Dear Gil: I’ve been wondering if anoxic filtration works. I look forward to seeing the results of your experiment. It’s lovely to have someone in the FishFam, with your skills, so we can observe a true test. Thank you sharing your, continued work in the hobby. All my best, Sincerely, E. J. Brinegar
Thank E.J, I'm interested in the results if any. It all sounds too good to be true, although I have read some anecdotal evidence from some fish keepers stating that it can work. Thanks for your interest.
Nice work GV! Will be interesting to see your results as others have confirmed beneficial results. Dr Novak does share very interesting stuff! Awesome video GV
Excellent video.. Not sure how I missed this one.. Your diy and hacks are always great . Never thought of using kitty litter but the zeolite makes sense ..
Its nice to find another aussie doing this. i've had my aquariums running with anoxic filtration for 6 months now. I do use a slow moving plenum as I don't use canister or sump filters. I can tell you that you will see results within 3 months of using one, however i have found that after 6 months the plenum does become more stable. I have a goldfish tank that once had two large orandas (now one) my nitrates in 2 weeks were 80ppm on the api test kit. they are now 10ppm I do predict it will fall even lower as the system matures. On my betta tank the nitrates are 0. Once the system matures i can tell you this, the system can filter your whole aquarium which means that you will not need to reply on biological filtration or nitrifying bacteria because the bacteria that is growing in your bcb basket can change its food source it will consume ammonia. I've tested it personally.
That's great to hear Kye. I have a plenum on a goldfish tank consisting of about 40 - 50mm of gravel with a little flourite in the middle. What is in yours?
@@Gilsfishroom I built mine up in layers, gravel on top of the plates then kitty litter and fluorite on top of that then capped it off with gravel. Then I repeated it again so i have basically 2 layers of kitty litter and fluorite sandwiched between the gravel. Before I capped the kitty litter and fluorite off I put some polyester mesh on top to stop my goldfish from digging. the first time i did a plenum i only used gravel, which i got from Kevin's channel but I do believe that my goldfish disrupted the plenum when they were moving the gravel around. my substrate is 8cm deep but in my betta tank its about 3.5cm still works great.
Hi..i need help..currently im using 2 pump separate tank..1 trickle n 1 sump n each type have prefilter sponge..so here my question..i wana convert my sump for overflowing outgoing from main tank then pump through added canister filter with full 15L bcb basket in it..n other still using convensional until i got result from denitryfication..n then apply both using anoxic..is this step safe? Does it speed up process for anoxic?
When I first put the basket in my sump I kept half of the original media in for the first 3 months. After I removed the media I measured a small amount of ammonia for the first 2 days, then all is fine after that. Here are all of the updates - th-cam.com/play/PLZJ4nD85T8GC44v89Z0Bh8i5OY4dmVk72.html
I am also curious, was thinking that the plenum based on the same system would be easier to do without the basket, so looking forward to see the results.
A plenum wasn't really an option for this tank as the geophagus do love to dig! I have installed a slow moving plenum on another tank, so we shall see how that goes.
@@Gilsfishroom FYI, you can put a layer of that plastic mesh down in the substrate (or use the light diffuser) about a half inch to an inch down and then the fish can only dig down that far and the plenum is protected.
@@hardybryan I thought of doing that but apart from it being a pretty big job to retrofit a plenum in this tank, the geos dig deep breeding pits. Being able to see the exposed mesh everywhere would spoil the natural look I think. It's a great suggestion, and would work if these geos weren't constantly breeding. Thanks for the comment mate.😁
G'day Duzzy, the wood is from a Swamp or flat top yate (Eucalyptus occidentalis) that I needed to remove to build a shed. The two big roots are the root ball of the tree cut in half. The other sticks are from that tree and some dead mallee trees. Here is how it all went together - th-cam.com/video/wzRaYDZABHY/w-d-xo.html
Thanks Vivek. I was thinking of moving the basket and having it before the sponges in the sump to access the ammonia in the water before the bacteria in the sponges can. What do you think?
I'd expect something like 3 - 6 months for results to become apparent. The miracle bacteria we are seeking are naturally occurring and called anammox bacteria, and unless we source them directly, we are hoping they somehow just arrive by chance, which is going to be hit and miss, hence the mixed feedback online. If anammox bacteria find their way to your sump, I'm sure you're on a winner. I'll be following the progress :)
Thanks Colin. I was kind of hoping that because I'm using rainwater, that may be of some advantage? Maybe with 12 years of dust, bird poo, dead insects and God knows what else fermenting away in my house tanks.
@@Gilsfishroom I don't see any downside to having the BCB within a sump arrangement. Porous clay plus iron rich clay will become home to a rich biota of useful microorganisms, regardless of N03 outcomes.
Hey Gil, love your videos and am interested in trying this. Did you reduce the flow rate through your sump as well? "Low flow rates" seem to be the go with these setups but I haven't seen it quantified in terms of, for example, tank volume turnover per hour. Tyipcally bio filters work on 4x so just curious if you have reduced your flow rate as well, and if so what to?
The idea behind the baskets is to have water flow around them, so the negatively charged clay can attract the positively charged ammonia. This means that the more flow around the basket, the better. The low flow refers to systems where the water flows through, like plenums. The slow flow gives the aerobic bacteria time to use the free oxygen out of the water, so the oxygen depleted water creates anoxic conditions. One of my bcb updates explains how the basket works, I just can't remember which one. Good luck mate!
Good idea with the eggs crates and mesh combination. Very neat beautiful BCB. It may take longer for the bcb to function in my experience. Recent development from Taiwan for the shrimp industry, they came up with some very new bacteria. I am trying to find out more.
How did it go? I’ve been wondering if my baskets have not yet worked because I had a nitrogen cycle already established, and the baskets need ammonia, are the new baskets having to compete for that ammonia and therefore taking a lot longer to establish. That was the reason for my experiment with the big bcb bag , to see if direct ammonia works faster .
No measurable results so far, although it has only been two months. I was wondering the same thing, so I recently removed my coarse and medium sponges, to reduce the amount of bacteria present before the basket.
@@Gilsfishroom yes that might help, I think these bcbs work best on newly set up systems from what I’ve seen so far , but I’ll stick with it 🤞🏽 let us know how yours go as far as nitrate reduction goes .👍🏼
thanks for sharing, I hope it works out for you. would be a great way to save time and effort with your water changing. looking forward to seeing the results over the next couple weeks. you post some very interesting things. learning heaps from you. p.s good to see you bought some footwear 🙃
great video my friend! im very curious about the results.. im also using a filter media that absorbed my nitrates because it was rising to fast and couldnt get it low with only 1 water change weekly.. since i used the media i can do easily i change a lot less now only i dont have a sump like you
Fingers crossed. I've been running an anaerobic fostering media in my cannister for a couple of years now...still waiting for that to work. I'd love to see someone show evidence of the theory working. Good luck.
@reticulated ralphie. Until I or someone else proves that the following chemical reaction: 2NH4NO3 = 2N2 + O2 + 4H2O or something along this line occurred in their aquarium with BCBs or other denitrifying media I would be reluctant to adopt this filtration system,
Hello there. Im new to the fish hobby. I am wondering if this is needed more for cichlid tanks because they eat plants. Therefore cannot put plants in to keep the nitrates down?
I am have still been performing water changes, with nitrates around 10ppm. I removed the last of the biohome 2 days ago, and am measuring a little ammonia. The basket has been in for 13 weeks, so I will give it some more time.
G'day mate, I haven't noticed any difference in clarity. I have still been changing water with nitrates remaining around 5-10ppm.I removed the basket of biohome that was also in the sump a week ago. I measured a little ammonia at first but now it's all good. I will perform a large water change tomorrow then measure nitrates weekly to test the basket.
I have just started an experiment where I put 2 bcb bags in a canister installed on an empty tank. I'm adding clear ammonia every few days and am measuring what happens. Will make a video when I have a result.
G'day Ron. The basket has been in for 8 weeks with no measurable difference in nitrate levels as yet. I will give it some more time and see how it goes.
Thats great initiative .. i believe it might take 1month to see the results. It should work.. also all tanks have anoxic zones. It might be less or more ( ex : uncleaned Canisters ) . Anoxic filters r designed to leverage more anoxic conditions.
Well I'll be, this is the 1st time I've heard of this, I wish I had of known about this cause I sure would of tried it for the mutt guppies I was raising a few years ago with as prolific they were.
Nitrates are still increasing, but nowhere near as fast as before I had the baskets. If you watch the 3 updates in order, you will see all of the testing and results.
Zeolite has been used in aquariums for decades and has nothing to do with so called "anoxic filtration" in aquariums. I certainly wouldn't trust kitty litter to have unadulterated, uncontaminated zeolite as there's no need for purity in the cat box.
Check out all of the updates on this bcb here - th-cam.com/play/PLZJ4nD85T8GC44v89Z0Bh8i5OY4dmVk72.html
Dear Gil:
I’ve been wondering if anoxic filtration works. I look forward to seeing the results of your experiment.
It’s lovely to have someone in the FishFam, with your skills, so we can observe a true test.
Thank you sharing your, continued work in the hobby.
All my best,
Sincerely,
E. J. Brinegar
Thank E.J,
I'm interested in the results if any. It all sounds too good to be true, although I have read some anecdotal evidence from some fish keepers stating that it can work.
Thanks for your interest.
Your basket is very well made.
Thanks mate.
I still need to try this. I like the way you made this basket. Easy to follow....
Thanks Didi. Full results are not in yet, although it looking promising so far.
One if the cleanest BCB builds that I've seen online, looking forward seeing your results. 👍
Thanks a lot Sergio. I'm just finishing a short update video now and will publish tonight. Thanks for your interest mate. 🙂
It works and very well! I will never have another system without it.
That's good to know Ben. How long did yours take to establish?
Nice work GV! Will be interesting to see your results as others have confirmed beneficial results. Dr Novak does share very interesting stuff! Awesome video GV
Thanks mate. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it all works out. I have also made a plenum on my daughters goldfish tank to test that out.
@@Gilsfishroom Cool! Would be goof to see the plenum setup too. Thanks GV
Will make a video of it in the near future, once it is up and running properly.
@@Gilsfishroom ✌
Excellent video.. Not sure how I missed this one..
Your diy and hacks are always great .
Never thought of using kitty litter but the zeolite makes sense ..
Thanks Chris. The science behind this is pretty interesting, as will be the results in the next update.
Its nice to find another aussie doing this. i've had my aquariums running with anoxic filtration for 6 months now. I do use a slow moving plenum as I don't use canister or sump filters. I can tell you that you will see results within 3 months of using one, however i have found that after 6 months the plenum does become more stable. I have a goldfish tank that once had two large orandas (now one) my nitrates in 2 weeks were 80ppm on the api test kit. they are now 10ppm I do predict it will fall even lower as the system matures. On my betta tank the nitrates are 0. Once the system matures i can tell you this, the system can filter your whole aquarium which means that you will not need to reply on biological filtration or nitrifying bacteria because the bacteria that is growing in your bcb basket can change its food source it will consume ammonia. I've tested it personally.
That's great to hear Kye. I have a plenum on a goldfish tank consisting of about 40 - 50mm of gravel with a little flourite in the middle. What is in yours?
@@Gilsfishroom I built mine up in layers, gravel on top of the plates then kitty litter and fluorite on top of that then capped it off with gravel. Then I repeated it again so i have basically 2 layers of kitty litter and fluorite sandwiched between the gravel. Before I capped the kitty litter and fluorite off I put some polyester mesh on top to stop my goldfish from digging. the first time i did a plenum i only used gravel, which i got from Kevin's channel but I do believe that my goldfish disrupted the plenum when they were moving the gravel around. my substrate is 8cm deep but in my betta tank its about 3.5cm still works great.
Awesome Kye. I'll give mine a little longer, and if I'm not seeing results I will add some more layers. Thanks mate.
Hi..i need help..currently im using 2 pump separate tank..1 trickle n 1 sump n each type have prefilter sponge..so here my question..i wana convert my sump for overflowing outgoing from main tank then pump through added canister filter with full 15L bcb basket in it..n other still using convensional until i got result from denitryfication..n then apply both using anoxic..is this step safe?
Does it speed up process for anoxic?
When I first put the basket in my sump I kept half of the original media in for the first 3 months. After I removed the media I measured a small amount of ammonia for the first 2 days, then all is fine after that. Here are all of the updates - th-cam.com/play/PLZJ4nD85T8GC44v89Z0Bh8i5OY4dmVk72.html
I am also curious, was thinking that the plenum based on the same system would be easier to do without the basket, so looking forward to see the results.
A plenum wasn't really an option for this tank as the geophagus do love to dig! I have installed a slow moving plenum on another tank, so we shall see how that goes.
@@Gilsfishroom FYI, you can put a layer of that plastic mesh down in the substrate (or use the light diffuser) about a half inch to an inch down and then the fish can only dig down that far and the plenum is protected.
@@hardybryan I thought of doing that but apart from it being a pretty big job to retrofit a plenum in this tank, the geos dig deep breeding pits. Being able to see the exposed mesh everywhere would spoil the natural look I think. It's a great suggestion, and would work if these geos weren't constantly breeding. Thanks for the comment mate.😁
Absolutely love that driftwood it’s fantastic! May I ask what sort of wood that is?
Regards Duzzy🇦🇺
G'day Duzzy, the wood is from a Swamp or flat top yate (Eucalyptus occidentalis) that I needed to remove to build a shed. The two big roots are the root ball of the tree cut in half. The other sticks are from that tree and some dead mallee trees. Here is how it all went together - th-cam.com/video/wzRaYDZABHY/w-d-xo.html
Good one. Subbed. That's a great way to build a bcb of any size. Awesome 👍
Thanks Vivek. I was thinking of moving the basket and having it before the sponges in the sump to access the ammonia in the water before the bacteria in the sponges can. What do you think?
@@Gilsfishroom Here is how it should be: Mechanical -- BCB. So the sponges should be before the BCB for mechanical filtration.
I'd expect something like 3 - 6 months for results to become apparent.
The miracle bacteria we are seeking are naturally occurring and called anammox bacteria, and unless we source them directly, we are hoping they somehow just arrive by chance, which is going to be hit and miss, hence the mixed feedback online.
If anammox bacteria find their way to your sump, I'm sure you're on a winner. I'll be following the progress :)
Thanks Colin. I was kind of hoping that because I'm using rainwater, that may be of some advantage? Maybe with 12 years of dust, bird poo, dead insects and God knows what else fermenting away in my house tanks.
@@Gilsfishroom "build it and they will come"
Ha! I had that line running through my head while making this. Great minds think alike. 🤣🤣
@@Gilsfishroom I don't see any downside to having the BCB within a sump arrangement. Porous clay plus iron rich clay will become home to a rich biota of useful microorganisms, regardless of N03 outcomes.
No detrimental effects so far, no change in ph or ammonia levels.
Hey Gil, love your videos and am interested in trying this. Did you reduce the flow rate through your sump as well? "Low flow rates" seem to be the go with these setups but I haven't seen it quantified in terms of, for example, tank volume turnover per hour. Tyipcally bio filters work on 4x so just curious if you have reduced your flow rate as well, and if so what to?
The idea behind the baskets is to have water flow around them, so the negatively charged clay can attract the positively charged ammonia. This means that the more flow around the basket, the better. The low flow refers to systems where the water flows through, like plenums. The slow flow gives the aerobic bacteria time to use the free oxygen out of the water, so the oxygen depleted water creates anoxic conditions. One of my bcb updates explains how the basket works, I just can't remember which one. Good luck mate!
Good idea with the eggs crates and mesh combination. Very neat beautiful BCB. It may take longer for the bcb to function in my experience. Recent development from Taiwan for the shrimp industry, they came up with some very new bacteria. I am trying to find out more.
Thanks, I couldn't find a basket the correct size, so I had to make one. This is my first attempt at a BCB so I hope it works out.
I don't sure it is good idea to use the eggs crates: the water will stream on some distance from the clay.
How did it go? I’ve been wondering if my baskets have not yet worked because I had a nitrogen cycle already established, and the baskets need ammonia, are the new baskets having to compete for that ammonia and therefore taking a lot longer to establish. That was the reason for my experiment with the big bcb bag , to see if direct ammonia works faster .
No measurable results so far, although it has only been two months. I was wondering the same thing, so I recently removed my coarse and medium sponges, to reduce the amount of bacteria present before the basket.
@@Gilsfishroom yes that might help, I think these bcbs work best on newly set up systems from what I’ve seen so far , but I’ll stick with it 🤞🏽 let us know how yours go as far as nitrate reduction goes .👍🏼
Will do.
thanks for sharing, I hope it works out for you. would be a great way to save time and effort with your water changing. looking forward to seeing the results over the next couple weeks. you post some very interesting things. learning heaps from you.
p.s good to see you bought some footwear 🙃
Thanks mate, I hope it works too. Yes, I have gone all up market now I have boots.
@@Gilsfishroom that's good, I've heard fish have sensitive noses 🤣
great video my friend! im very curious about the results.. im also using a filter media that absorbed my nitrates because it was rising to fast and couldnt get it low with only 1 water change weekly.. since i used the media i can do easily i change a lot less now only i dont have a sump like you
btw im really enjoying watching this video👍
Thanks Olaf. Hopefully we will find out in the next few months if it works.
Hi just one question did the kitty litter increased the Ph and Kh in the aquarium? Many thanks
G'day, there was no increase in Ph or tds. I have not tested the Kh, but will do so and get back to you.
No increase in kh either.
Fingers crossed.
I've been running an anaerobic fostering media in my cannister for a couple of years now...still waiting for that to work. I'd love to see someone show evidence of the theory working. Good luck.
Thanks. I've had anaerobic media in the sump for nearly a year with no result. I thought I'd give Dr Kevin's anoxic system a go.
What media do you have?
@@rockfella27 Biohome.
@reticulated ralphie. Until I or someone else proves that the following chemical reaction: 2NH4NO3 = 2N2 + O2 + 4H2O or something along this line occurred in their aquarium with BCBs or other denitrifying media I would be reluctant to adopt this filtration system,
Nice little experiment, I'm curious to see if it works
Yeah, so am I. Time will tell.
Hello there. Im new to the fish hobby. I am wondering if this is needed more for cichlid tanks because they eat plants. Therefore cannot put plants in to keep the nitrates down?
This can be used in any type of tank. Unless you have lots of healthy, growing plants and not many fish, you will have nitrates.
It really does work i made one out of a 16 in pool filter and run it with my pond Filtration system and it works very well
Cool. I may not have zero nitrates, but I'm only changing water every couple of weeks never going over 40ppm.
@@Gilsfishroom that is awesome to hear
greetings friend. I'm new to your channel, watching and enjoying your channel. Wow the video is an interesting one. Greetings from Spain, 👍9
Welcome mate. I'm glad you like the video.
When are you going to post your results?
I am have still been performing water changes, with nitrates around 10ppm. I removed the last of the biohome 2 days ago, and am measuring a little ammonia. The basket has been in for 13 weeks, so I will give it some more time.
Hey there, so it's been 2 months. What do you think of BCB? More clear but still nitrates?
G'day mate, I haven't noticed any difference in clarity. I have still been changing water with nitrates remaining around 5-10ppm.I removed the basket of biohome that was also in the sump a week ago. I measured a little ammonia at first but now it's all good. I will perform a large water change tomorrow then measure nitrates weekly to test the basket.
@@Gilsfishroom good to hear. I'm planning to try bags in my sump. Thanks for the content.
I have just started an experiment where I put 2 bcb bags in a canister installed on an empty tank. I'm adding clear ammonia every few days and am measuring what happens. Will make a video when I have a result.
@@Gilsfishroom I have heard that this works better in new tanks, because the nitrate build up is slow. Should be interesting.
Can i use bentonite?
I think that Dr Novak stated that bentonite is not suitable.
as long as the kitty litter is 100% Zeolite, I dont have any issues with using it.
It is 100% New Zealand zeolite.
How have the BCB baskets been working?
G'day Ron. The basket has been in for 8 weeks with no measurable difference in nitrate levels as yet. I will give it some more time and see how it goes.
@@Gilsfishroom It may tank months. Be patient. Any difference you notice in fish behaviour?
@@rockfella27 I have not noticed any difference.
Nice work
Thanks mate. I hope it works.
What is in your other baskets?
I had biohome in the other basket. I kept it in there for a few weeks until this basket became established. It is all included in the 3 update videos.
@@Gilsfishroom checked out ur other vids after this one. Awesome results! Love the tank and system good job mate
@@gulldaw272 Thanks mate. It was a pretty interesting thing to do.
So, did it wrk?
I think that the baskets have keep the nitrates lower than they would be otherwise. Check out the update videos for more info.
Thats great initiative .. i believe it might take 1month to see the results. It should work.. also all tanks have anoxic zones. It might be less or more ( ex : uncleaned Canisters ) . Anoxic filters r designed to leverage more anoxic conditions.
Thanks. This is my first try at an anoxic filter. Hopefully it works.
Luar biasa sobat saya sangat berterimakasih kepada Anda
Thank you. 😁
I hope it works out for you. New subscriber 292. Thanks friend for sharing. Like22
Thanks mate. Time will tell.
Well I'll be, this is the 1st time I've heard of this, I wish I had of
known about this cause I sure would of tried it for the mutt
guppies I was raising a few years ago with as prolific they were.
Yes, it is all pretty interesting mate.
@@Gilsfishroom we're never too old to learn
even if it's late & won't need it anymore.
Did it work....
Nitrates are still increasing, but nowhere near as fast as before I had the baskets. If you watch the 3 updates in order, you will see all of the testing and results.
훌륭한 채널을 공유합니다..지속적인 성공을 기원하며 즐거운 마음으로 팔로우합니다.....
Thank you very much. 😀
Zeolite has been used in aquariums for decades and has nothing to do with so called "anoxic filtration" in aquariums. I certainly wouldn't trust kitty litter to have unadulterated, uncontaminated zeolite as there's no need for purity in the cat box.
The kitty litter has been in for well over a year with no detrimental affects on the fish.
no
Watch the whole series mate. Might change your mind.
+1sbcrb
👍😁👍
Kevin Novak doesn't know what he's talking about.
I was skeptical until I tried it. Watch the full playlist, the most recent video is twelve months after this one.
@@Gilsfishroom Of course zeolite absorbs ammonia. It’s all the plenum nonsense that’s balderdash.