Today I have found out that my plenum on the 10g tank is actually working and it achieved 0 nitrates which is unbelievable but true! Thank you Dr. Novak!!! I am now adding canister filter with BCB basket to my goldfish tank :)
This shows what a fair Gentleman you are to test this filter pad and found it didn't fully do the job it claimed but you still recommended it as an extra product to help in the whole process of nitrates and lowering them.
After watching your videos where you discus phosphates, I decided to examine the possible culprits you mentioned. Some of my foods had min .8%, tap water .08ppm, and liquid fertilizer .48%. Now that I've identified the sources, I feel I can tackle this issue instead of constantly treating the symptoms with liquid carbon and reduced lighting.
One angelfish per 5 gallons of water is perfectly fine I actually had a spawning pair of angelfish in a 20 gallon tank. After all they recommend one discus in 10 gallons of water and they’re a lot bigger than angelfish.
There are many people using plenums and reef tanks. In fact, some of the oldest aquariums, and I'm talking saltwater use plenums. I think if I remember correctly, the reef tank is going on 40 years old. In fact, I did a video on the hobbyists tank.
According to a chart, regular Flourite has more iron than Flourite red. Not by that much, but more all the same. The Flourite dark and Flourite black, however, have much lower levels of iron.
This is great! But. What can you do with tanks set up already with no way of taking them back apart for lack of holding the fish? Any idea of how to get in a plenum or just move gravel around? I wish I knew all this ahead of time. Excellent information. Excellent.
My slow moving plenum has been up and running for a couple of months now and I've noticed something odd whenever I tried adding a medication for a fish that had been bullied and was having some problems with an infection. The medication usually turns the water green and it stays green for a day or two or until I do a water change. Now with the plenum it disappears from the water in a matter of minutes! I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but just another observation I've noticed in my tank. I guess that shows a good visual on how effective it is on pulling down your nutrients from the water below the substrate lol. But for medication I kinda want it to stay suspended in the water long enough to treat the fish I'm treating. So maybe that's another downside to using the slow moving plenum. 😅
If one were to attempt to layer kittylitter+safe t sorb/Flourite/safe t sorb for a slow-moving plenum, would you have any thoughts on how deep each layer should be, or how deep it should be total?
@@coltscustoms mines probably like 3.5 inches in the very front and 4-4.5 inches in the back, but I think I want to add another 40 pound bag of Safe T Sorb because if you disrupt the subtrate you can start to see the Flourite Red peeking through easier than I'd like. It's a 120 gallon, for reference
@@VinylUnboxings I just got my 75 setup with a plenum I made from lighting diffuser which is about 5/8" thick, covered it with weed block fabric, got 2" of safe-t-sorb mixed with flourite red, covered that with screen (so mbuna can't dig down to the clay and going to try growing val so the roots can still get through the screen into the clay) and capped with about 1.5" medium grain sand. So overall it's about 4" thick. Just looks weird to me cause I used to only use about 1-2" of substrate haha
I'm not afraid of using the powdered laterite. it just seems as if it would be terribly messy. It's like talcum powder. I'll probably send it back. I guess Flourite Red will be my go to.
While gathering supplies for creation of my BCB I was only able to find "Powdered Laterite" from a Pottery Company. It came with warnings of lung cancer through inhalation. Is there anything else people are using besides "pure laterite"?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums That's what I did one year ago. in the time your descriptions of the plenum were not clear and you were not replying as you are now. I always tought something was missing but did it in the best I could with the info I found. Apparently I did it good. Now my question is: What will you get with and without an uplift tube?
I have a question: would it be a good idea to add such a basket over the whole back pane of the aquarium? I have watched the video about the sump where you insert a basket in one container. I have watched some plenum videos. Now I would like to ask if it would be functional to insert a basket over the whole back pane of the video and attach plants to it? It would be beautiful because a living back wall, the basket would create a vertical substrate. But would it be functional? I am totally new to this, I found your channel when wanting to learn about aquariums before getting my first tank ever.
-What is in the Acurel pads that remove the P? I have yet to have any algae "disappear" after adding BCB/Plenum. It had to be treated or manually removed.
how slow? i use undergravel filter in my aquarium it just moving a couple drop of water every second i use zeolite with laterite for the BCB inside a pvc canister then put the leftover laterite on the undergravel and put pumice above it
Hello Dr Novak, I'm having to replace my 17year old aquarium as the brace bar let go and I don't trust my repair long term, I have found your videos very informative, and am going to be using a plenum this time in my new tank, the videos you have which show your planted tanks look like they have a lot of flow in them with the leaves waving about, what flow in tank do you aim for?
Dr. Novak, I'm installing an undergravel filter in my existing 29 gallon after watching many of your videos. My plan is to use an undergravel filter, oil-dri(baked bentonite clay), seachem flourite, and fine gravel on top. My goal is to have a low-tech, planted tank. Will this substrate combination be adequate to grow the denitrifying bacteria you speak of and promote plant growth? Thank you for your time.
Any bio media that can be put in a very low flow environment will grow anaerobic bacteria....using plenums and under gravel filters are great for planted tanks. You could alternatively use a media reactor and put a flow valve on the pump to reduce the gph to 50 or less and achieve the same. Actually you could fill up an entire reactor with Dr. Novak's BCB materials of kitty litter and iron. This would do the same thing as if you had the baskets in a sump. The key is to seed it with bacteria and keep the pump's flow rate to an absolute minimum. In 3-5 weeks, you will begin to see nitrate removal begin.
Actually is not as easy as you say. If it was then why aren’t people doing it to this date. This is a very hard nut to crack to get just the right amount of oxygen and flow rate without going into anaerobic. Many manufactures have tried it and failed. You just can’t throw material in a reactor and expect it to have a flow rate real slow and come up with the right amount of oxygen to harvest the correct factutative bacteria. It just is not that easy.
Hello dr novak, i know that this comment is off topic but i need your opinion regarding BCBs. I have managed to acquire fluorite in place of laterite. Nonclumping kitty litter is unavailable. Would perlite be a good substitute? Thank you so much, i am learning a lot.
Hi Kevin! Im building a tanganyika aquarium using beach sand. Is it mandatory to use larite or clay? I dont anythin that can decrease my ph. Im planing to use Marine pure plates, undergravel filter, sand. Is it ok? thx!
Why don't we have a lift tube open and drawing water in at the far end from the proper lift tube? Water would then just pass under the baked clay for the most part. Ions would be drawn past the baked clay and the problem of too high or low of a flow rate to create an anoxic condition is solved for the under gravel filter. The additional flow rate would also filter more water.
Dr. Novak, question: if I have 1 inch layer of sand as my substrate but have my canister filter with the laterite (as you did in your video) or in a sump, will that be as effective as a true BCB basket in the sump?
Hi thanks for that..did he use the fluorite substrate only for the plenum or is it necessary to top it off with another substrate after that? Thanks for all the info, have been watching through all your other videos..
If the color doesn’t bother you then you can just use the fluorite red otherwise most people will go with a substrate that suits them better than that red color.
I think it would be helpful for people to know that original fluorite has more iron than fluorite red according to Seachem’s website. They list the mineral mineral composition on their website. If you are using it as a laterite replacement, the original type is best.
Thanks for the video, doc! I'm just about to build a tank specifically for my turtles, and I'm excited to do a built-in filter with BCBs! Plenum won't work because they love digging. I'm searching for Laterite at the moment... my final hurdle!
@@peterkropp5603 flourite red is a horrendously expensive import over here... And I need enough for 30 to 40 tanks plus my pond plus my guppy tubs, I'm looking for alternatives in bulk, maybe 50kg bags or something
@@isiVideo According to Dr. Novak the Laterite or Flourite is needed at the beginning of the “ process “ because of the iron content ... I would suggest researching an affordable , plentiful , usable substitute ... Before making any future purchase , I would get it approved by Dr. Novak before making a costly mistake ... Please keep us updated , good luck ...
I've had success using microbe-lift liquid phosphate removers however it is a chemical you have to dose and that may be counter productive to what you are trying to accomplish
Actually I’m just trying to see how low I can get the phosphates and really maybe get them down to complete zero. That would be a great accomplishment with using a BCB and a phosphate remover, what you think?
Today I have found out that my plenum on the 10g tank is actually working and it achieved 0 nitrates which is unbelievable but true! Thank you Dr. Novak!!! I am now adding canister filter with BCB basket to my goldfish tank :)
Great 👍
This shows what a fair Gentleman you are to test this filter pad and found it didn't fully do the job it claimed but you still recommended it as an extra product to help in the whole process of nitrates and lowering them.
Only trying to help get the correct information out.
After watching your videos where you discus phosphates, I decided to examine the possible culprits you mentioned. Some of my foods had min .8%, tap water .08ppm, and liquid fertilizer .48%. Now that I've identified the sources, I feel I can tackle this issue instead of constantly treating the symptoms with liquid carbon and reduced lighting.
Good to hear, bandaids never last for long.
Love these commentary style videos on the topic. I can't stop thinking about that angel fish in a 5 gallon tank tho
One angelfish per 5 gallons of water is perfectly fine I actually had a spawning pair of angelfish in a 20 gallon tank. After all they recommend one discus in 10 gallons of water and they’re a lot bigger than angelfish.
The angel fish and betta were donated to a local fish store and replaced by some Cardinal Platys ....
In my opinion if the water is kept clean like a large body of water the fish will feel like it’s in a bigger body of water. Idk 🤷
So if you use Flourite Red, you don’t need any kitty litter? Is that because Flourite is already made of clay?
If you’re using it in a Plenum then no but if you’re thinking of using it in a BCB basket then I would say go with the kitty litter.
How well would a plenum work in the saltwater reef ????
There are many people using plenums and reef tanks. In fact, some of the oldest aquariums, and I'm talking saltwater use plenums. I think if I remember correctly, the reef tank is going on 40 years old. In fact, I did a video on the hobbyists tank.
Is it critical to have the tube attached to the plenum so water can circulate through?
According to a chart, regular Flourite has more iron than Flourite red. Not by that much, but more all the same. The Flourite dark and Flourite black, however, have much lower levels of iron.
Can I do these steps without a sump or canister ?
@@reneesnugent3358 yes you can
This is great! But. What can you do with tanks set up already with no way of taking them back apart for lack of holding the fish? Any idea of how to get in a plenum or just move gravel around? I wish I knew all this ahead of time. Excellent information. Excellent.
My slow moving plenum has been up and running for a couple of months now and I've noticed something odd whenever I tried adding a medication for a fish that had been bullied and was having some problems with an infection. The medication usually turns the water green and it stays green for a day or two or until I do a water change. Now with the plenum it disappears from the water in a matter of minutes! I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but just another observation I've noticed in my tank. I guess that shows a good visual on how effective it is on pulling down your nutrients from the water below the substrate lol. But for medication I kinda want it to stay suspended in the water long enough to treat the fish I'm treating. So maybe that's another downside to using the slow moving plenum. 😅
That's telling you that the medication is going through your substrate a lot more easier than it did before with other tanks.
If you had to choose one from Plenum and BCB basket which one would you recommend?
imo plenum first then have option to add bcb later on
IMO plenum to start out with.
Would crushed lava rock work well under the plenum?
Adding a little bit would be OK
Can I use bioballs under my plenum? And still achieve anoxic conditions using flourite red on top of plenum
If one were to attempt to layer kittylitter+safe t sorb/Flourite/safe t sorb for a slow-moving plenum, would you have any thoughts on how deep each layer should be, or how deep it should be total?
I have the same question
@@coltscustoms mines probably like 3.5 inches in the very front and 4-4.5 inches in the back, but I think I want to add another 40 pound bag of Safe T Sorb because if you disrupt the subtrate you can start to see the Flourite Red peeking through easier than I'd like.
It's a 120 gallon, for reference
@@VinylUnboxings I just got my 75 setup with a plenum I made from lighting diffuser which is about 5/8" thick, covered it with weed block fabric, got 2" of safe-t-sorb mixed with flourite red, covered that with screen (so mbuna can't dig down to the clay and going to try growing val so the roots can still get through the screen into the clay) and capped with about 1.5" medium grain sand. So overall it's about 4" thick. Just looks weird to me cause I used to only use about 1-2" of substrate haha
I'm not afraid of using the powdered laterite. it just seems as if it would be terribly messy. It's like talcum powder. I'll probably send it back. I guess Flourite Red will be my go to.
While gathering supplies for creation of my BCB I was only able to find "Powdered Laterite" from a Pottery Company. It came with warnings of lung cancer through inhalation. Is there anything else people are using besides "pure laterite"?
Use SeaChem Flourite Red ...
@@peterkropp5603 Thanks Bud.
I used the Brightwell aquatics laterite powder, they also have another presentation that comes in very small balls.
I just hate the uplift tube. I have the same exact aquarium, and the reason is the sump where I can hide all the gear... Is there a solution?
Don’t use an uplift tube then.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums That's what I did one year ago. in the time your descriptions of the plenum were not clear and you were not replying as you are now. I always tought something was missing but did it in the best I could with the info I found. Apparently I did it good.
Now my question is: What will you get with and without an uplift tube?
I have a question: would it be a good idea to add such a basket over the whole back pane of the aquarium? I have watched the video about the sump where you insert a basket in one container. I have watched some plenum videos. Now I would like to ask if it would be functional to insert a basket over the whole back pane of the video and attach plants to it? It would be beautiful because a living back wall, the basket would create a vertical substrate. But would it be functional?
I am totally new to this, I found your channel when wanting to learn about aquariums before getting my first tank ever.
-What is in the Acurel pads that remove the P?
I have yet to have any algae "disappear" after adding BCB/Plenum. It had to be treated or manually removed.
As I stated in my video I’m using both a Plenum and the BCB basket in the canister filter along with the phosphate remover pad.
how slow?
i use undergravel filter in my aquarium
it just moving a couple drop of water every second
i use zeolite with laterite for the BCB inside a pvc canister
then put the leftover laterite on the undergravel and put pumice above it
Can u use the pad as a screen to layer the substrate instead of screen?
@@SonnyVu-d8n yes
Hello Dr Novak, I'm having to replace my 17year old aquarium as the brace bar let go and I don't trust my repair long term, I have found your videos very informative, and am going to be using a plenum this time in my new tank, the videos you have which show your planted tanks look like they have a lot of flow in them with the leaves waving about, what flow in tank do you aim for?
Didn't see the addition of the screen, what type of screen was used ?
It is a black craft scene you buy at Jo-Anns fabrics or other craft store here in the USA.
Dr. Novak, I'm installing an undergravel filter in my existing 29 gallon after watching many of your videos. My plan is to use an undergravel filter, oil-dri(baked bentonite clay), seachem flourite, and fine gravel on top. My goal is to have a low-tech, planted tank. Will this substrate combination be adequate to grow the denitrifying bacteria you speak of and promote plant growth? Thank you for your time.
What do you think about creating a plenum with the regular length size lift tube but just using a very small amount of air coming out of an air stone?
It's the updraft that you are trying to prevent, the longer the tube the more updraft you will get.
Hi, mister Novak. I am considering to bulid anoxic filter but i have a few questiones. Where i can ask or read more about it?
anoxicfiltrationsystem.blogspot.com
go to the link for more info.
Any bio media that can be put in a very low flow environment will grow anaerobic bacteria....using plenums and under gravel filters are great for planted tanks. You could alternatively use a media reactor and put a flow valve on the pump to reduce the gph to 50 or less and achieve the same. Actually you could fill up an entire reactor with Dr. Novak's BCB materials of kitty litter and iron. This would do the same thing as if you had the baskets in a sump. The key is to seed it with bacteria and keep the pump's flow rate to an absolute minimum. In 3-5 weeks, you will begin to see nitrate removal begin.
Actually is not as easy as you say. If it was then why aren’t people doing it to this date. This is a very hard nut to crack to get just the right amount of oxygen and flow rate without going into anaerobic. Many manufactures have tried it and failed. You just can’t throw material in a reactor and expect it to have a flow rate real slow and come up with the right amount of oxygen to harvest the correct factutative bacteria. It just is not that easy.
Hello dr novak, i know that this comment is off topic but i need your opinion regarding BCBs. I have managed to acquire fluorite in place of laterite. Nonclumping kitty litter is unavailable. Would perlite be a good substitute? Thank you so much, i am learning a lot.
No do not use any perlite go with Fluorite Red or some equivalent.
Hi Kevin! Im building a tanganyika aquarium using beach sand. Is it mandatory to use larite or clay? I dont anythin that can decrease my ph. Im planing to use Marine pure plates, undergravel filter, sand. Is it ok? thx!
No it is not. Just stay with what you like.
Why don't we have a lift tube open and drawing water in at the far end from the proper lift tube? Water would then just pass under the baked clay for the most part. Ions would be drawn past the baked clay and the problem of too high or low of a flow rate to create an anoxic condition is solved for the under gravel filter. The additional flow rate would also filter more water.
Dr. Novak, question: if I have 1 inch layer of sand as my substrate but have my canister filter with the laterite (as you did in your video) or in a sump, will that be as effective as a true BCB basket in the sump?
Yes it will.
Hi Kevin, would an 2 litre hang on back breeder box with bcb, work for a 55 gallon aquarium, or would it be too small?
You could try it and see.
Hi thanks for that..did he use the fluorite substrate only for the plenum or is it necessary to top it off with another substrate after that? Thanks for all the info, have been watching through all your other videos..
If the color doesn’t bother you then you can just use the fluorite red otherwise most people will go with a substrate that suits them better than that red color.
Dr. Novak, when will iron start becoming toxic for fish? Is there a certain level I should not exceed? Thanks for the great content!
Yes there is an iron test kit that will indicate if you have too much iron in your water.
Do you dose co2 with your system?
yes
I use 5 ~ 10mm volcano rock bottom atplenum ...................soil..................top i use seachem flourite............super bioooooooooo
I think it would be helpful for people to know that original fluorite has more iron than fluorite red according to Seachem’s website. They list the mineral mineral composition on their website. If you are using it as a laterite replacement, the original type is best.
Thanks for the good information.
I’m going to blame you if my plants get to big.. but I won’t be mad at you. Lol 😂
OKAY!
would you ad kitty litter to a slow moving plenum under the undergravel filter ,
so bacteria have more places to grow ?
I'm about to do that
Do you have a Facebook account? Want to share how i made my plenum in my 15gal tank.
Yes I do.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums can i add you on my Facebook?
@@poquito808 yes you can
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums what’s your Facebook account? Mine is Poquito Mio. Thanks.
Thanks for the video, doc! I'm just about to build a tank specifically for my turtles, and I'm excited to do a built-in filter with BCBs!
Plenum won't work because they love digging. I'm searching for Laterite at the moment... my final hurdle!
Use the “ Flourite Red “ like I did in the video , excellent substitute ...
Search ‘Brightwell Aquatics FlorinBase laterite’ on Amazon. They have a powder and also have two other sizes of substrate with the same clay.
@@Ed-lt3pp I'm in South Africa, lol its not that simple here
@@peterkropp5603 flourite red is a horrendously expensive import over here... And I need enough for 30 to 40 tanks plus my pond plus my guppy tubs, I'm looking for alternatives in bulk, maybe 50kg bags or something
@@isiVideo According to Dr. Novak the Laterite or Flourite is needed at the beginning of the “ process “ because of the iron content ... I would suggest researching an affordable , plentiful , usable substitute ... Before making any future purchase , I would get it approved by Dr. Novak before making a costly mistake ... Please keep us updated , good luck ...
I've had success using microbe-lift liquid phosphate removers however it is a chemical you have to dose and that may be counter productive to what you are trying to accomplish
Actually I’m just trying to see how low I can get the phosphates and really maybe get them down to complete zero. That would be a great accomplishment with using a BCB and a phosphate remover, what you think?
Bentonite clay is Kitty liter
@@SonnyVu-d8n you can use it if it’s baked