It really works! I was skeptical, but made one, 6 weeks later and my nitrates test was below 5ppm!! No more 4-5 day water changes, now I change 25% every month just to add fresh water. Thank you for the info!
Dr Novak, thanks for sharing info about the denitrification. Appreciate your knowledge and salute. I saw someone asked you about a zeolite as substitute to cat clay litter. I believe you've read about the zeolite capacities. It is well known, that zeolite absorbs ammonia and nitrates, but not for eternal. It has kinda capacity and need to be replaced in order to not spread absorbed elements back in water.
Size of the Zeolite is the key here. If the size of the medium is the same the bacteria 🦠 will take care of any ammonium/ammonia that then gets dislodge back into solution.
@@MUFCnextnumber7 As long as it’s the same size is kitty litter which kitty litter can vary from very small to .5 mm all the way up to about 3 mm. From my understanding from people in other countries that use the product zeolite is, once the bacteria establish it then utilizes the ammonia that it has absorbed and the nitrates and therefore it acts like kitty litter.
Coming summer i am going to set up a patio pond using mini frame pool . I will definitely opt for BCB .... actually in all my planted tank i had been using inert Seachem florite substrate which i believe is same as BCB . Its written in pack that these substrate is high in AEC & CEC . No wonder it worked for me . I found them much better than those substrate which leeches ton of ammonia
Dr. Novak excellent video! I just joined the discus hobby just under two years... I'm currently running a canister and overhang filter with partial water change and gravel cleaning 3 times per week. I need to investigate how I can install anoxic filter in my cabinet with limited space. if I figure a way to build anoxic filter, I hope can reduce my water change and gravel cleaning maintenance for the lowest nitrate level.
Hola Doctor Novak, reciba un cordial saludo, he estado viendo algunos de sus videos y debo agradecer por ellos, yo tengo muchos problemas de fosfatos y por ende algas, así que llevo tres semanas que implemente una bolsa con los ingredientes mencionados yo introduje esa arena y piedra roja que en México se llama tezontle bueno espero que sea la misma que usted usa. Y anhelo que estos fosfatos bajen muchísimo. Nuevamente muchas gracias y saludos
yesterday, I made two bcb* in pond baskets using pets at home clay kitty litter (non clumping, unscented) plus a core of flourite (iron source). Within 24 hours, I could see the bottom of my container again 😆 The green water algae in my 80 litres patio pond literally cleared up overnight!! * Biocenosis Clarification Basket Instead of using bricks, I used the baskets to prop up a Kidney Planting Basket for marginals … hiding in plain sight 😄
How about using a marina breeder box with 2 bags of kitty litter sandwiching a bag of laterite from flow to exit? Very slow moving water which can be adjusted with the airflow. I have a 20l Id like to try it in. Worth a go?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thanks for your reply Sir. I have a big question. We know that Zeolite release ammonia if there is salt in the water, and since you had mentioned that zeolite can be used instead of the kitty litter, I am worried that it does not work in my goldfish tank since I usually add a tsp/10Gallon of salt to help the fish with minor nitrite spikes that I measured after each gravel vacuum session. Now, could you please let me know if salt has any adverse affect on the performance of BCB's? Thanks a lot!
Farzad T First of all you should never use salt with goldfish it messes up their osmotic ability. If you’re using salt as a prophylactic then I would have to ask you: Why?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you Dr Novak. I had added salt (1 teaspoon/10Gallon) to protect them against small nitrite spike that happen after cleaning. Now that I know its not good for them I will do a water change and take the salt out. Thanks for the information!
Hi Doc, lots of questions here about media but I'm curious about the flow rate. Typically a bio filter rule of thumb is 4x tank volume per hour. How would you set the "low flow" rate, in terms of tank volume per hour, for anoxic filtration through a BCB filter?
Hi there Dr. Novak. Can we replace kitty litter with something else? Such as zeolite maybe? I can’t seem to be able to find unclogging kitty litter anywhere in my country. Thank you.
Hi doctor. The explanation about "ionic attraction" was based on a progressively more and more negative substatum... BUT : It seems that the laterite layer do not have to be "buried" in the center of the cat's litter, as it goes to the contact of the basket in this video. Questions : Do we really need any cat's litter finally ? Maybe the laterite could be sufficient, no ? Or maybe the laterite layer is completely unuseful and only the cat's litter is functional ? Anyway : the ionophoresis theory do not stand anymore with this video i'm affraid
If you can find another substrate decking attract positive ions out of the water besides kitty litter let me know. But it also has to have a cost factor involved in it.
This is NOT my question. The question is why do you tell the latérite MUST be buried in cat litter and do not do it here, this is a non sense in front of the ionic attraction... The question is then: latérite appear to be totaly unenecssary
No, Kitty litter has a crystalline structure to it where clay pottery does not. That Crystalline structure attracts the positive ions out of the water body proper.
Hi Doc , I made 3 x bcb baskets roughly 300 x 300 and planted 1 water lilly in each and placed them directly in my outdoor pond. I only run a Hozelock 9000l submersible pump with bcb bags in it that feeds a water statue. Can you confirm if the BCB baskets placed directly in the pond will have any impact.
They will have an impact, but that will depend on just how big your pond is, how many fish you have, how often do you feed? All these parameters will judge how many BCB baskets will you need. In my pond that was 1200 gallons with the amount of Koi I had in it I had 21 BCB baskets that were 7 x 7 x 11 in size and that handled that pond for over 30+ years.
Hi Dr Novak, Is it more more important to maximize the surface area around the BCBs to increase contact with the water flow around the bags (ie lots of small bags cumulative increasing the surface area)? Or is it better to have a larger Anoxic area inside the BCBS for the Anoxic bacteria to process NO3 to N2 (ie 1 or 2 large bags maximizing the Anoxic Zone 3?). Grateful for your kind advice!
Good day Dr.Novak. I’m from the Philippines and it’s so hard to find a 100% ground clay cat litter here. All we have are the bentonite, pumice and the clumping ones. Is there other alternatives for the ground clay cat litter?
Hi Dr Novak, "Non-clumping kitty litter is mainly the clay mineral attapulgite (aka palygorskite) which is a magnesium aluminium phyllosilicate common in soils in the southeastern U.S. Attapulgite derives it absorbency from its needle-like, 3-dimensional crystal structure" is this the crystaline structure you mentioned in the video?
The clay or kitty litter has been backed and that’s what gives it the crystalline structure and holds it together. You can also use oil dry as a replacement.
T Hello Kevin thanks for your work its inspiring and helps a lot of people eager to have a beter understanding of the process and how to apply this science with regular products. I will continue investigating since my dream is to make an ecosystem as perfect as possible, what i dont understand or get the information yet, is the amount of water that should pass through the anoxic filter, is there any sort of chart where we can get that information, how many gallons or liters of water are denitrifyed per hour. I just know the flow should be slow.. but how much. I excuse in advance if that is explained in another video or resource provided. I just get to know your channel and the concept of anoxic filtration for completing the cycle just blew my mind. Would really appreciate any additional resource you can share.
I find all of this very interesting, I hate to think that I have lost fish due to my own ignorance! And what harm does a little more education do to anyone? Thank you Kevin... You have a NEW SUBSCRIBER 👍😷👍 Take care my friend and may I wish both yourself and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year 👍😷👍
I see you wash the cat litter already already set into the BCB. I keep washing the cat litter in a 5g bucket but the water never clears. What is the right way to wash cat litter for a plenum?
Some cat litter is not baked so it will have to be placed in a bag and rinsed off but you'll never get it 100% clean. It almost reminds you of sand where you can never really get sand a hundred percent clean without some particulate matter coming off constantly.
Hi Dr Novak , the kitty litter you use in this video is great. It is so clearly marked as to what it is made with. I bought a cheap supermarket own brand and wrote to them to find out the ingredients. They told me it is made of " an attapulgite / gypsum blend " does this mean a type of clay ?
Thank you Dr. Kevin. I did put it in my sump tank and no more fishes get sick. But I just wonder this filtration can be used to reef tank too or can't.
Dr., Could we use akadama soil for this? it's high in iron and suitable for filtration as it is a type of expanded baked clay used mainly but thoroughly in Bonsai growers, it's imported to the North America and Europe from Japan with plenty of different granulometry classifications. Arlite is usually the western version of akadama and its recommended as a substitute of this type of substrate.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I figured, but couldn't be useful if we want to use the more coarse type at the very bottom of the fish tank with the plenum with very fine substrate on top of such layer ? Wouldn't that promote a much more controlled Environment in the substrate for microaerophilIc bacteria to get established? I mean less drag at the very bottom seems like a good way to manage suction force through the substrate without affecting oxygen levels.
Hi, can I use crushed lava stones as a substitute to laterite ? Or can I use the Seachem Flourish Iron fertilizer in the crushed lava stones in order to put more iron in it? I don’t seem to find laterite anywhere. Thank you for all your infos !
Hello Dr Novak fthanks to you for all your study an experiments. also for sharing with us. I am in process of setting up a new 55gal an a 29gal tanks and would love to set up with plenums an your bcb baskets. is it possible to place kitty litter and laterite in nylon stocking or mesh bag and avoid the plastic mesh on the sides of the basket. I myself would love to start rasing discus. thanks again and many blessings
Hello Dr. Novak. I have setup a 110 gallon tank with a 35 gallon sump with 2 big BCB (11" 11" 8") and I'm planning to use those BCBs as single filtration means. I have seen a lot of people that turned their traditional filtration system in anoxic but I would like to start my anoxic filtration system by scratch. Is it possible ? Thank you
Recently found your channel and am loving all the knowledge you are sharing. I know I am late to this video but I was wondering if I could use hydroton/ lecca instead of the natural clay kitty litter? I already have a lot of the hydroton and I believe it is just baked clay pebbles.
Awesome work!This just sems to be the best way to filter an aquarium or pond, but I'm having trouble finding the right kat-litter in Germany.All Bentonite products here are labeled as clumping.Would Sepiolith might work?
@@rockfella27 I am unable to upload the image. But after much research I found that one seller is selling Oil-Dri but I doubt if that it is genuine. How to know whether it is original or fake?
@@bhuwanchander2196 Where is he selling? Paste buying link here. Is it Amazon.in? If it's Amazon then it is Oil-Dri sold by car2india for Rs.1900 (approx) for 3.5 kilos.
@@rockfella27 no, it is a local seller by the name Good Luck Marine, Surat and they are selling a 50 lbs bag for Rs. 2300/- and the photo they have sent via WhatsApp is exactly like Oil-Dri.
@@bhuwanchander2196 Oil-Dri, Sate T-Sorb, Cat litter these are all clay granules (baked or not baked) so they all look mostly the same because it is the same thing. I got a sample from : www.demeanorind.com/product-list.php?key=ab&subcatname=Universal%20Granualar%20Powder but they sent me wrong sample of wooden husk or something. They will send another one. You may ask Goodluckmarine to maybe send you a 50/100 grams sample of it if they can. Keep the granules in glass water for a week if it does not turn into mud get the big bag. Just make sure they confirm it is made of 100% with no chemicals (they usually don't as it takes more money to add anything else) I checked their website and could not find the product. Maybe you can link me up with the exact thing.
I watch videos of huge fish farms on Aquarium Coop.... they use wet/dry trickle towers. That tells me, that's the "best" form of filtration. They raise millions of fish, they wouldn't waste their time and money with something inferior....
hello, Mr. Novak, in my place dont sell kitten clay cat ( only bentonite clay). Can I use zeolite or akadama soil, perlite soil, bentonite instead of kitten clay cat? How time it is required to clean or replace this filter media ?
Can't the kitty litter be replaced with something like red clay-based fluorite for aquariums, like the type Sachem sells? I suspect that the "crystalline" structure you mention is mostly related to porosity and average particle diameter of the material. The small average diameter and large porosity Im guessing (necessary for adsorption) found in the kitty litter creates enough mass transfer limitations that lead to anoxic conditions within the kitty litter particles. The fact that it is baked Im guessing means that the particle will remain stable in shape and size still allowing for the anoxic conditions when exposed to water and slow flow. If this is true, wouldn't it be possible to do the same with red fluorite? The only issue I see is that the red fluorite tends to be dusty and not baked as well as the kitty litter Im assuming. But if its compacted enough or made the center of a filter with slow moving flow rate the particles should remain in tact and provide iron as well as high clay-porosity for anoxic conditions. Granted this would likely effect the stability and overall longevity of the filter, but wouldn't it in principle work?
Hi Dr. Novak, I apologize if you've already answered this. I am curious to see if there is a formulas of size of filter to gallons of water. I work on Koi ponds for a living. some 20,000 gallons or more. Do the bacteria remain only in the filter, or do they eventually spread to the rest of the pond, or aquarium? Thank you for putting out such great information!
Hi Dr. Novak, I was reading resently about how the old-timer fish hobbiests used to place old iron nails underneath their aquarium substrate as an iron supliment for their plants. I'm curious about your thoughts on this since you have a lot more experience with these kinds of systems. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this practice and whether or not it works and how it works or if there's been testing research done on it? Thanks!
Yes back about 80 to 90 years ago iron nails were placed in the substrate to give iron to the plants. This practice of using cast-iron chips to sprinkle around rosebushes was also a practice that is still used today. Iron is a number one a critical element for all plants and they've known about that for years now.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums h Good day Dr.Novak. I’m from the Philippines and it’s so hard to find a 100% ground clay cat litter here. All we have are the bentonite, pumice and the clumping ones. Is there other alternatives for the ground clay cat litter?
Could you repost your video on your CO2 diffuser using the penn plan filter please? Got the parts but can't find the video anymore. Great videos by the way. Very Impressed with your videos. Thanks.
Hallo Dr. Novak, I'm starting with a new tank with a sump that will have 4 bcb's of 11x11x7" (28x28x18cm) as unique filtering system. I made the sump big enough to host such big bcb's because I understand that big is better for anoxic zone growth and for the strenght of the ion attraction. I've seen in some of your video that the pH value of one of your tanks is around 7.2-7.3 and I've read that pH optimal value for facultative anaerobic bacteria is a weak alkaline environment. I've read also that facultative anaerobic bacteria decrease their activity in acid environment. In your eperience what is the pH range compatible with the use of the afs ? moreover which is the pH (acid) value which is not advisable to overcome ? which are the relations between faculative anaerobic bacteria activity and pH ? I can image you are full of requests, but I hope an answer since I could find only few documents about facultative anaerobic bacteria growth in low pH environment. Thank you in advance
Try looking for oil dri premium granular absorbent. This is used in chemical spill cleanup and is sold in 40-50lb bags. Essentially identical to old school unperfumed clay kitty litter.
First off I love the videos... It gives me hope that I can keep discus one day! Here's some interesting questions. I am really into black water set ups... Does the BCB remove tannins from the water? Also is it possible to make a very small basket to fit into my canister filter on my 10 gallon or does it have to be a certain size? I guess the question is, is it scaleable? And is there a ratio of basket size to water volume? Sorry for all the questions! Thanks!
Can we just bag it? If I have an established tank without a sump how can I achieve these same results? For example can I make a small basket and just place it at the bottom of a bare bottom tank being run off a sponge filter? Or a box filter? And thanks again. My father started me keeping fish about 35 years ago when I was about 6 years old because I could read better than him and wasn't color blind, and to this day (he's 81 now) people can't understand why he has "UGF's" in his Discus tanks. I had no idea at the time but I'm pretty sure the way I kept fish in the 70's and 80's was anoxic. It wasn't until about 2010 that the internet screwed all that up for me. Then a few years ago I found this video and other material and I connected a lot of dots to things we did but didn't know why.
A lot of people are doing that with the same bags like you use for carbon and bags you can get on the Internet and just making a PCB small bag that way.
Kinda yeah, Zeovit or Zeolite also leaches minerals back into the aquarium so it does have other benefits. BUT as i understand it zeovit, cat litter, lava rock, activated carbon, and 'reef' rock are just fossilized organic matter of various kinds. because they are super porous they have low oxygen areas deep inside them where anhydrous anaerobic bacteria can grow which feed on nitrate and to a degree phosphate. The difference being the "other" affects they have on water and how dense or porous they each are. Reef rock buffers PH and isnt that porous, carbon is so porous it can absorb toxins but its so good at it it cloggs and doesnt work well long term as filter media. its all the same really, some of the materials have more benefits than others but essentially you are just providing massive amounts of surface area for bacteria to grow, and i mean millions of times more surface area than a "Bio Ring". i always wondered if it was the case with cat litter now i know! apparently most Cat Litter is made of Laterite or Diatomite.
I have bags of natural clay kitty litter from the dollar store (which I use to pot my tropical water lilies in my pond each spring). It is the non-clumping, non-fragrance kind but it does turn into a fine compacted mud/silt at the end of the season. Does the Walmart brand you use do this or does it truly stay granular? Would my cheapo brand be okay to use in BCB?
FWIW to anyone else reading, the Special Kitty litter was only $4/25lb at Walmart. It does look different and hold its granular shape better than the dollar store brand (although the latter is also labeled as natural clay non-clumping litter). Best to shop around for the right stuff before making your baskets!
i just found out about this and here is what i just bought :) time to test it out. www.walmart.com/ip/Special-Kitty-Unscented-Natural-Clay-Cat-Litter-25-Lb/10293705#read-more
hello Dr. Novak. I really want to make your BCB for my 125gal tank but I cannot find a Kitty Litter that is made of stones or "baked clay" from where I am (Philippines). 99% of the litters here are made of Bentonite and doesnt look like the ones in your videos.
Can BCB be used without a sump ? Is there a ratio of basket volume to aquarium volume ? ( I realise that the stocking level would effect this.) Am considering trying this on 3 of my aquariums which are 220 , 280 and 490 litres respectively. The last 2 have canister filtration and the first uses internal power filtration.
Can you substitute kitty litter with Marineland's White Diamond Ammonia Neutralizing Crystals in the BCB baskets? I often see it sold right next to carbon in pet stores and online.
What if we add iron chips in a container directly to the sump, does the iron ions penetrate well into the basket? does it creates more of a hazard than an actual advantage for the bacteria colony and the aquarium?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you, I've clarified my understanding about planted and general aquaria filtration thanks to your content sir, this is the reason why I use Yotube, to find content like this, mesmerizing.
Kevin, do you think seachem fluorite would work as it is natural clay as well (I think it should work as a substitute for botg, the kitty litter AND the laterite?) For reference I'm trying to create a similar effect at the bottom of my tank.
dr. Novak , will the clay in the BCB absorbing all the nutrients when liquid fertilizers are applied? what about putting in medications? Will the clay absorbs the medications in such a way that it renders them ineffective?
I've never had problems with medication and a BCB basket ever. It seems that the medication unless it is one that kills bacteria, does not affect the outcome of the BCB basket.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums really appreciate your reply. what about the medication? will it gets absorbed by the bacterias in BCB and hence loses its power?
Hello Dr. Novak, I'm Gianluigi from Italy and I'm totally new to anoxic filtration, I have read a lot in these last days, and I want to try to set up a BCB. I have a question to ask. I know that anoxic filtration can be used as a stand alone system, preceded by a mechanical filtration at the beginning. My question is the following. It is somehow usefull to add a BCB inside a sump which has already other kind of filtration systems or not? For example a sump which has a stage with a moving bed filter ? and if the answer is affermative, which position will be the best, before or after the moving bed ? Finally do you recommend the use of an anoxic filter in combination with other traditional filters or it is preferable to use the system alone ? Many tanks for sharing your knowledge
@@mikeaaronyap unfortunatelly it doesn' t work. I gave up after 5 months. Gratest problem was NH3 fluctuation. I passed from 0 to 0.5 or 1 mg/l whithout reason. It seems that in my cas Bcb sequestrate NH3 very efficently in a manner that facultative anaerobic bacteria cannot use. Then when saturation occurs NH3 came again. I have a Mbf in front of Bcb too.
@@valp729 does this mean you kept your K1 moving bed biological filteration, but took out the BCB? More frequent water change would take care of removing nitrates then.
It's my understanding that ammonia molecules are attracted into the baskets by the negative electrical charges that exist within it. You say that these baskets last indefinitely; wouldn't the charge be reduced/negated over time and cause the basket to lose effectiveness? Please help clarify if I am misunderstanding something, thank you very much.
Actually the baskets keep their charge as far as I know indefinitely. I’ve been using the anoxic filtration system for over 30 years without ever changing some of the baskets and they still work today as good as I did 30 years ago.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thanks for the reply. Interesting. I guess the rate of change is simply negligible. Do you have any experience with using these filters on African Cichlid tanks, or know of anyone who has? Or would the BCB be compatible with the harder water type that they (African Cichlids) require (not certain on the chemistry). I have a 75G setup with running an FX6, and was wondering if it would be possible to simply replace a portion of the default media with a BCB instead of running a sump system? Or does it require low flow conditions? Thanks again.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014 Aquarium lovers owe it to themselves to use an AFS...it's not just for ponds anymore! For you aquarium lovers out there, here are some photos sent to me from Gert in Namibia. In the past I have had African Cichlids / Lake Malawi Mbuna tanks. Mbuna’s require very high pH and most tanks that I’ve seen are overcrowded because of the Mbuna’s very territory aggression towards one another. However, with the overcrowding of Mbuna’s comes water quality problems and Nitrates that will reach 100-ppm if lots of water changes are not carried out to keep their colors from fading. Another thing about Mbuna’s is they love to dig, so any kind of gravel filtration system is out of the question. Long ago in the late seventy's Mbuna’s and Tanganyika’s only came from Africa and had to be depressurized when brought up from the depths of Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. They were big and beautiful fish that rivaled that of saltwater fish. Today they are nothing near as spectacular as days of yore, but they still have the same water requirements and Nitrates are nothing short of a big pain in the #%$#* to keep under control…except with a Anoxic Filtration System! Thanks Gert! Dear Dr. Novak. Just look at my 1500ltr (396-USgals) Tanganyika office aquarium running on your Anoxic filter...with zero Nitrates. Kind regards from Namibia. Gert
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thanks for the anecdote. Any chance you kept in contact with Gert/do you know how his tank has done in the long term? There was another youtuber using this filtration system who did not do a water change for 6 weeks yet had 0 nitrates/amonia, however he claimed his fish were looking stressed and out of sorts, which is baffling considering the pristine water parameters. Any such similar cases in your experiences? Cheers.
BennduR not really, been raising very expensive Koi for 31-years with AFS . Had to move them to a Koi farm in Iowa and they were over 30 years old Koi. Some, if not the oldest Koi in Illinois to date. How many time did they get sick in 30-years you ask...zero times and that’s living under harsher conditions than any fish aquarium will ever go through.
Thank you for this information Dr. Novak! I have questions though. Some keepers, like myself, prefer that a green carpet algae grow so that we can have a nice natural color enhancer and i like that my goldfish eat it, it's veggies lol. I use a bare tank too. W Due to the lack of Nitrates, Nitrites, and/or Ammonia, won't green algae slow or, maybe, not grow?
Hello Kevin. Could you help please. Are there any other products that can be used. Those products of kitty litter’s are not sold where I am in the Uk. Is there anywhere else you can advise me to search to find the correct clay gravel to use for these filters? For example.. apart from cat litter. Could this material be used for gardening maybe. I’d be very great full for any help you can give about this. Many thanks.
To be honest with you, I really don’t know what’s available in the UK for the hobbyist. I do know at one time the UK did sell the correct kind of kitty litter and it was not a problem because it has been used on Koi ponds in the UK..
Kevin Novak thanks for the quick reply Kevin I do appreciate it.👍 could you tell me what clay is actually needed in these filters please. Would it be bentonite?
Would Safe-t-Sorb work? It's clay, very similar to cat litter. I'm thinking of making some of these for my HOB filters. Unfortunately for me, all of my many tanks have gravel placed directly on the bottom and are planted. So I' trying to think of other ways to create an area in the tank to promote the growth of this bacteria. If I understand this correctly, you are creating area that is low in O2 to facilitate the growth of the bacteria that consumes nitrates? And turns it into N2? I think this might be happening by accident to some degree in some of my tanks. Sometimes when gravel vacuuming, gas will be released. It doesn't smell. So maybe it's N2?
Hello Dr. Novak, im from the Philippines and i cant find kitty litter that is not clumping and unscented on my place, any other recommendation/ substitute for the kitty litter?
Absolutely fascinating stuff. Thank you so much for sharing. I've been reading all over the place about the use of deep sand beds in freshwater tanks but this seems so much more reliable and significantly less risky. Unfortunately I run a canister on my fancy goldfish tank, would a basket like this be OK sitting in the main tank, behind a piece of driftwood for example?
Sir excellent video and i want to know whether kitty litter is zeolite or other mineral pls mention i india we dont get non clumping kitty litter Thanks
Greetings Dr Novak from sunny Malaysia. I’ve been watching your videos for some time now and absolutely love this concept. I’ve searched high and low but can’t seem to find non clumping Bentonite clay. We only get the clumping variations here . Is there any other substitutes we can use for this? Any chance for crushed clay bricks or small pumice stones to work? For the iron, I managed to get red flourite. Best regards Ian
Do they have a product called oil dri? . It’s used to throw on floors of garage to soak up oil dripping from cars.If you look it up on the Internet you’ll see that it is actually just bake kitty litter
the only special kitty litter i can find now seems to not be backed and in water i can create a clay out of it with enough agitation. is ther a n alternative? can i use safty zorbe?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I used safety zorb a few weeks ago. I just tested my ph before a water change and its 8.5 Where the tap is 7.5 It’s a 220 gallon and I have eco complete, fool filter sand, and one 10lb dragon stone. Do you think the ph spike is from safety zorb?
It really works! I was skeptical, but made one, 6 weeks later and my nitrates test was below 5ppm!! No more 4-5 day water changes, now I change 25% every month just to add fresh water. Thank you for the info!
That's great to hear, thanks.
To make the basket for Koi pond and aquarium correctly just fast forward to 6:30minutes.
Thank you, Dr. Novak.🙏🙏🙏
You miss a lot of good info if you skip.
Dr Novak, thanks for sharing info about the denitrification. Appreciate your knowledge and salute. I saw someone asked you about a zeolite as substitute to cat clay litter. I believe you've read about the zeolite capacities. It is well known, that zeolite absorbs ammonia and nitrates, but not for eternal. It has kinda capacity and need to be replaced in order to not spread absorbed elements back in water.
Size of the Zeolite is the key here. If the size of the medium is the same the bacteria 🦠 will take care of any ammonium/ammonia that then gets dislodge back into solution.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums any recommendation on the sizes doctor?
@@MUFCnextnumber7 As long as it’s the same size is kitty litter which kitty litter can vary from very small to .5 mm all the way up to about 3 mm. From my understanding from people in other countries that use the product zeolite is, once the bacteria establish it then utilizes the ammonia that it has absorbed and the nitrates and therefore it acts like kitty litter.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thank you doctor! God bless you
Coming summer i am going to set up a patio pond using mini frame pool . I will definitely opt for BCB .... actually in all my planted tank i had been using inert Seachem florite substrate which i believe is same as BCB . Its written in pack that these substrate is high in AEC & CEC . No wonder it worked for me . I found them much better than those substrate which leeches ton of ammonia
Dr. Novak excellent video! I just joined the discus hobby just under two years... I'm currently running a canister and overhang filter with partial water change and gravel cleaning 3 times per week. I need to investigate how I can install anoxic filter in my cabinet with limited space. if I figure a way to build anoxic filter, I hope can reduce my water change and gravel cleaning maintenance for the lowest nitrate level.
The cat litters we get in Europe are different I think. They do turn into a kind of mush if they get wet.
Planning make my first BCB baskets very soon! Been watching your videos and I am excited about this!
Hola Doctor Novak, reciba un cordial saludo, he estado viendo algunos de sus videos y debo agradecer por ellos, yo tengo muchos problemas de fosfatos y por ende algas, así que llevo tres semanas que implemente una bolsa con los ingredientes mencionados yo introduje esa arena y piedra roja que en México se llama tezontle bueno espero que sea la misma que usted usa. Y anhelo que estos fosfatos bajen muchísimo.
Nuevamente muchas gracias y saludos
yesterday, I made two bcb* in pond baskets using pets at home clay kitty litter (non clumping, unscented) plus a core of flourite (iron source). Within 24 hours, I could see the bottom of my container again 😆 The green water algae in my 80 litres patio pond literally cleared up overnight!!
* Biocenosis Clarification Basket
Instead of using bricks, I used the baskets to prop up a Kidney Planting Basket for marginals … hiding in plain sight 😄
I have 0 nitrates without a specialized anoxic system. Just sand substrate and live plants. Would this still be beneficial?
How about using a marina breeder box with 2 bags of kitty litter sandwiching a bag of laterite from flow to exit? Very slow moving water which can be adjusted with the airflow. I have a 20l Id like to try it in. Worth a go?
It’s worth giving it a try.
you can also use mesh net pots for the basket, they are sold on amazon and can have 3 to 6 inch diameter. I am making bcbs using those.
Yes they will work too
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thanks for your reply Sir. I have a big question. We know that Zeolite release ammonia if there is salt in the water, and since you had mentioned that zeolite can be used instead of the kitty litter, I am worried that it does not work in my goldfish tank since I usually add a tsp/10Gallon of salt to help the fish with minor nitrite spikes that I measured after each gravel vacuum session. Now, could you please let me know if salt has any adverse affect on the performance of BCB's?
Thanks a lot!
Farzad T First of all you should never use salt with goldfish it messes up their osmotic ability. If you’re using salt as a prophylactic then I would have to ask you: Why?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you Dr Novak. I had added salt (1 teaspoon/10Gallon) to protect them against small nitrite spike that happen after cleaning. Now that I know its not good for them I will do a water change and take the salt out. Thanks for the information!
Hi Doc, lots of questions here about media but I'm curious about the flow rate. Typically a bio filter rule of thumb is 4x tank volume per hour. How would you set the "low flow" rate, in terms of tank volume per hour, for anoxic filtration through a BCB filter?
Hi there Dr. Novak. Can we replace kitty litter with something else? Such as zeolite maybe? I can’t seem to be able to find unclogging kitty litter anywhere in my country. Thank you.
I used hydroponic clay pebbles in one of my filters just becouse i had it spare, found out later the clay pebbles also pull ions from the water
you're right, however, it will not produce Anoxic conditions that will turn Nitrates into N2.
Hi doctor.
The explanation about "ionic attraction" was based on a progressively more and more negative substatum...
BUT :
It seems that the laterite layer do not have to be "buried" in the center of the cat's litter, as it goes to the contact of the basket in this video.
Questions :
Do we really need any cat's litter finally ? Maybe the laterite could be sufficient, no ?
Or maybe the laterite layer is completely unuseful and only the cat's litter is functional ?
Anyway : the ionophoresis theory do not stand anymore with this video i'm affraid
If you can find another substrate decking attract positive ions out of the water besides kitty litter let me know. But it also has to have a cost factor involved in it.
This is NOT my question. The question is why do you tell the latérite MUST be buried in cat litter and do not do it here, this is a non sense in front of the ionic attraction...
The question is then: latérite appear to be totaly unenecssary
Will iron oxide provide the iron needed by the bacteria?
Yes, iron oxide can be used like in the old days.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums One more question, please. If baked clay attracts nitrate ions will crushed unglazed pottery do the same?
No, Kitty litter has a crystalline structure to it where clay pottery does not. That Crystalline structure attracts the positive ions out of the water body proper.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums What creates this crystalline structure in cat litter clay?
Why dont you use organic soil under the laterite?
It's not needed.
How about putting a canister filter one Brian it what Kitty that are should you look for because I live in the UK
Dr Novak would it help improve things to use this basket style on a dirted planted tank setup?
Yes it would.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thank you Dr 👍🏼
Does the absorbency of the cat/kitty litter matter? Does it help to have high absorbency vs medium absorbency?
Hi Doc ,
I made 3 x bcb baskets roughly 300 x 300 and planted 1 water lilly in each and placed them directly in my outdoor pond. I only run a Hozelock 9000l submersible pump with bcb bags in it that feeds a water statue. Can you confirm if the BCB baskets placed directly in the pond will have any impact.
They will have an impact, but that will depend on just how big your pond is, how many fish you have, how often do you feed? All these parameters will judge how many BCB baskets will you need. In my pond that was 1200 gallons with the amount of Koi I had in it I had 21 BCB baskets that were 7 x 7 x 11 in size and that handled that pond for over 30+ years.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums do you have a video on that pond setup. ?
Couldn't you just use GFO instead of laterite?
Hi Dr Novak,
Is it more more important to maximize the surface area around the BCBs to increase contact with the water flow around the bags (ie lots of small bags cumulative increasing the surface area)?
Or is it better to have a larger Anoxic area inside the BCBS for the Anoxic bacteria to process NO3 to N2 (ie 1 or 2 large bags maximizing the Anoxic Zone 3?).
Grateful for your kind advice!
Good day Dr.Novak. I’m from the Philippines and it’s so hard to find a 100% ground clay cat litter here. All we have are the bentonite, pumice and the clumping ones. Is there other alternatives for the ground clay cat litter?
akadama
Serviria la zeolita igualmente no?
Hi Dr Novak, "Non-clumping kitty litter is mainly the clay mineral attapulgite (aka palygorskite) which is a magnesium aluminium phyllosilicate common in soils in the southeastern U.S. Attapulgite derives it absorbency from its needle-like, 3-dimensional crystal structure" is this the crystaline structure you mentioned in the video?
The clay or kitty litter has been backed and that’s what gives it the crystalline structure and holds it together. You can also use oil dry as a replacement.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums can we used akadama soil for bonsai or hydroton as substitution alternative? Please answer...
Must nonclumping unscented kitty litter clay type .
T
Hello Kevin thanks for your work its inspiring and helps a lot of people eager to have a beter understanding of the process and how to apply this science with regular products. I will continue investigating since my dream is to make an ecosystem as perfect as possible, what i dont understand or get the information yet, is the amount of water that should pass through the anoxic filter, is there any sort of chart where we can get that information, how many gallons or liters of water are denitrifyed per hour. I just know the flow should be slow.. but how much. I excuse in advance if that is explained in another video or resource provided. I just get to know your channel and the concept of anoxic filtration for completing the cycle just blew my mind. Would really appreciate any additional resource you can share.
The flow should be as slow as possible. Even if that means 1-gal a day.
I find all of this very interesting, I hate to think that I have lost fish due to my own ignorance! And what harm does a little more education do to anyone? Thank you Kevin... You have a NEW SUBSCRIBER 👍😷👍
Take care my friend and may I wish both yourself and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year 👍😷👍
Thanks. Merry Christmas to you and your family too. Next year you should not lose any fish . I’ll do my best to help with that.
I see you wash the cat litter already already set into the BCB. I keep washing the cat litter in a 5g bucket but the water never clears. What is the right way to wash cat litter for a plenum?
Some cat litter is not baked so it will have to be placed in a bag and rinsed off but you'll never get it 100% clean. It almost reminds you of sand where you can never really get sand a hundred percent clean without some particulate matter coming off constantly.
Hi Dr. Novak, it’s hard to find clay non clumping kitty litter here in the Philippines. What can I substitute with?
Same here in India. Is there any alternative pls?
Hi Dr Novak , the kitty litter you use in this video is great. It is so clearly marked as to what it is made with. I bought a cheap supermarket own brand and wrote to them to find out the ingredients. They told me it is made of " an attapulgite / gypsum blend " does this mean a type of clay ?
Yes it is very common.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums thank you very much indeed. Xx
Thank you Dr. Kevin.
I did put it in my sump tank and no more fishes get sick. But I just wonder this filtration can be used to reef tank too or can't.
Dr., Could we use akadama soil for this? it's high in iron and suitable for filtration as it is a type of expanded baked clay used mainly but thoroughly in Bonsai growers, it's imported to the North America and Europe from Japan with plenty of different granulometry classifications. Arlite is usually the western version of akadama and its recommended as a substitute of this type of substrate.
If the diameter of the substrate is small enough and not the real big stuff.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I figured, but couldn't be useful if we want to use the more coarse type at the very bottom of the fish tank with the plenum with very fine substrate on top of such layer ? Wouldn't that promote a much more controlled Environment in the substrate for microaerophilIc bacteria to get established? I mean less drag at the very bottom seems like a good way to manage suction force through the substrate without affecting oxygen levels.
Hi, can I use crushed lava stones as a substitute to laterite ? Or can I use the Seachem Flourish Iron fertilizer in the crushed lava stones in order to put more iron in it? I don’t seem to find laterite anywhere.
Thank you for all your infos !
Very interesting, could you use just kitty litter while dosing fertiliser for plants that contains the iron?
yes
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums spot on, thankyou for getting back to me 👍
Instead of creating this box, you could just use a mesh filter bag couldn't you?
Hello Dr Novak fthanks to you for all your study an experiments. also for sharing with us. I am in process of setting up a new 55gal an a 29gal tanks and would love to set up with plenums an your bcb baskets. is it possible to place kitty litter and laterite in nylon stocking or mesh bag and avoid the plastic mesh on the sides of the basket. I myself would love to start rasing discus. thanks again and many blessings
Hello Dr. Novak. I have setup a 110 gallon tank with a 35 gallon sump with 2 big BCB (11" 11" 8") and I'm planning to use those BCBs as single filtration means. I have seen a lot of people that turned their traditional filtration system in anoxic but I would like to start my anoxic filtration system by scratch. Is it possible ? Thank you
Recently found your channel and am loving all the knowledge you are sharing. I know I am late to this video but I was wondering if I could use hydroton/ lecca instead of the natural clay kitty litter? I already have a lot of the hydroton and I believe it is just baked clay pebbles.
Yes you can! If the size meets the requirements of 1 to 3 mm.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums it will after I take a rubber mallet to it 😆
thanks for your question, Im still finding another ingredient for natural clay kitty
@@eadomke2150 does it really works?
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums can baked akadama soil for bonsai be used?
This is an realy great idea i'm gonna build in in my tank, i almost gave up the hobbyThanks to algea an the chemicals ar not working.
Awesome work!This just sems to be the best way to filter an aquarium or pond, but I'm having trouble finding the right kat-litter in Germany.All Bentonite products here are labeled as clumping.Would Sepiolith might work?
Dr. Novak after much searching I found this in India
Where? Link me up.
@@rockfella27 I am unable to upload the image. But after much research I found that one seller is selling Oil-Dri but I doubt if that it is genuine. How to know whether it is original or fake?
@@bhuwanchander2196 Where is he selling? Paste buying link here. Is it Amazon.in? If it's Amazon then it is Oil-Dri sold by car2india for Rs.1900 (approx) for 3.5 kilos.
@@rockfella27 no, it is a local seller by the name Good Luck Marine, Surat and they are selling a 50 lbs bag for Rs. 2300/- and the photo they have sent via WhatsApp is exactly like Oil-Dri.
@@bhuwanchander2196 Oil-Dri, Sate T-Sorb, Cat litter these are all clay granules (baked or not baked) so they all look mostly the same because it is the same thing. I got a sample from :
www.demeanorind.com/product-list.php?key=ab&subcatname=Universal%20Granualar%20Powder
but they sent me wrong sample of wooden husk or something. They will send another one.
You may ask Goodluckmarine to maybe send you a 50/100 grams sample of it if they can. Keep the granules in glass water for a week if it does not turn into mud get the big bag. Just make sure they confirm it is made of 100% with no chemicals (they usually don't as it takes more money to add anything else)
I checked their website and could not find the product. Maybe you can link me up with the exact thing.
DR Novak, can traditional biological filtration be combined with anoxic filtration? ?
Dr Novak, how much NO3 removed by BCB compare to non BCB tank ? 90%, 50% or just 10% ? Does any body actually do the measurement ?
I watch videos of huge fish farms on Aquarium Coop.... they use wet/dry trickle towers.
That tells me, that's the "best" form of filtration. They raise millions of fish, they wouldn't waste their time and money with something inferior....
hello, Mr. Novak, in my place dont sell kitten clay cat ( only bentonite clay). Can I use zeolite or akadama soil, perlite soil, bentonite instead of kitten
clay cat? How time it is required to clean or replace this filter media ?
Once set properly you won't need to replace it ever.
gặp đồng hương rồi :D
DR Novak , is it important to set the laterite in a core or just layered? ?
Thank you
Can't the kitty litter be replaced with something like red clay-based fluorite for aquariums, like the type Sachem sells?
I suspect that the "crystalline" structure you mention is mostly related to porosity and average particle diameter of the material. The small average diameter and large porosity Im guessing (necessary for adsorption) found in the kitty litter creates enough mass transfer limitations that lead to anoxic conditions within the kitty litter particles. The fact that it is baked Im guessing means that the particle will remain stable in shape and size still allowing for the anoxic conditions when exposed to water and slow flow.
If this is true, wouldn't it be possible to do the same with red fluorite? The only issue I see is that the red fluorite tends to be dusty and not baked as well as the kitty litter Im assuming. But if its compacted enough or made the center of a filter with slow moving flow rate the particles should remain in tact and provide iron as well as high clay-porosity for anoxic conditions. Granted this would likely effect the stability and overall longevity of the filter, but wouldn't it in principle work?
Red fluorite can be used but it must be packed tightly to achieve the same results in a BCB. It is bigger in size than kitty litter or safe T Sorb .
Hi Dr. Novak, I apologize if you've already answered this. I am curious to see if there is a formulas of size of filter to gallons of water. I work on Koi ponds for a living. some 20,000 gallons or more. Do the bacteria remain only in the filter, or do they eventually spread to the rest of the pond, or aquarium? Thank you for putting out such great information!
Hi Dr. Novak, I was reading resently about how the old-timer fish hobbiests used to place old iron nails underneath their aquarium substrate as an iron supliment for their plants. I'm curious about your thoughts on this since you have a lot more experience with these kinds of systems. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this practice and whether or not it works and how it works or if there's been testing research done on it? Thanks!
Yes back about 80 to 90 years ago iron nails were placed in the substrate to give iron to the plants. This practice of using cast-iron chips to sprinkle around rosebushes was also a practice that is still used today. Iron is a number one a critical element for all plants and they've known about that for years now.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums h Good day Dr.Novak. I’m from the Philippines and it’s so hard to find a 100% ground clay cat litter here. All we have are the bentonite, pumice and the clumping ones. Is there other alternatives for the ground clay cat litter?
Could you repost your video on your CO2 diffuser using the penn plan filter please? Got the parts but can't find the video anymore. Great videos by the way. Very Impressed with your videos. Thanks.
Hello Kavin, Great videos and so much learning. When I am using the Anoxic
Filteration do I need to consider the water flow rate?
Hi Kevin can I use pottery clay for the iron in the kitty litter
Hallo Dr. Novak,
I'm starting with a new tank with a sump that will have 4 bcb's of 11x11x7" (28x28x18cm) as unique filtering system. I made the sump big enough to host such big bcb's because I understand that big is better for anoxic zone growth and for the strenght of the ion attraction.
I've seen in some of your video that the pH value of one of your tanks is around 7.2-7.3 and I've read that pH optimal value for facultative anaerobic bacteria is a weak alkaline environment. I've read also that facultative anaerobic bacteria decrease their activity in acid environment.
In your eperience what is the pH range compatible with the use of the afs ? moreover which is the pH (acid) value which is not advisable to overcome ? which are the relations between faculative anaerobic bacteria activity and pH ?
I can image you are full of requests, but I hope an answer since I could find only few documents about facultative anaerobic bacteria growth in low pH environment.
Thank you in advance
Can I use clay pebbles(crush it so it's smaller, if needet) insted of cat litter? Thank You
The cat litter is just a stone called zeolith
All perfect .... but what kind of litter we should buy now???
Try looking for oil dri premium granular absorbent. This is used in chemical spill cleanup and is sold in 40-50lb bags. Essentially identical to old school unperfumed clay kitty litter.
First off I love the videos... It gives me hope that I can keep discus one day! Here's some interesting questions. I am really into black water set ups... Does the BCB remove tannins from the water? Also is it possible to make a very small basket to fit into my canister filter on my 10 gallon or does it have to be a certain size? I guess the question is, is it scaleable? And is there a ratio of basket size to water volume? Sorry for all the questions! Thanks!
Zachary Baez I use BCBs for my two blackwater tanks and I can say that they don’t remove tannins
hi...can you replace the late rite for fluorite?
Dr Novak
I finally found a natural clay Kitty litter...hormite clay...will this do?
Hi .. great job ... but i need to ask if this littre can i use it as a substrate i.s.o gravel ??l...thanks
hi dr. kevin can't find special kitty brand in india what should i try plz suggest.
Dr Novak can zeolite be used as a replacement for kitty litter. also does it serve the same function ?
Can we just bag it? If I have an established tank without a sump how can I achieve these same results? For example can I make a small basket and just place it at the bottom of a bare bottom tank being run off a sponge filter? Or a box filter? And thanks again. My father started me keeping fish about 35 years ago when I was about 6 years old because I could read better than him and wasn't color blind, and to this day (he's 81 now) people can't understand why he has "UGF's" in his Discus tanks. I had no idea at the time but I'm pretty sure the way I kept fish in the 70's and 80's was anoxic. It wasn't until about 2010 that the internet screwed all that up for me. Then a few years ago I found this video and other material and I connected a lot of dots to things we did but didn't know why.
A lot of people are doing that with the same bags like you use for carbon and bags you can get on the Internet and just making a PCB small bag that way.
Is this similar to the way Zeovit media functions? Typically used in reef tanks.
Kinda yeah, Zeovit or Zeolite also leaches minerals back into the aquarium so it does have other benefits. BUT as i understand it zeovit, cat litter, lava rock, activated carbon, and 'reef' rock are just fossilized organic matter of various kinds. because they are super porous they have low oxygen areas deep inside them where anhydrous anaerobic bacteria can grow which feed on nitrate and to a degree phosphate. The difference being the "other" affects they have on water and how dense or porous they each are. Reef rock buffers PH and isnt that porous, carbon is so porous it can absorb toxins but its so good at it it cloggs and doesnt work well long term as filter media. its all the same really, some of the materials have more benefits than others but essentially you are just providing massive amounts of surface area for bacteria to grow, and i mean millions of times more surface area than a "Bio Ring". i always wondered if it was the case with cat litter now i know! apparently most Cat Litter is made of Laterite or Diatomite.
I have bags of natural clay kitty litter from the dollar store (which I use to pot my tropical water lilies in my pond each spring). It is the non-clumping, non-fragrance kind but it does turn into a fine compacted mud/silt at the end of the season. Does the Walmart brand you use do this or does it truly stay granular? Would my cheapo brand be okay to use in BCB?
FWIW to anyone else reading, the Special Kitty litter was only $4/25lb at Walmart. It does look different and hold its granular shape better than the dollar store brand (although the latter is also labeled as natural clay non-clumping litter). Best to shop around for the right stuff before making your baskets!
i just found out about this and here is what i just bought :) time to test it out. www.walmart.com/ip/Special-Kitty-Unscented-Natural-Clay-Cat-Litter-25-Lb/10293705#read-more
Is it zeolite?
Wow nice.
Dr Novak, how long can you use the same cat litter and laterite for? Does it need to be recharged or washed very now and again?
Can I use aquaponic baked clay pepper (hydroton) in the basket? There is no non clumping cat litter where I'm living. Thank you.
hello Dr. Novak. I really want to make your BCB for my 125gal tank but I cannot find a Kitty Litter that is made of stones or "baked clay" from where I am (Philippines). 99% of the litters here are made of Bentonite and doesnt look like the ones in your videos.
I left a couple messages along time ago and never heard back from you don’t know if you’re still on the channel or watt
Can BCB be used without a sump ? Is there a ratio of basket volume to aquarium volume ? ( I realise that the stocking level would effect this.) Am considering trying this on 3 of my aquariums which are 220 , 280 and 490 litres respectively. The last 2 have canister filtration and the first uses internal power filtration.
Can you substitute kitty litter with Marineland's White Diamond Ammonia Neutralizing Crystals in the BCB baskets? I often see it sold right next to carbon in pet stores and online.
Hello, i would just like to find out if it is possible to use sun dried clay cat litter? I cannot seem to find baked clay cat litter.
Can the basket be placed anywhere in the tank? Does it require a slow flow? Thanks in advance.
What if we add iron chips in a container directly to the sump, does the iron ions penetrate well into the basket? does it creates more of a hazard than an actual advantage for the bacteria colony and the aquarium?
Many years ago iron chips were used in the aquarium as long as it’s pure iron there would be no reason you could not use it.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thank you, I've clarified my understanding about planted and general aquaria filtration thanks to your content sir, this is the reason why I use Yotube, to find content like this, mesmerizing.
Hello Doc Kevin, can I put small pumies instead of kitty litter?
How does this affect a planted tank. Would there still be nutrients for the plants
Plants grow great no problem.
Are you in the Aquatic Circuit? Do you do seminars and tutorials? I enjoyed watching! Thank you for sharing.
Kevin, do you think seachem fluorite would work as it is natural clay as well (I think it should work as a substitute for botg, the kitty litter AND the laterite?) For reference I'm trying to create a similar effect at the bottom of my tank.
dr. Novak , will the clay in the BCB absorbing all the nutrients when liquid fertilizers are applied? what about putting in medications? Will the clay absorbs the medications in such a way that it renders them ineffective?
I've never had problems with medication and a BCB basket ever. It seems that the medication unless it is one that kills bacteria, does not affect the outcome of the BCB basket.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums really appreciate your reply. what about the medication? will it gets absorbed by the bacterias in BCB and hence loses its power?
Dr. Novak Can I incorporate a UV sterlizer with the anoxic filter?
Hello Dr. Novak,
I'm Gianluigi from Italy and I'm totally new to anoxic filtration, I have read a lot in these last days, and I want to try to set up a BCB. I have a question to ask. I know that anoxic filtration can be used as a stand alone system, preceded by a mechanical filtration at the beginning. My question is the following. It is somehow usefull to add a BCB inside a sump which has already other kind of filtration systems or not? For example a sump which has a stage with a moving bed filter ? and if the answer is affermative, which position will be the best, before or after the moving bed ? Finally do you recommend the use of an anoxic filter in combination with other traditional filters or it is preferable to use the system alone ?
Many tanks for sharing your knowledge
I got your anoxic filtration system document and also the answer to my question.
@@valp729 hi, pls share the answers to your questions, I have a moving bed K1 media in front of my BCB. Does yours work?
@@mikeaaronyap unfortunatelly it doesn' t work. I gave up after 5 months. Gratest problem was NH3 fluctuation. I passed from 0 to 0.5 or 1 mg/l whithout reason. It seems that in my cas Bcb sequestrate NH3 very efficently in a manner that facultative anaerobic bacteria cannot use. Then when saturation occurs NH3 came again. I have a Mbf in front of Bcb too.
@@valp729 does this mean you kept your K1 moving bed biological filteration, but took out the BCB? More frequent water change would take care of removing nitrates then.
It's my understanding that ammonia molecules are attracted into the baskets by the negative electrical charges that exist within it. You say that these baskets last indefinitely; wouldn't the charge be reduced/negated over time and cause the basket to lose effectiveness? Please help clarify if I am misunderstanding something, thank you very much.
Actually the baskets keep their charge as far as I know indefinitely. I’ve been using the anoxic filtration system for over 30 years without ever changing some of the baskets and they still work today as good as I did 30 years ago.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thanks for the reply. Interesting. I guess the rate of change is simply negligible.
Do you have any experience with using these filters on African Cichlid tanks, or know of anyone who has? Or would the BCB be compatible with the harder water type that they (African Cichlids) require (not certain on the chemistry).
I have a 75G setup with running an FX6, and was wondering if it would be possible to simply replace a portion of the default media with a BCB instead of running a sump system? Or does it require low flow conditions? Thanks again.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Aquarium lovers owe it to themselves to use an AFS...it's not just for ponds anymore!
For you aquarium lovers out there, here are some photos sent to me from Gert in Namibia. In the past I have had African Cichlids / Lake Malawi Mbuna tanks. Mbuna’s require very high pH and most tanks that I’ve seen are overcrowded because of the Mbuna’s very territory aggression towards one another. However, with the overcrowding of Mbuna’s comes water quality problems and Nitrates that will reach 100-ppm if lots of water changes are not carried out to keep their colors from fading. Another thing about Mbuna’s is they love to dig, so any kind of gravel filtration system is out of the question.
Long ago in the late seventy's Mbuna’s and Tanganyika’s only came from Africa and had to be depressurized when brought up from the depths of Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. They were big and beautiful fish that rivaled that of saltwater fish. Today they are nothing near as spectacular as days of yore, but they still have the same water requirements and Nitrates are nothing short of a big pain in the #%$#* to keep under control…except with a Anoxic Filtration System!
Thanks Gert!
Dear Dr. Novak. Just look at my 1500ltr (396-USgals) Tanganyika office aquarium running on your Anoxic filter...with zero Nitrates.
Kind regards from Namibia. Gert
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums Thanks for the anecdote. Any chance you kept in contact with Gert/do you know how his tank has done in the long term?
There was another youtuber using this filtration system who did not do a water change for 6 weeks yet had 0 nitrates/amonia, however he claimed his fish were looking stressed and out of sorts, which is baffling considering the pristine water parameters. Any such similar cases in your experiences?
Cheers.
BennduR not really, been raising very expensive Koi for 31-years with AFS . Had to move them to a Koi farm in Iowa and they were over 30 years old Koi. Some, if not the oldest Koi in Illinois to date. How many time did they get sick in 30-years you ask...zero times and that’s living under harsher conditions than any fish aquarium will ever go through.
Similarly, after the whole capacity is used up, Zeolite must be removed from the aquarium. Is laterite similar to zeolite?
No, it never has to be replaced.
Thank you for this information Dr. Novak!
I have questions though.
Some keepers, like myself, prefer that a green carpet algae grow so that we can have a nice natural color enhancer and i like that my goldfish eat it, it's veggies lol. I use a bare tank too. W
Due to the lack of Nitrates, Nitrites, and/or Ammonia, won't green algae slow or, maybe, not grow?
Yes and yes
Would something like this work in a Salt Water Aquarium?
yes. In fact, I show a video of a saltwater tank that's been up for over 40 years using the same system.
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums awesome, I will be searching your videos again.
Take care and have fun
Hello Kevin. Could you help please. Are there any other products that can be used. Those products of kitty litter’s are not sold where I am in the Uk. Is there anywhere else you can advise me to search to find the correct clay gravel to use for these filters? For example.. apart from cat litter. Could this material be used for gardening maybe. I’d be very great full for any help you can give about this. Many thanks.
To be honest with you, I really don’t know what’s available in the UK for the hobbyist. I do know at one time the UK did sell the correct kind of kitty litter and it was not a problem because it has been used on Koi ponds in the UK..
Kevin Novak thanks for the quick reply Kevin I do appreciate it.👍 could you tell me what clay is actually needed in these filters please. Would it be bentonite?
Can i use akadama soil alternative to cat litter?
Would Safe-t-Sorb work? It's clay, very similar to cat litter. I'm thinking of making some of these for my HOB filters. Unfortunately for me, all of my many tanks have gravel placed directly on the bottom and are planted. So I' trying to think of other ways to create an area in the tank to promote the growth of this bacteria.
If I understand this correctly, you are creating area that is low in O2 to facilitate the growth of the bacteria that consumes nitrates? And turns it into N2?
I think this might be happening by accident to some degree in some of my tanks. Sometimes when gravel vacuuming, gas will be released. It doesn't smell. So maybe it's N2?
Yes, it can be used too.
Have you tested using the kitty litter as substrate?
Great info! I’m curious will this work in high ph of a African chiclids also
Yes it will
can i use this in bearbotam tank
Hello Dr. Novak, im from the Philippines and i cant find kitty litter that is not clumping and unscented on my place, any other recommendation/ substitute for the kitty litter?
Absolutely fascinating stuff. Thank you so much for sharing. I've been reading all over the place about the use of deep sand beds in freshwater tanks but this seems so much more reliable and significantly less risky. Unfortunately I run a canister on my fancy goldfish tank, would a basket like this be OK sitting in the main tank, behind a piece of driftwood for example?
matthew smith As long as the goldfish can’t get to it and dig in it it will be just fine
P4p
Can this be used for a reef tank
Yes it can.
In reef tank they use gfo is this same as laterite ( gfo. Granular Ferric Oxide )
Kevin Novak sorry overwhelming with a response,I thank you
Sir excellent video and i want to know whether kitty litter is zeolite or other mineral pls mention i india we dont get non clumping kitty litter
Thanks
Kitty litter is actually the same as oil dry it’s a baked clay.
Greetings Dr Novak from sunny Malaysia. I’ve been watching your videos for some time now and absolutely love this concept. I’ve searched high and low but can’t seem to find non clumping Bentonite clay. We only get the clumping variations here . Is there any other substitutes we can use for this? Any chance for crushed clay bricks or small pumice stones to work?
For the iron, I managed to get red flourite.
Best regards
Ian
Do they have a product called oil dri? . It’s used to throw on floors of garage to soak up oil dripping from cars.If you look it up on the Internet you’ll see that it is actually just bake kitty litter
You can look for natural clay based granular all purpose industrial absorbents. You should find one.
the only special kitty litter i can find now seems to not be backed and in water i can create a clay out of it with enough agitation.
is ther a n alternative? can i use safty zorbe?
yes use safety zorbe
@@anoxicfiltrationplenums I used safety zorb a few weeks ago.
I just tested my ph before a water change and its 8.5
Where the tap is 7.5
It’s a 220 gallon and I have eco complete, fool filter sand, and one 10lb dragon stone.
Do you think the ph spike is from safety zorb?