Getting My Groove Back...

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
All in all, I’m glad the bicher community embraces filter tech like the ray guys. So many people slap a couple Aquaclears and cheap canisters on their big tanks and call it a day because, let’s face it, bichers will survive a nuclear fallout LOL. We’re leagues behind the hobbyists overseas. Let’s change that!

+1

One of the most enjoyable times fore in this hoppy was my almost yr long nitrate filter projects. I know in the end that nitrate isnt the only substance being removed but would be fun to eliminate it. The most successful was the purigen filter (not reactor) but the recharging of such a large quantity wasn't feasible.
 
I'm going to try some pothos in my bichir tank where the plants will just dangle down. I did have plans for an above tank grow bed of terrestrial plants for my 135 SA/CA Cichlid tank but this bichir/ropefish tank took precedent. I figure pothos in this tank will be easier because i won't have severums continually trying to eat the roots like I do in the 135.
 
As far as marina pure blocks go I have 3 8x8x4 in my sump with all my other media. Not sure about the nitrate reduction thats is possible but my tanks on point and i think they are a great addition whether the nitrate or not its insanely porous and work great.
 
I'm going to try some pothos in my bichir tank where the plants will just dangle down. I did have plans for an above tank grow bed of terrestrial plants for my 135 SA/CA Cichlid tank but this bichir/ropefish tank took precedent. I figure pothos in this tank will be easier because i won't have severums continually trying to eat the roots like I do in the 135.

Like this??? Haha definitely a nice addition. I have a ton of natural light in my apartment so they grow like weeds. My filament barbs nibble on the roots, so they’re not as impressive as I’d like. I’d imagine it’s still a nice nitrate sponge.
6585753E-9285-48D7-BFAC-470E312EE508.jpeg

As far as marina pure blocks go I have 3 8x8x4 in my sump with all my other media. Not sure about the nitrate reduction thats is possible but my tanks on point and i think they are a great addition whether the nitrate or not its insanely porous and work great.

My thoughts exactly. I’m a geek when it comes to new tech, so why not give it a shot?
 
I've used pothos on and off and never get nitrate reduction. It's abalance between bioload and plants and how the plants consume different food sources (ammonia vs nitrate) blah blah.

It does look cool as hell tho.

This batch is starting to grow like crazy

Btw there's a small bufonius, red wolf and handful of gouramis. Light feeding scgedsch and 0 nitrate reduction. Lol20180626_162515.jpg 20180626_162505.jpg 20180626_162444.jpg
 
I think it helps a little I dont know how much. When I started pothos on my 75 I was kind of checking it to see if I could see a difference and at first there was nothing but once it started growing I did see that instead of my nitrates hitting 40+ between water changes (weekly) it would go a little more then 20. I tried to keep everything constant during that time period. I think it does a little but its not a miracle cure and how much you have growing also matters. Currently I'm at about the same spot nitrates around 30 at wc time after wc around 5. Also on the new system I was doing a drip and while it does stabilize everything I was always around 20-30 ppm nitrate it never went below that. I was changing around 60gpd. I've switched to just doing a large water change once a week now and I have a little more fluctuation in the parameters but I'm using less water over all. I still have the drip set up but at about 5gpd just for evap mostly. I'm heavily stocked, I feed a lot, but I only feed every other day sometimes skipping 2 days. Except for the growouts in the pothos tank I feed them heavily almost every day. The whole system is linked. I have other plants in the tanks and have so so luck with them. I dose flourish 3 times a week.
So is the pothos working I'm going to say its a deffinate maybe:rolleyes:
 
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I think it helps a little I dont know how much. When I started pothos on my 75 I was kind of checking it to see if I could see a difference and at first there was nothing but once it started growing I did see that instead of my nitrates hitting 40+ between water changes (weekly) it would go a little more then 20. I tried to keep everything constant during that time period. I think it does a little but its not a miracle cure and how much you have growing also matters. Currently I'm at about the same spot nitrates around 30 at wc time after wc around 5. Also on the new system I was doing a drip and while it does stabilize everything I was always around 20-30 ppm nitrate it never went below that. I was changing around 60gpd. I've switched to just doing a large water change once a week now and I have a little more fluctuation in the parameters but I'm using less water over all. I still have the drip set up but at about 5gpd just for evap mostly. I'm heavily stocked, I feed a lot, but I only feed every other day sometimes skipping 2 days. Except for the growouts in the pothos tank I feed them heavily almost every day. The whole system is linked. I have other plants in the tanks and have so so luck with them. I dose flourish 3 times a week.
So is the pothos working I'm going to say its a deffinate maybe:rolleyes:

Agreed.

With plants it's just a ratio of plants vs fish and for what we keep it's probably never going to be enough plants.

I had water lettuce in the sump on the 300 did nothing. Had a 20 gal heavily planted with a lone paradise fish and it hardly registered nitrates
 
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