Hello Dr Novak, my new tank with your style plenum and deep substrate has been running for only four weeks and I measured nitrates today and they are below 2.5ppm, that is the lowest I've had in 20yrs! Our tap water can contain up to 36ppm so this is amazing. Thank you Dr Novak.
Oh this is great! My tap water has 40ppm maybe more idk. Your post gives me hope. What's the substrate thickness you have? How much is it above the plenum? What did you use?
I've been watching your videos for last month. Would've been watching earlier but just found your channel. I've used ugf for years and love em for the most part. Although I did not want to build my own plenum, I tore down my tank today to set up as close to your method as possible. Added ceramic bio rings, ugf plate, plastic mesh, washed kitty litter same as you suggested, Fluorite iron, more litter, capped with the gravel i was using for past six months so there would be bacteria already established. Replanted everything, even put on black background, heater, dirt magnet filter on high, plenum air is very low, lights on timer. Little cloudy but assuming that will be fine by tomorrow. Fingers crossed I did all this right and get similar success. Thanks for your years of research, first hand experience, studies, and letting us hobbyists (who cares to listen to the science) find a better way.
Thanks for the tutorial, now I understand how to set one up and what a plenum is (lol I had never heard that term before). Have you got a video on the science of why anoxic filtration (and your system with a plenum in particular) works?
i start again keeping aquarium hobby. after 30 years i knew and like the undergravel filter but dint know about and how to make it work better with anaroxy ecc. ecc. i start to watch your channel and it was very very useful, I think all hobbyist of aquariums should watch you and learn from you thanks again
8:26 What is the purpose of the aquarium on the left and the large metallic cylinder on the right??? I got the obvious purpose of the air pump on top of that aquarium, I also understand the metallic cylinder in the middle (CO2). You might explained it and I miss it?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums How do you use that empty aquarium for CO2 on the left, can't you just use a diffuser in the tank? And why do you have 2 CO2 canisters?
Hello Dr. Novak. I am currently gathering what I need to set up this type of aquarium. I just got a 75 gallon and am going to keep goldfish. You do say that you can use any kind of substrate that you want. Does that include SAND? I am assuming I will need to put weed cloth down on top of the filter plates before layering the substrates. But can I use white sand as the top layer? Thank you in advance. I LOVE your videos.
Hello, I ran into an issue with the air pump over time, their strength decreased, and it had a really hard time pumping air because of the backflow of water. I saw some other experiments where the plenum failed, and the main reason for this was that there wasn't enough water moving through the plenum. Since the uplift tube is short and there is no airstone, I recommend starting with a max flow of air and toning down. I also noticed that when my airflow was low, all the fish started accumulating near the uplift tube.
Sometimes, if you're running a Plenum and you're not using an air stone, you have to make sure that the little tube opening stays open I sending a wire through it. I've had to do this with my plenums when I thought the air pumps were getting weak and it was only that the outlet hole was getting clogged up. Get a coat hanger and go in there and make sure the hole stays open. This is something I learned about 40 years ago to do.
I tried to put Eheim's sintered glass balls under the modular plates, but I couldn't make them fit in-between plastic posts. Is there a trick on how to make them fit? Could you say that the presence of a filter medium is a considerable improvement over having an empty space under the UG plate?
I've use them in the higher plenums that are 1 inch and the lower ones that are only a half inch and I didn't have any problems. You don't need a lot just a few of them will suffice. Are they necessary? No; it's just something that can help, but the science is still out whether or not it does help.
Setup turned out beautifully! Thanks for sharing. Add more plants!(: I know those will grow pretty large but I think it would look even better with a few more. If you want to keep it low tech/maintenance some more crypts in the two back corners and some anubias or buce on that front right piece of driftwood would look nice. Otherwise if your up for trimming there are unlimited choices of stems that would fill out the back and look stunning.
I have a question. Did you add the airline tubing straight into the ridged tube of the plenum (like an UGF), or did you feed the airline tube under the plenum and placed the airline tube under the ridged tube? Thank you in advance.
I went out and bought a Lee’s under gravel filter for a Betta bowl. Then I cut out the part that holds the 1/2 inch lift tube. It also has a connection for your airline tubing.
Dr. Novak thank you for these videos. I have a question on the plenum. Could you have (for in your case) the water coming from the plenum plumbed to run up and exit out into your skimmer that would take it to your filter? Would this be beneficial vs having bubbles pushing this into the open tank? Thanks again Robert
HELLO Dr Novak can i use ceramic rings under the gravel filter will it not trap unwanted dirt underneath the ugf, pls advise whether it is a good idea or bad. thanks kindly keep up the good work as always from sydney Australia
Hi Dr. Novak. How are you doing? How do set a phenum in a Cichlids tank? They dig move the substrate... Should a ise a Sump instead? Will that work as the same?
Just placed either a fabric or one of the holes match that they use for crafts about 1 inch deep from the surface. That way the fish can only dig about 1 inch deep into the gravel and the mat will stop them from digging any deeper.
Hi Dr Novak. Thank you so much for the detailed instructional video. I hope you can make a follow up video on this tank😊 I have a doubt though, how is that bubbler bubbling...I can't see an airline tube going into it . If i understand this correctly, we have to place an airstone into that clear cylindrical structure so when we turn the pump on, the airstone will suck the water that is under the undergravel filter? But is it just my eyes or do you have an airstone and a tube going into that clear cylindrical tube with the bubbles coming out of it?
@anoxicfiltrationplenums : Dr Novak,....instead of kitty litter can I use crushed lava which are very fine sized lava rocks measuring 1-3 mm in size ? Aren't they clay based as well? Can i use them over the plenum and also as a replacement to kitty litter in the bcb?
Hello Dr. I am in the process of restarting my 280 g aquarium. It will be fairly well planted. The plan is to use a ugf with aquasoil then capped with flourite sand. I had never heard of you until now, but it struck me that I am roughly designing what you described in this video. I like the idea of the laterite and have used it previously as well as possibly using the eheim media under the ugf. My question is that for this aquarium which is 96 inches long, how many lift tubes do you think I would need to install. I think the answer is three, but would love your expert opinion. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
If you're 280 gallon aquarium is 6 foot long one uplift tube with a gigantic Plenum is recommend. Remember, you don't want to move water quickly but slowly and constantly.. 8 foot long then you would use two small uplift tubes one for each 4 foot of aquarium.
Thanks for the detailed video, helped with my setup. It would be helpful to know recommended maintenance during run in of a new aquarium with plenum. For example, would you do water changes to control algae whilst bacteria populate the plenum?
Hi Dr Novak. I have a question please. What if i placed some old aquasoil amazonia or some pond compost as the first layer over the UG plates and then cap this with some fine sand to lock it all in and over this i placed a mixture of seachem flourite and some zeolites as the top layer...would this mixture of zeolite and flourite substrate also then act as a large bcb basket...i mean since the water would be moving slowly through it on its way into the plenum?
hello dr novak, so i dont need to have the air pump running 24/7 for the plenum? Planning to leave it on in the night only so the bubbles wont disrupt my diy co2 in the day. already have a cannister filter running 24/7. I cant really follow the step by step guide cause in my country for some reason kitty litter the non clumping type is impossible to find. So my plenum has no laterite and kitty litter. Should I still carry on with plenum method using undergravel filter plate, with just the laterite or go without both or maybe the clumping kitty litter can work?
Hi Dr. Novak, thankyou for your videos. My question is what brands of baked natural kitty litter do you recommend? The present Walmart brand, Special Kitty, does not specify if it's baked.
Thankyou again for your reply Dr. Novak. Have you tried a product called Hydroton? Baked clay pellets. Can they be used in place of kitty litter? @@anoxicfiltrationplenums
Great video! My question is, can you use baked attapulgite clay instead of kitty litter with bentonite in my substrate? The only bentonite kitty litter I can find in my country is clumping, not baked. Or is it possible to use clumping as long as you cap it?
I have some question for the Dr. I would like you to to know that I am very new to the hobby and I ask because I find it interesting that lots of people don't like underground filters, because they are "not cool", but I can see a huge benefit of having them in your tanks. My first question is... Do you need that gap for the Plenum, or can you just have a good inch/ inch and a half of porous material (like Seachem Matrix for example) and then add your substate (like Fluval Stratum) on top. Second... Can you run an underground filter combined with a canister? The way I see it is, when running an underground filter you make the gravel and sand bed your "pre-filter". Is it ok to run the water coming out of the underground filter exhaust through a canister? You can place more sponges and media in the canister to then polish or help the beneficial bacteria grow. Last question... Is sand ok as a cap, to cover the substrate, in a tank that has an underground filter, or must it be the filter be screened or partitioned off so the pump wont deal with the grains of sand, or is this idea of adding sand just not wise? Thank you for reading it in advance and I hope to see a response or maybe a video soon.
Dr Novak great video.I am going to add to my 20 gallon aquarium as you have shown. How long does the laterite last and would I dose iron daily using spray bottle like from your other video?
Hey there Dr Novak. I have been binge watching as much of your videos as i can. I have finally set up my very first plenum😊 tank for my Betta. I laid down tiny black lava rocks at the base, over this i placed the plenum and the garden sheet ...over that about 1.5 inches of some used seachem red flourite from an existing tank and over this i capped with about 1.5 inches of 3mm sized inert gravel. My undergravel filter plates don't come with a teet for an airline tube insertion though....so i guess i have to use the very small air stone that goes into the airlift chamber? I did cut the airlift chamber in the way that its height is just 3 inches above the substrate level. So it is short. I am thinking of setting it at the lowest possible bubbles rate. Do you think it will work?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums : Thank you Dr. You have really opened up my eyes to some new possibilities. I am planning on using one of those little baskets with holes that you had you red crypts in...i cant get that kitty litter that you recommend in my country but i am planning to use some fired clay gravels about 3 - 5 mm in sizes and mix them up with some zeolites and try to plant some heavy root feeders like crypts , cabombas and probably an amazon sword. I got this idea from another youtuber called Guppy Stories who closely follows you too. ua-cam.com/video/no34Wl4IlS8/v-deo.html For ferts i think i will only go with weekly dose of API Leaf Zone which i think contains mostly Iron and potassium ( as per the bottle's recommendation) and hope to see where it will all take me. Keep up with the good work sir. And thank you.
With a plenum, what kind of maintenance should be done? Should you not gravel vacuum because it will mess up the layers? Or just lightly suck the poop/detritus off the top? Leave it be?
Also- where do you attach the air hose to the up tube? Just at the bottom of the tube under the plenum? I assume we don’t want an air stone under there , just the air hose?
Actually, with a Plenum very little maintenance has to be done at all.. Usually under gravel filters will have a way to facilitate the hooking up of an air stone to its uplift tube.
Hello Dr, Novak, I am a big fan of your UA-cam. Do you feel like it is wise to have a under gravel filter for saltwater or reef tank. If it's possible, can you make me a under gravel filter for my fresh water tank.
I don't understand why I can't actually see the air stone in the bubbler pipe? Or the air hose that leads to it ? Is this different from converting an old fashioned undergravel set up? Anyway, thank you for all your interesting content, planning on converting my old undergravel into a plenum. (Possibly all the pipes and things are hid in the Weir?)
Dr Novak I have a question about incorporating a plenum filter into a marine reef tank. Being as we use crushed coral pretty much for the main substrate how would you incorporate this type filtration into a marine reef system?
Hello Kevin Novak, i have a question about anoxic condition. The anaerobic bacteria eat carbon + No3 and export N2. So need to add carbon (C2H5OH) into the tank or not ? If yes, how many carbon that should be add ?. Thank you so much.
It’s a complicated process but the way it works is you don’t have to add carbon ever to the aquarium or the pond for that fact. It’s a pretty simple system but it is complicated in its chemistry.
Hello Novak. I am investigating anoxic now.I know that the kitty litter can attract Amonia mocules but I can not find the kitty litter as your requirement in my country. Can I replace by Akadama soil ? Or could you introduce some other product that same function ?
Thanks Dr Novak! I'm using bcb baskets in HOB filters. So far so good. I have plenums in all my tanks. I love this new video. I am having some issues with java fern turning black. Does that have anything to do with the nitrates? All my other plants are doing great. I don't have any CO2 running. All low tech. I do have a led lights for Aquariums.
Can you help me doctor? My 220 gallon has an outbreak of Columnaris. There is hundreds of dollars of plants and substrate that I don’t want to loose and tearing down and bleaching a 220 setup will have me just quit. Im setting up a 79 gallon and going to treat with anti biotic of got from Canada a few years ago. If I remove all fish from the 220 and keep the plants and scape going then treat the fish in the 70 gallon will the Columnaris bacteria eventually die out in the 220 with no fish in it? There are snails in the 220 will they carry the bacteria? They are verious rainbow fish the older angelfish and archer fish seem fine for now. I appreciate your input on this Doc!
The gram-negative Bacillus columnaris is usually a sign of pour water quality right off the bat. If you take all the fish out of the aquarium and treat the fish separately from the aquarium eventually in the main aquarium the bacteria will die off. However, you now have a bigger problem in trying to decide why the disease started in the first place. If it's a simple thing like you added a new fish to the aquarium now you know how the problem started. However, if this is an existing aquarium for a long time and a disease just popped up for no reason then now you'll have to do some investigation to find out why.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thank you so much! It was a new setup but I used a cycled filter. I added multiple different rainbows from different two different suppliers. The kamaka rainbows brought the bacteria in I think because each day one would die. I pulled them out and treated with antibiotics and no deaths for 5 days now. But the bosmoni are still in the big tank with the archer and angelfish. One bosemoni died a few days ago so I made some food with the antibiotic and so far no more deaths in the big tank. How long do you think I should feed the anti boot food to the big tank residents? I removed the Kamala rainbows which
@@sirbreakemstuff OK now I understand you brought it in with some fish and now it’s affecting the whole tank. Take the fish out like you plan treat them and leave the tank empty with your plants so the bacteria can die out.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums how long should I keep the fish out of the big tank in order for the bacteria to die off? I have no idea how long And will the snails continue to keep the bacteria alive because there is no way I’ll be able to get them all out
Great video Dr. Novak, I like the whole design of the tank, good idea as well to have the equipment on drawers rails. I have a question about the maintenance as on every forum, they always say that undergravel filter are a hassle to clean / maintain. With your setup, do you ever need to remove the plenum to fix the device which is connected to the air tube or it stay fairly clean and keep on operating for years?
So is a plenum the main source of filtration and the canister is for water movement? I am new to aquariums, and am definitely low tech. If I wanted to just do a low light set up would the plenum keep the water clear as well, or should I have another filter to get particles out of the water column? I'm going to keep browsing your videos. Just wondered if someone could give me a quick answer, or a link to a video that answers it. Thanks
Thanks for very informative video. I am long time discus keeper, last few years in non planted 6ft 240gal tank, want to upgrade to planted. My tank is drilled with weir, all plumbed like yours in the video, just need to install plenum and substrate. One question about bubbler, where to get or how to make one like yours? I appreciate tips on this. Thank you.
I show all that information in my video and most of what I get is off of Amazon and in order to get the bubbler I think it's only a Lee's filter for Beta Bowls.
Effectively, it appears to be a deepsand bed ontop of a plenum along with additional moving parts such as air pumps to keep the operation functioning. How do you know the plenum is doing the denitrification and not the deep substrate? By contrast have you tried a deep substrate without the plenum and just allowed the water to slowly pass through the substrate by capillary action alone (using a finer, non-compacting substrate like pool filter sand)?
Additionally, if what your saying about plant roots is true, how do you account for plants living in their natural environments? I've got about 15 functioning deepsand beds and have too say that the plant growth is explosive all without co2 injection.
Dr Novak, You referred to your canister filter setup having something called a 'wear' which self primes the filter. Please elaborate as there are power outages where I'm situated and I want to overcome the problem. Thank you
Excuse my ignorance but how is the airline tubing run? I rewatched and couldn’t figure out if it was under the gravel or inside the tank and my eyes just didn’t detect it.
@@robindhood9125 it’s a modified Lee filter that was attached to the under gravel filter plates. I show it in videos how to do it. The Lee filter cost maybe five or six dollars on Amazon made for fish bowls.
Howdy. Just watching your videos as I have 3 55gallon or larger aquariums in which I am wanting to convert to or add anoxic filtration. Two are relatively minimal substrate or bare bottom and will be getting plenums and deep sand. My question pertains to my 75 gallon dirted tank. I don't wish to tear it down, and it has currently a large canister filter and a mattenfilter. The mattenfilter has two jet letters run by air stones. I have a bunch of those plastic baskets that are meant to fill with floss and place in a hang on back filter. They have about .75 to 1 inch of space inside. I wonder if I could fill these with the kitty litter/iron substrate and slide them behind the mattenfilter as BRB baskets and perhaps use only one jetlifter to somewhat mimic the environment created by the plenum? I could probably fit two or three in there for a total of about a kilo or kilo and a half of substrate. Would that be enough to justify the effort? I'd really like to avoid disturbing the dirt, substrate, and plants already in the tank. They're fancy goldfish tanks if that matters.
Hi Dr Novak What is the minimum thickness level that the substrate including the plenum can be in order to work ? Measuring from the bottom of the tank to the top .
The best depth for a Plenum would be at least 3 inches, that would be the ideal thickness. That does not include your Plenum itself which could be anywhere between a half inch to 1 inch high.
Hi Doc. I have some "kitty litter" which is 100% natural Zeolite and have a question regarding substrates which break down, could they cause issues to the amount of flow which is directed through substrate layers and plenum?
Hi Dr Novak I sent u a message befor about my plenem tank with catlitter I noticed my gh n kh is usaly high I am using catsan litter I just found out its not aked clay it's chalk a mix of corel and sand so it's high in calcium and carbonate ions that's why my gh is 240 and kh 100 IV got the undergravel then catsan then red clay then fluval strutum but my phis still 7.8 what I'm wondering is will it stil atract the ammonia ions out of my water
Video: Building a plenum Question Can you put the top gravel all the way down on the sides and front of aquarium to hide the soil? Or will the water just pull down only there because of less residence making the plenum void. Thank you for making these vids I found out the hard way on only soil on glass bottom.
I'm using the lees undergravel to make.my plenum on my 4 ft 75, should I only use one uplift or should I split the air line to move the same amount of air split in half to pull from each side to pull air though the plenum more evenly?
Dr Novak, is the bubbler absolutely required for this setup? Is the function of the bubbler to put oxygen into the plenum or is it strictly to aerate the surface of the water up top?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you...I'm going to setup a 56 gallon tank with your method here...I got a 25lbs bag of laterite as well. The only part I wasn't sure about was the use of the air stone/bubbler. Water wouldn't get too stagnant doing this without a airline and tube?
@@GSP-76 using a bubbler does aid in the transferring of water from the bottom out into the aquarium. But unlike the old days of under gravel filters where we tried to move as much water as possible we are doing the opposite with moving very little water as possible.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Yes, exactly... since we're trying to move as little water, that's why I was wondering if not using an airline at all would be sufficient. The tank itself will have water movement as I plan on putting a small power head in it. My only concern was whether that would be enough. Anaerobic bacteria thrives in low oxygen habitats but it does require some oxygen (as you've pointed out in your videos).
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you for the reply. Yes, I meant for a plenum. Alfagrog - void - UG plates - flourite - weed blocker - sand. No uplift, but I'll still fit a cut down tube in case it might be needed to help with flow.
I can't see why not if it is the right size. In some countries it's a lot easier to get lab rat soil than it is Fluval Stratum. In fact, if I'm not mistaking, there are substrates, you can buy that are basically lava rock soil. In one of my older videos, one of my tanks were actually made using such substrate.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thanks for the response, in that case cat litter in bottom, and lava rock soil as substrate.. So don't need fluorite or anything else. If that's work, then gr8
Hi Dr. Novak, For a 20 Gallon aquarium, do I need a large canister or can I just use the under gravel filtration Plenum you mentioned, maybe with a small sponge filter if needed? Also what I need CO2 to grow plants with the system?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Hello, thank you for ansewring. I wasn't clear: are you saying I need a HOB or Canister for CO2, or can I just run the under gravel filter (like you have) and just add C02?
Hello Dr. Novak I am currently building a plenum for my 90 gallon aquarium. The tank is 48" x 18" x 24". Will one lift tube be adequate for a 4 foot tank?
Hi I have a q. can I use some iron ore in the tank as a souse of iron?, as I drive past the mines all the time and its used here in OZ in gardens, parks, roads. its about 3 to 6mil round balls hope its not a silly question,Thank you love the vids and the details you point out Cheers
I'm having a hard time finding pure laterite in Canada. Are there any alternatives in some of the more mainstream brands? Would something like Seachem Flourite Red work? It says it has 16,190 mg of Iron / kg. I have no idea if that would be enough... seems high to me.
Seachem Flourite Red Will work but people that use it just solely as a substrate find out it doesn't work all by itself as well as the manufacturer says it will.
It was a Lee fish bowl UGF I bought off of Amazon for like $6.00. I think I show it in one of my earlier videos on how to make the plenum for the SCA 90-aquarium.
So in other words you can just use an air line into the tube and that is it? I just use air with sponges so I run air 24/7. So, into the tube also to build the plenum okay?
Over the many years I have lost a few Goldies (which are forage feeders) to large substrate getting stuck in their mouths or blocking their digestive tracts. I have learned to 'grade' my substrate for this reason. (I use a mix of Eco Complete and Flourite.) to be small enough to fit through a 7 count Plastic Canvas, but large enough to Not fit through a 10 count Plastic canvas. That is roughly a 3/32 Inch grade, (or approximately between 2mm to 3mm.) Eco Complete is a mined Volcanic Pumice. and Flourite is a High in iron and other minerals Baked Clay. The larger bits of both can be 'crushed ' in an old fashioned 'Hand Crank' style Coffee Grinder, (The kind with the adjustable auger gap.) - But you need to be careful to sort out the Actual Rocks that sporadically show up in the Eco Complete, those rocks will break the Cast Iron of those antique 'Box with sliding drawer' coffee grinders. ..This 'grade' won't get stuck in the Goldfish mouths, and (hopefully) should be small enough to Not block their digestive tracts. This 'Grade' is also small enough to not technically be 'gravel' but large enough to not technically be 'sand' either, and does not have sands 'compaction issues.' although it does keep detritus on the top like a sand would. *(Which makes maintenance easier in my opinion.)
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums They love their Spirulina Brine Shrimp and Blanched Hulled Peas at feeding time. I run a 'connected' Refugium' tank for the plants that would otherwise be a 'Salad Bar'.
Nice set up! Last week, I set up a plenum with my 29 gallon aquarium: Small lava rocks, underground plate filter, weed cover, cat litter, Flourite red (substitute for laterite) and Ultum Nature Controsoil. I first filled the aquarium with tap water (435 TDS). In 4 days, the TDS rises to 1035. I removed most of the water in the aquarium and filled it with RO water. The TDS went from 85 to 424 in 2 days. Please help?
Do a test on water filed with Kitty Liter to see if TDS goes up, and do the same test with the Lava Rock to see if it make your TDS go up or not . My new take with a BCB the same size as a Eheim 2217 filter full of Kitty Litter has a TDS of only 129. So the Cat litter clay is not raising the TDS in my tank at all.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you for replying. The lava rock did raise the TDS a little bit, but once it settled down, there was no change with the TDS. I still have to test the TDS with the cat litter.
Hey Dr. Novak! Gravel size you recommend in this video is only for this substrate or general size for gravel? I will use 2" gravel on top of a plenum soon .. was wondering which size range is best. Stunning tank you got there. It is probably set for decades :)
Yes it will. That is how it was originally explain. But after doing some test on it I found out that a slow moving Plenum works a little bit better than the non-lift- tube method.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I built a plenum in February this year with a slow lift tube. There was zero decrease in nitrates in 4 months of testing. In June I decided to add a leak valve which further decreased the flow. 2 months later and there is still no decrease in nitrates so I decided to cut the flow completely and monitor.I only did this a week ago, not sure how long I should wait to attain proper results as I want to set up a new tank ? The plenum is set up in a 3 foot tank with 4 goldfish. About a 25 gallon tank. I did everything as you said, I'm not doubting the plenum system I just think the water movement may not have been ideal as it is the largest variable in the system. I may have overfed but then too I should have seen a decrease in nitrate level. Anyways thanks alot for your response.
You know you can just put about a two inch layer of really big stone followed by normal gravel the size of what would go in your drive way then substrate an that actually makes the same conditions as a plenum but with wayyyy more surface area for it to colonize.fluid dynamics..also thos plenums will suck water from the easiest paths witch is from around the sides when pulling water out.fluid dynamics will do it thru the substrate.i think using a bubbler your still moving water too fast.hell all you really need is just that pipe coming up water will move by itself.
I don't understand what you mean by that? Otherwise, your choices are to just take the substrate and throw it right at the bottom of the aquarium or have no substrate at all.
Hello, can you please do a video on Fluval stratum it turned my kh to ~zero is that expected? My Tap KH is ~3 and I add seachem alkaline/acid buffer with the ratio of 2:1. However, my KH now is measuring a little bit lower than 1. I finally changed my aquarium to a plenum with a lot let plants! Thanks for all your videos!
Good day, Im planning to make 75 gallon tank. How powerful the air pump gotta be ? And would that be enough 1 uplifting pip or two is better ? Thank you
The air pump can be the smallest one you can buy it really doesn't have to move a lot of water with a small opening of uplift tube like I use of 3/8 in diameter. A 1" will also use only a very small pump, too.
So the Anoxic Bacteria Colonies take about 30-60 days or so to 'establish.' But what then happens to these Anoxic Bacteria colonies, after they have virtually broken down all of the Nitrites and Nitrates to obtain their Oxygen?
My thought is the possible need to strike a balance between a 'Target' low level of Nitrates, and the size of the 'Anoxic' Bacteria colonies. So that they do not potentially 'eat' themselves into extinction.
Ammonia and nitrates are constantly being put into the water by fish pee and poop, organic matter such as plants decaying, and excess food (if you are overfeeding, which happens even to the best) decaying. The bacteria colonies will grow to handle this, and be fine as long as this remains constant. The reason why a system like this one is preferable to trying to set up these beneficial bacteria in our canister filters or HOB filters is that you don't mess around with your substrate the way you mess around your filter systems when you clean them. That's why this system is so interesting, as it allows for rock solid consistency in the bacteria colony, and therefore consistency in the water parameters. Whereas with the aforementioned canisters and HOB systems, you can cause spikes of imbalance when you clean them since you are disrupting the colonies in them no matter how careful you are. If you watch his other vids, he sets up his canister filters mainly for mechanical filtration, with a bit of additional chemical filtrations via carbon and kitty litter bags. The majority of biological filtration is handled by this substrate and plenum setup.
Wow there is a lot of filtration with the ADA canister and a unutilized sump. I thought that the cat litter and iron bottom filter was all the filtration that you needed? (Most of us do not have sumps and external ADA canister filters) I am looking for something that can replace my internal filter and I thought that the cat litter and iron was it?
Hello Dr Novak, my new tank with your style plenum and deep substrate has been running for only four weeks and I measured nitrates today and they are below 2.5ppm, that is the lowest I've had in 20yrs! Our tap water can contain up to 36ppm so this is amazing. Thank you Dr Novak.
Sounds great! That really makes me happy to hear.
That is mind blowing!
Oh this is great! My tap water has 40ppm maybe more idk. Your post gives me hope. What's the substrate thickness you have? How much is it above the plenum? What did you use?
@@rockfella27 I think he covers those questions at the beginning of the video. Fluval substrate I think he’s using.
How is it running today after 2 years?
I've been watching your videos for last month. Would've been watching earlier but just found your channel. I've used ugf for years and love em for the most part. Although I did not want to build my own plenum, I tore down my tank today to set up as close to your method as possible. Added ceramic bio rings, ugf plate, plastic mesh, washed kitty litter same as you suggested, Fluorite iron, more litter, capped with the gravel i was using for past six months so there would be bacteria already established. Replanted everything, even put on black background, heater, dirt magnet filter on high, plenum air is very low, lights on timer. Little cloudy but assuming that will be fine by tomorrow. Fingers crossed I did all this right and get similar success. Thanks for your years of research, first hand experience, studies, and letting us hobbyists (who cares to listen to the science) find a better way.
Thanks for the tutorial, now I understand how to set one up and what a plenum is (lol I had never heard that term before).
Have you got a video on the science of why anoxic filtration (and your system with a plenum in particular) works?
You're very welcome!
I had to watch this video twice. Excellent tutorial. Excellent.
Glad it helped!
I really wish my system was so neat and tidy
This has inspired me to clean my system up to look like this
Fantastic job
You can do it!
i start again keeping aquarium hobby. after 30 years i knew and like the undergravel filter but dint know about and how to make it work better with anaroxy ecc. ecc. i start to watch your channel and it was very very useful, I think all hobbyist of aquariums should watch you and learn from you thanks again
That is awesome!
Hello Dr, Novak, Edwin from Costa Rica , very well explained. . Thank you !!!
Video by video the understanding of why to use a plenum is slowly seeping into my brain!. 😁
That's very good to hear.
Been loving the more frequent videos Dr. Novak!
Glad to hear it!
8:26 What is the purpose of the aquarium on the left and the large metallic cylinder on the right???
I got the obvious purpose of the air pump on top of that aquarium, I also understand the metallic cylinder in the middle (CO2).
You might explained it and I miss it?
CO2 for the plants.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums How do you use that empty aquarium for CO2 on the left, can't you just use a diffuser in the tank? And why do you have 2 CO2 canisters?
Hello Dr. Novak. I am currently gathering what I need to set up this type of aquarium. I just got a 75 gallon and am going to keep goldfish. You do say that you can use any kind of substrate that you want. Does that include SAND? I am assuming I will need to put weed cloth down on top of the filter plates before layering the substrates. But can I use white sand as the top layer? Thank you in advance. I LOVE your videos.
Is there a benefit to having bcb bags in a sump in addition to a plenum, or is one or the other effective?
Nice set-up! I am still using undergravel filter, going on 34 years. Community tank with plants, I water change every few weeks.
That is awesome!
Hello. That sounds great! Do you have a UA-cam channel to show your set-up?
Hello, I ran into an issue with the air pump over time, their strength decreased, and it had a really hard time pumping air because of the backflow of water. I saw some other experiments where the plenum failed, and the main reason for this was that there wasn't enough water moving through the plenum. Since the uplift tube is short and there is no airstone, I recommend starting with a max flow of air and toning down. I also noticed that when my airflow was low, all the fish started accumulating near the uplift tube.
Sometimes, if you're running a Plenum and you're not using an air stone, you have to make sure that the little tube opening stays open I sending a wire through it. I've had to do this with my plenums when I thought the air pumps were getting weak and it was only that the outlet hole was getting clogged up. Get a coat hanger and go in there and make sure the hole stays open. This is something I learned about 40 years ago to do.
I tried to put Eheim's sintered glass balls under the modular plates, but I couldn't make them fit in-between plastic posts. Is there a trick on how to make them fit? Could you say that the presence of a filter medium is a considerable improvement over having an empty space under the UG plate?
I've use them in the higher plenums that are 1 inch and the lower ones that are only a half inch and I didn't have any problems. You don't need a lot just a few of them will suffice. Are they necessary? No; it's just something that can help, but the science is still out whether or not it does help.
What about saltwater? Can we do basically the The same thing for a marine tank
Setup turned out beautifully! Thanks for sharing. Add more plants!(: I know those will grow pretty large but I think it would look even better with a few more. If you want to keep it low tech/maintenance some more crypts in the two back corners and some anubias or buce on that front right piece of driftwood would look nice. Otherwise if your up for trimming there are unlimited choices of stems that would fill out the back and look stunning.
I will add more plants but I will need more time. I'm not like other UA-cam channels that have support by other means if you know what I mean.
I have a question. Did you add the airline tubing straight into the ridged tube of the plenum (like an UGF), or did you feed the airline tube under the plenum and placed the airline tube under the ridged tube? Thank you in advance.
I went out and bought a Lee’s under gravel filter for a Betta bowl. Then I cut out the part that holds the 1/2 inch lift tube. It also has a connection for your airline tubing.
Wow....I literally just finished transitioning from all fake to all live plants and this is a trip. I think my mind is full
So what if instead of using Eheims substrat, i decide to use BioHome? You think it would be better for the Plenum?
Dr. Novak thank you for these videos. I have a question on the plenum. Could you have (for in your case) the water coming from the plenum plumbed to run up and exit out into your skimmer that would take it to your filter? Would this be beneficial vs having bubbles pushing this into the open tank?
Thanks again Robert
how soon after tank is set up would you start stocking it.. plants and fish..thanks.. love the vids..many more to come i hope
If you add the API Quickstart that you can buy at any Petsmart or any of your fish stores then you can stock and immediately.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you sir
HELLO Dr Novak can i use ceramic rings under the gravel filter will it not trap unwanted dirt underneath the ugf, pls advise whether it is a good idea or bad. thanks kindly keep up the good work as always from sydney Australia
Yes, you can .
Hi Dr. Novak. How are you doing? How do set a phenum in a Cichlids tank? They dig move the substrate... Should a ise a Sump instead? Will that work as the same?
Just placed either a fabric or one of the holes match that they use for crafts about 1 inch deep from the surface. That way the fish can only dig about 1 inch deep into the gravel and the mat will stop them from digging any deeper.
Hi Dr Novak. Thank you so much for the detailed instructional video.
I hope you can make a follow up video on this tank😊
I have a doubt though, how is that bubbler bubbling...I can't see an airline tube going into it .
If i understand this correctly, we have to place an airstone into that clear cylindrical structure so when we turn the pump on, the airstone will suck the water that is under the undergravel filter?
But is it just my eyes or do you have an airstone and a tube going into that clear cylindrical tube with the bubbles coming out of it?
No air stone in the bubbler that works directly off the air. It’s the old way under. Gravel filter is used to run before air stones.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums : Thank you so much sir
@anoxicfiltrationplenums : Dr Novak,....instead of kitty litter can I use crushed lava which are very fine sized lava rocks measuring 1-3 mm in size ? Aren't they clay based as well?
Can i use them over the plenum and also as a replacement to kitty litter in the bcb?
waiting on my new 90 gallon, can't wait to try this method out thanks Dr.Novak
Best of luck! Is it an SCA?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums yes it is, are you happy with it Dr. Novak?
@@kevindigit oh yes I am. It is my second SCA aquarium and it cost about 30 to 40% less than some of the other high-end Aquariums.
Red scoria is high in iron too.
This looks amazing. Thanks Dr. Novak
Glad you like it!
Hi - Can you use a filter mat 10ppi and a mosquito net so the small gravel dosent clog up the filter mat?
I've never done it that way myself, but it could be worth a try.
Thank you, i Will try it out🤠
Dr. Novak, you mentioned for a 6 ft tank to use two bubblers. For an 8 ft tank would you stick with two or go to 3?
This would all depend on how large your Plenum is, and each plate to the Plenum.
Hello Dr. I am in the process of restarting my 280 g aquarium. It will be fairly well planted. The plan is to use a ugf with aquasoil then capped with flourite sand. I had never heard of you until now, but it struck me that I am roughly designing what you described in this video. I like the idea of the laterite and have used it previously as well as possibly using the eheim media under the ugf. My question is that for this aquarium which is 96 inches long, how many lift tubes do you think I would need to install. I think the answer is three, but would love your expert opinion. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
If you're 280 gallon aquarium is 6 foot long one uplift tube with a gigantic Plenum is recommend. Remember, you don't want to move water quickly but slowly and constantly.. 8 foot long then you would use two small uplift tubes one for each 4 foot of aquarium.
The eheim bio media is my favorite for canister filters. The size and shape let's you get a ton of it in the baskets.
I have had it far years and just never used it.
Thanks for the detailed video, helped with my setup. It would be helpful to know recommended maintenance during run in of a new aquarium with plenum. For example, would you do water changes to control algae whilst bacteria populate the plenum?
Water changes are OK during break in. But leave the plenum alone and don't touch it.
Hi Dr Novak. I have a question please.
What if i placed some old aquasoil amazonia or some pond compost as the first layer over the UG plates and then cap this with some fine sand to lock it all in and over this i placed a mixture of seachem flourite and some zeolites as the top layer...would this mixture of zeolite and flourite substrate also then act as a large bcb basket...i mean since the water would be moving slowly through it on its way into the plenum?
That's exactly what I did in the goldfish aquarium.
hello dr novak, so i dont need to have the air pump running 24/7 for the plenum? Planning to leave it on in the night only so the bubbles wont disrupt my diy co2 in the day. already have a cannister filter running 24/7. I cant really follow the step by step guide cause in my country for some reason kitty litter the non clumping type is impossible to find. So my plenum has no laterite and kitty litter. Should I still carry on with plenum method using undergravel filter plate, with just the laterite or go without both or maybe the clumping kitty litter can work?
@@jonsnow1081 that’s correct
Hi Dr. Novak, thankyou for your videos. My question is what brands of baked natural kitty litter do you recommend? The present Walmart brand, Special Kitty, does not specify if it's baked.
That's hard to say because it changes from state to state and country to country. That's something each individual has to do their own homework on.
Thankyou again for your reply Dr. Novak. Have you tried a product called Hydroton? Baked clay pellets. Can they be used in place of kitty litter? @@anoxicfiltrationplenums
Great video!
My question is, can you use baked attapulgite clay instead of kitty litter with bentonite in my substrate?
The only bentonite kitty litter I can find in my country is clumping, not baked. Or is it possible to use clumping as long as you cap it?
I have some question for the Dr. I would like you to to know that I am very new to the hobby and I ask because I find it interesting that lots of people don't like underground filters, because they are "not cool", but I can see a huge benefit of having them in your tanks.
My first question is... Do you need that gap for the Plenum, or can you just have a good inch/ inch and a half of porous material (like Seachem Matrix for example) and then add your substate (like Fluval Stratum) on top.
Second... Can you run an underground filter combined with a canister? The way I see it is, when running an underground filter you make the gravel and sand bed your "pre-filter". Is it ok to run the water coming out of the underground filter exhaust through a canister? You can place more sponges and media in the canister to then polish or help the beneficial bacteria grow.
Last question... Is sand ok as a cap, to cover the substrate, in a tank that has an underground filter, or must it be the filter be screened or partitioned off so the pump wont deal with the grains of sand, or is this idea of adding sand just not wise?
Thank you for reading it in advance and I hope to see a response or maybe a video soon.
Dr Novak great video.I am going to add to my 20 gallon aquarium as you have shown. How long does the laterite last and would I dose iron daily using spray bottle like from your other video?
Hello Dr Novak would this be a good idea to try in my sump ???
Can a powerhead be used instead of an air pump on the undergravel filter? I am not a fan of the bubbles for many reasons.
If you can get it to pump very slowly, that seems to be the problem with power heads.
Hey there Dr Novak.
I have been binge watching as much of your videos as i can.
I have finally set up my very first plenum😊 tank for my Betta. I laid down tiny black lava rocks at the base, over this i placed the plenum and the garden sheet ...over that about 1.5 inches of some used seachem red flourite from an existing tank and over this i capped with about 1.5 inches of 3mm sized inert gravel.
My undergravel filter plates don't come with a teet for an airline tube insertion though....so i guess i have to use the very small air stone that goes into the airlift chamber? I did cut the airlift chamber in the way that its height is just 3 inches above the substrate level. So it is short.
I am thinking of setting it at the lowest possible bubbles rate.
Do you think it will work?
Lotta people do what you're doing. It's Okay.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums : Thank you Dr.
You have really opened up my eyes to some new possibilities. I am planning on using one of those little baskets with holes that you had you red crypts in...i cant get that kitty litter that you recommend in my country but i am planning to use some fired clay gravels about 3 - 5 mm in sizes and mix them up with some zeolites and try to plant some heavy root feeders like crypts , cabombas and probably an amazon sword. I got this idea from another youtuber called Guppy Stories who closely follows you too.
ua-cam.com/video/no34Wl4IlS8/v-deo.html
For ferts i think i will only go with weekly dose of API Leaf Zone which i think contains mostly Iron and potassium ( as per the bottle's recommendation) and hope to see where it will all take me. Keep up with the good work sir. And thank you.
With a plenum, what kind of maintenance should be done? Should you not gravel vacuum because it will mess up the layers? Or just lightly suck the poop/detritus off the top? Leave it be?
Also- where do you attach the air hose to the up tube? Just at the bottom of the tube under the plenum? I assume we don’t want an air stone under there , just the air hose?
Actually, with a Plenum very little maintenance has to be done at all.. Usually under gravel filters will have a way to facilitate the hooking up of an air stone to its uplift tube.
Hello Dr, Novak, I am a big fan of your UA-cam. Do you feel like it is wise to have a under gravel filter for saltwater or reef tank. If it's possible, can you make me a under gravel filter for my fresh water tank.
Actually, I do show a video with people using it in saltwater aquariums.
Hi doc how’s the stratum under the filter? Is it better than without any media inside the plenum?
Thank you sir
I don't understand why I can't actually see the air stone in the bubbler pipe? Or the air hose that leads to it ? Is this different from converting an old fashioned undergravel set up? Anyway, thank you for all your interesting content, planning on converting my old undergravel into a plenum. (Possibly all the pipes and things are hid in the Weir?)
Lift tube has been shortened to make sure it doesn't draft too much water through the Plenum
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you :)
Dr Novak I have a question about incorporating a plenum filter into a marine reef tank. Being as we use crushed coral pretty much for the main substrate how would you incorporate this type filtration into a marine reef system?
I'm having trouble finding laterite in my country. Are there any alternatives for laterite?
Same here, nowhere to find, empty stocks everywhere.
Hello Kevin Novak, i have a question about anoxic condition. The anaerobic bacteria eat carbon + No3 and export N2. So need to add carbon (C2H5OH) into the tank or not ? If yes, how many carbon that should be add ?. Thank you so much.
It’s a complicated process but the way it works is you don’t have to add carbon ever to the aquarium or the pond for that fact. It’s a pretty simple system but it is complicated in its chemistry.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thank you very much
Hello Novak. I am investigating anoxic now.I know that the kitty litter can attract Amonia mocules but I can not find the kitty litter as your requirement in my country. Can I replace by Akadama soil ? Or could you introduce some other product that same function ?
THIS IS SICK! I have GOT to try this in my shrimp vase! Will the iron be too much for shrimp or should I try it in a shrimp-free tank first?
I have a cherry shrimp and Amano shrimp in my tank in the iron doesn’t seem to affect them in the least bit.
Thanks Dr Novak! I'm using bcb baskets in HOB filters. So far so good. I have plenums in all my tanks. I love this new video. I am having some issues with java fern turning black. Does that have anything to do with the nitrates? All my other plants are doing great. I don't have any CO2 running. All low tech. I do have a led lights for Aquariums.
Ok Doc. Is it good to use laterite and Seachem Matrix (popular biomedia) under the plenum? Thx.
Yes
Yes, the main plot of the series 😄
I know this is what you have been waiting for.
Can you help me doctor?
My 220 gallon has an outbreak of Columnaris.
There is hundreds of dollars of plants and substrate that I don’t want to loose and tearing down and bleaching a 220 setup will have me just quit.
Im setting up a 79 gallon and going to treat with anti biotic of got from Canada a few years ago.
If I remove all fish from the 220 and keep the plants and scape going then treat the fish in the 70 gallon will the Columnaris bacteria eventually die out in the 220 with no fish in it?
There are snails in the 220 will they carry the bacteria?
They are verious rainbow fish the older angelfish and archer fish seem fine for now.
I appreciate your input on this Doc!
The gram-negative Bacillus columnaris is usually a sign of pour water quality right off the bat. If you take all the fish out of the aquarium and treat the fish separately from the aquarium eventually in the main aquarium the bacteria will die off. However, you now have a bigger problem in trying to decide why the disease started in the first place. If it's a simple thing like you added a new fish to the aquarium now you know how the problem started. However, if this is an existing aquarium for a long time and a disease just popped up for no reason then now you'll have to do some investigation to find out why.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thank you so much!
It was a new setup but I used a cycled filter.
I added multiple different rainbows from different two different suppliers. The kamaka rainbows brought the bacteria in I think because each day one would die. I pulled them out and treated with antibiotics and no deaths for 5 days now.
But the bosmoni are still in the big tank with the archer and angelfish. One bosemoni died a few days ago so I made some food with the antibiotic and so far no more deaths in the big tank.
How long do you think I should feed the anti boot food to the big tank residents?
I removed the Kamala rainbows which
@@sirbreakemstuff OK now I understand you brought it in with some fish and now it’s affecting the whole tank. Take the fish out like you plan treat them and leave the tank empty with your plants so the bacteria can die out.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums how long should I keep the fish out of the big tank in order for the bacteria to die off?
I have no idea how long
And will the snails continue to keep the bacteria alive because there is no way I’ll be able to get them all out
Tank looks great..What kinda maintenance are you looking at now with this setup.. Just caught this vid..
Every week I exchange about 10 to 15% of water and that's it. In fact it's running so good that actually I could let that go for once a month.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums so looks like there's no need of a hob filter with this.. Correct?....i like it... do you need to put the gravel on top?
Also cannot find laterite even Amazon can his be skipped or better to wait?
Dr Novak, do you have a book on Plenum system, BCB also
Great video Dr. Novak, I like the whole design of the tank, good idea as well to have the equipment on drawers rails.
I have a question about the maintenance as on every forum, they always say that undergravel filter are a hassle to clean / maintain. With your setup, do you ever need to remove the plenum to fix the device which is connected to the air tube or it stay fairly clean and keep on operating for years?
So is a plenum the main source of filtration and the canister is for water movement?
I am new to aquariums, and am definitely low tech. If I wanted to just do a low light set up would the plenum keep the water clear as well, or should I have another filter to get particles out of the water column?
I'm going to keep browsing your videos. Just wondered if someone could give me a quick answer, or a link to a video that answers it.
Thanks
Thanks for very informative video. I am long time discus keeper, last few years in non planted 6ft 240gal tank, want to upgrade to planted. My tank is drilled with weir, all plumbed like yours in the video, just need to install plenum and substrate. One question about bubbler, where to get or how to make one like yours? I appreciate tips on this. Thank you.
I show all that information in my video and most of what I get is off of Amazon and in order to get the bubbler I think it's only a Lee's filter for Beta Bowls.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thank you, I watched another video of yours and found it. Plenum build in progress.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums What is that rectangular water filled container under the tank on left side of the canister filter?
Effectively, it appears to be a deepsand bed ontop of a plenum along with additional moving parts such as air pumps to keep the operation functioning. How do you know the plenum is doing the denitrification and not the deep substrate? By contrast have you tried a deep substrate without the plenum and just allowed the water to slowly pass through the substrate by capillary action alone (using a finer, non-compacting substrate like pool filter sand)?
Additionally, if what your saying about plant roots is true, how do you account for plants living in their natural environments? I've got about 15 functioning deepsand beds and have too say that the plant growth is explosive all without co2 injection.
No sand here is being use for the plenum. The plenum allows/aids capillary action to take place along with diffusion of ions easier.
Dr Novak,
You referred to your canister filter setup having something called a 'wear' which self primes the filter.
Please elaborate as there are power outages where I'm situated and I want to overcome the problem.
Thank you
Or refer me to a video where you explain this self priming system, please.
Gravity will fill the canister filter. If you use a weir then the weir will alway stay full of water at all times even with a power outage.
@@muhammadbadat7042 I think the weir has to be installed before building the tank since it needs to have holes drilled in the glass
Do I need a canister filter? I've been trying to install plenums as you described, but I don't have canister filters.
No, HOB filter will be good or no filter if you like.
Excuse my ignorance but how is the airline tubing run? I rewatched and couldn’t figure out if it was under the gravel or inside the tank and my eyes just didn’t detect it.
@@robindhood9125 it’s a modified Lee filter that was attached to the under gravel filter plates. I show it in videos how to do it. The Lee filter cost maybe five or six dollars on Amazon made for fish bowls.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Great thank you for the information
Howdy. Just watching your videos as I have 3 55gallon or larger aquariums in which I am wanting to convert to or add anoxic filtration. Two are relatively minimal substrate or bare bottom and will be getting plenums and deep sand. My question pertains to my 75 gallon dirted tank. I don't wish to tear it down, and it has currently a large canister filter and a mattenfilter. The mattenfilter has two jet letters run by air stones. I have a bunch of those plastic baskets that are meant to fill with floss and place in a hang on back filter. They have about .75 to 1 inch of space inside. I wonder if I could fill these with the kitty litter/iron substrate and slide them behind the mattenfilter as BRB baskets and perhaps use only one jetlifter to somewhat mimic the environment created by the plenum? I could probably fit two or three in there for a total of about a kilo or kilo and a half of substrate. Would that be enough to justify the effort? I'd really like to avoid disturbing the dirt, substrate, and plants already in the tank. They're fancy goldfish tanks if that matters.
As long as water can go around them from the bottom side and top they should be fine , you do not want water to be forced through the substrate.
Hi Dr Novak
What is the minimum thickness level that the substrate including the plenum can be in order to work ?
Measuring from the bottom of the tank to the top .
The best depth for a Plenum would be at least 3 inches, that would be the ideal thickness. That does not include your Plenum itself which could be anywhere between a half inch to 1 inch high.
Can you use an ada substrate or root tabs with a plenum? Or would that put to much nutrients in the water column?
Hi Doc. I have some "kitty litter" which is 100% natural Zeolite and have a question regarding substrates which break down, could they cause issues to the amount of flow which is directed through substrate layers and plenum?
Hi Dr Novak I sent u a message befor about my plenem tank with catlitter I noticed my gh n kh is usaly high I am using catsan litter I just found out its not aked clay it's chalk a mix of corel and sand so it's high in calcium and carbonate ions that's why my gh is 240 and kh 100 IV got the undergravel then catsan then red clay then fluval strutum but my phis still 7.8 what I'm wondering is will it stil atract the ammonia ions out of my water
So plenum and canister filter?
Video: Building a plenum Question Can you put the top gravel all the way down on the sides and front of aquarium to hide the soil? Or will the water just pull down only there because of less residence making the plenum void. Thank you for making these vids I found out the hard way on only soil on glass bottom.
yes you can.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thanks for the reply and all the good info!! Keep sharing the knowledge!
I'm using the lees undergravel to make.my plenum on my 4 ft 75, should I only use one uplift or should I split the air line to move the same amount of air split in half to pull from each side to pull air though the plenum more evenly?
One lift tube will be enough as long as the plates can be all connected up together and become one.
Dr Novak, is the bubbler absolutely required for this setup? Is the function of the bubbler to put oxygen into the plenum or is it strictly to aerate the surface of the water up top?
No it is an option.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you...I'm going to setup a 56 gallon tank with your method here...I got a 25lbs bag of laterite as well. The only part I wasn't sure about was the use of the air stone/bubbler. Water wouldn't get too stagnant doing this without a airline and tube?
@@GSP-76 using a bubbler does aid in the transferring of water from the bottom out into the aquarium. But unlike the old days of under gravel filters where we tried to move as much water as possible we are doing the opposite with moving very little water as possible.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Yes, exactly... since we're trying to move as little water, that's why I was wondering if not using an airline at all would be sufficient. The tank itself will have water movement as I plan on putting a small power head in it. My only concern was whether that would be enough. Anaerobic bacteria thrives in low oxygen habitats but it does require some oxygen (as you've pointed out in your videos).
Is kitty litter needed if you use something like flourite?
If you're talking about a Plenum then no kitty litter is not needed, if you're talking about a BC B then yes kitty litter is a must.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you for the reply.
Yes, I meant for a plenum.
Alfagrog - void - UG plates - flourite - weed blocker - sand.
No uplift, but I'll still fit a cut down tube in case it might be needed to help with flow.
Hey what happened to the bulk head install? I was looking forward to that.
Sorry that will be next
I just need your guidance so that i can do the thinks in the right way
Can you also use Lava rocks under the plenum
Nice job
hi doctor novak
i put dirt underneath my plenum is that oky thanks
It works for you. Let me know.
Can we use Lava Rock Soil in place of Fluval Stratum
I can't see why not if it is the right size. In some countries it's a lot easier to get lab rat soil than it is Fluval Stratum. In fact, if I'm not mistaking, there are substrates, you can buy that are basically lava rock soil. In one of my older videos, one of my tanks were actually made using such substrate.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thanks for the response, in that case cat litter in bottom, and lava rock soil as substrate.. So don't need fluorite or anything else. If that's work, then gr8
Hi Dr. Novak, For a 20 Gallon aquarium, do I need a large canister or can I just use the under gravel filtration Plenum you mentioned, maybe with a small sponge filter if needed? Also what I need CO2 to grow plants with the system?
The Plenum will be good but what will you use if you want to ass carbon to the system a HOB or Canister will aid for that.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Hello, thank you for ansewring. I wasn't clear: are you saying I need a HOB or Canister for CO2, or can I just run the under gravel filter (like you have) and just add C02?
p.s. I won't be using a cannister, just an HOB or sponge filter?? what are your thoughts about sponge filters?
Hello Dr. Novak
I am currently building a plenum for my 90 gallon aquarium. The tank is 48" x 18" x 24". Will one lift tube be adequate for a 4 foot tank?
Yes one will do
Hi I have a q. can I use some iron ore in the tank as a souse of iron?, as I drive past the mines all the time and its used here in OZ in gardens, parks, roads. its about 3 to 6mil round balls hope its not a silly question,Thank you love the vids and the details you point out Cheers
Yes you can!
Thank you
Do you vacuum gravel or you do not have to with the undergravel filter?
On my 90 gallon aquarium for example I have not vacuumed the gravel once and it's almost a year old.
I'm having a hard time finding pure laterite in Canada. Are there any alternatives in some of the more mainstream brands? Would something like Seachem Flourite Red work? It says it has 16,190 mg of Iron / kg. I have no idea if that would be enough... seems high to me.
Seachem Flourite Red Will work but people that use it just solely as a substrate find out it doesn't work all by itself as well as the manufacturer says it will.
What did you use for the bubbler? I would like to know so I can purchase one and set up a similar system. Is it just the out tube of the canister?
It was a Lee fish bowl UGF I bought off of Amazon for like $6.00. I think I show it in one of my earlier videos on how to make the plenum for the SCA 90-aquarium.
So in other words you can just use an air line into the tube and that is it? I just use air with sponges so I run air 24/7. So, into the tube also to build the plenum okay?
yes that is right. Like a show in both of my aquariums that I shut up the 90 gallon and the 40 gallon breeder goldfish tank.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you
Do you need to worry about the gravel size with goldfish? The worry is large gravel could get stuck in the goldfish mouth
A fish that manages to choke on a rock deserves to die.
@@alanschulz9169 Bichir are good at that.
Over the many years I have lost a few Goldies (which are forage feeders) to large substrate getting stuck in their mouths or blocking their digestive tracts. I have learned to 'grade' my substrate for this reason. (I use a mix of Eco Complete and Flourite.) to be small enough to fit through a 7 count Plastic Canvas, but large enough to Not fit through a 10 count Plastic canvas. That is roughly a 3/32 Inch grade, (or approximately between 2mm to 3mm.) Eco Complete is a mined Volcanic Pumice. and Flourite is a High in iron and other minerals Baked Clay. The larger bits of both can be 'crushed ' in an old fashioned 'Hand Crank' style Coffee Grinder, (The kind with the adjustable auger gap.) - But you need to be careful to sort out the Actual Rocks that sporadically show up in the Eco Complete, those rocks will break the Cast Iron of those antique 'Box with sliding drawer' coffee grinders. ..This 'grade' won't get stuck in the Goldfish mouths, and (hopefully) should be small enough to Not block their digestive tracts. This 'Grade' is also small enough to not technically be 'gravel' but large enough to not technically be 'sand' either, and does not have sands 'compaction issues.' although it does keep detritus on the top like a sand would. *(Which makes maintenance easier in my opinion.)
Stay with 3-5mm substrate and no larger for your Goldfish. Make Sure you give them live plants to eat too.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums They love their Spirulina Brine Shrimp and Blanched Hulled Peas at feeding time. I run a 'connected' Refugium' tank for the plants that would otherwise be a 'Salad Bar'.
Nice set up!
Last week, I set up a plenum with my 29 gallon aquarium:
Small lava rocks, underground plate filter, weed cover, cat litter, Flourite red (substitute for laterite) and Ultum Nature Controsoil.
I first filled the aquarium with tap water (435 TDS). In 4 days, the TDS rises to 1035.
I removed most of the water in the aquarium and filled it with RO water. The TDS went from 85 to 424 in 2 days.
Please help?
maybe the lava rock is the problem, try to remove the rocks then do 100% water change and measure the tds again
Do a test on water filed with Kitty Liter to see if TDS goes up, and do the same test with the Lava Rock to see if it make your TDS go up or not . My new take with a BCB the same size as a Eheim 2217 filter full of Kitty Litter has a TDS of only 129. So the Cat litter clay is not raising the TDS in my tank at all.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you for replying. The lava rock did raise the TDS a little bit, but once it settled down, there was no change with the TDS. I still have to test the TDS with the cat litter.
Hey Dr. Novak! Gravel size you recommend in this video is only for this substrate or general size for gravel? I will use 2" gravel on top of a plenum soon .. was wondering which size range is best. Stunning tank you got there. It is probably set for decades :)
2-4 mm in size is best
Hi Dr Novak
will a plenum work (denitrification) without a lift tube in a non planted tank ?
Yes it will. That is how it was originally explain. But after doing some test on it I found out that a slow moving Plenum works a little bit better than the non-lift- tube method.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums
I built a plenum in February this year with a slow lift tube. There was zero decrease in nitrates in 4 months of testing. In June I decided to add a leak valve which further decreased the flow. 2 months later and there is still no decrease in nitrates so I decided to cut the flow completely and monitor.I only did this a week ago, not sure how long I should wait to attain proper results as I want to set up a new tank ?
The plenum is set up in a 3 foot tank with 4 goldfish. About a 25 gallon tank.
I did everything as you said, I'm not doubting the plenum system I just think the water movement may not have been ideal as it is the largest variable in the system.
I may have overfed but then too I should have seen a decrease in nitrate level.
Anyways thanks alot for your response.
You know you can just put about a two inch layer of really big stone followed by normal gravel the size of what would go in your drive way then substrate an that actually makes the same conditions as a plenum but with wayyyy more surface area for it to colonize.fluid dynamics..also thos plenums will suck water from the easiest paths witch is from around the sides when pulling water out.fluid dynamics will do it thru the substrate.i think using a bubbler your still moving water too fast.hell all you really need is just that pipe coming up water will move by itself.
That's a good idea If, there's a big if there, it doesn't make your pH go to alkaline which a lot of stones that driveways are made out of will do.
Hey do you have to plenum down or can you skip that part
I don't understand what you mean by that? Otherwise, your choices are to just take the substrate and throw it right at the bottom of the aquarium or have no substrate at all.
Hello, can you please do a video on Fluval stratum it turned my kh to ~zero is that expected? My Tap KH is ~3 and I add seachem alkaline/acid buffer with the ratio of 2:1. However, my KH now is measuring a little bit lower than 1. I finally changed my aquarium to a plenum with a lot let plants! Thanks for all your videos!
That I don't know, you'll have to talk to the manufacturer who makes the substrate. My KH is not down to zero but I will double check.
Good day,
Im planning to make 75 gallon tank. How powerful the air pump gotta be ? And would that be enough 1 uplifting pip or two is better ?
Thank you
The air pump can be the smallest one you can buy it really doesn't have to move a lot of water with a small opening of uplift tube like I use of 3/8 in diameter. A 1" will also use only a very small pump, too.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thank you
Can I check the laterite available here for iron content by using a magnet. Will laterite get attracted to a magnet?
no, the Laterite is clay the same as Kitty Litter but weather over time.
So the Anoxic Bacteria Colonies take about 30-60 days or so to 'establish.'
But what then happens to these Anoxic Bacteria colonies, after they have
virtually broken down all of the Nitrites and Nitrates to obtain their
Oxygen?
My thought is the possible need to strike a balance between a 'Target' low level of Nitrates, and the size of the 'Anoxic' Bacteria colonies. So that they do not potentially 'eat' themselves into extinction.
But they do not currently make a Nitrate test kit sensitive enough, so you a left kind of guessing.
Ammonia and nitrates are constantly being put into the water by fish pee and poop, organic matter such as plants decaying, and excess food (if you are overfeeding, which happens even to the best) decaying.
The bacteria colonies will grow to handle this, and be fine as long as this remains constant.
The reason why a system like this one is preferable to trying to set up these beneficial bacteria in our canister filters or HOB filters is that you don't mess around with your substrate the way you mess around your filter systems when you clean them. That's why this system is so interesting, as it allows for rock solid consistency in the bacteria colony, and therefore consistency in the water parameters. Whereas with the aforementioned canisters and HOB systems, you can cause spikes of imbalance when you clean them since you are disrupting the colonies in them no matter how careful you are.
If you watch his other vids, he sets up his canister filters mainly for mechanical filtration, with a bit of additional chemical filtrations via carbon and kitty litter bags. The majority of biological filtration is handled by this substrate and plenum setup.
Wow there is a lot of filtration with the ADA canister and a unutilized sump.
I thought that the cat litter and iron bottom filter was all the filtration that you needed?
(Most of us do not have sumps and external ADA canister filters)
I am looking for something that can replace my internal filter and I thought that the cat litter and iron was it?
Because I'm running a UA-cam channel I'm trying to show people all the options they have in filtration.
what is that tank with water on the left? seems interesting
Auto top off reservoir.
That is an auto top-off tank that will keep the weir filled at the right level all the time and for vacationing.