Media quantity

[duanes]

Well the bio media is just that, for bio filtration, not water clarity, the mechanical media such as sponges, flosses, polishing pads, filter socks, pre filters, and many others, clarifies the water and helps prevent your bio media from clogging.

Agree
You can't tell by looking at the water, if your biomedia is working or not.
Only by doing ammonia and nitrite tests.
And as fish (such as Oscars) grow.
It is good to do regular testing, because as they grow, they continue to put out more and more waste that needs to be efficiently dealt with.
What might be adequate filtration when they are 3".will probably "not" be adequate when they are 12" or larger.
The same goes for water changes.
While a once per week water change of 40% per might be good at 3 inches,
when they are 12" three 30% water changes or more per week "might" be needed.
By testing for ammonia and nitrite, I have determined these two tiny bags of biomedia, and a pumice block is adequate bio filtration for my 300 gal system.

But of more conrcern to me once any of my tanks is cycled, is elevated nitrate, because of its long term chronic disease effects.
So along with those 2 little bags of media, the pumice block for bio, and Porrett foam for mechanical, the plants that dominate my sump, are the most important part of filtration .

 

[Midwater]

Do albino oscars' tails really get black with incraesed ammonia?

I think test strips would be better.

 

[Aalok Joshi]

I think test strips would be better.

oh ok.

 

[Aalok Joshi]

I understand. Different situation there, not always easy to keep some of the larger fish taken for granted in some other places, but people make it work. That's the thing with an international forum, you can't always impose what you're used to on everyone else.

 

[duanes]

One other factor in keeping bio media viable, is keeping it from getting clogged up with detritus.
If the biofilm is smothered in debris, it can't do its job, because those bacteria are aerobic, and need a highly oxygenated environment.
It may be, that after a number of years biomedia becomes so clogged up, it simply dies.
I like to regularly rinse mulm, off biomedia to clear it of anything that might be smothering it, or preventing an aerobic environment.
I know some people poo poo slightly rinsing biomedia, but I have been doing it for about 40years, and have never had a crash.
I also feel by rinsing it, any less robust bacteria will get pushed off, leaving the most robust to do its best work.

If I notice the biomedia (lava rock) in the bio tower/fractionator getting riddled with gunk, I will dump all the media out, hose it off, and then after rinsing return it to the reactor to start over refreshed.
Below is a video of that same reactor working as a bio-fractionation unit on a koi pond.
https://youtu.be/O19kySpxulg
There is a sponge filter under submerged in the pond that keeps large particulate from entering the reactor .

 

[Aalok Joshi]

One other factor in keeping bio media viable, is keeping it from getting clogged up with detritus.
If the biofilm is smothered in debris, it can't do its job, because those bacteria are aerobic, and need a highly oxygenated environment.
It may be, that after a number of years biomedia becomes so clogged up, it simply dies.
I like to regularly rinse mulm, off biomedia to clear it of anything that might be smothering it, or preventing an aerobic environment.
I know some people poo poo slightly rinsing biomedia, but I have been doing it for about 40years, and have never had a crash.
I also feel by rinsing it, any less robust bacteria will get pushed off, leaving the most robust to do its best work.
View attachment 1536182View attachment 1536183View attachment 1536184
If I notice the biomedia (lava rock) in the bio tower/fractionator getting riddled with gunk, I will dump all the media out, hose it off, and then after rinsing return it to the reactor to start over refreshed.
Below is a video of that same reactor working as a bio-fractionation unit on a koi pond.
https://youtu.be/O19kySpxulg
There is a sponge filter under submerged in the pond that keeps large particulate from entering the reactor .

Thanks. One query though. Do you follow a stringent or even a rough schedule for rinsing out the media periodically or you just go by the looks of it and decide if it needs a rinse? I go by the look of it. If it looks covered with gunk, I rinse it out. Also the hose part, IS it ok to clean with running water? Because a lot of videos advise to use aquarium water. I have done it both ways and I havent experienced a crash as such. Please guide on the same. Saw the video.

 

[duanes]

I just watch for buildup, figuring if I can see the buildup its time to make it disappear.
Most of the time when rinsing I just use siphoned old, yet clear, water change water over it, because sometimes, here in Panama potable water is scarce, and use clean water for replacing the water change ,
At times when in the states I would simply use tap water.
where I lived there in the U.S. at certain times of the year the tap water was only very lightly chloraminated.

 

[Midwater]

You don't have to clean all of the media at the same time.

 

[neutrino]

One other factor in keeping bio media viable, is keeping it from getting clogged up with detritus.
If the biofilm is smothered in debris, it can't do its job, because those bacteria are aerobic, and need a highly oxygenated environment.
It may be, that after a number of years biomedia becomes so clogged up, it simply dies.
I like to regularly rinse mulm, off biomedia to clear it of anything that might be smothering it, or preventing an aerobic environment.
I know some people poo poo slightly rinsing biomedia, but I have been doing it for about 40years, and have never had a crash.
I also feel by rinsing it, any less robust bacteria will get pushed off, leaving the most robust to do its best work.

Agree. I kept meaning to mention this. The less junk reaching the bio media the better, which is why some filters are set up backwards with the fine pads last in line. I regularly rinse bio media, always have-- directly under the faucet in my last two homes with well water (adding up to 30 years) and I'm not all that gentle about it. Beneficial bacteria isn't so fragile as some make it out to be, in fact one of the principles with fluidized sand filters (which I've done before and liked) is sufficient jostling of particles makes them self-cleaning.

 

[FINWIN]

Hi A Aalok Joshi

Have you considered bio bale? It's basically plastic ribbon with a textured surface tha has monstrous surface area, is light as a feather and cleans in like five seconds. It can't hold mulm or detrius, the stuff just sits on top. A dip, swish in tank water and you're done cleaning! Here's a clip with some info. Because of the surface area it makes filtration extremely efficient.

BTW 3 oscars ia 120 is a lot. Hope they'll get along as they age...40 gal per grown oscar isn't much and they might fight for space.