This whole anaerobic filtration thing is getting out of hand!

[plantnoobdude]

I don't have media in my canister filter either, the only sponge in my tank is a small sponge about 3cm in my skimmer. biological filtration doesn't need to be emphasised in planted aquariums in my opinion, plants do uptake N as Nh4, no2, and No3 anyway. and when it comes to softwater aquariums, you don't really need to worry about ammonia toxicity, since most of it will be in the ionised form, NH4+.

 

[Garuf]

I’ve ran tanks with only a power head too but I find they run a knife edge. I feed heavy, feed mostly frozen or live foods and have a lot of wood that contributes high organic loads so this can be an easy recipe for a sickly tank.

The reason for “upgrading” the filter media if you get to the bottom of it is a min/max sort of desire that comes from the mentality of buy the best, cry once. And the feeling that you are in turn doing the best thing you can as a duty of care for your fish,shrimp, plants etc.

Doing it for what tanks I’m running right now can be boiled down to there’s a tonne o wood in my tanks and I’m cleaning my filter once every 2 weeks because I can’t push it to 3 or 4 or 6 months like I do with my shrimp tank.

Having more ability to process wastes more efficiently/better feels like increasing my insurance and raising to a higher duty of care rightfully or wrongly. Other thoughts are that if it means I’m getting a higher turnover than through my filter than I do from the sintered glass tubes then that’s a nice bonus too and if it can mean I don’t feel like I’m on a knife edge and can clean filters monthly then that too is a bonus.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Although purely anecdotal, I'm starting to think that the media is largely irrelevant (happy to be corrected).

I think <"that is right">. As long as it fulfils <"certain basic criteria">, It will work.

• That it doesn't clog and impeded flow, reducing oxygen levels.
• Is relatively physically stable and
• has some surface area for biofilm retention

There is research from waste water treatment. A lot of it from systems where there isn't a carrier media and <"the biota forms "bioflocs">.

cheers Darrel