Some bites from the professor!

[J. H.]

I'm interested in this method with how simple you make it sound. Using actual canister filters and siporax, it costs about the same as a good protein skimmer, or nitrate reactor.

If it's as effective as the professor claims, then I may use this method alone, although I am still waiting on the info about nitrate coils.

From what i understand, this is a nitrate coil, just in a different shape. Both work exactly the same way. A slow stream of water is slowly run through a long, dark pipe until there is no oxygen left, so the dentrification bacteria can outcompete the nitrification bacteria, and the bacteria slowly grow into a colony and eat up your nitrate, turning it into nitrogen gas, which is released into the air. (nitrogen is already the #1 ingredient in the air we breathe, so you don't have to worry about it poisoning you.)
J jaws7777 built one, and it took forever to build up enough denitrification bacteria for it to do anything, but in the end I think he got it to work. He made it out of pvc pipe and some kind of fancy ceramic media, but I imagine sand would work just as well.

 

[jaws7777]

From what i understand, this is a nitrate coil, just in a different shape. Both work exactly the same way. A slow stream of water is slowly run through a long, dark pipe until there is no oxygen left, so the dentrification bacteria can outcompete the nitrification bacteria, and the bacteria slowly grow into a colony and eat up your nitrate, turning it into nitrogen gas, which is released into the air. (nitrogen is already the #1 ingredient in the air we breathe, so you don't have to worry about it poisoning you.)
J jaws7777 built one, and it took forever to build up enough denitrification bacteria for it to do anything, but in the end I think he got it to work. He made it out of pvc pipe and some kind of fancy ceramic media, but I imagine sand would work just as well.

Yup it did work but only for a week or two. I have my assumptions on what cauaed it to fail but theres little fact to them.

I really want to see someone tackle this method with the canisters it sounds promising. Hendre good read man.

Some questions i would ask the good prof when he returns :

Are you using an external pump on the cans or dialing back the pump that comes stock on them ?

What gph is dentrification taking place ? Not what the pumps are rated for but what is the actual output from the return of the filter.

How many fish, how often are they fed ?

 

[Drstrangelove]

Wow. Hitting homers the first time at the plate. Nice OP!

 

[Kittiee Katt]

Great read Hendre !

I'm curious as to how you met this professor though, did he go to your school for a lesson or something like that? Or did you just over hear him talking about his tanks in the supermarket and jump in like "Ohh! I have fishtanks! Teach me stuff!"

 

[Hendre]

J jaws7777 I'll find out, it's a 400 gallon discus system I know that. So it shall be investigated

Kittiee Katt he's an occasional sight on a local planted forum, initially contacted him regarding reporting a shop with illegal crayfish but started discussing other stuff and then meeting him

 

[Chicxulub]

Great read

 

[jaws7777]

Lol get the prof to join mfk !!!!!

 

[Hendre]

Lol get the prof to join mfk !!!!!

He's tired of most forums, the moderators on one frustrated him immensely so he rarely checks in on the others

 

[RD.]

Not to nit pick, but .......

The frozen foods are good to fill the gaps in nutrition that the dried foods struggles to fill. By that I mean that dried foods have the disadvantage that oxygen penetrates the food easily and oxidizes parts of the proteins, some of the amino acids, so that they need to be acquired from elsewhere.

While this may apply to the profs food, it certainly doesn't apply to a high quality nutrient dense feed, in pellet form. Crumbles and flakes would be more prone to this issue. Beyond certain species YOY, If ones chooses their dry food wisely, there is no need to feed frozen, and there will be no nutritional gaps. This is well documented in commercial aquaculture.

Granulates need to be softer or else they can cause bloat, and fishes don't eat them readily

Hard food only causes bloat, if that food is of low quality, as in full of hard to digest terrestrial based plant matter, and the fish consumes an excessive amount of feed. Hard foods soon turn to mush once they reach the innards of a fish, and gastric acids & enzymes meet the food. I have collected fish in the wild where a steel hook has been mostly dissolved by these acids & enzymes.

 

[jaws7777]

He's tired of most forums, the moderators on one frustrated him immensely so he rarely checks in on the others

Im just joking. Im interested in his dentrification methods. But will let you guys tackle this one.