10 Gallon with Anoxic Filtration

[Gideyon]

I need to halt the experiment again indefinitely.  Something happened after that "explosion" where now my tank is getting dusty again.  Originally I thought it was the top layer of clay eroding from the water movement. Putting the gravel on top seemed to have stopped that.  But now it's picking up again.  

Basically safe t sorb was either a bad batch that deteriorates very quickly, or they changed the way they made it and this is the norm (every one I read that used it never had this problem). 

So now I'm researching a non-budget made-for-aquarium use clay alternative.   Flourite Red is what I'm leaning toward.   To do that, and to get rid of the existing mush, it might end up being a complete reset of the tank 😕

 

 

[Hobbit]

Oh man! Just now catching up on this thread. What a lot of ups and downs. It really did seem like you were there for a while.

[gjcarew]

Sorry to hear about that. If you're looking for another clay-based substrate maybe super hard akadama would work for you? You can find it at many garden centers, especially if they sell bonsai and bonsai materials. It will lower PH and has a high CEC, like Safe-t-sorb, but is harder and less likely to break down (from what I've heard). 

Everything I've read says that Fluorite is inert. Seachem claims it is made of clay but it does not seem to have the properties of a clay-based substrate.

[Gideyon]

On 1/11/2022 at 1:51 PM, gjcarew said:

super hard akadama

Thanks for this.  I looked into it.  It does seem like a good alternative but no one local sells it, and the online ones are a little too much for my budget. 

 

On 1/11/2022 at 1:51 PM, gjcarew said:

Seachem claims it is made of clay but it does not seem to have the properties of a clay-based substrate

Which properties?   The CEC?  I did wonder about that when it said it doesn't affect pH. I was thinking maybe they had it presoaked. 

 

I had the opportunity to make a quick run to Walmart so I got a $5 bag of natural clay kitty litter.  I won't have time to do anything with it for a while, but I'll likely at least start the sifting next week.  Maybe soak it in water + baking soda. 

 

I've been running the tank with polyfill in the HOB, and I'm seeing it gradually getting browner.  My hope was the dust was temporary due to the "explosion", but not looking that way. 

 

On another note, I read in a YouTube comment of someone who "re-baked" their clay (possibly kitty litter) to make it harder, and prevent the eroding.  But with no information on how.  I've been researching that as well.   

[Gideyon]

Due to the winter, I haven't had a chance to sift through the kitty litter.   But I have a new plan.  

I'm going to put the kitty litter in three 5x8 fine mesh bags (zipper).  Put a layer of gravel on top of the filter plate. Place the bags on top of that going across.   Sprinkle laterite on top (or inside).  Then put the rest of the gravel on top. Hoping the weight will close any gaps between the bags.  

What this hopefully accomplishes is trapping the clay within the bag as it mushes up. It might also slow down the water movement as well.  Also, it'll save me the headache when having to tear it down.  This could be problematic for roots though. Not sure. 

I'm also going to try the biocenesis bag within my HOB.  

I'll rely on the sponge filter for mechanical filtration. Maybe connect it to the HOB. 

 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@GideyonI have found that laterite once it clays up won't travel much. I would think that if you put some down under the plate with some gravel and maybe crushed coral over it wouldn't travel much. I've been using it the last couple years on the bottom of the tank against the glass, then add aquasoil then aquasoil and gravel mix on top of that. You could do a bit of that below. I did add laterite to my homemade DIY wabi kusa balls as well and once again I used some dried sphagnum moss, aquasoil dust and some other stuff laying around and once it congealed with other ingredients I have not seen any red. Good luck with the BCBs. I used those same mesh bags as the holder for my wabi kusa balls, really useful. 

[Gideyon]

I did a big reset.  This will be my last attempt, but it'll be different because of time.   

I will be adding plants soon, however it'll be slow growing.  So if hypothetically I do achieve 0ppm nitrates, it really can't be attributed to plants.  Sure, it can be argued but so be it.  It's my only tank so I want fish now that it's getting a little warmer. 

The setup is different too.  

1) instead of Safe T Sorb (STS), I'm using natural clay kitty litter.  

2) I placed them in fine mesh bags and placed that on top of the UGF plates.  I originally planned to put laterite in the bag as well, but it was causing problems.  

 

3) I put laterite on top of the bags, and put gravel around to close up any gaps. 

4) I couldn't get rid of all of the STS from the previous build, so it looks a little dirty. Plus, laterite from the old water the gravel was in, and possibly some of the new laterite got into the water column.  I'm just running the UGF at the highest to try to settle that down and get it into the gravel. 

5) when I get a chance to get it, I'll get another 5lb bag of gravel to cover up the STS that's on the top. 

Next steps: modify my HOB to have a BCB inside. I need to find a 30ppi sponge I can use to place on the intake, so inside the bio filtration is on the inside.   

[Gideyon]

To everyone that has actually followed this and provided input, my apologies for lack of updates in months. 

Due to some changes in life I had to step away from the hobby, hopefully temporary but indefinite for now.

The tank in question: I unplugged it and had it sitting dormant for a few months before I tore it down.  I did a water test and nothing budged. 

If I start up this 10 gallon again, I won't try anoxic filtration. I've read that anoxic conditions are difficult to achieve  in smaller tanks.   So if that's true, the experiment failed for now.  

 

So until next time.... 

[Hobbit]

Thanks for the update. Sorry you had to step away from the hobby, but I get it. Life happens. ❤️