From: mattk@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (matthew.kaufman)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Biological Filtration and water recycling
Date: 9 Apr 92 14:17:22 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T

In article <9204081547.AA00945@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> CCPHIL@UMCVMB.MISSOURI.EDU (Phil Leith) writes:
>Anyone out there know if there's a test to check and see if you do indeed
>have a healthy culture of the good, nitrifying bacteria in your tank?
>I suppose ammonia tests - but I tend to supplement a couple of my tanks
>with ammo-carb, especially late in my maintenence cycle.  I was reading

Why? Ammo-carb has its uses, like in seriously overcrowded tanks with
'young' biological filters, or in tanks where you really can't tolerate
the presence of any ammonia, however minute, for any amount of time.
I only use it in  a fry-rearing thing I set up for killies as there'd be
no reasonable way to expect a bio filter to survive there, and its real
convenient. In general, though, I don't use any carbon in my dozens
of tanks at all, strictly sponge filters or power filters with sponges and
similar what-not in them.
>in AFM (april, yes, this time really april) an (interesting) article on
>biological filtration and it's evolution, and it talked about competition
>between the "good" bacteria and "other" bacteria in your system...
>
>Does anyone reccomend periodically adding nitrifying bacteria "seed" mixes?
No. They cost $. You don't need them.
>
>Also, the article details the cycle ammonia --> nitrite --> nitrate, which
>I assume is the accomplished hobbyist's major reason for water changes.
>The nitrates build up.  Algae and other plants eat nitrates, no?
Algae does, most higher plants really don't - they 'eat' ammonium. Plants
help reduce algae because they metabolize higher 'waste products' in the
chain before they get to nitrate. Some plants like water hyacinth will
consume so much waste that it appears they're consuming nitrate, but I believe
such is not really the case.
>
>Taking that into account, Ernesto may want to try keeping his old water in
>the sunshine to get it well algefied - on the sides - and/or try to grow
>fast growing aquatic plants such as duckweed in his old water, removing
>excess growth as necessary (thus removing nitrates and other organics
>the plants eat *with* them) and being careful not to get any duckweed
>back in his tanks.  I do like the duckweed idea since it would tend to
Hah!
>keep algae growth down by shading it and prevent you from having to deal
>with pea soup.  Also, duckweed is easy enough to scoop up and toss.
>
>NOTE: Duckweed is nasty to deal with in tanks.  It gets EVERYWHERE, and
>clogs filters.

Yeah, best thing I found for filters that have intake tubes like power filters
is to wrap a piece of that plastic crocheting fabric around the inlet with
a rubberband, extending this 'duckweed guard' well below the intake spout.
Keeps the filters from being clogged. The duckweed generally doesn't get below
the guard, you can wrap a long piece that reaches to the bottom of your tank.

This isn't an advocacy for duckweed, though. It has some minimal uses,
mostly for shading, but there are much more tractable plants for that.
>
>Are there any OTHER ways of removing nitrates from water so that old water
>can be used again?  Will the method I just outlined help significantly?

As someone else posted, why bother? Just change water. Even Northern Ca.
isn't Arrakis, yet.
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