Starting a fluidised bed on an existing system

I have my Hystrix in a 4x2x2 GROW OUT tank.
Large eheim bucket external canister, tank has been running about a year.
I do daily water changes religiously of approx 30-50% using stored, heated HMA water.

So I've been slowly getting a couple of box filters made up - slowly as I never have much spare time to get on with them.

The boxes have been flowing through with water for a couple of days, adding about 10% of the tank's volume as extra water to the set up as a whole.
The first box was intended for K1. Today I added two cups of media, hat kind of rate should I keep topping it up? I was thinking a couple of cups per day. I don't want the bacteria to crash and cause the water to go tits up, but am I right in thinking the daily water changes would counter balance any negative fluctuations in the nitrate/nitrite levels.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

bonesb66 said:

Just to clarify, you've effectively built a sump, in which chamber 1 you're adding K1 and you're concerned that if you add it too quickly it will cause a spike?

Is that right or have I misunderstood


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

Click to expand...

Completely understood mate. The only slight deviation from a sump so to speak is the boxes are above the tank, pump fed from the tank, returning via gravity.

I'll up load some pics later on photobucket.

Yes, exactly, I'm concerned I'll cause a spike if added too quickly


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

gangster said:

If this filter is an addition to the already established tank there should be no reason for a crash. You are adding additional volume to thectank/filtration itself. That is good. I would add all the k1 media at once if it were me.

Just additional filtration if im reading correctly...? Right?


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply.

Well I'm adding filtration but have also added three ray pups at the same time. But I hope the daily WC will counter balance any issues with water. Should have mentioned I've added more stock as well.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

bonesb66 said:

Got you!

What makes you think the addition of k1 will cause a spike?

It's immature bio media so to my understanding it has no presence in your tank and will eventually mature like cycling a new tank.

I added 50l of k1 to a running system and it floated for a couple of days until it lost its buoyancy and then freely moves now - no issues

Make sure there is no way for it to move out the chamber as it's such a bugger


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

Click to expand...

Great reply Bones, thanks mate.

It's all contained in the one chamber. I've had it escape into my old pond before and you're right it's a bloody nightmare and I was freaking out as my old super red Aro kept trying to eat it.

I was concerned it might cause a spike really because of a bad experience I had once before, when did a similar addition of K1 to the pond, lost a ray soon after and assumed the water spiked and I didn't realise.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app