Doc. Impressed beyond belief. I made a large bcb bag with special kitty litter 2 months ago. The nitrates was slowing climbing but now the nitrates going backwards with no change in routine. 👍
Glad to hear that the BCB might work in a HOB. I have a 29 gal set up with a Tidal 55. Curious if there are others out there that have tried the BCB in a HOB and its effects. As always, thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks for the videos Dr Novak! Would seachem Flourish red work on its own without kitty litter, being that it is a clay substrate with iron? Thanks for any info
thanks Doc! i have been hunting for an iron source in the uk at a reasonable price. thanks for the idea of soaking the liquid iron source in the kitty litter … ingenious 🤣
Remember that you don't have to soak all of it maybe just a little bit of it that's going to be put in the center of the basket. That way you won't have a big mess.
Could you do a video on which cat litters will work? There’s so many different ones, maybe find the most popular brands and let us know which ones are ok. Thank you!
Just bought a bag of Walmart special kitty last night to try this. It dissolves instantly to mud when rinsed. All of the non clumping litter I've found in NJ have been doing this. Just going to try akadama or zeolite for the clay part.
Greetings from India. Thank you very much, i was waiting for a more convenient way to make a BCB, and you have shown it. Planning to put the same in my 5 foot sump for a 6 foot discus tank.
I have loved fancy goldfish for years! I have had them about 10 years total now and i refuse to give up. I finally created a small pond its about 180 gallons. I believe they are making nitrate filters that have some combo of this but i am now making a filter out of my spillway. I use to put filters in it. I started with bioballs but i ordered laterite and kitty litter (natural non clumping) im hopeful this will keep my fish happy. I have thier water very good through at the moment. The water is crystal clear and everything i can check seems to be great. I have 3 fan tails in there now for 3 years and they seem very happy. Im excite to implement this for my tank inside where i have a moor who is a little lethargic and a oranda that is very sick. I have tried everything to help him. He had wen removal surgery and nothing has stopped him from floating. I found a bubble in his fin and i almost wonder if he has gas bubble disease. I have tried everything (frozen deshelled cooked peas 1st) medications, constant water changes, fasting, fish forums, and facebook groups. I am at a loss i know one day i may lose him. One day i may have to put him down. I know you probably will not see this but if you have any thoughts it would be appreciated. You are the one person who seems very invested in these fancy gold fish. I did over winter my moor last winter and he could be slowing down due to the cold coming in but i was too worried to leave him outside. Thank you so much for this information.
Rewatching this video and thinking my bags did not work because I'm using the normal filter mesh bags. I might try laundry mesh bags since these are made very fine, and I cannot find any fine mesh bags for aquarium.
Iron helps plants, but it also helps to grow bacteria in its initial stages. As bacteria become established, iron is less important to the bacteria, as it was, in the very beginning of its inception.
I was thinking about making a BCB in a box filter (just for experiment sake). But this video basically tells me that won't be a good idea, because the water will go through the BCB, not around it. Oh well.... Back to brainstorming. Great video. Thank you.
Excellent information, very well presented! I have watched several of your related videos. Very interesting. I have one lingering question: does a BCB bag prepared with laterite or with liquid iron need to be refreshed in any way?
Great information, truly! Bentley Pascoe pointed me this way, and I’m enjoying the content! Great job at explaining the components of how and why the system works. Will be trying this in a few new tanks this week! Thanks for sharing, Doctor Novak!
Thanks again. I found that the instructions on how to add the liquid iron was very informative. I'm going to build a bag for my third tank, since it has a different filtration system than the other two. I have been getting everything ready for the conversion for two of my aquariums. I just need to get the liner for the plenum and new substrate.
Hi Dr. Novak, is there any replacement for the non clumping kitty litter. In Indonesia, I havent been able to find the non clumping clay/bentonite, many of those also with odor
The video that's coming out and shows you all the parts to a Plenum that I just made the happiest used a product called oil dry he bought it at tractor supply house.
Pretty much exactly how I did me Oase filter. Stacked two bags on top of each other in the bottom 3 square trays and have 2” open space on all sides for the water to flow around them. The Oase pre filters keep out any sludge, etc out of the bags. Used Laterite powder and mixed it in like you show. Proof is in the pudding. 😊
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I like them a lot, the pre filter is a breeze to remove and clean. If you clean them weekly or so, the filter Medea in the 4 baskets really never get dirty, as far as flow it is a lot like the others, probably rated higher then what your going to get depending on head height and other restrictions but so far I’m glad I went that route. My tank was crystal clear with just the one and I probably went overboard and could have used a cheaper canister for the bcb bags but the 4 pre filter sponges that I can get in 3 different PPI and the water shut off makes cleaning a breeze. No water mess…..Highly recommended
Hi love your videos 🙏 Can I use the large dryer nylon style bags with larger holes To make large bag to make large island in tank then cap it over with fluorite gravel or fluorite sand 🤷🏼♂️to give it a island look This will be all placed over a under gravel filter with low draw pipes with very small power head to move water underneath very slowly 🤷🏼♂️ I don’t want to make a mistake Do it once do it right The tank size is a 55 gallon ✌️🇨🇦👍
If the holes are not that big to allow any of the substrate out of the bag. So you need to compromise on too small of holes that will restrict water flow or two big of holes that will allow the substrate to migrate out of the bags.
Hello Dr. Novak thank you for all the information you have contributed to the aquarium community. I have been subscribed and have been watching your videos for a while. I currently have a 60 gallon tank with a plenum, that was installed after watching your videos last January. The tank is running great, with no algae at all. I haven't vacuumed the gravel yet! I've never seen anything like it! Thank you so much for that advise and information. I have recently thought about adding plants to the aquarium. However, I wanted to add them in a riparium style, not submerged in the water in aquarium. I also didn't want to hang the plants on the back wall of the tank and have the roots dangling into the tank. So, I am thinking of adding a 3 foot long by 8 inch planter outside the tank with a pump to circulate the water from the tank into the planter above the tank. Kind of like an overhead sump. I was initially thinking of just putting the plants in the planter. But now, I'm thinking I should make this into a hybrid with plants and anoxic filtration. I am wondering what would be the best way to set this up. Should I just fill the planter with kitty litter/laterite and plant the plants into the litter? Or should I make some sort of a plenum at the bottom, then fill with the litter/laterite and plant the plants into the litter? Or should I use BCB bags and then put the plants in around the bags? I am trying this for a few reasons. 1. I think the plants will just look nice above the aquarium. 2. I've tried plants in the aquarium before, and I really didn't have great success with that, so I don't want to try that again at this time. 3. I also read that plants that are not submerged, actually filter the aquarium better because they have access to much more CO2. 4. If the whole thing fails, it's the easiest to just throw out. LOL Thank you for everything you are doing and adding to the aquarium hobby.
I'm trying this bcb experiment on my 55 gallon Mbuna overstocked Aquarium. I've got kitty litter non clumping, non scented, clay based version. I have thoroughly rinsed it for 20 minutes. It doesn't ever get 100% rinsed or cleaned where no grey color water vanishes during it's cleaning. I've just added Flourish Iron liquid supplement & have that absorbing into the clay kitty litter for 30-45 minutes. I intend to add this mesh bag of kitty litter / aka BCB bag to my sump with space all aroused and BCB bag etc. My question is how bad & for how long will this newly added bag take until my aquarium water is not grey in color? 1hour, 2 hours, 24 hours or 4 5 months or 2 years?
This is great alternative. I have a small pond (1100L) with 3 x 100L drum filter, thus the basket method was challenging to implement. I have instead use the same types of bags (30cm x 20cm) and make 6 bags and placed in one of my drums for 2 weeks. Hope that I get it correct!
I have an extra HOB that I would like to setup with a sponge and then over it a bcb bag like shown here. Would this work without a plenum in the substrate? If I understood correctly I think the answer is yes but want to confirm.
Hi! Such GREAT videos, Thank You! Will a BCB work in a fluval FX4 on my 90gal planted tank ??? I don't have a plenum in it but it is a pretty mature tank that produces an insane amount of water lettuce and duck weed...
Thank you so much for all your videos and for freely sharing you valuable knowledge. Would you please tell me if it matters if the kitty litter you are using is from calcium bentonite or sodium bentonite. The sodium bentonite apparently swells up more than the calcium bentonite and I'm not sure if that is desirable in the canister. I am finding it difficult in Australia to find a suitable kitty litter if it has to be calcium bentonite as they are all sodium bentonite as far as I can find anyway. Thank you very much.
I just made a couple BCB bags with laterite and kitty litter. I modified 3 out of the four trays in my Fluval 407 by cutting the grids out of the bottom and inserted the BCB bags vertically thru the stacked trays. After 1 week my nitrates have not changed (25 ppm) when I am used to doing a water change every week. I am currently waiting on my phosphate checker and redox meter to arrive, however I have 4 pairs of angelfish lay eggs as well as a pair of bristle noise plecos lay eggs in a cave. Neither have done so before the bags! I’m shocked!
Very detailed video, we all will know that we are doing it correctly now. Thanks! 👌❤️🐠🍀 Going to make another BCB right now. Ordered the FritzZyme Trace Elements and it came in today. Now I can kick start everything off after a water change!
Hi dr novak, could you tell me, how many bcb bags do I Need for my 15 gal fish tank ? And what bcb bags size you recommend ? Does it exist some kínd of relationship between water gallons and the amount of bcb bags to put inside my sump or just depend on biomass?
I have fancy Goldfish that keep dying. Like you say on your other video, I’m doing everything right but they keep dying. I’m using a Fluval 407 and I’m gonna add this into one or two of my trays. Do you think it will help?
Dr. Novak, I would like to do a bare bottom Goldfish Tank with some flat river rocks sitting on BCB bags and an external canister filter. Do you think this would work? Thank you!
Yes, I always rinse the kitty litter before I use it. I do have videos on how I show I do it you'll just have to go back in my archives and try to find them.
I'm only just learning about plenums and BCBs in the last week and am very keen to get all my tanks, especially all the goldfish tanks, switched over to Dr Novak's method. Just having major issues trying to find the kitty litter and large enough quantities of laterite. If anyone in Australia knows where to buy the kitty litter and larger quantites of laterite, I'd really appreciate it if you would please share your sources. Thank you.
I’m having problems finding the correct kitty litter here in the UK. Would I be able to use a scented glass media as an alternative I can’t get the exact brand you use and I can’t find enough information on other brands of Kitty litter or oil dry to ensure they are safe for me to use hence why I’m looking for alternatives I’ve watched quite a few of your videos over the last few days add everything you’re saying makes perfect sense. The pond community here in the UK have been using a lot of your ideas for many years with great success I don’t understand why the aquarium community aren’t doing the same they seem to be pushing back doesn’t make any sense to me at all. I mentioned the idea in my local aquarium shop recently and they started laughing absolute fools. Keep up the good work this method may be a little bit more work in the initial stages setting up but man does it pay off in the long term. I honestly believe if these ideas are implemented correctly thank crashes will become a thing of the past👍
Hi There, I am based in the UK as well and I have been wondering which type of kitty Litter should i be using? did you have any luck with that? Dr Novak's method seems really interesting. i am planning to use BCB bags in my canister filter
Would using scoria be of any use as a substrate or in the cansiter? I just read that scoria cause pH problems due to calcium being released, but I haven't noticed that problem in my tanks which are all running with scoria as a substrate. I have tried to construct a plenum in two of the tanks but am having trouble finding suitable kitty litter as per my previous question. I intend to convert them all to plenums with BCBs in the canister filters. I would really appreciate your input please Dr Novak. Many thanks.
Fabulous video content Dr Novak ,Thank you very much. I now know just what to do when my canister filter arrives. However I have a big problem. I live in the UK and I can not find baked kitty litter anywhere. Please can anyone help me . What can I use for my BCB bags ??
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Hi Dr Novak ,Thank you for the reply. I have bought a bag of a product called Flourite Red ( 15.4 lbs) all natural porous clay. By Seacham . The product looks like kitty litter except that it is red. Does that mean that I use it exactly the same as kitty litter but I now do not need an iron source thank you very much for your help in this matter I do appreciate it ?
Hi Kevin. .. Thanks for more information about this and I'm thinking of trying this in my juwel rio125 filter box ( which is inside the tank on juwel aquariums )... will be interesting to see if it works .
I am so excited by this method of filtration for my pond. I have an established bio filter. Will it compete in a negative way with my anoxic filter? Should I gradually remove the contents of the bio? I have reduced my fish load down to 9 koi in a 4500 gallon pond. Are 10 baskets enough? Many thanks for all your work!
Some of it will remain in the basket and not all of it will just wash away at least that's how it's been for me. Another thing you can do is add iron to your tank on a weekly basis, and this also will help greatly.
Laterite is usually a very fine powder and it would not work because it almost has the consistency of talcum powder. Could you imagine trying to use something that has a granule size smaller than any sand that you would use in your aquarium?
Please Dr Novak, would you tell me if Aquatic Plant Food is a safe alternative to Laterite? It's produced by BioTec in Granville NSW, Australia. Dosage on the bottle states 20ml to 100 litres per week. It also states, "Contains potassium as sulphate 3%, chelated iron 0.1% with added specially filtered seaweed fertiliser solution contaning a wide range of trace elements and growth hormones." Has anyone used this in their tanks as a source of Iron? I'm concerned about the growth hormones but don't have another iron source available right now anyway. Many thanks.
Thank you for the answer to my last question. Do you have a video that talks about TDS in aquariums with plenums and BCB’s? I have 4 tanks converted to your method now and I’m recording my TDS so far compared to tanks without Plenums etc. I get my ORP meter later today and will test also and send you images.
Hello Dr. Novak, I just discovered your videos and I'm intrigued with your concept. I set up a 200-gallon fresh water aquarium 6 months ago and I don't want to break it down to add a under gravel filter. I have a thirty-gallon sump, could I add these BCB bags to a Fluval 406 canister filter to control Nitrate and phosphate in my aquarium? Do you have a way to control Phosphate?
Hi Doc I am in Australia and have been watching your vids. Great stuff. I am going to set up a bcb and am wondering if plant laterite is ok. It is in a rock format not soil. I have a 2000 ltr outdoor pond with a submersible pump / filter . Would you recommend I remove the 3 sponge filters and use the bcb in there place?? Do I leave the bio balls in there ??
Hello Dr. Novak, do you think that crushed terracotta or powdered terracotta is a substitute for laterite? Or is it the same thing? Maybe could smash a terracotta pot until it becomes powder, not sure if it will give the same results
Hi there, thank you very much for your guidance. May I ask if we can use hard baked clay (the one use for tree planting) instead of cat littler? And what if we put those BCB bag in a no firlter aquairum will it still work?
Hello from Scotland Dr Novak, i have a natural local rock outcrop pf Red Bole (laterite) it is heavy in aluminion as well as iron,, could i use this in replacement of commercial soil products if broken down into a finer substrate or even would a lump at the center of the kitty litter clay work also in bags. Best wishes and thank You for the information you provide to simplify things for everyone and make it more accessible financially, top job
Hi Dr. I have a sunsun canister which has 3 trays and I have 4 bcb bags 2 of them using 6"x8" inch bags & 2 of them 4"x7" inch bags. The net stretches a little so they end being a little bigger than the empty bag size. One 6x8 is placed in the aquarium, & one in one tray of the sunsun & the two smaller bags in another tray of the sunsun. Is it better to have the larger bag size per tray or several of the smaller ones?
doc, I been using the BCB in my 100 gal tank, w/a plenum, and they have worked perfectly. The BCB have kitty litter w/an Ironite core. I remember seeing somewhere how long they last but can't find the post. How long do they last? And do you still recommend ironite as a center? Can I use ironite in a bag like you have demonstrated in this video? Thanks for your insight.
One question, how many filters do you need if you have a plenum and a bcb basket ? A filter to polish the water also like your eheim ecco ? Thx again for your video just great
Hi Dr Novak. Thank you for your excellent educational videos. I needed your advise on making the bcb bags for my canister filter. The kitty litter that I got is made from non clumping fired red clay. Since it is red clay and already contains iron, should I skip adding the iron or add it anyways?
Hello Doc, old forums suggested to use cat litter as a substrate an aquarium. It kinda fell out of popularity because I don't know why. Do you think they (people in the past) would've achieved the same effect as BCBs when they used cat litter as substrate?
Hi Dr. Novak, thanks for sharing this knowledge. I still wondering about using the pot planting clay (those red black balls), would them work as well? I'm trying a small indoor aquaponic system with a 10 gallons aquarium, in my planting bed (where are the clays) the water is pumped for 15 minutes every hour them flow back to the tank (I still wondering if should keep a water level up for the clays getting flooded all the time) . Also this aquarium is with a plenum with small bubbling. I setup this system in October, and having about 25 to 50 ppm of ammonia (0 ammonia and 0 nitrite) and the fish looks very happy, but I still doing weekly water changes mostly to get rid of the brown water due a drift wood added to the tank. Should I expect better results in a few more weeks, using only the pot clay?
Hello Dr Novak - I have 3 x FX4's on my 500ltr Tank. Could I use one of these bags in the bottom tray of each or would I be better to use one of the FX4's and just fill both trays with these BCB bags? Also, do I need to add a Plenum as well as having BCB bags?
Dr I just put 2 bcb bags in the back drop filter of my Innovative Marine tank. The water turned a beautiful red for the preceeding couple of hours? Will this hamper the process or is it to be expected?
Dr Novak - I am making more BCB s for my cannister filter which will contain seachem flourite, do I still need to add the iron injection? I did not inject iron in my other BCB's and it still was successful for the most part. Thanks for your advice
That is the stuff I used in the plenum; I added a huge amount, but it worked. Iron is very soluble so I think the liquid iron would be reapplied once you notice BCB no longer working, albeit years. Iron rich substrate would take much longer for the iron to be depleted.
thank you so will this work with a smaller bcb bag on a over the hang. will this work also just with the bag in a sump? I have a reef tank and ive been dosing iron in very small amounts will this bcb with laterite be ok I mean it won't over dose with iron in a Marine reef tank. ive found iron depletes rapidly and my last ati icp test shows iron as 0. that s why I dose iron
And, another comment... I find it difficult to use UA-cam comments to ask questions and have a discussion. Are there any aquarium forums that have a community for plenum/bcb discussions? I have a question about. What volume of media per tank size/stocking level is appropriate? I'm using Aquaclear 70 on a 55 gallon tank and was just going to fill one Aquaclear 70 media bag. Is that enough? Should I set up another HOB and pack it with media.
i finally "bit the bullett" and I have built 3 large BCB baskets for my 110 gallon sump supporting my 500 gallon large cichlid tank. Pre BCB, my nitrates max out at about 40 ppm and drop to less than 10 ppm after 2 weeks and just before an 80% water change. I also have an aquaponic grow bed on this system to suck up the attitional nitrates. It any event, I have researched the Special Kitty litter you recommend and I am going to use it. However, nowhere have I found a reference to it being "baked" as you mention. Are we sure it is baked? If not, will it still work ok?
The old Walmart kitty litter was baked, but I noticed the new kitty litter is not baked kitty litter so now I have switched living here in Florida. I have found a brand that actually is baked kitty litter and it works perfectly.
Hi Doc. I've been having a hard time. Like really really hard, finding a non-clumping unscented clay cat litter in my place. I live in singapore. Question is, can i use an unscented clumping clay?
Thanks Dr. Novak for the video. How can we feed the bacteria to develop faster in the baskets/bags for Nitrate reduction on an empty tank? Do you think if it is a good idea to use pure ammonia? I'm also looking for a way to make sure that when the basket start working, before installing them into the main tank.
Hi Sajad, If you put the BCB I a container and add pure ammonia to a concentration of 2ppm and heat the water to 32C the bacteria will develop fast, keep testing the ammonia. The basket is ready when it reduces the ammonia to zero in a few hours and there is no nitrate produced
@@garethbaker3429 Thanks Gareth for the reply. Actually I did the same and in 3 days after setting up the baskets in my canister filter, the amonia converted to nitrite and then nitrate! As you mentioned there shouldn't be any Nitrate products, but mine works just like a Aerobic system, instead of Anoxic! Do you have any idea what is wrong? Thanks
I have a powerhead that pushes water along the back bottom of my aquarium. If I set some smaller versions of these bags right in that flow, would they still be effective?
I think he did mentioned baked clay [kitty litter that is not soft or mushy in water] And no additives in the kitty litter like perfume and such. Recent batches of kitty litter has some issues in the US. Alternatives suggested was Oil Dri. Ordinary gravel can still work like Dr.Novak's smaller aquarium where he used his äncient" gravel on his plenum. Maybe going through all his videos can be very helpful. Just a simple click on his icon will take you to all his videos. Click on the video tab [2nd tab from left]
Hi Dr. Novak, thank your for making this video! I tried putting kitty litter in the filter bag in my eheim canister, but the canister is making a lot of noise, how would you improve that? Thanks!
If it's your impeller making noise then watch my video on how to fix that correctly by making plastic washers that go in at the head and below the impeller.
Hey Dr Novak, my aqua one 620 is doing really well since installing the plenum and I've recently put the BCBs into the top sump and waiting for the bacterial growth to kick in with that too. I'm wanting to kick things off with the marine tank and wondered if I had the option to could I put laterite only and forgo using the oildry at all? The laterite has the crystalline structure too so really would there be any need to use the oildry if I'm able to pack a full basket with laterite
Could you use an absorbent inert baked clay similar to those used in industrial spill control? It is a pig finding cat litter that is both non-clumping and non-scented here in the UK.
Same in Australia it seems, but I'm still searching. I'm only just learning about plenums and BCBs in the last week and am very keen to get my tanks switched over to Dr Novak's method. Just having major issues trying to find the kitty litter and large enough quantities of laterite. If anyone in Australia knows where to buy the kitty litter I'd really appreciate it if you would please share your sources. Thank you.
Doc. Impressed beyond belief. I made a large bcb bag with special kitty litter 2 months ago. The nitrates was slowing climbing but now the nitrates going backwards with no change in routine. 👍
Excellent tutorial, as usual, Doc!
I'm super glad I re watched this video, I almost poured flourish iron over dry oildri rather then rinsing it off first
Glad to hear that the BCB might work in a HOB. I have a 29 gal set up with a Tidal 55. Curious if there are others out there that have tried the BCB in a HOB and its effects. As always, thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I'm thinking of doing this too. How did it work out for you?
Thanks for the videos Dr Novak! Would seachem Flourish red work on its own without kitty litter, being that it is a clay substrate with iron? Thanks for any info
thanks Doc! i have been hunting for an iron source in the uk at a reasonable price. thanks for the idea of soaking the liquid iron source in the kitty litter … ingenious 🤣
Remember that you don't have to soak all of it maybe just a little bit of it that's going to be put in the center of the basket. That way you won't have a big mess.
Could you do a video on which cat litters will work? There’s so many different ones, maybe find the most popular brands and let us know which ones are ok. Thank you!
Such a nice and easy way of implementing a bcb!
It really is!
Now I know what a BCB bag is. Heard it a lot in your channel but was afraid to ask
Just bought a bag of Walmart special kitty last night to try this. It dissolves instantly to mud when rinsed. All of the non clumping litter I've found in NJ have been doing this. Just going to try akadama or zeolite for the clay part.
zeolite or oil-dri that you can get at a tractor supply house will also do.
@anoxicfiltrationplenums I ordered just enough turface for a filter and some experiments a few days ago. Thank you for the videos 👍🏼
This was extremely Helpful, thank you so much! I use over the top DIY aquarium filters. This is great!
Glad it was helpful!
Greetings from India.
Thank you very much, i was waiting for a more convenient way to make a BCB, and you have shown it.
Planning to put the same in my 5 foot sump for a 6 foot discus tank.
Glad it helped
Hello kiran, noticed your comment. Do you mind telling what are you using in place of baked clay kitty litter as I can't find it in india? Thanks.
I save and clean out the little mesh bags for charcoal for my HOB filters. Just tie to top with string.
That's a great idea!
I have loved fancy goldfish for years! I have had them about 10 years total now and i refuse to give up. I finally created a small pond its about 180 gallons. I believe they are making nitrate filters that have some combo of this but i am now making a filter out of my spillway. I use to put filters in it. I started with bioballs but i ordered laterite and kitty litter (natural non clumping) im hopeful this will keep my fish happy. I have thier water very good through at the moment. The water is crystal clear and everything i can check seems to be great. I have 3 fan tails in there now for 3 years and they seem very happy. Im excite to implement this for my tank inside where i have a moor who is a little lethargic and a oranda that is very sick. I have tried everything to help him. He had wen removal surgery and nothing has stopped him from floating. I found a bubble in his fin and i almost wonder if he has gas bubble disease. I have tried everything (frozen deshelled cooked peas 1st) medications, constant water changes, fasting, fish forums, and facebook groups. I am at a loss i know one day i may lose him. One day i may have to put him down. I know you probably will not see this but if you have any thoughts it would be appreciated. You are the one person who seems very invested in these fancy gold fish. I did over winter my moor last winter and he could be slowing down due to the cold coming in but i was too worried to leave him outside. Thank you so much for this information.
You should see a difference in your fish by doing so.
Rewatching this video and thinking my bags did not work because I'm using the normal filter mesh bags. I might try laundry mesh bags since these are made very fine, and I cannot find any fine mesh bags for aquarium.
Great video!!
If possible can you have a part 2 with the canister set up?
Thank you
Yes, soon
Ok, after a couple of videos you have me interested. Thanks. But you DO tend to go on a bit when you could be a lot more direct and to the point.
Roland Wilson has a video up with some results of using 2 bcb bags in his discus tank. Nitrates are at 5.
With a 55g tank and no plants in it, is the iron necessary for the BC bag, or with the litter is enough for the HOB?
Iron helps plants, but it also helps to grow bacteria in its initial stages. As bacteria become established, iron is less important to the bacteria, as it was, in the very beginning of its inception.
Thx doc from Bolivia
I was thinking about making a BCB in a box filter (just for experiment sake). But this video basically tells me that won't be a good idea, because the water will go through the BCB, not around it.
Oh well.... Back to brainstorming.
Great video. Thank you.
Excellent information, very well presented! I have watched several of your related videos. Very interesting. I have one lingering question: does a BCB bag prepared with laterite or with liquid iron need to be refreshed in any way?
Great information, truly! Bentley Pascoe pointed me this way, and I’m enjoying the content! Great job at explaining the components of how and why the system works. Will be trying this in a few new tanks this week!
Thanks for sharing, Doctor Novak!
Awesome, thank you!
Thanks again. I found that the instructions on how to add the liquid iron was very informative. I'm going to build a bag for my third tank, since it has a different filtration system than the other two.
I have been getting everything ready for the conversion for two of my aquariums. I just need to get the liner for the plenum and new substrate.
Hi Dr. Novak, is there any replacement for the non clumping kitty litter.
In Indonesia, I havent been able to find the non clumping clay/bentonite, many of those also with odor
The video that's coming out and shows you all the parts to a Plenum that I just made the happiest used a product called oil dry he bought it at tractor supply house.
Pretty much exactly how I did me Oase filter. Stacked two bags on top of each other in the bottom 3 square trays and have 2” open space on all sides for the water to flow around them. The Oase pre filters keep out any sludge, etc out of the bags. Used Laterite powder and mixed it in like you show. Proof is in the pudding. 😊
How do you like the Oases filter? Is it made well? Does it have a strong enough pump to it?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I like them a lot, the pre filter is a breeze to remove and clean. If you clean them weekly or so, the filter Medea in the 4 baskets really never get dirty, as far as flow it is a lot like the others, probably rated higher then what your going to get depending on head height and other restrictions but so far I’m glad I went that route. My tank was crystal clear with just the one and I probably went overboard and could have used a cheaper canister for the bcb bags but the 4 pre filter sponges that I can get in 3 different PPI and the water shut off makes cleaning a breeze. No water mess…..Highly recommended
Can you please tell me what brand and where you got your kitty litter. I can not find baked clay kitty litter nowhere???
I want to try tis on my hang on back
Hi love your videos 🙏 Can I use the large dryer nylon style bags with larger holes
To make large bag to make large island in tank then cap it over with fluorite gravel or fluorite sand 🤷🏼♂️to give it a island look This will be all placed over a under gravel filter with low draw pipes with very small power head to move water underneath very slowly 🤷🏼♂️ I don’t want to make a mistake Do it once do it right
The tank size is a 55 gallon ✌️🇨🇦👍
If the holes are not that big to allow any of the substrate out of the bag. So you need to compromise on too small of holes that will restrict water flow or two big of holes that will allow the substrate to migrate out of the bags.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thanks as long as the holes aren’t to big on bag will be ok If not I will buy bags with smaller holes Thanks again 👍✌️🇨🇦
Hello Dr. Novak thank you for all the information you have contributed to the aquarium community. I have been subscribed and have been watching your videos for a while. I currently have a 60 gallon tank with a plenum, that was installed after watching your videos last January. The tank is running great, with no algae at all. I haven't vacuumed the gravel yet! I've never seen anything like it! Thank you so much for that advise and information.
I have recently thought about adding plants to the aquarium. However, I wanted to add them in a riparium style, not submerged in the water in aquarium. I also didn't want to hang the plants on the back wall of the tank and have the roots dangling into the tank. So, I am thinking of adding a 3 foot long by 8 inch planter outside the tank with a pump to circulate the water from the tank into the planter above the tank. Kind of like an overhead sump. I was initially thinking of just putting the plants in the planter. But now, I'm thinking I should make this into a hybrid with plants and anoxic filtration. I am wondering what would be the best way to set this up. Should I just fill the planter with kitty litter/laterite and plant the plants into the litter? Or should I make some sort of a plenum at the bottom, then fill with the litter/laterite and plant the plants into the litter? Or should I use BCB bags and then put the plants in around the bags? I am trying this for a few reasons. 1. I think the plants will just look nice above the aquarium. 2. I've tried plants in the aquarium before, and I really didn't have great success with that, so I don't want to try that again at this time. 3. I also read that plants that are not submerged, actually filter the aquarium better because they have access to much more CO2. 4. If the whole thing fails, it's the easiest to just throw out. LOL
Thank you for everything you are doing and adding to the aquarium hobby.
I'm trying this bcb experiment on my 55 gallon Mbuna overstocked Aquarium.
I've got kitty litter non clumping, non scented, clay based version.
I have thoroughly rinsed it for 20 minutes. It doesn't ever get 100% rinsed or cleaned where no grey color water vanishes during it's cleaning.
I've just added Flourish Iron liquid supplement & have that absorbing into the clay kitty litter for 30-45 minutes.
I intend to add this mesh bag of kitty litter / aka BCB bag to my sump with space all aroused and BCB bag etc.
My question is how bad & for how long will this newly added bag take until my aquarium water is not grey in color?
1hour, 2 hours, 24 hours or 4 5 months or 2 years?
Dr. Novak, What is the smallest size possible for these bags to be effective? I have a very small 5gal HOB filter.
I have not had any reports of people using real tiny BCB bags as of yet.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thanks for responding my question!!!
This is great alternative. I have a small pond (1100L) with 3 x 100L drum filter, thus the basket method was challenging to implement. I have instead use the same types of bags (30cm x 20cm) and make 6 bags and placed in one of my drums for 2 weeks. Hope that I get it correct!
this is wonderful!!!
so,if all i'm lokking for is an iron source, can i just use clay? like playing clay?
yes
This is the holy Grill that everyone’s been waiting for , DOC. THANK YOU 😊
My pleasure!
Eugenio I agree!!!
Hallo sir this bcb bag use directly in my tank with sponge filter
I have an extra HOB that I would like to setup with a sponge and then over it a bcb bag like shown here. Would this work without a plenum in the substrate? If I understood correctly I think the answer is yes but want to confirm.
Several people do just that, but I'm not 100% sure how big the BCB bag is that's in there hang on the back filter..
Terrific. Can’t wait for the filter video!
Hi! Such GREAT videos, Thank You! Will a BCB work in a fluval FX4 on my 90gal planted tank ??? I don't have a plenum in it but it is a pretty mature tank that produces an insane amount of water lettuce and duck weed...
yes it will.
Could I put this BCB bag in my hang on back filter?
yes
Thank you so much for all your videos and for freely sharing you valuable knowledge. Would you please tell me if it matters if the kitty litter you are using is from calcium bentonite or sodium bentonite. The sodium bentonite apparently swells up more than the calcium bentonite and I'm not sure if that is desirable in the canister. I am finding it difficult in Australia to find a suitable kitty litter if it has to be calcium bentonite as they are all sodium bentonite as far as I can find anyway. Thank you very much.
Hello doc! Can i use pumice instead of cat litter? Thanks.
Yes you can in a Plenum.
a good alternative to cat litter? (i find only not natural perfurmed etc...)
Hello Dr Novak. Hiw much time does it take for bacteria in the bcb bag to start working and reduce nitrates?
Will this work just by using it as a “hill” in the substrate? With a slow moving plenum.
it should.
I just made a couple BCB bags with laterite and kitty litter. I modified 3 out of the four trays in my Fluval 407 by cutting the grids out of the bottom and inserted the BCB bags vertically thru the stacked trays. After 1 week my nitrates have not changed (25 ppm) when I am used to doing a water change every week. I am currently waiting on my phosphate checker and redox meter to arrive, however I have 4 pairs of angelfish lay eggs as well as a pair of bristle noise plecos lay eggs in a cave. Neither have done so before the bags! I’m shocked!
How are things with you now?
I am in the UK, i have a Juwel Rio 240ltr, will one bag be enough?
Thanks Dr Novak.I forget to put in the iron in the new BCB that I just make. Maybe This weekend I will put it in.
But I already put it in the tank. Since I forget to put directly in the oil dri.
Very detailed video, we all will know that we are doing it correctly now. Thanks! 👌❤️🐠🍀 Going to make another BCB right now. Ordered the FritzZyme Trace Elements and it came in today. Now I can kick start everything off after a water change!
Glad it was helpful!
Hi dr novak, could you tell me, how many bcb bags do I Need for my 15 gal fish tank ? And what bcb bags size you recommend ?
Does it exist some kínd of relationship between water gallons and the amount of bcb bags to put inside my sump or just depend on biomass?
I have fancy Goldfish that keep dying. Like you say on your other video, I’m doing everything right but they keep dying. I’m using a Fluval 407 and I’m gonna add this into one or two of my trays. Do you think it will help?
Be careful of a lot of the imported goldfish they are not used to our food or water conditions.
I am from Scotland and yes the fish I got from importers have all Died. Do you think using this method could help?
Dr. Novak, I would like to do a bare bottom Goldfish Tank with some flat river rocks sitting on BCB bags and an external canister filter. Do you think this would work? Thank you!
Yes, it will from the hobbiest that I've talked to that have done it.
Do I have to rinse kitty litter before put inside my tank?
Yes, I always rinse the kitty litter before I use it. I do have videos on how I show I do it you'll just have to go back in my archives and try to find them.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums ok thanks
I'm only just learning about plenums and BCBs in the last week and am very keen to get all my tanks, especially all the goldfish tanks, switched over to Dr Novak's method. Just having major issues trying to find the kitty litter and large enough quantities of laterite. If anyone in Australia knows where to buy the kitty litter and larger quantites of laterite, I'd really appreciate it if you would please share your sources. Thank you.
I’m having problems finding the correct kitty litter here in the UK. Would I be able to use a scented glass media as an alternative I can’t get the exact brand you use and I can’t find enough information on other brands of Kitty litter or oil dry to ensure they are safe for me to use hence why I’m looking for alternatives I’ve watched quite a few of your videos over the last few days add everything you’re saying makes perfect sense. The pond community here in the UK have been using a lot of your ideas for many years with great success I don’t understand why the aquarium community aren’t doing the same they seem to be pushing back doesn’t make any sense to me at all. I mentioned the idea in my local aquarium shop recently and they started laughing absolute fools. Keep up the good work this method may be a little bit more work in the initial stages setting up but man does it pay off in the long term. I honestly believe if these ideas are implemented correctly thank crashes will become a thing of the past👍
Hi There, I am based in the UK as well and I have been wondering which type of kitty Litter should i be using? did you have any luck with that? Dr Novak's method seems really interesting. i am planning to use BCB bags in my canister filter
Would using scoria be of any use as a substrate or in the cansiter? I just read that scoria cause pH problems due to calcium being released, but I haven't noticed that problem in my tanks which are all running with scoria as a substrate. I have tried to construct a plenum in two of the tanks but am having trouble finding suitable kitty litter as per my previous question. I intend to convert them all to plenums with BCBs in the canister filters. I would really appreciate your input please Dr Novak. Many thanks.
Fabulous video content Dr Novak ,Thank you very much. I now know just what to do when my canister filter arrives. However I have a big problem. I live in the UK and I can not find baked kitty litter anywhere. Please can anyone help me . What can I use for my BCB bags ??
I've been in contact from somebody in the UK and they have a cat litter. There is a kitty litter or clay substrate that can be used.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Hi Dr Novak ,Thank you for the reply. I have bought a bag of a product called Flourite Red ( 15.4 lbs) all natural porous clay. By Seacham . The product looks like kitty litter except that it is red.
Does that mean that I use it exactly the same as kitty litter but I now do not need an iron source thank you very much for your help in this matter I do appreciate it ?
Hi Kevin. .. Thanks for more information about this and I'm thinking of trying this in my juwel rio125 filter box ( which is inside the tank on juwel aquariums )... will be interesting to see if it works .
Yes it will
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums hi kevin... will let you know if I can get it to work, thanks again.john.
Well? Did it work?
I am so excited by this method of filtration for my pond. I have an established bio filter. Will it compete in a negative way with my anoxic filter? Should I gradually remove the contents of the bio? I have reduced my fish load down to 9 koi in a 4500 gallon pond. Are 10 baskets enough? Many thanks for all your work!
I had 21 baskets in my 1200 gallon pond. If you can make more the better.
What’s the point of putting laterite if we going to wash it away ?
Some of it will remain in the basket and not all of it will just wash away at least that's how it's been for me. Another thing you can do is add iron to your tank on a weekly basis, and this also will help greatly.
Any reason you couldn't use all laterite?
Laterite is usually a very fine powder and it would not work because it almost has the consistency of talcum powder. Could you imagine trying to use something that has a granule size smaller than any sand that you would use in your aquarium?
Please Dr Novak, would you tell me if Aquatic Plant Food is a safe alternative to Laterite?
It's produced by BioTec in Granville NSW, Australia. Dosage on the bottle states 20ml to 100 litres per week. It also states, "Contains potassium as sulphate 3%, chelated iron 0.1% with added specially filtered seaweed fertiliser solution contaning a wide range of trace elements and growth hormones." Has anyone used this in their tanks as a source of Iron? I'm concerned about the growth hormones but don't have another iron source available right now anyway. Many thanks.
Thank you for the answer to my last question. Do you have a video that talks about TDS in aquariums with plenums and BCB’s? I have 4 tanks converted to your method now and I’m recording my TDS so far compared to tanks without Plenums etc. I get my ORP meter later today and will test also and send you images.
How did that go?
Thank you Dr Novak s🙌👍💪🌿🐟🌿💚
It's good to see you here, Mary Paige. 🙏🏻
Hello Dr. Novak, I just discovered your videos and I'm intrigued with your concept. I set up a 200-gallon fresh water aquarium 6 months ago and I don't want to break it down to add a under gravel filter. I have a thirty-gallon sump, could I add these BCB bags to a Fluval 406 canister filter to control Nitrate and phosphate in my aquarium? Do you have a way to control Phosphate?
Hi Doc I am in Australia and have been watching your vids. Great stuff. I am going to set up a bcb and am wondering if plant laterite is ok. It is in a rock format not soil. I have a 2000 ltr outdoor pond with a submersible pump / filter . Would you recommend I remove the 3 sponge filters and use the bcb in there place?? Do I leave the bio balls in there ??
I only ran my pond with a skimmer, pre-filter, and a anoxic filter with 21 BCB baskets in it.
Hello Dr. Novak, do you think that crushed terracotta or powdered terracotta is a substitute for laterite? Or is it the same thing? Maybe could smash a terracotta pot until it becomes powder, not sure if it will give the same results
how long until it starts to lower nitrates
Each tank is different in the amount of animal load or how it is manufacturing nitrates, so there is not one answer that fits all.
Hi there, thank you very much for your guidance. May I ask if we can use hard baked clay (the one use for tree planting) instead of cat littler? And what if we put those BCB bag in a no firlter aquairum will it still work?
how secure is this iron with shrimps? Thanks !
I have a aquarium that has nothing but cherry shrimp in it, and I add iron once a week to it and none of the cherry shrimp seem to be bothered by it.
Hello from Scotland Dr Novak, i have a natural local rock outcrop pf Red Bole (laterite) it is heavy in aluminion as well as iron,, could i use this in replacement of commercial soil products if broken down into a finer substrate or even would a lump at the center of the kitty litter clay work also in bags. Best wishes and thank You for the information you provide to simplify things for everyone and make it more accessible financially, top job
Hi Dr. I have a sunsun canister which has 3 trays and I have 4 bcb bags 2 of them using 6"x8" inch bags & 2 of them 4"x7" inch bags. The net stretches a little so they end being a little bigger than the empty bag size. One 6x8 is placed in the aquarium, & one in one tray of the sunsun & the two smaller bags in another tray of the sunsun. Is it better to have the larger bag size per tray or several of the smaller ones?
Would there be any benefit to seeding these with something like stability or a similar product? Maybe inject it like you are with the liquid iron
hi me again were can i get laterite tub like yours from
I got mine off of Amazon
doc, I been using the BCB in my 100 gal tank, w/a plenum, and they have worked perfectly. The BCB have kitty litter w/an Ironite core. I remember seeing somewhere how long they last but can't find the post. How long do they last? And do you still recommend ironite as a center? Can I use ironite in a bag like you have demonstrated in this video? Thanks for your insight.
One question, how many filters do you need if you have a plenum and a bcb basket ? A filter to polish the water also like your eheim ecco ? Thx again for your video just great
Bag full of Oil-dri soaked in flourish iron vs. just a bag full of fluorite red (clay with iron)?
Hi Doc. Will a BCB work if i put a sponge filter on top of the bag to draw water towards it? Thanks for the informative videos. Mike - South Africa
Would ironite do the same jod of the iton powder?
I think I would test it out to make sure it is fish safe. I have tested it out in water containing no animal life and had no negative affect.
Hi Dr Novak. Thank you for your excellent educational videos.
I needed your advise on making the bcb bags for my canister filter. The kitty litter that I got is made from non clumping fired red clay. Since it is red clay and already contains iron, should I skip adding the iron or add it anyways?
Yes you can skip the iron.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thanks🙏
Can i replace existing canister filter media in a cycle aquarium with the bcb bags with out having the tank recyle all over again
Great! Thx doc!
Wow
I got a two hundred and twenty gallon tank, I was wondering if I should put two air lefts on each corner of the tank?
Hello Doc, old forums suggested to use cat litter as a substrate an aquarium. It kinda fell out of popularity because I don't know why. Do you think they (people in the past) would've achieved the same effect as BCBs when they used cat litter as substrate?
Hi Dr. Novak, thanks for sharing this knowledge.
I still wondering about using the pot planting clay (those red black balls), would them work as well?
I'm trying a small indoor aquaponic system with a 10 gallons aquarium, in my planting bed (where are the clays) the water is pumped for 15 minutes every hour them flow back to the tank (I still wondering if should keep a water level up for the clays getting flooded all the time) .
Also this aquarium is with a plenum with small bubbling.
I setup this system in October, and having about 25 to 50 ppm of ammonia (0 ammonia and 0 nitrite) and the fish looks very happy, but I still doing weekly water changes mostly to get rid of the brown water due a drift wood added to the tank.
Should I expect better results in a few more weeks, using only the pot clay?
Hello Dr Novak - I have 3 x FX4's on my 500ltr Tank. Could I use one of these bags in the bottom tray of each or would I be better to use one of the FX4's and just fill both trays with these BCB bags? Also, do I need to add a Plenum as well as having BCB bags?
Dr I just put 2 bcb bags in the back drop filter of my Innovative Marine tank. The water turned a beautiful red for the preceeding couple of hours?
Will this hamper the process or is it to be expected?
Dr Novak - I am making more BCB s for my cannister filter which will contain seachem flourite, do I still need to add the iron injection? I did not inject iron in my other BCB's and it still was successful for the most part. Thanks for your advice
That is the stuff I used in the plenum; I added a huge amount, but it worked. Iron is very soluble so I think the liquid iron would be reapplied once you notice BCB no longer working, albeit years. Iron rich substrate would take much longer for the iron to be depleted.
thank you so will this work with a smaller bcb bag on a over the hang. will this work also just with the bag in a sump? I have a reef tank and ive been dosing iron in very small amounts will this bcb with laterite be ok I mean it won't over dose with iron in a Marine reef tank. ive found iron depletes rapidly and my last ati icp test shows iron as 0. that s why I dose iron
Now I know people who have tried it and said it has worked for them I myself have not tried it on a hang on the back filter.
And, another comment... I find it difficult to use UA-cam comments to ask questions and have a discussion. Are there any aquarium forums that have a community for plenum/bcb discussions? I have a question about. What volume of media per tank size/stocking level is appropriate? I'm using Aquaclear 70 on a 55 gallon tank and was just going to fill one Aquaclear 70 media bag. Is that enough? Should I set up another HOB and pack it with media.
The Dr is stoic. If I could recommend a way to improve your videos. Look into noise gate and noise supression.
i finally "bit the bullett" and I have built 3 large BCB baskets for my 110 gallon sump supporting my 500 gallon large cichlid tank. Pre BCB, my nitrates max out at about 40 ppm and drop to less than 10 ppm after 2 weeks and just before an 80% water change. I also have an aquaponic grow bed on this system to suck up the attitional nitrates. It any event, I have researched the Special Kitty litter you recommend and I am going to use it. However, nowhere have I found a reference to it being "baked" as you mention. Are we sure it is baked? If not, will it still work ok?
The old Walmart kitty litter was baked, but I noticed the new kitty litter is not baked kitty litter so now I have switched living here in Florida. I have found a brand that actually is baked kitty litter and it works perfectly.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thanks for the help. What is the brand?
Hi Doc. I've been having a hard time. Like really really hard, finding a non-clumping unscented clay cat litter in my place. I live in singapore. Question is, can i use an unscented clumping clay?
I am in East TN where we have a lot of red clay soil (high in iron), could this be used instead of laterite as a source of iron? Thanks
Thanks Dr. Novak for the video. How can we feed the bacteria to develop faster in the baskets/bags for Nitrate reduction on an empty tank? Do you think if it is a good idea to use pure ammonia? I'm also looking for a way to make sure that when the basket start working, before installing them into the main tank.
Hi Sajad,
If you put the BCB I a container and add pure ammonia to a concentration of 2ppm and heat the water to 32C the bacteria will develop fast, keep testing the ammonia. The basket is ready when it reduces the ammonia to zero in a few hours and there is no nitrate produced
@@garethbaker3429 Thanks Gareth for the reply. Actually I did the same and in 3 days after setting up the baskets in my canister filter, the amonia converted to nitrite and then nitrate! As you mentioned there shouldn't be any Nitrate products, but mine works just like a Aerobic system, instead of Anoxic! Do you have any idea what is wrong?
Thanks
I have a powerhead that pushes water along the back bottom of my aquarium. If I set some smaller versions of these bags right in that flow, would they still be effective?
How to choose kitty litter? Are all clay kity litter OK? Is the zeolite in kitty litter absorbing ammonia?
I think he did mentioned baked clay [kitty litter that is not soft or mushy in water] And no additives in the kitty litter like perfume and such. Recent batches of kitty litter has some issues in the US. Alternatives suggested was Oil Dri. Ordinary gravel can still work like Dr.Novak's smaller aquarium where he used his äncient" gravel on his plenum. Maybe going through all his videos can be very helpful. Just a simple click on his icon will take you to all his videos. Click on the video tab [2nd tab from left]
Hi Dr. Novak, thank your for making this video! I tried putting kitty litter in the filter bag in my eheim canister, but the canister is making a lot of noise, how would you improve that? Thanks!
If it's your impeller making noise then watch my video on how to fix that correctly by making plastic washers that go in at the head and below the impeller.
Hey Dr Novak, my aqua one 620 is doing really well since installing the plenum and I've recently put the BCBs into the top sump and waiting for the bacterial growth to kick in with that too. I'm wanting to kick things off with the marine tank and wondered if I had the option to could I put laterite only and forgo using the oildry at all? The laterite has the crystalline structure too so really would there be any need to use the oildry if I'm able to pack a full basket with laterite
Could you use an absorbent inert baked clay similar to those used in industrial spill control? It is a pig finding cat litter that is both non-clumping and non-scented here in the UK.
Check the absolute cheapest discount whatever the UK equivalent is to a 99cent store. To find non scented bottom of the barrel clay litter
Same in Australia it seems, but I'm still searching. I'm only just learning about plenums and BCBs in the last week and am very keen to get my tanks switched over to Dr Novak's method. Just having major issues trying to find the kitty litter and large enough quantities of laterite. If anyone in Australia knows where to buy the kitty litter I'd really appreciate it if you would please share your sources. Thank you.