FBF Filter up date and question

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B_IN_SD

B_IN_SD

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jul 12, 2006
1,171
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Sturgis S.D.
The FBF filter seems to be working good The build thd. is here.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195926

Today I noticed a color change in the media that was not there before. Can any one tell me why the FBF is doing this ? Here is a new vid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fHvi-b1haw

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Very impressive. I think I have seen that color difference before in some pics. Couldn't tell you what causes it or what it means.
 
My guess----when a sand company gets there base sand to make there product, it is mixed with other color treated sands to get the coloration they are after. And the sand at the top is more than likely the color treated sand. The treatment might give it a hair more bouancy.
 
Is it sand or is it another substance of some sort? Seems like the sand is higher than when you first started it.
 
This is what I used, pool filter sand. The level is higher because I plugged the air venturi on the power head to get more flow.

Picture 572.jpg
 
I thought that might be it but there has been no new sand added. Wouldn't all the sand get dirty at the same time being that it is constantly fluidized 24/7.
 
A fbf will often layer the sand which seems to be happening with your model. This occurs due to slight grain size differences, even with uniformly sized sand. This layering in your model seems to show different coloured particles related to the grain size. Once layered, the biology of the filter also layers with the ´lighter´sand collecting more rubbish and bacteria due to reduced rubbing of sand particles against each other in the upper layers. This combination is most likely the reason for the colour change. If you want to improve the efficiency of the filter, skim off the upper yellow layer and add some more fresh sand. Keep doing this until you have a uniform colour throughout the bed.

If a bed is layering, the nitrification efficiency of the bed is compromised for two reasons;
1. because the upper layer of sand never gets pressed down to the ammonia rich entry water and
2. because of reduced rubbbing the biofilm of the individual grains in the upper layers aren´t being kept under 20 microns thickness which nitrification bacteria optimally prefer.

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