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| I'm in the process of testing a system for my FAMA column "In The Fishroom" that is a reverse flow UG with two side "towers" that have "bioballs" with centers that harbor anoxic bacteria, which break down nitrates. I've had this thing going for better than two months now, piles of fish, all kinds of plants, and the water is crystal clear, the plants are going great, haven't lost a fish. The idea behind this product is that using it makes water changes unnecesary -- which makes me nervous to begin with. But I am really trying to test it, and so I have not done anything but top it off with water. Have never had any ammonia or nitrite (used their bio starter, which worked great), and the nitrates seem to have settled down in the 40 -- 60 range. I know that many of you will think that is way too high for the nitrates, but the more I test and play with things the more I am becoming convinced that nitrates are only a problem if they are really off the chart, or if you introduce fish that have come from 0 nitrates into a tank with high nitrates. Anyway, the reverse flow ug solves the problem of sucking everything down into the gravel and below the ug plate. All you have to do to run it that way is to attach powerheads to the lift tubes.
*************************** Be warned -- everyone at college has a weird roommate. If you don't have a weird roomate -- then you're the weird roommate.
Conan O'Brien, Stuyvesant High School.
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It is slightly off topic, but a response to your theory on nitrates, David. I've read a few studies by Diana Walstad and others, and it seems like you're partially correct. Nitrate tolerances vary widely between species, but most fish won't experience "real" symptoms from nitrates until they hit about the 150-200ppm range. Some not until you hit the 1000ppm range. However, all the studies say that this does not mean your fish aren't experiencing physical stress at lower nitrate levels, just that it isn't enough to manifest itself as visible symptoms. That's the paraphrased version, anyway.
20 gallon long
Lionhead - Kiko
Calico Lionhead - Little Bean
29 gallon
Fantail - Oliver
Black Moor - Damian
Calico Ryukin - Serafina
2.5 gallon
male betta - Pirate
10 gallon planted
minnow, betta, guppy
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| Interesting, I have been playing around with different waste production theories myself and have also found nitrate levels to be somewhat poor with regard to predicting failure points and high stress points (not that I'm recommending an adbandoment of their consideration altogether, mind you). Instead, I, being the math geek I am, found that using a remaining waste index to be a far better prediction of danger levels. The basic theory is that every chemical that comes in contact with your tank's water is never 100% removed (although possibly very close to 100%) and thus some remains. This means that cleaning agents that wafted across the room, chemicals from the building under construction, fumes from the BBQ next door, and all other manner of chemicals that are water soluble will be present in minute, but ever increasing, levels. Once these wastes accumulate to a critical level, they will have adversely affected the fishs' immune systems and subsequently be reasponsible for the majority of system failures. Just a theory, of course, but I'm finding it to be a better model than the MAT equation. MOA
"Tears aren't a sign of weakness, they're a sign of poor plumbing." --Dead Men's Lies
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Senior Member
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P.S. Most of my tests indicate a turnover of 10-20 to be quite beneficial except in cases were the fish cannot handle it (breeding tanks, tanks for species with long fins or obtrusive body modifications, or some plant tanks depending on oxygen-carbon dioxide balance).
"Tears aren't a sign of weakness, they're a sign of poor plumbing." --Dead Men's Lies
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