvc, but probably goes to the overflow. Pre-drilled seems to add a serious cost, if its available at all.
Dave says
In reply to Blake ….. There are three factors of importance here surface area, dwell time, and turbulence. Surface area and turbulence are the most important. Unfortunately there is no straight forward way to calculate the efficiency of any given setup. So there is no way to answer your question. Sorry.
Dave says
In reply to Johnny …. I see no reason it shouldn’t work just fine.
Blake says
In response to the comment I just made, I now realize that the water will always have the same time through the sump unless I decrease flow rate (GPH). I guess the benefit of the multiple baffles/chambers would be that the water would be forced to pass through more bacteria. Would multiple baffles/chambers still make a sizable difference as opposed to water just taking a straight shot through the media and then back into the tank?
Blake says
Curious on everyone’s thoughts here. It seems to me like surface area of beneficial bacteria is one of the greatest factors in water quality/clarity/parameters/etc. How large of a role does time through surface area matter? If my water takes 3 minutes to run through all of the baffles and 12 sections of my hypothetical 8 foot long sump, would that be 3x better than the same amount of water going through the same amount of surface area and media but only for 1 minute?
To get a bit my specific, my sump does NOT have that many baffles or compartments and the water likely goes through quite quickly. Do I want it lingering over the surface area longer?
Johnny says
Can I use power heads in my drum filled with k1 media? I am planning to put 2 power heads at the bottom aimed directly to surface. Each power head will be 600 litres per hour. I need suggestions and modifications in this idea to improve it. Please do share.
Kenneth says
@ Vincent
I would love to have your email address.
Mine is kennethfarley3@icloud.com
All lower case letters
Vincent says
@Kenneth Seriously jealous of your Sump system. I am very tempted to do one on my own Oscar tank (especially since its not going to be an Oscar alone) but the problem is it makes water changes SLIGHTLY harder compared to a Canister. Especially since my Canister of choice has a “Press this button to prime the Canister”
Its not super significant, but last year I left my sibling in charge of my aquariums for 3 months last year and everything went perfectly as they can follow a list of instructions to do a water change.
I am not entirely sure I can trust her with priming a Sump…especially since it makes me a little nervous myself.
Ben z says
@kenneth
Ur Oscar is living a blessed life.
As for me, my tinkering with and building filter systems is directly related to my work.
In commercial outfits, there can be MBBR filters bigger than swimming pools. There the aeration needed to keep the K1 fluidised is so heavy that a human being can drown because the water isn’t dense enough to swim in. Some outfits use fluidised sand filters as deep as a house is tall. Those are scary when you see them in person.
Aquarium filters and sumps are relaxing to tinker with because they’re small. It’s all the stuff I love doing, but without the high stakes involved. I find it soothing. None of my fish have died from my “filter experiments”. Usually if they were to die premature deaths, it’s from tank mate aggression or accidental exposure to toxic aerosols floating in from outside… I did have one fish TB outbreak before in a stable tank though. Never managed to pin down a triggering factor. Well… just a fact of life. (These are all referring to my home tanks, not work)
Kenneth says
@Ben z
Oh and my 75 gallon aquarium with the 30 gallon sump ended up costing me about $2,000.
I’m disabled and on a fixed income.
Social Security disability benefits.
Thank god for the stimulus money!
Kenneth says
@ Ben z
There are more efficient filters out there but they are very labor intensive and just not suited for home aquarium use.
There for the flluidized k-1 sump is simply the best filter choice with no maintenance needed.
I think that as far as the hobby is concerned it should be that every hobbyist should strive to provide their fish with the best filter possible.. With at least 500 cubic feet of effective surface area with their chosen media per pound of fish.
When I built my 75 gallon for a single Oscar( which can live up to 15 years)during the pandemic I was lucky enough to receive all of the stimulus money here in the United States, Iwas able to buy everything I needed to build a thirty gallon fluidized sump ( 3’x1” standard Aqueon aquarium)and purchase extra equipment like the wavemakers and sump pump, uv bulbs and everything that craps out in time ,to last 15 years. That’s was before inflation hit. Lucky me!
My Oscar has a filtration system that has over 1,870 square feet of effective surface area .I am extremely pleased with how it turned out. The water is perfectly clear.
What I do alot of times is to just open the doors to the aquarium stand and watch the k-1 go round and round.
Sometimes all day.lol !
Vincent says
Hey Dave,
This might be a dumb question…
But I recently discovered that Ammonium bicarbonate (aka bakers Ammonia) was a thing and it led to two reactions…
1) PEOPLE USE AMMONIA TO MAKE COOKIES. HOW…WHY…I must do it for science.
But more relevant 2) Given Dave’s method of cycling, while VERY efficient, slowly lowers the pH, requiring the addition of Bicarb soda…
Would it be more efficient to use Ammonium bicarbonate instead of Ammonium chloride and Bicarb soda.
I am in part concerned it might become to Basic… as your rate of bicarbonate is now linked to your rate of ammonia additions, instead of what you need.
Although given your own words it would seem like even using Ammonium bicarbonate, it would still require more Bicarb soda.
Ben z says
@kenneth and @vincent
Agree with u both on the efficiency. But I think there’s no reason one can’t pursue projects simply for one’s own amusement. After all, as Dave says, if u have an idea for ur own aquarium, go for it! It might work, it might fail. But so long as ur enjoying the process, that’s a form of success in itself as far as I’m concerned. Isn’t that the definition of a hobby anyway?
In any case, I think the deepest tenet of science is… always delight in experimentation. I’ve built more filters than I can count by now. In fact I now have a workshop dedicated to that (among other things). 9 out of 10 of what I’ve tried failed, and that’s being generous. But the knowledge gained is invaluable. Even knowing that something won’t work is a form of knowledge. Not to mention, it only has to work once…
PS. Fluidised K1 isn’t necessarily the best filter. It might be for now, but that doesn’t mean that nobody will come up with something better…
Kenneth says
Foam sumps might be the second best in biofiltration, but the sump example Dave gives in the article 8.6.7. Foam sumps is by NO MEANS cheap
It calls for three pieces of foam.
A 3″ piece of poret foam that costs 72$
Two 4″ thick pieces that cost 96$ each.
For a total of 918 cubit feet of effective surface area. If one uses real Poret foam and not some crap made for furniture.
Two cubit feet of k-1 ( 1,800 cubit feet of
effective surface area.) Is 71$. that’s about 17 Oscars or 110 mbuna.
If someone wantes to waste alot of money go for the foam sump.
K-1 is so much cheaper and better than anything else why not go with a fluidized bed?
Just saying.
Vincent says
And if for some reason you don’t want a Fluidized Bed, (cost for example) the second best thing is just filling a sump full of sponge as Dave has proven beyond a doubt.
And thats probably the cheapest sump design on the market.
When the cheapest option is better then every more expensive option EXCEPT the very best option, there is no reason to mess around with anything else except for your own amusement.
Kenneth says
If someone is going to build a sump for their aquarium , RBC’s shouldn’t even considered.
There are way way better filters to consider.
An MBBR sump , or fluidized bed, is the ABSOLUTE BEST filter for any aquarium over 55 gallons.
Very easy to make and very easy to maintain.
They are Very Good.
RBC’s are just nonsense..
Ben z says
Regarding the RBC… there are a couple of “reactors” for reef tanks that can be modified to work like RBCs. Those things look like Ferris wheels. Height of the water in the sump would have to be somewhat low though. But they’re priced so absurdly that they have to outperform foam by a factor of 10 to even begin to justify the cost.
still, if one wishes to try an RBC for the heck of it, I suppose it’s easy to buy some acrylic n make your own. Could be a fun project, but in all probability it would be a very mediocre filter.
PS… apart from raw performance issues, another reason RBCs went outta vogue in water treatment and aquaculture operations was due to their sheer weight making them very energy inefficient. That, and maintenance issues, just made them impractical…
ben z says
@Dave and Kenneth
You make very valid points. For me, though, I generally just detach the powerhead from its adapter and put a new one on. That way, I don’t to disturb the lift tube. It works because I always use the same models from the same brands. In any case, the UGFs I use are from the US while the powerheads I can get are generally (I believe) sized in metric. So for me, it’s either a very loose fit, or I have to jam the adapter into the lift tube so hard that it’s welded to it for all intents and purposes. I think that’s the problem that’s plaguing Vincent – the whole metric vs inches thing. Which is why I brought up the idea of a rotary tool. That’s the best tool I’ve found for dealing with tricky aquarium DIY problems. I’ve used them to saw the legs off tees to build DIY UGFs (very fast and clean cuts!), I’ve used them to remove burrs from freshly cut PVC, I’ve used them to drill holes and cut grooves in piping. I’ve even used them to drill holes in nano tanks for experiments. They also work very well for removing silicone from old aquariums that need to be rebuilt.
@Vincent
I used to have a lot of trouble with aquarium gear that don’t fit well together. Then, late last year, when I needed to dig out my old Dremels for a non-aquarium project, it occurred to me that they’re the perfect solution to a lot of my problems. Say I wanted to drill an extra hole in an overflow intake or a spray bar, or maybe you wanted to shorten a lift tube. Normally you would have to remove it, do what you wanted to do, and then put it back. But if you have a flexible shaft, you could just lower the tank water level and do everything in place. (Just google “dremel flexible shaft”). It’s long enough that electricals won’t touch the water. I’ve even attached a soft bottle brush to it and used that to clear out clogged tubing.
The nylon brushes standard in an accessory set also make very quick work of stubborn algae on aquarium ornaments. For the clean freaks among us, that means no more elbow grease or harsh chemicals.
A full kit with hundreds of accessories from a generic manufacturer costs something like $20 on amazon. It’s a pittance compared to what we pay for overpriced aquarium gear.
Dave says
In reply to Kenneth … I agree with you. I only use a wrap or two to good old duct tape to give my powerheads a snug fit. This insures I can easily replace the powerhead when it craps out (something which they all do, frequently!)
Dave says
In reply to Rahul …. On the surface it sound like a good idea. But hooking up the electricals to make the whole thing turn dependably will be a nightmare. And again, this was a short lived blip in the waste treatment rapporteur. It just isn’t all that effective even when a good lift system is designed,
Dave says
In reply to Johnny ….. Lights form the basis of a food chain that ultimately ends up being a healthier aquarium. So while lights aren’t necessary in a fish only aquarium they do make for a better aquarium.
Kenneth says
@ Ben z
Epoxy is a bad idea.
powerheads usually crap out after a year or two and having one glued to the lift tube is problematic because you will have to replace the power head eventually.. and if your power head is glued to the lift tube you would have to remove the lift tube with the powerhead attached and then the gravel will fall down into the UGF plate. That will be a real problem.
Johnny says
Okay…a simple and silly question comes…
Is light necessary for fish only tank? I turn on my lights only at the time of feeding.
Rahul Bhandari says
@Dave I was planning to DIY a rotating biological contactor without media supports used in wastewater. I was planning on either stuffing loofahs/mbbr media/bioballs into a mesh tube similar to a rotisserie oven box . Alternatively closely spaced round matala filter media or some other similar mesh/foam. I figured it could get more surface area since half the media is outside the sump and I wouldn’t need to deal with aeration because half of it is in air. It takes just under 30% of the volume of my sump with the other half outside the water. I could probably fill another 30% with static media or with mbbr media.
Ben z says
@vincent, Kenneth and rahul
It just goes to show that there are 101 ways to patch a hole or seal a gap…
For me, epoxy is the only thing I would use, because gaps between the powerhead and the lift tube have to be really big for it to be a problem for me. Plus, I like epoxy putty because it can be molded to shape, painted over, drilled, sanded… it’s the dream play-doh I never got the chance to play with as a kid (not that you should be giving that stuff to a kid…).
Anyway, @vincent, with so many suggestions, I think u can just glue the powerhead onto the tube with whichever option u prefer rather than go hunting for fittings. LOL. Btw, do note that if ur ever going to use rotary tools, or any sort of power tools, for aquarium DIY, get a dust mask/respirator and safety glasses. Or better, a full face shield. Anything that cuts by spinning at high speed is hazardous.
Rahul Bhandari says
I used hot glue to seal and hold the uplift tube to both my powerhead and undergravel plates. It’s not a strong hold like epoxy and is easily removable, but it was easy and holds well enough that I don’t need to worry about the powerhead being accidentally knocked down. I’ve been using 3 in. white pool filter sand and covered the filter plates with sediment filter geotextile (the stuff used for French drains). I’ve been running for about 6 months so far. No idea if I’ll eventually run into the problem of the sediment filter getting plugged up or the like. I dug down to take a look last week and it looked clean. If it does plug, my hope/plan is to vacuum it in small sections over a few months. I also have oase biomaster canister filter. The powerhead is pushing most of the detritus and fish poop towards the intake so the sand doesn’t look dirty. I haven’t vacuumed, but I need to clean the canister prefilter every 2 weeks.
Kenneth says
The easiest way to make a tighter fit for powerheads is to just wrap the part of the power head that slips down into the lift tube with some wraps around it with teflon tape. EASY .
And its simple to remove if need be
Ben z says
@Vincent, another pro DIY aquarium tip I don’t usually share.
Get yourself a dremel style rotary tool. Once you learn how to use one well… you’ll realise every DIY task for aquariums becomes much much easier. For instance, your current dilemma can easily be fixed by getting smaller fittings and using grinding bits to enlarge them to fit your powerhead. Conversely, you might be able to “downsize” your powerhead adapter, depending on the model.
Drilling holes in pipes, sawing legs off tees… everything DIY that Dave has mentioned on the site can be VERY easily accomplished with a rotary tool. Even cleaning white deposits off old glass aquariums becomes very easy, because you can get abrasive buffing attachments with five-digit grits if you wanted.
Cheap rotary tool sets are a dime a dozen on any e-commerce site. Start with a $20 5V tool and practise on scrap. Once you get the hang of it, I recommend the Bosch 12V battery operated tool with a flexible shaft. You’ll be amazed at how easy aquarium DIY becomes.
Aquarium DIY is a nightmare with anything bigger than a rotary tool. With the exception of drilling big holes in glass tanks. Even then, I would prefer to use a mounted, stationary die grinder.
Just to note… power drills are not suited for most aquarium DIY work. Their pistol grip makes them very imprecise. Just sayin, in case someone thinks, oh I have a drill why don’t I just use that… bad idea. That’s not what drills are for.
Ben z says
@vincent
Dave is right. My powerheads are all “loosely fitted” on the lift tubes.
But if you’re adamant about a tight fit, or if the gap is too large, use some sort of epoxy. Just be prepared to cut/sand it off if you ever want to separate them. If u go this route, I recommend selley’s knead it range. It has always served me well.
Or you could go with those self fusing silicone tapes if you want an easy solution. (Honestly there are 101 ways to seal a gap…)
By the way, epoxy works great for fixing broken powerhead impellers too. Silicone grease won’t seal your gap, but a dap of that stuff on the impeller bushings will keep ur powerheads humming very smoothly. Make sure to use the expensive food grade stuff though. Some stuff that’s labelled “silicone grease” isn’t as friendly to fish.
Johnny says
Hi Dave. I have got an aquarium which is 1 year old. At the beginning I inoculated it with pond mud, garden soil and existing filter gunk. For filtration I use under gravel filter with two uplift tubes and small power heads. Since I set up the tank a year ago, I haven’t cleaned anything except front glass and side glasses for algae. The tank is full of thick brown gunk and algae on ornaments. Currently it houses 5 parrot cichlids, 2 oscars and 2 severums, each having size about 4 to 5 inches. In ugf I have used 1mm to 2mm gravel or coarse sand as media which still isn’t plugged a bit. Feeding includes small amount of dry pellets once a day or on alternative days. I was thinking to send you some pictures and if they seem appropriate, you could put them on the site. Just a foot note, I haven’t faced any fish death since I set up this tank. All the fish were 2-3 inches when I bought them and now they are 4 to 5 inches. To don’t over complicate this hobby, I made it as simple as possible.
Thank you.
Dave says
In reply to Rahul … There is no design that I am aware of for a rotating biological contactor for the home aquarium. I guess you could build your own but it’s efficiency will be only 20% to 60% of an MBBR with considerable deviation. The design just proved very undependable for sewage treatment. I imagine the same thing holds for aquariums.
Dave says
In reply to Vincent … One of the beauties of an undergravel with a powerhead is that the powerhead can be a leaky joint without any problem. 90to 99% of the flow will still be through the gravel,
Vincent says
I thought I was done then I went to the hardware store today.
So I brought some low power (4.8W, 300l/h max with adjustable flow) powerheads off Amazon, and went to the hardware store to figure out how to connect them to the Undergravel filter.
And I feel like I am missing something.
The BEST fitting I found was the 19mm to 13mm Barbed reducer joint, with the 19mm end JUST fitting inside the uplift tube (not over the barb obviously, just the 1cm bit before the barb) and the 13mm end fitting over the powerhead’s own barbed fitting.
Alternatively I had the 20mm BSP to 13mm barb where the 20mm BSP end fit over the uplift tube (although somewhat more loosely then I would like.) and the 13mm barb fit over the powerhead’s own barb. Somehow despite the fact that both are 13mm, this one felt slightly looser on the Powerhead, probably due to internal differences.
But I am left with 2 questions…
1) Do I need to install O-rings, glue or something? Because I look at the setup and go, “Why would the water flow through the gravel, when it could flow through the gaps in the uplift tube. They are tight gaps, but they are there.
2)Is their a better way to do this, cause I feel like their should be a better way to do this then find a fitting that is kinda close but still not correct and just hope.
Rahul Bhandari says
Would a rotating biological contactor be as efficient as mbbr? It seems it could be very quiet. Are there any big downsides?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotating_biological_contactor
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/10/1913
Dave says
In reply to vincent ….. 1, used crushed coral in a bag in the filter you’ll need to get the hardness above what holey rock will do 2, Use pond mud then fenbendazole and praziquantel 3, I’ve been changing around the toxicities, including “No planaria”, based on the latest I can find.
Vincent says
Actually one more question, but less important.
I just noticed on your planaria page your guide for killing them has gone from ‘ No-planaria is the extract of a betel nut and only paralyzes the planaria.’ to ‘No-planaria is the extract of a betel nut and kills only planaria.’
Is this a result of new information or is it more a case that if you paralyzes anything for long enough it dies of starvation eventually?
Vincent says
Okay two final questions then I think I am happy to progress with my new Shrimp Aquarium… well at least beginning to set it up.
1)You suggest adding crushed coral to the substrate to buffer the tank, and I am instead planning to add some Texas Holey rock to the tank as decoration (as the shrimp crawling over and through the holes seems like it would be pretty.) Melbourne water is also VERY soft (the mean from tests near me last year was 17mg/L, and city wide only 2 locations had above 25mg/L Mean last year.)
So it seems FAIRLY unlikely that just adding a piece of Holey rock could make the tank pass 15dGH, given the pH is usually close to neutral.
Still, how closely should I monitor hardness while growing the algae for the shrimp?
2)Almost every cycling guide I have read from you recommends pond mud inoculation to kickstart the ecosystem. When setting up a tank that will one day be a shrimp tank do you still suggest the same? I am just concerned that if I go to the local creek and grab some pond mud from the water, I am inviting Planaria into the aquarium.
So in this case, is garden soil a better choice, OR will it likewise potentially contain planaria?
And if thats the case do you skip the inoculation entirely for a tank you know will be for shrimp… or do you dose Pond mud and let the fenbendazole/praziquantel do their job?
Dave says
In reply to Vincent … Three small heaters unplugged during summer should be just fine.
Rahul Bhandari says
@Dave I think you’re right I’m going to need a lot of plants, and I’ll retire filtration systems slowly. There’s a need for solid wastes in the system so my concern is the undergravel is gonna significantly reduce the amount that’s available for the sandponics. This paper suggests significantly higher plant growth compared to DWC aquaponics systems https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-15291-7
@Vincent I think you identified the massive downside. The sand volume. It looks like there’s 2x volume of sand necessary to volume of water. 4x or more growbed size makes sense. I think the water cloudiness may be due to clays left in the soil and lack of
powerheads pushing wastes accumulating to a pump. The system in the video is also optimized for cost and food production instead of being decorative.
I’m going to test system out as just an addition to my pleco and oscar tank, and slowly remove other filtration systems. I’m going to build this as shelves and have beds perform double duty as terrariums.
I think an ESP32 microcontroller with reefpi could work well managing pumps, lighting, feed, and fill sensors as well as logging results.
Brad - UK says
@Vincent
As always, I will defer to Dave, but here is my personal view.
I have only two heaters in my 25G aquarium – three in 100 litres of water would be too much, despite the recommendation based on Daves’s data. The heaters are also slightly oversized compared to what Dave suggests, so I do run a higher risk of ‘over-cooking’.
However, I have purchased an Inkbird (temp monitor and controller), which adds additional protection from heating issues. i.e. it alarms you with temperature issues (Internet connected) and can also cut the power to heaters if set up that way. Using this method, I have been able to reduce the heaters, but also add further protection from low and high heating excursions.
Thanks,
Brad
Vincent says
Hey Dave,
So a big part of where I am in the hobby now is the redundancy part. I have known for a while I SHOULDN’T run tanks on 1 heater, but its harder to invest the extra money when just starting out.
But now I am confident moving forward and investing a bit more…So I went back to your heating article.
The 20 Gallon Aquarium is in a fairly rough spot at trying to maintain a constant temperature, requiring 3 heaters. But as you stated repeatedly, its less important that the temperature is constant and more important it doesn’t drop below 18.
UNFORTUNATELY, my house is known to drop to 12C during the coldest parts of the year….
So with a willingness to accept temperature variations and knowing I unplug my heaters in the summer (so the risk of cooking is REDUCED, but not entirely zero)
How would you suggest I heat a 20 Gallon Aquarium?
Dave says
In reply to Rahul …. Any type of aquaponics CAN remove nitrogenous waste as long as there are a whole lot of plants and only a few fish. A better idea is to leave the undergravel in place and add aquaponics purely to clean the nitrogen from the water.
Vincent says
@Rahul Bhandari
I’d wait for Dave for a full reply to this but this is my analysis.
Based on the “MyAquaponics” Youtube channel who seem to be the main people covering this this is an INSANELY large sand filter. (If I am wrong about what you are refering to, you can ignore the rest of this comment)
Like in every shown instance the aquaponics Growbeds are MANY times larger total volume then the Aquarium. At least 4x times the size.
They also do not pump the water through the sand, but instead pump it into the growbed, and then let gravity (Which is why its CRITICAL the beds are perfectly flat) create a current from one side of the bed to the other.
This video specifically mentions the Sand needs 3 specific conditions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4InbvBNnTlI
1)Negligable Clay due to washing.
2)No Carbonates
3) A sand Percolation test should be preformed to make sure the flow rate through the sand will be similar to a pump, so the bed doesn’t overflow.
These are all to make sure the sand NEVER clogs.
Meanwhile the depictions of the water don’t show it particular clear… at all
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGJyB3KAufI (among others)
I am sure the fish are healthy. Green water doesn’t usually hurt fish. But I wouldn’t want my Aquarium looking like that.
If you want an Aquaponics system… this is fine I guess. I don’t know enough about it, but I imagine covering the water with sand will decrease evaporation compared to a standard aquaponics setup.
But Dave has an article on Sand Filters and why they are NOT common in the hobby at all here. (https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/8-7-1-sand-filters/).
The Sandponics people have overcome the problems in this article because they aren’t keeping and Aquarium with a small filter. They are keeping a garden with a small aquarium fertilizing unit.
As Dave has said many times before…. in filtration volume is king, and thus if your filter is bigger then your aquarium you are clearly aren’t going to have to worry clogging.
Rahul Bhandari says
Hi Dave,
I just recently learnt about sandponics/ and I’m planning to replace my under gravel filtration with sandponics. Any ideas on how effectively it can remove nitrogenous waste?
Dave says
In reply to Vincent …. “Correlation does not imply causation”. I deliberately left out some of Dr. Barr’s recommendations with regard to algae. I wish it were that simple. It is not that simple! Algae can be controlled by having very good plant growth. Beyond that simple statement all advice is anecdotal at best, even if it comes from Dr. Barr.
Dave says
In reply to Vincent … IN THEORY a powerhead will tear up some shrimp. So , IN THEORY, one shouldn’t use powerheads with shrimp. Shrimp will be found on the underside of any shrimp undergravel filter set-up. But I know of no good way to test the destructive power of a magnetic powerhead motor. So I would use air operated lifts on the shrimp undergravel filter just to be safe.
Vincent says
I hate to double post but I figured I would ask…
Is there a reason that a powerhead UGF shouldn’t be used on a Shrimp tank?
Are the shrimplets small enough to move through the gravel bed? Or is this purely precautionary?
Vincent says
You show great respect for Dr. Tom Barr, even if you don’t follow his methods (due to the sheer amount of work EI involve) but I am curious of your opinions about his beliefs around BBA.
While the most detailed list of his opinions of it can be found here:
https://barrreport.com/articles/the-freshwater-red-algae-rhodophyta-volume-3-issue-3.30/
The basic summery is this:
In a high tech tank, if you have a BBA bloom, the most likely cause is a CO2 issue. This is why as High tech tanks have become more common, so has BBA and especially extreme blooms rather then a bit here and there.
In a low tech tank, its likely a sign of high Dissolved Inorganic Carbon, unless you have overstocked OR have recently disturbed the sediment without a followup water change, in which case NH4 and Urea maybe potentially causal factors.
This somewhat reflects my own experience….in that reducing food feeding and improving its quality in my first tank killed off the BBA, while the increase in feeding in my breeding tank has slowly led to a bloom of BBA (although the causation there could also be explained by the breeding Hillstream Loaches eating the other kinds of Algae, thus reducing competition for the BBA.)
Dave says
In reply to Brad Last comment form you was on the discus filtration page about a “no water change” discus tank. I answered in that it was a combination of plant trimmings and zeolite which enabled this youtuber to do what he did. No problem.
ben z says
@Vicca
The Secret History Living in Your Aquarium YouTube channel has some really nice videos featuring pea puffers with other fish. IMO the best resources for finding out things about specific fish species are things like photos and videos. Forums can be full of ppl parroting (contradictory) opinions but photos/videos are the best proof you can get from the net on whether something CAN work.
I’ve kept all sorts of puffers and mixed them with all sorts of fish. My two cents’ worth is… pea puffers are like teenagers, they need their space and their “privacy”, or else they’ll fight. So, the usual stocking density rules don’t apply very well to them. And, it goes without saying, but they don’t do well with fish that are much larger. They’ll get eaten.
May I also recommend the fish writeup on aquariumglaser’s site? They’re usually quite reliable for the “oddball” species.
Brad - UK says
Hi Dave,
Hope you are well?
Posted a few questions of late but not heard from you. Not sure whether you get alerts for other comments on other pages or I have really, really upset you! (Which I hope I have not!!).🙁
Not hassling, just wanted to check in!
Thanks,
Brad
Dave says
In reply to Vicca ….. Go up on forums dedicated to the fish you want and ask questions. It is basically all you have.
Dave says
Ben z. I have no experience or knowledge about wood tanks. Sorry.
Vicca says
Hi!
Im wondering if you have any good resources for finding out more about certain fish? Im really interested in adding a pea puffer to one of my already established tanks, or possibly to my 20gal when i get that set up. Im finding all sorts of conflicting information about what fish they can be housed with, what kind of habitat they like ect. Ive found your site to be extremely helpful, this is my 3rd go at fish keeping and I already have 2 aquariums going and thriving and 2 more that ill be setting up soon.
Ben z says
@Dave
I want to build a wooden tank to use as a large sump. It’s much cheaper for me to get my hands on raw lumber/plywood planks than to get glass or plastic for the size I’m envisioning. So I’m thinking I’ll glue the planks into boards, and then build it from there. The question I have is: what adhesives should I use for gluing the boards n waterproofing the whole thing? There are plenty of waterproof glues and such out there, but which would you use and why? Your articles on pvc joints, silicones and o-ring grease helped us out a lot – could you tell us more about glues? What’s the best balance between cost, longevity, strength, flexibility, and toxicity to fish/invertebrates?
Thanks!
PS. The skills and tools needed to actually build the thing are all available.
Gareth Morgan-Pugh says
Hello, I have cycled my Aquarium and finally got fish in there. Wanted to reach out and say thank you for your amazing website. I have spent hours reading all the information and returning to it time and again.
I enjoy the different level approach as well and the honest opinion you give.
Tim says
@Dave
Is the miracle gro all purpose solution suitable as root food?
I could put the solution in a gel capsule?
Dave says
In reply to Keith ……….. Sounds like a great setup. Go for it. Just change the “five levels of filtration” to a canister filled with only one media: 30 ppi foam, K1 media or plastic pot scrubbers.
Keith says
First of all I have been trying to digest as much info from this site as I can and it’s a beast. So thank you for taking the time to put this all out there.
I just wanted to see if I could get your input about setting up a 75g peacock tank. I would love to keep it energy efficient and quiet. So I’ve been leaning on the UGF with power heads and a canister optimized with K1 and pot scrubbers. Ideally an aquael ultra max with 5 levels of filtration. Would this be a solid way to start up a tank and maintain the proper biological filtration and clarity? Thanks for any insight!
Regards,
Keith
Dave says
In reply to Bill ….. If you have four weeks without a disease symptom the bacteria should be reduced to “non-pathogenic” levels and you should be safe with new additions.
Bill Walker says
Hi Dave, I have a well established planted 15 gallon with 10 cardinal tetras and a betta. Oversized canister running for about 3 years with lots of bio-filtration and clear water. In a short time, 5 of the tetras died, and the betta does not look good. I am treating with Kordon Ich Plus because it did resemble Ich, but really think it is epistylis based on your descriptions. Unfortunately, they stopped eating so the antibiotic won’t work. At this point, it isn’t looking good. My question at this point is if the remaining fish die, and I completely re-scape the tank (which I wanted to do anyway), is it a problem re-using the filter / biomedia and some of the plants in the new setup? Not sure how whatever they have spreads. As always thanks for your advice.
Dave says
In reply to BrentL ….. 1, Yes it is the same stuff. 2, Powder in both the water and the food. But only the size of a poppy seed in two tablespoons of food. 3, Praziquantel won’t kill bacteria
Ben z says
@Vincent and
You are 100% right regarding loaches. And 100% right regarding how a lot of people don’t appreciate the climate variation in tropical regions. Altitude matters! Some highlands along the equator have average daytime temperatures around 16C to 18C. Whereas temperatures can easily reach 35C in sea-level cities. Now consider the fact that rivers, almost by definition, flow downhill.
I’ve visited a couple of their native rivers. Conditions there are sometimes as you describe. Of course, I can’t speak for all species. But the fact is fish are far more hardy in this respect than the internet thinks.
As a sidenote, a lot of rooted aquarium plants are only partially submerged in nature. Water levels rise n fall. That’s how they are able to thrive in turbulent river waters that have close to no CO2. The jungle humidity keeps their leaves moist enough too.
Similarly, arums can do well in aquariums if their leaves are above water while their roots are in the substrate. That is actually how a lot of them live in the wild. I also have arums in pots of water around the house. They do very well if I add some gravel and lava rock from my tanks to their containers. Well enough to need monthly pruning anyway. I would say that adding terrestrial tropical plants to an aquarium in this fashion is something that is fun to try and can work well, as long as relative humidity levels are not too low. If the air is dry, that’s a different story.
BrentL says
Dave,
Thanks for your suggestion. I’m gonna give Praziquantel a try. My ammonia now reads 0.25ppm. It seems that the meds I put in 3 days (Seachem NeoPlex + SulfaPlex) ago affected my filter bacteria count.
Followup questions please:
1. The brands mentioned on your page appear to be in shortage, either with a huge premium or not available. Therefore I searched for alternatives and found a 100% pure Praziquantel on Amazon by the brand name: WholesaleKoiFarm Praziquantel. I suppose that works just as well?
2. Should I put the powder in both the water and food? For food, what would be a good dosage for 100% pure Praziquantel powder?
3. Would Praziquantel kill filter bacteria, in theory? I’ve learned so far that Seachem antibiotics (NeoPlex, SulfaPlex, especially KanaPlex) kills filter bacteria 🙂
Much appreciated!
Brent
Dave says
1)
concerns pH value in a high-tech aquarium:a)
This should fluctuate between 6.4 and 7.4 in the water column for all the nutrients to be properly absorbed? The trace elements would prefer an acidic and the minerals alkaline pH?The pH in a high tech planted tank will fluctuate all over the map depending on the time of day. Don’t worry about it. Most plant like 6.0 to 7.5 after a period of at least 8 hours of darkness.b)
same for the bottom? (I have inert gravel of 1-2mm)Same for the bottom. Do not worry about it.2)
concerns phosphate in a high-tech aquarium:a)
What are the ideal values (mg/liter) in the water column. My kh is 3 and ph around 6.6?No idea of the ideal for phosphorus or iron.Aren’t phosphate and iron dissolved in an all-in-one liquid plant food?Many all in one plant foods do put iron with phosphorus. This simply doesn’t work, even if the iron is chelated. Highly insoluble iron phosphates are formed, especially at high pH.b)
Can a gelatin capsule filled with potassium phosphate powder be placed in the inert gravel together with a gelatin capsule filled with iron powder?No, if placed in close proximity the two cancel each other out by the formation of highly insoluble iron phosphates.Don’t these dissolve each other?
c)
what chemical composition do I use for potassium phosphate powder and iron powder?For phosphate in root tabs I prefer calcium dihydrogen phosphate, available from the internet. While the calcium hydrogen phosphates are preferred here, this can be any phosphate salt, including dipotassium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, and diammonium phosphate. The iron can be ferrous sulfate, chelated iron, iron fillings or cut up iron wool pads.3)
Can all (tropical) swamp plants ultimately adapt to underwater culture?NO. a large number of plants sold for aquariums will NEVER grow well underwater.Can they all absorb nutrition through the leaves so that adding nutrition to the gravel ultimately becomes unnecessary?It all depends on the plants. Some prefer to absorb through the roots and some prefer to absorb through the leaves.4)
What could be the cause of the new leaves of aquarium plants starting to curl? You will come across many stories on the internet.No idea.5)
concerns an oil-absorbing substrate:a)
Aren’t nutrients lost into the water column when I pull out plants?Yes, small amounts go into the water column.b)
What are the considerations if I buy one?Make sure it is fused clay or zeolite6)
Is it possible to provide an ingredient list of the miracle-gro all purpose, NPK 24-8-16 (soluble powder) for a high-tech aquarium? Usage advice as on the website?I do not know what the exact formulation isT
his would probably need extra potassium and magnesium?Yes it would need extra potassium. Magnesium is going to depend on the amount in the tap water.On your website there is one for a standard planted aquarium, I think.Yes there is one that add only potassium sulfate to Miracle Gro.7) At what time is it best to add plant food in a high-tech aquarium?
8)
Does it offer added value to install an oxidizer in a high-tech aquarium?No oxidators are worthless. I have an article on them somewhere in the site. https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/16-2-7-chihiros-doctor/Tim says
@Dave and…
1) concerns pH value in a high-tech aquarium:
a) This should fluctuate between 6.4 and 7.4 in the water column for all the nutrients to be properly absorbed? The trace elements would prefer an acidic and the minerals alkaline pH?
b) same for the bottom? (I have inert gravel of 1-2mm)
2) concerns phosphate in a high-tech aquarium:
a) What are the ideal values (mg/liter) in the water column. My kh is 3 and ph around 6.6? Aren’t phosphate and iron dissolved in an all-in-one liquid plant food?
b) Can a gelatin capsule filled with potassium phosphate powder be placed in the inert gravel together with a gelatin capsule filled with iron powder?
Don’t these dissolve each other?
c) what chemical composition do I use for potassium phosphate powder and iron powder?
3) Can all (tropical) swamp plants ultimately adapt to underwater culture?
Can they all absorb nutrition through the leaves so that adding nutrition to the gravel ultimately becomes unnecessary?
4) What could be the cause of the new leaves of aquarium plants starting to curl? You will come across many stories on the internet.
5) concerns an oil-absorbing substrate:
a) Aren’t nutrients lost into the water column when I pull out plants?
b) What are the considerations if I buy one?
6) Is it possible to provide an ingredient list of the miracle-gro all purpose, NPK 24-8-16 (soluble powder) for a high-tech aquarium? Usage advice as on the website?
This would probably need extra potassium and magnesium?
On your website there is one for a standard planted aquarium, I think.
7) At what time is it best to add plant food in a high-tech aquarium?
8) Does it offer added value to install an oxidizer in a high-tech aquarium?
thank you in advance
Dave says
In reply to BrentL ….. 1, Sounds like a fluke infection. Treat with Praziquantel. 2, Raising the temperature won’t help 3, Don’t overthink the haziness. It could simply be that most medications are insoluble powders which form a milky suspension in water.
BrentL says
Hi Dave,
My tank is having a disease outbreak. The tank (180g rainbowfish only) is couple years old, had been mostly problem free, has a continuous drift water change system, and a large sump filled with 160+ pot scrubbers, and a UV light running 24/7. For unknown reasons, 3-4 of my fish are sick, lost 1 fish already, others are probably also infected. They act like trying to cough up some stringy clear mucous from mouth, sometimes dart around suddenly as if there is something irritating and settles down after a minute, but no other visible external signs/wounds. It is different than the hexamita symptoms I had experienced before. I know identifying a disease over the internet is difficult, but I thought to ask in case you have seen such conditions.
I’m feeding the whole tank pellets mixed with antibiotic (KanaPlex). I also tried adding MetroPlex to the mix, but fish won’t eat the food, probably too bitter. So, I’m sticking with the antibiotic only, thinking it’s better than nothing. Since a few fish are not eating and I was concerned about the disease spreading (and it is), I also treated the water with Seachem’s NeoPlex and SulfaPlex, hoping to kill off the bacteria/parasite in the water column.
So, I have several questions:
1. Would you think this is likely a bacteria infection or a parasitic infection?
2. Is raising the temperature going to help?
3. After dosing the meds in the water column, my tank is little hazy after 3 days. The meds probably killed off some of my autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria in the filter. This is surprising: I thought a mature filter shouldn’t be affected by the meds. Regardless, I’m interested in learning about the underlying biological process causing this haziness. Is it because some auto and hetero bacteria are dead, and therefore not enough of them to consume the nutrients? So what I’m seeing is the newly formed hetero bacteria feeding on the nutrients in the water column? Or is the haziness the dead bacteria? If the meds kill the “good” bacteria, should it also kill any other bacteria in the water column, and therefore the water should remain clear??
Thanks in advance for any advise. Hope all is well!
Brent
Dave says
Tim … abnormally long internodes are generally associated with low light conditions.
Tim says
@Dave and…
Why do aquarium plants sometimes get long internodes, such as Limnophila aquatica?
Dave says
In reply to Joost …. The substrate doesn’t “get richer”. Rather it becomes more mature. The more mature a substrate the better plants like it. https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/2-14-the-mature-aquarium/
Dave says
In reply to Tim …. Green algae will jump start a cycle a little bit but brown gunk from a filter is better.
Tim says
@Dave,
concerns algae on the back and side walls:
Can I then conclude that I can put a piece of that algae between the filter medium of a new biological filter before starting a new plant aquarium? (aquarium cycling)
Joost says
The father fish method of keeping plants and fish intriges me : the substrates seems to get richer after 1 or 2 years with nutrients without putting new fertilizer in the tank.
Dave says
In reply to Tim ……. Emphatically yes and yes. The microorganisms in any wall of algae form an important part of the ecology of a typical mature aquarium.
Tim says
@Dave and
In my adult, richly planted aquarium, I have virtually no visible algae formation on my plants, but my back and side walls are FULL of algae.
Do useful micro-organisms develop on the algae-covered walls? Do the algae-covered walls function as a useful natural filter, also with the help of the water flow in the aquarium?
(I hope this is translated correctly by Google Translate)
Dave says
In reply to Tim …. Shrimp will scavenge and eat small dead fish. If the aquarium is mature one can push a small fish into the substrate where it will harmlessly decompose. I wouldn’t recommend doing that for any dead fish over two inches. ALL aquarium filtration schemes CAN be overloaded and the biological balance disturbed. Dan Hiteshew had a four inch fish die in his 120 gallon without him noticing and it almost killed off his tank.
Tim says
@Dave and…
Concerns a stable, richly planted aquarium:
1: Can a (small) dead fish in the aquarium be eaten by a large group of shrimps?
2: Can a dead fish digest naturally in the aquarium without the help of shrimp, for example?
3: Is the biological balance disturbed?
Vincent says
@Ben Z
Agreed on the temperature thing. People really don’t understand how much variation their is in tropical climates, EVEN IF on average its more stable then the temperate zone. And they also don’t appreciate how slowly a box of water warms and cools.
I regularly turn my Heaters off in the Summer, because Melbourne doesn’t get cold enough inside to harm the fish.
Funnily enough its not Tropical or even cold water keepers I have had the biggest problem with accepting that the enviroment isn’t as stable as we think.
Its Hillstream Loach keepers.
“They have to be in fast flowing water”
No, they don’t. Have you not heard of the Dry season? Most Hillstream Loaches go through periods of low flow. SOME need high oxygen levels due to the amount of waterfalls, but flow isn’t important.
And even then only some. Some rivers stop flowing entirely in the dry and those loaches have adapted to that water as well.
“They need cool tropical temperatures (20-24C) because they can’t handle the heat.”
No, they do not. Again during the dry the water flow stops and the temperature goes up. Also the Wet, is still hot outside the water, and these fish are famous for being able to climb waterfalls… If they are climbing a waterfall on a 30C day they are GOING to get warm.
Its insane to me that they KNOW Clown loachs live in the same rivers as Hillstream Loaches do in the Dry and then migrate to the lowlands in the wet…
Yet Clown Loaches need to be kept in really hot water, and Hillstream Loaches need to be kept in the opposite.
Dave says
In reply to Tim …. Yes, I would keep both rasters in place just to keep the flow even across the whole unit. It is probably important with 100% foam and K1 and not so important with 100% pot scrubbers.
Tim says
additional information from below:
https://eheim.com/en_GB/aquatics/technology/external-filters/classic/classic-600
Tim says
@Dave and…
I have another question regarding filling the canister filter (eheim 2217 classic 600) completely with plastic pot scrubbers:
Do the supplied raster still need to be placed back in the filter (1 for the bottom and 1 for the top)?
https://www.olibetta.be/nl-BE/eheim/raster-2217?sai=5675&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIisqy5-vXgwMVCheiAx2zngxpEAQYASABEgKqCvD_BwE
ben z says
@vincent
i’ll keep a lookout for tea tree oil or stuff like that. Thankfully i have very good DIY skills. And I get the need for building insulation and such in temperate climates. I’ve lived in places where pipes regularly burst in winter.
Further to what you said about the heating and cooling in Australia… I agree with u 100% that it’s really dumb.
Anyway, as far as fishkeeping logistics goes… i would say that both my world is just too different from yours and Dave’s. I never need aquarium heaters, for instance.
Since we’re on the topic of temperatures, I wanna add that Dave is absolutely right on the “right” temperatures for tropical fish in his article on water temperatures. (https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/4-2-aquarium-temperatures/) Take loaches for instance. The temperatures of their native waters can dip quite “low” in monsoon seasons (20C or lower), and go to 30C or higher in the warmer months. This is especially true for higher altitudes. Day/night temperature variations can be quite wide too. So it’s 100% true that tropical fish do NOT need temperatures to be closely held. 70F (21C) is perfectly acceptable. Warmer temps are needed only if u want to breed them.
Anonymous says
@Ben
I mean the Tea Tree oil idea should still work. Although their maybe a local anti-fungal oil that would be better.
So to be clear, until very recently evaporatives weren’t popular in Australia either. When a strong La Nina rocks around, humidity can skyrocket and thus lead to quite tropical like conditions even in Melbourne. (40C and 85% humidity is fun for no one)
Sadly, it wasn’t actually illegal, just ill advised. So have 10 years of low rainfall due to strong El Ninos and weak La Nina and no one remembered the disadvantages. So builders sold them as the ‘cheaper alternative to AC’
This has started to go really badly for everyone involved EXCEPT the builders, and my hope is that with the phasing out of gas heating it should be the final deathknell for evaporative coolers in Australia.
Its essentially impossible to justify Heatpump heating and evaporative cooling.
And trust me, I get that we live in different worlds… its just my world is SOMEWHAT closer to yours then Dave’s is.
The US and EU has snow, and thus proper insulation and humidity management are critical, unless you want people dying and building suffering structural damage from water freezing solid and expanding stuff you don’t want expanded.
Tim says
@Dave and @Vincent
Thanks for your answer.
Ben z says
@vincent
I forgot to add that in true tropical climates like mine, housing is deliberately designed such that air flows freely between the indoors and outdoors, unless you close all the windows and doors. Which you won’t do if ur AC is off, bcoz it will be stifling.
Virtually all residential AC units over here are split units. Compressor hangs outside, and powers the individual fan units, usually one to each room. We are grilled from young to close the door and window when AC is on to save electricity. In the same vein, it’s virtually unheard of to cool the whole house. Generally ppl only switch on the AC in their bedrooms when going to bed.
N unless ur a millionaire who can afford to build ur own house, all electricity is bought from the grid. Tariffs are near an all time high now.
Ben z says
@vincent
In Singapore, external humidity is constantly high. 80% is considered very rare. Right now it’s 97%, for instance. And it’s 24C, which is as “cold” as it is possible to reach.
There is no appreciable difference between indoor and outdoor humidity unless you keep your AC on 24/7. First, on the topic of AC. All air conditioning units in Singapore are heat pumps, except that the manufacturers removed the heating function. Nobody in their right mind has “evaporative AC” units. The term AC over here has only one meaning.
As for insulation and such. Just for some context… Insulation of the home is irrelevant over here because over 85% of the population lives in high rise housing built and sold by the government. You can’t even make any changes to your windows if it detracts from the “uniform look” of the building. That’s how little you can customise ur home. So, as far as insulation from the elements goes,you get what you get. A “house” in the usual sense of the word, where u have your own yard, costs something like 3 million at minimum. Our currencies are roughly at parity. So… some parts of ur comments are simply inapplicable to me. But I wish they were!!! Haha
I would also add… Everytime I hear about “make sure your xxx is to code” I get a bit wistful. Over here, we never have to worry about things like that. Over here, “make sure xx is to code” simply means “pay a professional engineer a four figure fee to certify to the government that no regulatory filings are required.”
We live in very different worlds bro…
Dave says
In reply to Tim …. TDS is unimportant in all aquariums.
Vincent says
@Tim,
So I am going to take a risk and somewhat pre-empt Dave here with the answer, “No…”
Most ferts will increase your TDS meter’s reading, (as it measures dissolved ionic solids for the most part) and thus ignoring every other lifeform in the tank and only focusing on the plant part…
A theoretical minimum TDS would be the value that equaled the amount of nutrients that the plants in your aquarium would use between doses.
This depends on to many factors to count (Type of plants, amount of plants, lights, and CO2, any interactions between molecules that increase or decrease a plants growth, amount of nutrients added by food, amount of nutrients your animals need, etc, etc) and so is essentially impossible to calculate. That’s ignoring the fact that some plants will be unable to absorb nutrients at leaves others can making this even more impractical.
And as such the actually 100% optimal growth method (which is a lot of hard work) is to do the exact opposite.
El Dosing intentionally doses an aquarium with more nutrients then it needs. Algae under this scheme is caused by running out of something, thus by making sure all plants have excess of every nutrient they need, (including CO2) they will grow to their fullest potential and completely out compete algae.
NOTE: El Dosing depends on dosing various different ferts into the tank EVERY DAY, and changing your water once a week. Failure to dose every day will cause algae, and failure to change your water will likely lead to less health animals due to excess phosphates.
It is the method to encourage the maximum plant growth… not the method to necessarily maximize your enjoyment of the hobby.
Tim says
@Dave and…
Is the lowest possible TDS value important in a heavily planted aquarium? Would the plants then absorb the nutrients better? What do you think is the target value (TDS) in a heavily planted aquarium?
Vincent says
@Ben Z
So on your question of mold and mildew, there are a few factors.
Firstly, how close your tank is to the wall and your lid/hood shape play a role. My smaller tank has a lid that vents any evaporation out the top, and thus has never had mold/mildew issues despite being literally against the wall (well the stand is. The tank is probably a few cms away)
My larger tank while being about 2-3 inches from the wall, has a hood that is completely open at the rear, so it channels the evaporation and airstone splashing right into the wall. This one did have issues.
So how did I solve it…. Tea Tree Oil. I removed the hood, removed the mold that I could with chemical free cleaning, and then painted the wall with Tea Tree oil. As its not water soluble, the vapor wouldn’t be a threat to the fish till it dried, and once dry it would form an anti-fungal layer on the wall.
TO BE CLEAR, this solution is expensive if you have a lot of tanks and will need to be reapplied eventually. (Although thus far, 2 years and no issues so far) Repeated applications may also effect the paintwork of the wall.
The SMARTER solution is to either change the hood to a lid, add ventilation holes to the hood, or move the aquarium further from the wall.
Airstone/Sponge filter placement in the tank and aquarium water level obviously also play a role, as will (as Dave said) using aeration methods that create less splashes. How much it will make a difference is hard to say.
As for whole house levels of humidity… Unfortunately I am less help there. Australian insulation and air penetration standards are terrible by international standards, and as such their is a large volume of gas exchanged with the outside even with all doors closed. Its in fact that bad we take advantage of it in home design, literally venting our Showers into the attic, knowing that once their the steam will get out without needing further ventilation. Older houses sometimes don’t have any ventilation over the stove as the steam from cooking will just find its own way out.
The perk of this, is that its EXCEPTIONALLY unusual for internal humidity to exceed external humidity. The water vapor from my Aquarium will not cause mold to build up in any room EXCEPT the room its in and even then only in locations where a lot of water vapor builds up.
(The other perk being that CO poisoning is basically non-existant here as it never reaches high leveIs indoors, but thats somewhat beyond the topic at hand.)
Finally on your question of AC… we need to define AC as the term is thrown around a LOT for things that aren’t AC.
There are three types of active cooling used too cool homes. Evaporative Cooling, Heat pump cooling and air flow cooling. (Technically the last one is Evaporative cooling but relying on your own sweat). The first two are often referred to AC even though TECHNICALLY speaking it should only apply to the second one.
An Evaporative cooler works by channeling the air through water absorbent pads, cooling the air but increasing humidity. Properly maintained it should never cause anything to enter the air except water vapor, but if its not maintained ESPECIALLY if its an older design, mold can end up growing over the pads. This can make YOU sick, let alone what it might do to your fish.
You have an Evaporative cooler if you have been told you must open your doors/windows to run the AC. Given how it works it should NEVER be used in a tropical location as on high humidity days it either fails to function or increases relative humidity to near 100% (which can cause cold surfaces like tiles floors or winds to become saturated… ask me how I know)… but that hasn’t stopped cheap building companies.
Heat pump cooling (true AC) works by repeatedly condensing and evaporating a gas in 2 or more radiators and blowing air over the cold radiator(s). This decreases humidity (and in fact was its original purpose, the cooling just a benefit) as the cooler radiator condenses water vapor.
In a properly working AC, NOTHING is entering or leaving the system. Its literally just blowing air over something that is cold, and as such your house air only changes by becoming Drier. The drain and filter pads can have issues if its not maintained but its no risk to your fish.
And if the gas leaks out of the heat pump, again, the risk to you is what you should be concerned about. An external leak is harmless (although will mean your AC will work harder and make your bills skyrocket) but an internal leak can be very nasty. While a leak bad enough to cause asphyxiation is EXCEEDINGLY RARE these chemicals can cause long term damage to your body.
Dave says
In reply to Tim …. 1, fifty small pot scrubbers should do it nicely 2, yes fill from the bottom up 3, And I like 20 ppi foam.
Tim says
@Dave
Thank you for your answer.
Have some questions:
1:If I were to use plastic pot scrubbers, do you have an idea how many I would need for the eheim classic 600 (6 liter capacity)?
2: Should the canister filter be filled from the bottom?
3:If I were to use sponges, you are talking about a coarse sponge, which ipp would I use?
Dave says
In reply to Tim … You can fill the cannister completely with sponge (i.e. foam). Or one can use static K1 or plastic pot scrubbers. Poret should be widely available in Europe as it comes from Germany????? But any urethan foam made for aquarium filters should work. Get the coarse foam. If you do use foam be sure to very carefully cut the foam to the proper shape with no gaps.
Tim De Deken says
@Dave
First of all, compliments for your wonderful, educational website!
Can I fill my eheim classic 600 (2217) completely with 30 ipp sponges?
I have a densely planted aquarium with small fish and shrimp.
Do these have to be Poret foam sponges because I come from Belgium (Europe)?
I have no idea where to buy them.
kind regards,
Tim
Dave says
In reply to Ben z ….. I would hypothesis that the phrasing “it suggests that the microbe population of a very organic/mature filter is resilient” should read ” it suggests that the microbe population of a very organic/mature aquarium is resilient”. A mature aquarium will have sufficient beneficial bacteria in the aquarium to give one an “instant start”. And I have no idea what the various compounds are.
ben z says
@Dave
Your reply to Sergio’s question got me thinking… I’ve had very mature canisters go hypoxic more times than i can count. Primarily because over here aquarium equipment primarily come with the 2.5A europlugs and i have to use adapters to plug them into our type G sockets, and some of these adapters are notorious for becoming loose over time (urgh). I remember you told me that there’s no way to “save” the gunk. One simply has to thoroughly clean them and then re-cycle the media.
What I have noticed is that, after a VERY thorough cleaning, which includes hosing the media thoroughly and scrubbing the canister walls and piping, none of these canisters actually needed any “re-cycling”. At any rate, there were no ammonia or water clarity problems after i plugged them back in. I’m aware that it could be that the nitrifiers died off and the heterotrophs assimilating ammonia, or it could be that the nitrifiers survived and the nitrates are being assimilated. Either way, it suggests that the microbe population of a very organic/mature filter is resilient.
So, my question is, instead of a thoroughly cleaning, what happens if one takes a canister that has gone foul and puts it on a fishless tank, and then aerate the hell outta the water while letting the canister run as per normal? Since some “good” microbes presumably are resilient enough to survive those hypoxic conditions, wouldn’t it be possible that “re-aerating” the canister this way eventually “restores” the filter?
Asking because cleaning out a hypoxic canister is… not fun.
Also, what exactly are some of the toxins produced in hypoxic conditions, and what are the compounds that we are actually smelling?
Dave says
In reply to Sergio ….. 1, Anecdotally a highly organic (i.e. lots of brown gunk) in a canister filter that shuts down will start producing toxins in as little as a few hours. These toxins will kill the beneficial nitrifying bacteria and they can kill fish 2, Toxins definitely build-up. Several social media posts have been along the lines of “had the power go out on my canister as I forgot to plug it back in after a water change. When I started it back up after 12 hours a foul smell overtook the aquarium and the fish in the aquarium died”. This is because of hypoxic conditions producing bacterial toxins.
Sergio says
Hi, first of all thanks for all the times you already answered me, and thanks in advance for any answers you may provide now.
This is a double question about canister filters and power outages.
We know that shutting down the filter can cause death because of lack of oxygenation. Another thing I heard, and that I would like to confirm, is that: when a canister filter shuts down for a long period of time, its bacterial colony may die because of lack of oxygen, and cause the production/build up of toxins, that may kill the animals in the tank once the power is restored and all the content of the canister is thrown back into the tank.
The question therefore are:
1 Is there any data that can tell us how long do bacteria survive in a shut down canister filter?
2 is there any truth in the toxin build up in a “dead” canister?
Thank you again in advance and best regards,
Sergio
Dave says
In reply to Bill …. Pothos, while actively photosynthesizing, will remove ammonia. It doesn’t do it when the lights are off. And it requires a lot of light and a lot of pothos to remove a lot of ammonia. So it is a very mixed bag. I much prefer to have a fully cycled filter on a tank before I add any plants. It prevents night time ammonia spikes. And pothos will remove nitrate once it gets through with removing ammonia. It just prefers ammonia.
Bill says
Hi Dave, lots of people root pothos and other plants in their tanks, growing the plant above the water. “The Aquarium Specialist” (YouTube channel) did a video claiming that they do NOT remove nitrates as many people claim, but instead remove ammonia directly, thus circumventing the nitrogen cycle. Is this the case? And if so, what happens if you add some to a fully mature cycled tank with an oversized canister filter (full of pot scrubbers)?
Thanks!
Bill
Dave says
In reply to Phil Bunch …. Yes, there are pot scrubbers with soap additives which obviously will cause problems with fish.
Phil Bunch says
Are there plastic pot scrubbers that should not be used due to composition or additives? I saw a package of Scotch Brite scrubbers that said Not for aquarium use.
ben z says
@Dave
That works for bigger tanks. The problem is that I have a bunch of small/nano tanks that i stock rather heavily and there aren’t wavemakers/powerheads that are small enough. Relying on the output from small internal filters for aeration isn’t very reliable either. They get gunked up very quickly in planted tanks, or, worse, their magnetic rotors are so weak that they can stall if something even as small as a leaf gets caught in the impeller blades. Manufacturing isnt what it used to be…
Noise-wise, I solder and hook up small barebones air pumps myself. Those are quiet and can run off a 5v usb port.
Follow up question: do the chemicals used in AC servicing create toxic aerosols after you switch them on again? And, say if i wanted to do some painting or casual furniture repair/refinishing in the house, would the fumes be problematic? If they were, would something like a temporary carbon filter in the aquariums be good enough? (Different rooms, but i live in an apartment, not a house.)
Dave says
In reply to Ben Z …. I do not use air stones. First off they are too noisy for my tastes. Secondly they contribute a whole lot to humidity and aerosols in the home. I’m in subtropical Florida so all the added humidity from air stone has to be removed by the air conditioning. As I like a cool house (70 degrees), air stones will give me some huge electric bills. So I depended on powerheads and wavemakers for aeration of my heavily stocked tanks. They give out a lot less humidity than air stones.
Ben z says
@vincent and dave
On the topic of mold and mildew… just interested to know how you mitigate them and/or what your climate and indoor humidity levels are like. Do you have dehumidification/AC on 24/7? Is your climate dry or humid? How do u handle ventilation and does it help?
For me, relative humidity is a constant 70 to 80% throughout the year. No AC or heating ever required in aquarium rooms, so indoor temps and humidity basically mirror those outdoors. I do find that air pumps create somewhat more mildew growth, maybe because the spores get spread more?
Also I use a split AC system, and the ducting does seem to get a lot of gunk like growth inside that looks and smells suspiciously like what you get inside aquarium filters…
Appreciate any tips on how u guys mitigate these problems. Also appreciate any horror stories that you guys might have. Mine – hidden mildew growth on the back and (hidden) sides of teak bookcases that fed a booklice infestation that got very out of hand and that was a nightmare to clean out. Urgh. Calcium chloride dehumidifiers help but they get expensive over time. Still looking for a more efficient solution.
Cheers… =(
Dave says
In reply to Vincent ….. My aquariums with sumps are all out five to six inches from the wall. Just how I do it.
Vincent says
So question for everyone
When using most type of Filtration you don’t need much space between the wall and the aquarium. An Inch or two at most, maybe a bit more depending on how the lid of your tank is designed and thus how much mold and fungi caused by evaporation directed at the wall are a risk for you.
Sumps seem to be the exception. (Ignoring tanks drilled from the bottom). However I am not sure how much of an exception it should be. A part of me thinks that if you setup your overflow and plumbing correctly, you should never have to touch it again, and thus 3-4 inches (for the stand pipe) is enough. You just set it up, and use a valve in the cabinet stop and start it.
But then the rest of me thinks about how hard it is to move a 6 foot glass tank, and that if something goes wrong, having to empty the entire aquarium and get 3 people to move it to check your plumbing is… well a nightmare.
And as discussed before I REALLY don’t trust my DIY skills.
So how much space does everyone allow behind their Aquariums for sump plumbing? I have seen 6 inches tends to be the common answer, but I wanted your opinions as I trust you all a little more.
Ben z says
PS. On aquarium lime scale…. it’s actually very easy to get rid of. I personally use a rotary tool and brass wire brushes. But it takes some skill to apply just the right (meaning feather light) pressure so you don’t scratch the glass.
An easier but slower way to do it is to attach a hard-bristle brush to your power drill. Takes longer, but is safer. Those attachments are very cheap online. Or use something like a purpose-made power scrubber.
Ben z says
@vincent
It seems SI just sounds like a fancy term for saying that aquarium pH should be in a reasonable range. LOL
I have a theory on why many aquarists get so obsessed with these parameters. A lot of people are subconsciously drawn to the hobby because they enjoy controlling a closed ecosystem. So they’ll fixate on quantifiable parameters for dear life. To recognise that the living system is too complex to control would “take the fun out of it” for them. It’s essentially a kind of denial (in the psychobabble sense).
it’s also like how some health nuts will convince themselves that something or other is THE miracle key to living to 120. In the 1920s and 30s radium spas were very popular in the states. Soaking in radium infused hot baths at exorbitant prices in fancy hotels = youth and vigour. Some people will believe anything. Haha
Anyway, happy x’mas and merry new year to all.!
David says
I just wanted to say thank you for setting up this website. It’s my favourite one since I discovered it! The comprehensive information here is unrivalled. I learned so much from this website and got so much better as a fish keeper thanks to you.
Vincent says
@Be
Oh I have no doubt his Saturation index remains between the two variables he wants it to remain between.
We can largely control Temperature. Far better then most pool owners for sure
We can somewhat control Total Alkalinity.
We can somewhat control Gh.
And all together that should make pH stableish.
Keep in mind, despite the fact its near useless in the Aquarium Hobby, maintaining proper SI avoids long term expensive Pool repair bills. To low and your pool’s tile/mortar lining will slowly get eatten away and you will spring a leak… to high and Scaling buildup will cause you plumbing and equipment failure.
Thing is, this is a completely artificial, man made problem so the uses for SI in an Aquarium are…stupid Niche.
Keeping Saturation Index between those numbers would allow you to fill an Aquarium with Limestone and be safe in the knowledge that it will neither be corroded away OR form limescale in your filter.
Well accept of course that as Dave points out, the white buildup in Aquariums is RARELY true Limescale. Aquariums=/= pools. So its even more niche then I am making it out to be.
But according to these people, Saturation Index is the ONLY thing you should care about in Aquariums. All other tests and variables are meaningless.
How they got this idea, when Pool companies make it VERY clear what the purpose of Saturation Index is for, I have no idea.
Lynn Van says
Forgot to mention the rocks & mineral section was my favorite part!! Super helpful.
Be says
@vincent
Did you ask him how he intends to “balance” his water parameters 24/7? Got a feeling his methods might make for very entertaining reading. It’s insanely difficult to measure water parameters to the level of accuracy needed to achieve that so called “balance”.
another possible comeback. If water parameters are so damn important, then the human analogy would be air quality indicators. Has any doctor ever asked their patient for their home “air quality parameters”? Imagine a doctor who prescribes a patient “regular air changes” or attributes every health problem to “air quality indicators”. Hahahahahahhaha….
Dave says
In reply to Suzanne ….. I would just go head with an automatic clean for a few minutes every three months. The K1 should retain enough bacteria to keep everything going just fine.
Suzanne Moran says
Hello Dave ,
I have an up to date Hailea outside pressure canister filter,that apparently runs its own clean at the turn of a dial.
I have been operating this filter for 3 months for my goldfish pond.
I have never cleaned nor opened the filter since it was set up.
Inside the Hailea is a fitted sponge then under that are a few net bags filled with K1.
My question is :-
Do I clean the filter in an another 9 months. Should I open it and lightly clean it myself or turn the switch and let the Hailea clean its self ?
I am afraid of losing my bacteria colony.
Thank you very much
Yours Suzanne
Dave says
In reply to Mike … You are correct. Twice the volume of the potassium solution compared to the ammonium solution.
Mike says
Hi Dave,
Just a clarification on dosing for the DIY NH4 fertilizer; “two parts potassium for every one part ammonium added directly to the aquarium” means for every one drop of ammonium solution add two drops of potassium solution?
In other words, you need to add twice the volume of the potassium solution compared to the ammonium solution to achieve the 3.4-0-12
I think I have it right but wanted to double check
Thanks in advance
Dave says
In reply to Electrofunk … That is probably canal neuromast inflammation (CNI), a form of hole in the head. It can be caused by a lot of different factors acting together (i.e. a “multifactorial etiology”) so it is not easy to treat. Fish with canal neuromast inflammation typically have two or more of the following problems:
80% are swimming in water with high bacteria counts
70% are being filtered with hang-on-back or sponge filters (i.e. inadequate biofiltration)
30% have mycobacteriosis (“fish TB”)
30% have hexamita (“internal parasites”)
20% have internal bacterial attack such as aeromonas
10% are starved
100% have “secondary” bacterial infections in the lesions
Key question: On your aquarium, if you look down the length of the tank, is the water crystal clear? Does it look like fish at the far side of the tank are swimming in air? If the answer is yes, you have adequate biofiltration. If the water is “dull” and not crystal clear, you need to look long and hard at your biofiltration.
In most cases the solution to CNI is to improve the biofiltration by adding another bigger filter with good media rarely if ever cleaned. It typically also helps to hit the fish with a “shotgun” food approach such as Ron’s medicated food. Read this article for the complete low down. http://aquariumscience.org/index.php/11-1-2-spots-on-head/
Electrofunk says
Hi Dave,
I got a fish that had some odd white spots only on his head, which have been there for going in two weeks now and just today has developed skin lesions. I have tried following the advice of other forums but nothing has helped, and my fish is only getting worse. If you have a moment I would like to send you pictures via email so someone may actually be able to not only help me but also help my fish. Thanks!
Vincent says
Sorry mostly a rant post. Although I must congratulate them for coming up with an insane belief that isn’t mentioned in your myths
So turns out someone in a facebook group I am in asked about pH fluctuations. The details aren’t important EXCEPT that this problem had been ongoing for a month.
One of the admins of the group suggested it could be a barometric pressure thing. While I will VAGUELY acknowledge that barometric pressure could increase CO2 and other dissolved gases, given we have zero control over it, AND over any time period longer then a month, it will average out (and excluding rare events, with average out over a week) I quite simply pointed out it wasn’t worth monitoring.
After all, pH change due to photosynthesis and other light based chemical process should be FAR more significant in 99% of tanks.
Yeah that was a mistake. This led to a crazy long discussion where I lost all respect for this admin as he uses a taylor watergram to determine what is ‘balanced’ (you have no idea how much I wanted to beat him to death with the word equilibrium. Water balance is something VERY specific and not applicable to aquariums) aquarium water.
For those of you unfamiliar, its a tool used in the pool and spa industry to determine if your water temperature and chemical composition will damage the pool. And even in those contexts its considered out of date.
But yeah, according to this guy, to get crystal clear water, you should balance your pH, temperature, Hardness and total alkalinity to get a saturation index between -0.3 and 0.3
And regardless how much I pointed out a lifeless pool is a FAR simpler chemistry situation then a living aquarium, AND that the ONLY purpose of that wheel was to make sure your pool water did not damage your pool… he was not convinced.
Bojana says
Hi Dave,
I posted a question here about half a year ago about how to handle cyanobacteria in a tank that, according to all internet wisdom, should not have had a cyanobacteria problem (lightly stocked and fed, crystal clear water, good circulation, excessive filtration). I think I may have finally diagnosed what was wrong and found a solution. This is completely anecdotal so take everything I say with a grain of salt, but I figured it would be nice to write an update on the situation.
Suspected causes for the cyanobacteria:
– Too much ambient sunlight. Cyano grew more aggressively on the window-facing sides of my aquarium. My apartment has skylights and large windows, and I’m not willing to black out the apartment just to reduce the cyano.
– Low nitrogen levels. Increasing the fertilization + weekly removal of the cyano did help more than doing weekly removal with my ordinary fertilization schedule. This slowed down the problem and did not get ride of the cyano growth.
How I solved the issue:
– Ramshorn snails. I bought amano shrimp, pond snails, and ramshorns to add a cleaning crew to this aquarium. Only the ramshorns seemed to have an appetite for the cyano. I regularly saw them crawling around on the cyanobacteria mats, but never saw any amano shrimp or pond snails. The gentleman at the pet store said the amanos handled a cyano outbreak in his aquarium, but I didn’t see much activity from them in my tank. They are very shy, so it’s possible they did feed on it at night.
This solution may not work for everyone. I’ve read there are many variety of cyanobacteria, and the ramshorns may not have the same appetite for all of the different strains.