You are so right with it....This is my recipe... Aquarium 50 G with homemade plenum, the back pierced at the two corners at the bottom and in the center at the top "water outlet" , connected directly to (the principal homemade inverted filter "powerhead aquaclear 70 in the center box" foam block with lava on the left an right box) which is mounted at the back of the aquarium, PH controled simply by limestone. Only one water change and cleaning 1 side at a time of the filter every 6 months.
After watching all your stuff it just dawned on me I did this by accident back in college. A friend gave me a used 30ish gallon with a box of old equipment. After putting in the under gravel filter and all of the gravel, hardscape, plants, etc. I realized the airpump was broken. I used a HOB instead but never got around to hooking up the UGF. I had amazing success at "Overstocked" levels, but my parameters were great and the fish were very healthy and full of color. Very excited to try this out again as I'm getting back into the hobby with my kids. Thank you, Kevin!
I have other videos showing just how to set up a slow moving plenum. You and the kids should get a kick out of them. You sound like a great father and the best way for children to learn is from their parents. Have fun and here is some reading materiel you might like. anoxicfiltrationsystem.blogspot.com/2013/06/lets-get-on-same-page-please.html
I have been using undergravel filters since the 80's. I really am glad you are giving this advice. I have a new 29 gallon high that I was going to set-up without the UG filter. I'm so glad a saw this video. I'm keeping my UF filters or plenums. Thanks for confirming what I have experienced!
I’m planning on setting up my newly acquired 75 gallon for discus. My tap water has some nitrates. I’m wondering if I need to use r/o. Or if I can set up a plenum and a bcb. I have a canister filter so I’m wondering if I can just set up a plenum then landscaping fabric over it. Then use litter/laterite/litter/sand for anoxic filtration. Or if I need to build a bcb into my canister and restrict the flow around the box. Less holes drilled in the container possibly? Or build a sump along with the canister. I want to set it up correctly and not have to be a slave to the fish. Weekly water changes would be the goal. I sometimes travel and may not be able to give it as much attention as some give their tanks. But don’t want to give up on ever keeping them.
I used a plenum for my 75 gallon acrylic reef tank. I filled plenum with crushed shells and other hard corals (to house the nitrate-eating bacteria) wrap-covered with two layers of window screen mesh and sealed with water-seal silicon to hold the crush corals in and embedded under 2.5" of fine fiji-sand. Works great! Only thing I had to contend with is water evaporation and maintain specific gravity.
There is a very simple way to do this. Just put a funnel in reverse inside your tank cover it with gravel and put your air bubbler stone under the funnel. The air will displace the water creating constant suction from from under the funnel so what will happen is your gravel will turn in to a giant filter. I have done this for years this is the simplest way and cheapest way to setup a gravel filter. I have had tanks that I have not made water changes or clean for over one year with out loosing any fish. All I did is just add more water once the water evaporate . If you do water changes I would think that you need to clean the aquarium once every 2 years . Again this is all related on the live stock inside and plants. Also I always have a secondary filter that I clean every 2 to 3 weeks. Now days I see many people not using air pumps and I don't know way. In order to stop anaerobic bacteria from forming you need air flow in the water. I hope this helps.
I'm in the process of building my first slow moving plenum for my 18 gal tropical aquarium and I want to connect the UGF tube to my filter pump intake, but I don't know if that would cause too much flow. It's a very small pump and doesn't push a lot of water to the built in trough filter. It's a RS Electrical 600B tank kit and the filter tube is a 1/2 inch pipe. Would this work, or will I have to cut some slots in the pipe to pull water from the tank as well as the UGF plate? I'm keeping a breeding colony of mollies, so I don't want to be suckling up any fry if I have to modify my piping. Thanks.
Dr. Novak thank you for posting this video. I'm really interested in getting this setup in my aquarium but wanted to ask you a question. How do you know water is being filtered through the whole under gravel filter? Since water always takes the path of least resistance wouldn't it just grab water close to the tube of the under gravel filter and not all the way through the whole under gravel filter?
water will take the less resistant path but it will grabs with it all the garbage into that path. So at some point it will get clogged and some other path will be used.
Hello Dr Novak, I recently set up a planted tank using gravel. I have had success with planted tank years ago, but not this time. The only difference from before and now is the lighting, I couldn’t get the same fluorescent tubes that I had, so I bought Led lights. After researching for a cure, I found you. Question, Would using a under gravel filter and Seachem Flourite topped with gravel give me a anoxic filter?
Dr Novak I really enjoy all your videos and appreciate the information you share..my question one clip you use undergravel filter that you hook up the tubing for slow circulation but if I do the plenum with bio balls and matting will there still b circulation through my substrate....
Just lifting the substrate with the undergravel filter plates is enough . You don't have to hook up the air lifts? And you can use the kitty litter etc in your pump right?
Dr. Novak , I had just built my aquarium with a plenum using undegravel filter and cat litter from Walmart and flourite red last Saturday..today is Monda ( 2 days ago). It is my first aquarium and I do not have a stablished tank with beneficial bacteria. Would you be so kind to tell me if I can use any of those beneficial bacteria product s in the market ( seacheam or API) to start up beneficial bacteria growth in my tank? If so, what can you recommend. I will port a video about what I did ....I hope you can help.... thank..!
Hi Dr. Novak: Thank you for all your help and replies to my questions. I now have one regarding the plenum I'm constructing out of egg crate: I'm wanting to silicone stair-step stack layers of egg crate, covered with fine mesh to keep the sand out, to create the illusion of slopes. Am hoping to build it as much as 4 to 6 inches at the highest point. This is so I don't have to layer flat rocks or other materials that may slip and fall under the substrate. Is there any reason not to approach it this way? i.e. Is there a danger of pockets of toxic gas build up, etc?
Hi Dr. Novak I had a question. I have an African cichlid tank. Can sand work the same as the gravel on the plenum? I always thought waste would build up underneath and cause a nitrate spike.
Hello Doctor Novak, I enjoy watching your videos. Especially the Undergravel Filter making of a Plenum. You will enjoy this story, 40 plus years ago I had a 10 gallon tank, 2 angel fish, mollies, bottom feeder(do not recall the name of the fish), I had 2 stores that I purchased fish from for several years. I was young and not very knowledgeable about fish. The mollies had ick numerous times; it was a vicious cycle. The angel fish grew larger and finally my tank crashed and I lost all the fish. The tank went into storage. I have a picture of the 10 gallon tank, in my stuff, one of these days I will find the picture and share it. Over the last 5 years I have been watching UA-cam videos on Dis fish. I am no scientist nor a fish expert. In my mind why don't they have any under gravel circulation because everything is sitting directly on the bottom of the tank??? In the future i will have a 150 gallon tank, a plenum and a sump with anoxic filtration and Poret foam, 10 to 12 Dis Fish, start with about 2 - 2 1/2" in size plus other tank mates as well. Also thank you for the proper names of several fish... In the states we tend to shorten names so I am sure it sounds really stupid to a scientist like yourself having worked for years with fish. Thank you Dr Kevin Novak!!!
It’s always a pleasure and delight to read someone’s story of how they had fish and how they took care of them. I’m sure now you will have a lot better success and greater rewards by using what we know today,
Hi Kevin, Can you use OILDRI in the Anoxic Filter The cat litter from Walmart seems to be smaller bits now and I don't need it to pack down. The OilDri would be ok to use.
so your planum is static? meaning you don't use an air pump? you just place the plates on the bottom and allow the water to flow through? I have created a plenum using under gravel plates and air pump. is this system ok for rooted plants or do I need to make it static? or would it help if I slowed down the bubbles/meaning less flow through the sub. I have it it my goldfish tank
I am a marine aquarist and am in the process of setting up a 650 gallon FOWLR. I intend on utilizing a plenum (although this is my first time) and a DE filter as part of my systems Filtration. I know your book and videos focus on freshwater, but could you speak on your thoughts of plenums in marine systems?
Thank you for sharing this technique! Do you think any anaerobic problems will occur if the plenum does not extend all the way to the edges of the aquarium? For example if I leave about a half inch wide strip along the front and sides of the aquarium where the gravel still touches the bottom glass, but the rest of the footprint has the gravel sitting on top of the undergravel filter plates.
My question is can I use the Lees premium undergravel filter plates by themselves or should I put something under it to raise the filter a little? I used the PennPlex Undertow UG filters for years with great success.
Hello Dr. Novak I use worm casting and rich iron dirt for my substrate do you think if I added an undergravel plenum that the worm castings would not be disturbed?
How do you explain local fish stores with deep deep substrate beds right on the bottom of the tank that Have been up for 30+ years with no water changes? I agree with you that the Plenum idea is wonderful and I’m going to do it on my next setup !! but for you to sit here and say that anything else is doomed for failure is a bit much don’t you agree
Long time ago all fish stores used UG filters. However, now they have drifted away from such. Then again, they are always turning over their stock and new water is always being added to their tanks and that may be on a daily bases. Much different in a home aquarium were we are feeding more and do less water changes than the stores. The idea of a fish store is still to buy new stock a get rid of it as fast a possible. All I know from what hobbiest have told me that have been doing it for years, is that you have a one in four change of getting it right. I too, have failed when placing the substrate directly on the bottom of the aquarium. That is why after 100-plus years of fish keeping people still can't get it right and still are having problems. If it works so good to place the substrate directly on the bottom of a tank: Then why the high failure rate? By now those number should be a zero failure rate, don't you think? Because water needs to move in and out of the substrate freely without hinderance like a natural system does. Plants can only do so much and then the rest has to be through another means.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I agree with u I mean it’s clearly the way to go but what I don’t get is y I always have zero nitrates on my heavily planted tank other then all the massive stems are just soaking up my medium stocked tanks waste and the gravel is about 4 inches right on glass floor I wish I new u when I set up this tank I’m debating on tear down but don’t wanna upset the perfect balance that took so long to achieve !!
Theoretically, that wouldn't work if the flow is fast, also the design is to allow water to enter on all sides. It should be done like in this other video by the good Doctor ua-cam.com/video/znc7Jn1Qrjk/v-deo.html. Did you try your idea and did you find it worked? Were you nitrates lower? How did you design it? Do you have a video or your canister idea? A guy did it ua-cam.com/video/4uefD7acEiI/v-deo.html .
5 inches of sand on a plenum might be anerobic. 3 inches would be fine. 1/4 aquaium gravel could be deeper and still work. But do you need extra substrate. why spend money on it when you don't need it. 3-4 inches is good.
by neglecting to initially install a UGF one neglects an extremely cheap source for 30 pounds of biological filter media (directly affecting an aquariums ability to support higher fish-load) in their 30 gallon aquarium more-or-less. I am a creative person and resourceful upcycler with too much time on my hands, so when it comes to setting up an aquarium I like to incorporate as many options that I can possibly design before I get too bogged down and bored with over-complicated and constantly morphing intentions. Right off the bat I would install an UGF capability and then maybe just cap it off and save it for future use. I would then Fashion a cheap, efficient canister filter from what I could acquire at Goodwill and Dollar General. Only then would I consider clumsy, loud, eyesores such as backpack/HOB filters - Id rather fabricate a power-head driven, submerged and adjustable canister filter than spend money on a Mickey Mouse, commercial Chinese-made piece of garbage HOB which sets you on the hook for life to that company on replacement filter media
I have 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrites and if I don't add Nitrates and Phosphates then the plants consume them until I get < 5 ppm and then plants stop growing and have problems. What are you saying is happening with my scenario? That the Ammonia is being consumed by bacteria before the plants have a chance to consume them? Regardless, I don't have a plenum or an Anoxic filter. I have Black Diamond substrate with root tabs and a canister set up with thicker bio media.
SuperMDemon Science panel Plants “prefer” ammonia to nitrate Plants need nitrogen in order to make amino acids which are then combined together to make their proteins. They can take up nitrogen either as nitrate (NO3) or ammonia (NH3). However, using nitrate is more costly to the plant in terms of energy because nitrate has to be converted by the plant first into nitrite and then into ammonia. Only after nitrate has been converted into ammonia can it be incorporated into the plant amino acids. On the other hand, once ammonia has been taken up by the roots it becomes immediately available to be incorporated into amino acids without the plant first having to expend energy as it does with nitrate. In fact nitrate uptake by plants requires so much energy that they can only do it while they are making energy by photosynthesis in the daytime. However, taking up their preferred nutrient, ammonia, requires so little energy that they can continue to take it up through the night as well as during the day.
Kevin Novak Well can you address my scenario above? I'm not saying that anything you're saying isn't true. If plants want Ammonia and not nitrates then does that mean the bacteria that converts Ammonia is unwanted other than for say, left over Ammonia? Is the goal: Lots of plants with lots of Ammonia as food? That sounds a lot more stressful than the nitrates doesn't it?
SuperMDemon what you have is: The Law of the Minimum. In the 19th century, the German scientist Justus von Liebig formulated the “Law of the Minimum,” which states that if one of the essential plant nutrients is deficient, plant growth will be poor even when all other essential nutrients are abundant. Well does this not sound like what you're problem is. It could be plants and/or bacteria are consuming the ammonia ion to the point nitrogen needs to be added, but it then must be converted back to ammonia once again. However this may not be the case because Anons and Canton's must be taken in equilibrium in all plants to avoid a fatal pH swing and you probably are lacking one or the other ion in your aquarium. That ion could well be ammonia /ammonium ion.
Kevin Novak Well, I don't really have a problem because I add Nitrogen and the plants eat it and grow/thrive. If you're telling me that plants prefer Ammonia over Nitrates (I believe you, you're a scientist) then is the bacteria that converts Ammonia in competition with the plants? Would it be better if we only had Ammonia and the plants to eat that Ammonia? So in my scenario above: Are my plants eating the Ammonia along with the Bacteria... What's going on there?
To me, my above scenario is best explained with something like this: "While one might expect NH4+ to be preferred by plants, as its assimilation requires less energy than that of NO3-, only a few species perform well when NH4+ is the only, or predominant, source of N. By contrast, most species develop toxicity symptoms when grown on moderate to high levels of NH4+ (1-6), whereas normal growth in these species is seen on NO3-." The plants taken in a little Ammonia from the fish and bacteria takes the rest which eventually becomes nitrates which the plants also eat. Since Ammonia is toxic to fish it's a good idea that we also have that bacteria because it looks like Plants don't really eat that much of it... Otherwise why don't we just have a ton of plants keeping Ammonia in check?
You are so right with it....This is my recipe... Aquarium 50 G with homemade plenum, the back pierced at the two corners at the bottom and in the center at the top "water outlet" , connected directly to (the principal homemade inverted filter "powerhead aquaclear 70 in the center box" foam block with lava on the left an right box) which is mounted at the back of the aquarium, PH controled simply by limestone. Only one water change and cleaning 1 side at a time of the filter every 6 months.
Sounds great!
After watching all your stuff it just dawned on me I did this by accident back in college. A friend gave me a used 30ish gallon with a box of old equipment. After putting in the under gravel filter and all of the gravel, hardscape, plants, etc. I realized the airpump was broken. I used a HOB instead but never got around to hooking up the UGF. I had amazing success at "Overstocked" levels, but my parameters were great and the fish were very healthy and full of color.
Very excited to try this out again as I'm getting back into the hobby with my kids.
Thank you, Kevin!
I have other videos showing just how to set up a slow moving plenum. You and the kids should get a kick out of them. You sound like a great father and the best way for children to learn is from their parents. Have fun and here is some reading materiel you might like.
anoxicfiltrationsystem.blogspot.com/2013/06/lets-get-on-same-page-please.html
I have been using undergravel filters since the 80's. I really am glad you are giving this advice. I have a new 29 gallon high that I was going to set-up without the UG filter. I'm so glad a saw this video. I'm keeping my UF filters or plenums. Thanks for confirming what I have experienced!
I’m planning on setting up my newly acquired 75 gallon for discus. My tap water has some nitrates. I’m wondering if I need to use r/o. Or if I can set up a plenum and a bcb. I have a canister filter so I’m wondering if I can just set up a plenum then landscaping fabric over it. Then use litter/laterite/litter/sand for anoxic filtration. Or if I need to build a bcb into my canister and restrict the flow around the box. Less holes drilled in the container possibly? Or build a sump along with the canister. I want to set it up correctly and not have to be a slave to the fish. Weekly water changes would be the goal. I sometimes travel and may not be able to give it as much attention as some give their tanks. But don’t want to give up on ever keeping them.
I'm a new fish keeper with just a gravel planted tank ill defiantly consider the plenum method one day on my next tank
I used a plenum for my 75 gallon acrylic reef tank. I filled plenum with crushed shells and other hard corals (to house the nitrate-eating bacteria) wrap-covered with two layers of window screen mesh and sealed with water-seal silicon to hold the crush corals in and embedded under 2.5" of fine fiji-sand. Works great! Only thing I had to contend with is water evaporation and maintain specific gravity.
@KevinNovak. Any article or published papers on how to make plenum when setting up a reeftank. Much appreciated
Everything you see in my video also pertains to saltwater tanks.
There is a very simple way to do this. Just put a funnel in reverse inside your tank cover it with gravel and put your air bubbler stone under the funnel. The air will displace the water creating constant suction from from under the funnel so what will happen is your gravel will turn in to a giant filter. I have done this for years this is the simplest way and cheapest way to setup a gravel filter. I have had tanks that I have not made water changes or clean for over one year with out loosing any fish. All I did is just add more water once the water evaporate . If you do water changes I would think that you need to clean the aquarium once every 2 years . Again this is all related on the live stock inside and plants. Also I always have a secondary filter that I clean every 2 to 3 weeks. Now days I see many people not using air pumps and I don't know way. In order to stop anaerobic bacteria from forming you need air flow in the water. I hope this helps.
What exactly is a plenum? Is it just another name for an under gravel filtration system?
if you watch my videos your question is answered several times in my videos..
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums You wait 2-years to answer my question, and then don’t answer it? Maybe I shouldn’t watch your videos.
@@dalebailey754 You’re absolutely right maybe you shouldn’t.
I'm in the process of building my first slow moving plenum for my 18 gal tropical aquarium and I want to connect the UGF tube to my filter pump intake, but I don't know if that would cause too much flow. It's a very small pump and doesn't push a lot of water to the built in trough filter. It's a RS Electrical 600B tank kit and the filter tube is a 1/2 inch pipe. Would this work, or will I have to cut some slots in the pipe to pull water from the tank as well as the UGF plate? I'm keeping a breeding colony of mollies, so I don't want to be suckling up any fry if I have to modify my piping. Thanks.
Will plenum alone be good enough for making this kind of fish tank or do I need to use Biocenosis baskets to supplement the filtration?
If you really are going to add a lot of fish load to your aquarium, then BCB is the Way to go.
We saw your video about the plenum and would like too contact you... But we can't! Could you give us a website or email? Thanks.
Hello Dr do u have a DIY on a filter and how do you circulate it?
Dr. Novak thank you for posting this video. I'm really interested in getting this setup in my aquarium but wanted to ask you a question. How do you know water is being filtered through the whole under gravel filter? Since water always takes the path of least resistance wouldn't it just grab water close to the tube of the under gravel filter and not all the way through the whole under gravel filter?
You are correct. Water takes the path of least resistance.
I think it would be thru Osmosis in that case then
water will take the less resistant path but it will grabs with it all the garbage into that path. So at some point it will get clogged and some other path will be used.
What is a plenum?
Hello Dr Novak, I recently set up a planted tank using gravel. I have had success with planted tank years ago, but not this time. The only difference from before and now is the lighting, I couldn’t get the same fluorescent tubes that I had, so I bought Led lights. After researching for a cure, I found you. Question, Would using a under gravel filter and Seachem Flourite topped with gravel give me a anoxic filter?
For filtration what do you suggest?
Dr Novak I really enjoy all your videos and appreciate the information you share..my question one clip you use undergravel filter that you hook up the tubing for slow circulation but if I do the plenum with bio balls and matting will there still b circulation through my substrate....
Keith b yes there will still be slow water movement.
Just lifting the substrate with the undergravel filter plates is enough . You don't have to hook up the air lifts? And you can use the kitty litter etc in your pump right?
Dr. Novak , I had just built my aquarium with a plenum using undegravel filter and cat litter from Walmart and flourite red last Saturday..today is Monda ( 2 days ago).
It is my first aquarium and I do not have a stablished tank with beneficial bacteria.
Would you be so kind to tell me if I can use any of those beneficial bacteria product s in the market ( seacheam or API) to start up beneficial bacteria growth in my tank? If so, what can you recommend.
I will port a video about what I did ....I hope you can help.... thank..!
The bacteria will develop on their own but those products will give you a head start. I never use a special product for Bacteria.
Hi Dr. Novak: Thank you for all your help and replies to my questions. I now have one regarding the plenum I'm constructing out of egg crate: I'm wanting to silicone stair-step stack layers of egg crate, covered with fine mesh to keep the sand out, to create the illusion of slopes. Am hoping to build it as much as 4 to 6 inches at the highest point. This is so I don't have to layer flat rocks or other materials that may slip and fall under the substrate. Is there any reason not to approach it this way? i.e. Is there a danger of pockets of toxic gas build up, etc?
Extra water in the plenum is not an issue.
Hi Dr. Novak I had a question. I have an African cichlid tank. Can sand work the same as the gravel on the plenum? I always thought waste would build up underneath and cause a nitrate spike.
ua-cam.com/video/e3zhTc7SIi0/v-deo.html - Dr Novaks video on that exact topic.
Hello Doctor Novak, I enjoy watching your videos. Especially the Undergravel Filter making of a Plenum. You will enjoy this story, 40 plus years ago I had a 10 gallon tank, 2 angel fish, mollies, bottom feeder(do not recall the name of the fish), I had 2 stores that I purchased fish from for several years. I was young and not very knowledgeable about fish. The mollies had ick numerous times; it was a vicious cycle. The angel fish grew larger and finally my tank crashed and I lost all the fish. The tank went into storage. I have a picture of the 10 gallon tank, in my stuff, one of these days I will find the picture and share it. Over the last 5 years I have been watching UA-cam videos on Dis fish. I am no scientist nor a fish expert. In my mind why don't they have any under gravel circulation because everything is sitting directly on the bottom of the tank??? In the future i will have a 150 gallon tank, a plenum and a sump with anoxic filtration and Poret foam, 10 to 12 Dis Fish, start with about 2 - 2 1/2" in size plus other tank mates as well. Also thank you for the proper names of several fish... In the states we tend to shorten names so I am sure it sounds really stupid to a scientist like yourself having worked for years with fish. Thank you Dr Kevin Novak!!!
It’s always a pleasure and delight to read someone’s story of how they had fish and how they took care of them. I’m sure now you will have a lot better success and greater rewards by using what we know today,
Hi Kevin, Can you use OILDRI in the Anoxic Filter The cat litter from Walmart seems to be smaller bits now and I don't need it to pack down. The OilDri would be ok to use.
I'm not using a "plenum" because I have never heard of it before watching your video.
Is it ok if i only use my substrate for plenum? No cat litter or laterite? 15gal 24”x12”x12” tank.
Yes it is, I just made a video on it.
Have you got a video on building an undergravel filter plenum to show how big the undergravel filter should be etc? Thanks.
The closer to the sides of the tank you get the better it works.
so your planum is static? meaning you don't use an air pump? you just place the plates on the bottom and allow the water to flow through? I have created a plenum using under gravel plates and air pump. is this system ok for rooted plants or do I need to make it static? or would it help if I slowed down the bubbles/meaning less flow through the sub. I have it it my goldfish tank
Yes it is okay for plants.
So it still work with static plenum?
@@dimdamn yes it will
I am a marine aquarist and am in the process of setting up a 650 gallon FOWLR. I intend on utilizing a plenum (although this is my first time) and a DE filter as part of my systems Filtration. I know your book and videos focus on freshwater, but could you speak on your thoughts of plenums in marine systems?
The Plenums can be used for Freshwater or saltwater.
Thank you for sharing this technique!
Do you think any anaerobic problems will occur if the plenum does not extend all the way to the edges of the aquarium? For example if I leave about a half inch wide strip along the front and sides of the aquarium where the gravel still touches the bottom glass, but the rest of the footprint has the gravel sitting on top of the undergravel filter plates.
A great idea and I bet it works fine. The water can still move through a mear 1/2 inch of gravel on the side.
My question is can I use the Lees premium undergravel filter plates by themselves or should I put something under it to raise the filter a little? I used the PennPlex Undertow UG filters for years with great success.
That’s really up to you, normally I just put the filter plates on the bottom of the aquarium and they seem to work out just fine that way.
Thanks for the quick response. I am watching some of your other videos.
Thanks for your reply. The other thing is do I have to cap the inlets of the UGF.
Watch the good Doctors other video ua-cam.com/video/e3zhTc7SIi0/v-deo.html
i use under gravel filter and with 50% weekly water change i still have algae and 20-40 ppm nitrates
Hello Dr. Novak I use worm casting and rich iron dirt for my substrate do you think if I added an undergravel plenum that the worm castings would not be disturbed?
The plenum moves the water very slowly, so no it will not mess up your worm casting.
@@Phoenix-pm2iw I did and honestly it was make a good time
How do you explain local fish stores with deep deep substrate beds right on the bottom of the tank that Have been up for 30+ years with no water changes? I agree with you that the Plenum idea is wonderful and I’m going to do it on my next setup !! but for you to sit here and say that anything else is doomed for failure is a bit much don’t you agree
Long time ago all fish stores used UG filters. However, now they have drifted away from such. Then again, they are always turning over their stock and new water is always being added to their tanks and that may be on a daily bases. Much different in a home aquarium were we are feeding more and do less water changes than the stores. The idea of a fish store is still to buy new stock a get rid of it as fast a possible.
All I know from what hobbiest have told me that have been doing it for years, is that you have a one in four change of getting it right. I too, have failed when placing the substrate directly on the bottom of the aquarium. That is why after 100-plus years of fish keeping people still can't get it right and still are having problems. If it works so good to place the substrate directly on the bottom of a tank: Then why the high failure rate? By now those number should be a zero failure rate, don't you think? Because water needs to move in and out of the substrate freely without hinderance like a natural system does. Plants can only do so much and then the rest has to be through another means.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I agree with u I mean it’s clearly the way to go but what I don’t get is y I always have zero nitrates on my heavily planted tank other then all the massive stems are just soaking up my medium stocked tanks waste and the gravel is about 4 inches right on glass floor I wish I new u when I set up this tank I’m debating on tear down but don’t wanna upset the perfect balance that took so long to achieve !!
In the tank your showing, I don't see the lift tubes. Do you hide them, or am I misunderstanding what you mean?
New thing to research... Plenum.
Yes, all lift tube/s are hidden like the one in the 90-gal SCA Aquarium. Try to find it if you can?
@KevinNovak hi I am hoping to make an anoxic filter in a emptied canister filter, would that be possible ?
Theoretically, that wouldn't work if the flow is fast, also the design is to allow water to enter on all sides. It should be done like in this other video by the good Doctor ua-cam.com/video/znc7Jn1Qrjk/v-deo.html. Did you try your idea and did you find it worked? Were you nitrates lower? How did you design it? Do you have a video or your canister idea? A guy did it ua-cam.com/video/4uefD7acEiI/v-deo.html .
Why not run the ug filter in conjunction with a very deep substrate?
5 inches of sand on a plenum might be anerobic. 3 inches would be fine. 1/4 aquaium gravel could be deeper and still work. But do you need extra substrate. why spend money on it when you don't need it. 3-4 inches is good.
Does one need to gravel vac the substrate ?If yes then how often?
bhuwan chander I gravel vac every six months or once a year and that’s it.
by neglecting to initially install a UGF one neglects an extremely cheap source for 30 pounds of biological filter media (directly affecting an aquariums ability to support higher fish-load) in their 30 gallon aquarium more-or-less.
I am a creative person and resourceful upcycler with too much time on my hands, so when it comes to setting up an aquarium I like to incorporate as many options that I can possibly design before I get too bogged down and bored with over-complicated and constantly morphing intentions. Right off the bat I would install an UGF capability and then maybe just cap it off and save it for future use. I would then Fashion a cheap, efficient canister filter from what I could acquire at Goodwill and Dollar General. Only then would I consider clumsy, loud, eyesores such as backpack/HOB filters - Id rather fabricate a power-head driven, submerged and adjustable canister filter than spend money on a Mickey Mouse, commercial Chinese-made piece of garbage HOB which sets you on the hook for life to that company on replacement filter media
Can I add a plenum in my already established tank?
Yes you can but you’ll have to take the tank apart in order to do it.
Does this work without plants ???
Yes, it does.
I have 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrites and if I don't add Nitrates and Phosphates then the plants consume them until I get < 5 ppm and then plants stop growing and have problems.
What are you saying is happening with my scenario? That the Ammonia is being consumed by bacteria before the plants have a chance to consume them?
Regardless, I don't have a plenum or an Anoxic filter. I have Black Diamond substrate with root tabs and a canister set up with thicker bio media.
SuperMDemon
Science panel
Plants “prefer” ammonia to nitrate
Plants need nitrogen in order to make amino acids which are then combined together to make their proteins. They can take up nitrogen either as nitrate (NO3) or ammonia (NH3).
However, using nitrate is more costly to the plant in terms of energy because nitrate has to be converted by the plant first into nitrite and then into ammonia.
Only after nitrate has been converted into ammonia can it be incorporated into the plant amino acids.
On the other hand, once ammonia has been taken up by the roots it becomes immediately available to be incorporated into amino acids without the plant first having to expend energy as it does with nitrate.
In fact nitrate uptake by plants requires so much energy that they can only do it while they are making energy by photosynthesis in the daytime.
However, taking up their preferred nutrient, ammonia, requires so little energy that they can continue to take it up through the night as well as during the day.
Kevin Novak
Well can you address my scenario above? I'm not saying that anything you're saying isn't true.
If plants want Ammonia and not nitrates then does that mean the bacteria that converts Ammonia is unwanted other than for say, left over Ammonia? Is the goal: Lots of plants with lots of Ammonia as food?
That sounds a lot more stressful than the nitrates doesn't it?
SuperMDemon what you have is:
The Law of the Minimum. In the 19th century, the German scientist Justus von Liebig formulated the “Law of the Minimum,” which states that if one of the essential plant nutrients is deficient, plant growth will be poor even when all other essential nutrients are abundant.
Well does this not sound like what you're problem is. It could be plants and/or bacteria are consuming the ammonia ion to the point nitrogen needs to be added, but it then must be converted back to ammonia once again.
However this may not be the case because Anons and Canton's must be taken in equilibrium in all plants to avoid a fatal pH swing and you probably are lacking one or the other ion in your aquarium. That ion could well be ammonia /ammonium ion.
Kevin Novak
Well, I don't really have a problem because I add Nitrogen and the plants eat it and grow/thrive.
If you're telling me that plants prefer Ammonia over Nitrates (I believe you, you're a scientist) then is the bacteria that converts Ammonia in competition with the plants? Would it be better if we only had Ammonia and the plants to eat that Ammonia?
So in my scenario above: Are my plants eating the Ammonia along with the Bacteria... What's going on there?
To me, my above scenario is best explained with something like this:
"While one might expect NH4+ to be preferred by plants, as its assimilation requires less energy than that of NO3-, only a few species perform well when NH4+ is the only, or predominant, source of N. By contrast, most species develop toxicity symptoms when grown on moderate to high levels of NH4+ (1-6), whereas normal growth in these species is seen on NO3-."
The plants taken in a little Ammonia from the fish and bacteria takes the rest which eventually becomes nitrates which the plants also eat. Since Ammonia is toxic to fish it's a good idea that we also have that bacteria because it looks like Plants don't really eat that much of it... Otherwise why don't we just have a ton of plants keeping Ammonia in check?