Are canisters nitrate factories?

[lp85253]

This is a good topic. I only clean my fx5 twice a year and I really think I should do it more often. You never get the waste and byproducts out of your tank unless you clean out the filters too IMO.

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yep...it's probably "more" important to gravel vac... but multiple filters with regular cleaning schedule is also a key to a healthy tank

 

[viejafish]

I did not know that, thank you.

You don't know that because you don't live in water. It takes a lot of energy for terristrial animals to convert ammonia to urea. For aquatic animals, it's so much easier just to diffuse out of the gills and urinate. Freshwater fish urinate constantly because they gain water osmotically, and get bloat if they don't.

There is a reason why bird quano, cow, horse and human manure are valuable fertilizer, but never fish.

 

[Redearsunfish]

You don't know that because you don't live in water. It takes a lot of energy for terristrial animals to convert ammonia to urea. For aquatic animals, it's so much easier just to diffuse out of the gills and urinate. Freshwater fish urinate constantly because they gain water osmotically, and get bloat if they don't.

There is a reason why bird quano, cow, horse and human manure are valuable fertilizer, but never fish.

Fascinating! thanks!

 

[dogofwar]

You're correct about fish poop

I actually think uneaten (rotting) food is probably the primary source of ammonia. It gets sucked into (canister) filters and rots.

Water changes are vital, no matter what kind of filtration. I'd just rather reduce keep a clean filter and nitrates from, say, 20 PPM to 10 with a 50% water change than from, say, 40 ppm to 20% and have a filthy filter.

Of course, having plants and other means of absorbing nitrates can help (and freshwater fish are generally pretty tough and adaptable) but less is better

Matt

There is a misunderstanding of what fish poop is made up of. Fish poop is not a huge source of nitrogen. Unlike birds and mammals, fish excrete nitrogeneous waste primarily through gill and secondarily through urination as ammonia. So even if you remove fish poop as fast as it is produced, the nitrate level will still go up. The only way to lower nitrate is WC and photosynthesis.

That said, it is still benefiticial to clean the substrate and canister filter media frequently. The gunk built up is not just fish poop, but also uneaten food, and a lot of dead micros. Even if you don't over feed, fish are messy eater that pulverize food waste that feed the micro food chain. You can tell how bad the gunk is by shutting off the canister and see how quick it turns anoxic generating sulfide and ammonia gases. In a power outage and subsequent return, those anoxic gases are dangerous as they can wipe out the fish. Many mysterious wipe out can be explained by dirty canister filters or undergravel filters as in the old day.

Personally, I don't use canister so there is no place to hide waste and no excuse to delay cleaning. My primary filtration is HOBs for mechanical and water movement. I do frequent WC including vacuuming thin substrate in all my tanks to reduce nitrate.

The most common and healthy filtration systems in commercial and private fish rooms are sponge filters without any fancy parts, bio media, bio wheel, blah, blah, blah!

 

[David R]

Interesting about the poo not being a big source of ammonia.
Regardless of the effect on nitrates, IMO it is still important to keep canisters frequently cleaned as a canister full of muck will quickly turn aerobic in the even of a power outage and if it is started again before being cleaned it will spew a whole lot of nasty water back into the aquarium, potentially harming/killing fish.

 

[dogofwar]

The other drawback to dirty canisters is that the muck can cover the nitrifying bacteria and render it less effective...

Matt

 

[theskibag]

I clean out my fx5's once a month because there's a good bit if gunk build up from feeding nls pellets. They eat the pellets but a good bit still comes out their gills


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[ecoli73]

This comment does not make any sense to me. How are they suppose to be nitrate factories? And why/how would a canister become an ammo, nitrite factory? The point is to eliminate nitrate at all stages.

Thanks for all the input, I agree most with the members that keep their tanks as gunk free as possible. Nitrate is a toxic substance in any amount (from my knowledge) this being said the toxicity escalates with concentration, thus, you want 0 nitrate or as close as possible, IMHO.

The end product of the nitrogen cycle is nitrate; therefore most canister filters are nitrate factories. That is their purpose.

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[theskibag]

Filters don't reduce nitrate. Only plants and water changes do

 

[Bderick67]

The end product of the nitrogen cycle is nitrate; therefore most canister filters are nitrate factories. That is their purpose. Is that so hard to understand?

I dont think the op understands the process of the nitrogen cycle. If he did, the original question wouldve never been asked.