The below email is a monthly e-minder that I signed up for with Tetra, years ago, to see what it was and I never did unsubscribe but every time I get it, I wonder how many fish Tetra killed this month??? This "e-minder program" from Tetra is mainly marketed to newbie's which makes it even worse.
Here is the email and I'll add my comments afterwards.
-----Original Message-----
From: Tetra [mailto:e-Minders@tetra-fish.com]
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 12:03 PM
To: Lenny Vasbinder
Subject: Monthly Aquarium Maintenance
Hello from TetraCare.
To keep your aquarium in tip-top condition, please be sure you're doing the following on a regular basis:
1. Test the water monthly using your test kit. Is the water okay (normal pH, zero ammonia, zero nitrite)? If not, please call us at 1-800-423-6458, and we'll help you correct any problems.
2. Do a partial (25%) water change, unless you're using EasyBalance(R). Be sure to add a water treatment such as AquaSafe(R) to the water you add to the aquarium, as tap water is toxic to your fish.
3. Change the cartridge in your Power Filter every month.
The TetraCare team is always here to help you.
You can contact us at 1-800-423-6458. We're here 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EDT Monday through Friday, and Noon to 6:00 p.m. Saturday & Sunday; otherwise leave a voice mail message, and we promise to return your call within 24 hours!
There's never a charge for TetraCare - we're happy to help.
The TetraCare team
----- END MESSAGE ------
OK... The first tip is OK except it doesn't talk about testing for nitrates... which while not the perfect test to determine how good/bad the water quality might be, it's certainly an indicator of a potential problem and should be tested on a regular basis... especially considering the rest
of the "tips" given in this email.
The second tip is suggesting only a monthly 25% PWC which might be OK for a very lightly stocked aquarium... although I think even this example of a tank needs more than 25% of fresh clean water a month. Can you imagine how high the DOC (dissolved organic compound) level would get after the same water is flowing through a dirty filter for a month? The WORST part of this second tip is how Tetra says "... unless you're using EasyBalance..." which is a product Tetra pushes on newbie's. This is a product that Tetra says can be added to a tank and then you only have to do PWC's once every six months. I've written about this crappy chemical before and it's nasty stuff to put in an aquarium and subject fish to for six months. One forum thread I read several years ago added this stuff to their guppy tank and the guppies did not breed in the tank... so I ask... can a chemical that stops guppies from breeding possibly be good for your fish? Maybe Tetra should market this as birth control for livebearers... LOL
If the first two tips didn't kill all of your fish, the third one will likely put them over the edge. Now, Tetra, in order to sell more filter cartridges, is telling people to trash their fully cycled and perfectly good and healthy filter cartridge and advising folks to put a new one in, which will put the tank into a mini-cycle with resulting ammonia and nitrite spikes... every month. (Read my article "Filter Maintenance And Cleaning" for more info on this topic)
In conclusion... this example tank likely has a high nitrate level, huge levels of DOC's in the water column and is being put into a mini-cycle with soon to come ammonia and nitrite spikes... and this is being advised by Tetra to do this on a monthly basis.
So... does Tetra own some of the importing and pet fish farms, so they have an interest in killing as many fish as possible so they can sell people new fish??? Inquiring minds want to know!!!
Lenny Vasbinder
Fish Blog - http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/
(Links to articles referenced above listed on the right side under Archives - Year, Month and under Labels)
Showing posts with label Nitrate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nitrate. Show all posts
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Find Your Tap / Source Water Baseline
http://tinyurl.com/tap-water-baseline
Quite often you are told to test your tank water chemistry (parameters) for things like: 1) ammonia, 2) nitrite, 3) nitrate, 4) pH, 5) temperature, 6) KH and 7) GH... the basic tests that most fish keepers should have. Something you are not often told is that you should know your tap/source water parameters and what happens to your tap/source water after you fill your tank or do a PWC (partial water change). The pH will usually change a little or a lot. There may be ammonia, nitrite or nitrate in your tap/source water. The KH and GH could change or be non-existent.
To find your tap/source water baseline, you should run your cold water for a minute or two to flush out any stagnant water in your home pipes. Then fill a one gallon bucket or other open top container. You need a large opening to have adequate surface area. After filling the bucket, immediately test it for all of your tests (preferably the seven mentioned above). Record your numbers. Add your dechlor product. Test for ammonia again. Record number. If you do not have the KH and GH test kits, test for everything you do have... but it's really good to know your KH (Carbonate Hardness) as this helps you know if you have to worry about pH crashes in your tank. GH (General Hardness) is good to know as some fish do not do as well in really soft or really water. It's best to know your water baseline and then choose fish that do best in your kind of water so you don't have to worry about your fish's health or get into the water chemistry changing game.
If you have chloramine treated water, when you add your dechlor product, it will break the bond between the chlorine and ammonia so you will get a slight ammonia reading. Normally, it's not more than 0.5ppm (which is easily converted in your biological filtration in an established tank but this level can cause alarm in a new tank depending on the pH and temperature).
Now set the bucket on the side and wait 24 to 48 hours and test the water again and compare the numbers. You could also test it at 24 and 48 hours to get even more information about what happens to your tap/source water once it gets into your tank during PWC's. You can speed up this 48 hour time period by adding an air stone to the bucket to agitate the water constantly. If you don't have an extra air pump and stone, then just stir the water regularly to increase the outgassing of CO2 and any other gases in the water that will outgas once in your aquarium anyhow.
Some tap/source waters have high CO2 levels out of the tap which results in a low pH right out the tap but then as the CO2 outgasses, the pH stabilizes to a higher level. Other tap waters have buffers that raise the pH out of the tap but then these buffers wear out quickly when exposed to light, air and temperature changes and the pH will drop.
Also, if you have tropical fish and regularly add hot water to your cold water to raise the temperature to match the tank temperature, you should know what your hot water parameters are as well. Your hot water heater is basically a distillery that is boiling the water which causes the chemistry to change. Many of the additives to your water will come out of solution and settle in the bottom of your hot water heater. You will notice a faucet on the bottom of your hot water heater. Most people don't do this but you should partially drain your hot water heater once a year to remove this sediment. This sediment will eventually cause your hot water heater to fail. Also, it's not good for your fish. Usually, it's just a matter of hooking up a quality garden hose to the faucet, running it out your back door and then open the faucet to let the sediment and sludge flush out until the water is coming out clear. Read your owners manual or online sources for more information on how to do proper maintenance to your hot water heater.
To learn more about the water quality for your area, in the USA, check here:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html
I hope this helps.
GoldLenny
Quite often you are told to test your tank water chemistry (parameters) for things like: 1) ammonia, 2) nitrite, 3) nitrate, 4) pH, 5) temperature, 6) KH and 7) GH... the basic tests that most fish keepers should have. Something you are not often told is that you should know your tap/source water parameters and what happens to your tap/source water after you fill your tank or do a PWC (partial water change). The pH will usually change a little or a lot. There may be ammonia, nitrite or nitrate in your tap/source water. The KH and GH could change or be non-existent.
To find your tap/source water baseline, you should run your cold water for a minute or two to flush out any stagnant water in your home pipes. Then fill a one gallon bucket or other open top container. You need a large opening to have adequate surface area. After filling the bucket, immediately test it for all of your tests (preferably the seven mentioned above). Record your numbers. Add your dechlor product. Test for ammonia again. Record number. If you do not have the KH and GH test kits, test for everything you do have... but it's really good to know your KH (Carbonate Hardness) as this helps you know if you have to worry about pH crashes in your tank. GH (General Hardness) is good to know as some fish do not do as well in really soft or really water. It's best to know your water baseline and then choose fish that do best in your kind of water so you don't have to worry about your fish's health or get into the water chemistry changing game.
If you have chloramine treated water, when you add your dechlor product, it will break the bond between the chlorine and ammonia so you will get a slight ammonia reading. Normally, it's not more than 0.5ppm (which is easily converted in your biological filtration in an established tank but this level can cause alarm in a new tank depending on the pH and temperature).
Now set the bucket on the side and wait 24 to 48 hours and test the water again and compare the numbers. You could also test it at 24 and 48 hours to get even more information about what happens to your tap/source water once it gets into your tank during PWC's. You can speed up this 48 hour time period by adding an air stone to the bucket to agitate the water constantly. If you don't have an extra air pump and stone, then just stir the water regularly to increase the outgassing of CO2 and any other gases in the water that will outgas once in your aquarium anyhow.
Some tap/source waters have high CO2 levels out of the tap which results in a low pH right out the tap but then as the CO2 outgasses, the pH stabilizes to a higher level. Other tap waters have buffers that raise the pH out of the tap but then these buffers wear out quickly when exposed to light, air and temperature changes and the pH will drop.
Also, if you have tropical fish and regularly add hot water to your cold water to raise the temperature to match the tank temperature, you should know what your hot water parameters are as well. Your hot water heater is basically a distillery that is boiling the water which causes the chemistry to change. Many of the additives to your water will come out of solution and settle in the bottom of your hot water heater. You will notice a faucet on the bottom of your hot water heater. Most people don't do this but you should partially drain your hot water heater once a year to remove this sediment. This sediment will eventually cause your hot water heater to fail. Also, it's not good for your fish. Usually, it's just a matter of hooking up a quality garden hose to the faucet, running it out your back door and then open the faucet to let the sediment and sludge flush out until the water is coming out clear. Read your owners manual or online sources for more information on how to do proper maintenance to your hot water heater.
To learn more about the water quality for your area, in the USA, check here:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html
I hope this helps.
GoldLenny
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Filter Profile - Marineland Penguin 200 Bio-Wheel
The following article shows the breakdown, cleaning and reassembly of my Marineland Penguin Bio-Wheel 200 filter system... one of my many filter systems.
Manufacturer's description:
http://www.marineland.com/products/consumer/con_penguinfiltersnew.asp
NEW PERFORMANCE FEATURES
Noise-Reducing Vented Cover For quieter operation
Two-Piece Filter Hood For flip-top filter cartridge access
Adjustable Mid-Level Intake attaches to the Intake Extension Tube to provide increased water circulation.Extra Media Slots (Penguin 200 and 350) for an additional Rite-Size Filter Cartridge or Penguin Refillable Media Cartridge for enhanced chemical filtration.Plus...
Leak Proof, Easy-Care Design.
One-piece tank and motor assembly means no O-rings to fail.
Single moving part removes easily for cleaning.
No oiling or motor maintenance required.
Automatic Self-Starting Feature Restarts automatically.
No messy siphons or valves.
Worry-Free, Safety Engineering.
UL listed; cUL or CSA listed.
Epoxy-sealed, moisture-proof motor ensures safe operation.
Penguin 100 - 100gph (up to 20G tropical or as additional filter on goldfish tank)
Penguin 150 - 150gph (up to 30G tropical or as additional filter on goldfish tank)
Penguin 200 - 200gph (up to 50G tropical or as additional filter on goldfish tank)
Penguin 350 - 350gph (up to 75G tropical or 35G goldfish tank)
The following photos will also show the filter cartridge modifaction that I made to remove the carbon and also how I add extra polypad filter media for increased filtration between the bi-weekly cleanings. The reservoir on this filter is not very large so it does not have a lot of room for very much media but it could hold a small media bag full of some type of bio-media. I just prefer to use extra polypad media which provides both mechanical and biological filtration.
Here is the filter on the tank with the two covers in place. There is a top slotted-cover over the filter reservoir and a separate front cover over the Bio-Wheel, so as it spins, the spray drips back down into the waterfall and tank.
Here is the filter with the two covers removed.
I first removed the intake tube and impellor assembly. I run water through the tube to flush out any large debris and occasionally I clean it with a bottle brush and clean the impellor housing as well.
Here is the filter cartridge and the extra polypad filter media. I use bulk polypad filter media comprised of blue (coarse) and white (fine) polypad material and cut the large sheet into the sizes I need for my various filter systems. A package of this polypad media is inexpensive.
This shows a top view of the filter and reservoir. I use the "dirty"
extra polypad to clean off the buildup on the waterfall outlet and any other buildup, before I clean the polypad material. If needed, I clean the Bio-Wheel holders with a toothpick to remove any buildup that might slow down the spinning of the Bio-Wheel.
Here are the filter cartridge and extra polypad filter after cleaning under dechlored tap water from my PUR faucet filter. This keeps some of the N-Bacteria alive. I have two filters for this tank and clean one every other week to minimize disruption of the biological filter. If I only have one filter system on a tank, then I only squeeze/swoosh the filter media in removed tank water so I do not kill off any of the good nitrifying bacteria.
Here is the other side of the filter cartridge and polypad filter media.
The blue and white polypad material is a combination coarse/fine mechanical filter media, which also provides additional surface area for growing good nitrifying bacteria.
This shows how I used a razor knife to slice open the black slotted plastic on the back of the filter cartridge so I could dump out the carbon and re-use the filter cartridge over and over and over. Basically, I cut an "H" along the sides and across the middle but a "U" or inverted "U"
could also be done. I thought the "H" would leave the frame structure intact. I do frequent 25% PWC's (partial water changes) so I do not run carbon in all of my filters. I do keep bulk carbon on hand for when I need it and use filter media bags to hold the carbon. This is still the original filter cartridge that came with the system two years ago.
Here is another picture showing the "surgery" I did to the filter cartridge to remove the old carbon, yet allow me to reuse the filter cartridge.
Here is the filter Cartridge and extra polypad media replaced in the reservoir. Note how I have the extra polypad sticking up about an inch above the filter cartridge. I then fold this over the top of the cartridge so that when the filters start to get dirty and the water fills up more in the reservoir, it will eventually overflow the polypads but still get partially filtered by this extra inch of polypad.
Here is the filter sytem cleaned and back on the tank. That white buildup is the calcium/mineral buildup from the evaporated hard tap water that I have. I would normally just use a little white vinegar on a paper towel to easily wipe that off.
BTW... that 1/2 filled 10G tank in the background is an H-tank where I have one of my goldfish right now. He's not feeling well and has a fin-tear/rot issue so I have him in the H-tank with a bubble filter so he doesn't have to deal with the over-filtration in the main tank. I'm treating him with MelaFix/PimaFix cocktail and anti-bacterial food for the past three days. He's doing much better but will stay in the H-tank till he's back to his perky self!
Lenny Vasbinder aka GoldLenny in forums
Manufacturer's description:
http://www.marineland.com/products/consumer/con_penguinfiltersnew.asp
NEW PERFORMANCE FEATURES
Noise-Reducing Vented Cover For quieter operation
Two-Piece Filter Hood For flip-top filter cartridge access
Adjustable Mid-Level Intake attaches to the Intake Extension Tube to provide increased water circulation.Extra Media Slots (Penguin 200 and 350) for an additional Rite-Size Filter Cartridge or Penguin Refillable Media Cartridge for enhanced chemical filtration.Plus...
Leak Proof, Easy-Care Design.
One-piece tank and motor assembly means no O-rings to fail.
Single moving part removes easily for cleaning.
No oiling or motor maintenance required.
Automatic Self-Starting Feature Restarts automatically.
No messy siphons or valves.
Worry-Free, Safety Engineering.
UL listed; cUL or CSA listed.
Epoxy-sealed, moisture-proof motor ensures safe operation.
Penguin 100 - 100gph (up to 20G tropical or as additional filter on goldfish tank)
Penguin 150 - 150gph (up to 30G tropical or as additional filter on goldfish tank)
Penguin 200 - 200gph (up to 50G tropical or as additional filter on goldfish tank)
Penguin 350 - 350gph (up to 75G tropical or 35G goldfish tank)
The following photos will also show the filter cartridge modifaction that I made to remove the carbon and also how I add extra polypad filter media for increased filtration between the bi-weekly cleanings. The reservoir on this filter is not very large so it does not have a lot of room for very much media but it could hold a small media bag full of some type of bio-media. I just prefer to use extra polypad media which provides both mechanical and biological filtration.
Here is the filter on the tank with the two covers in place. There is a top slotted-cover over the filter reservoir and a separate front cover over the Bio-Wheel, so as it spins, the spray drips back down into the waterfall and tank.
Here is the filter with the two covers removed.
Since this cleaning was going to take longer because of the photographs, I removed the Bio-Wheel and had it floating in the tank, so that it would not dry out and kill the nitrifying bacteria. Usually, I set it in the removed front cover while I'm cleaning the filter. Anytime the fliter is turned off for any length of time (e.g. during transport or a power outtage), the Bio-Wheel should be floated in the tank to keep it from drying out, keep the nitrifying bacteria alive and to help continue "cycling" the ammonia in your tank.
Here is the filter sitting next to the sink, ready to be cleaned.
I first removed the intake tube and impellor assembly. I run water through the tube to flush out any large debris and occasionally I clean it with a bottle brush and clean the impellor housing as well.
Here is the filter cartridge and the extra polypad filter media. I use bulk polypad filter media comprised of blue (coarse) and white (fine) polypad material and cut the large sheet into the sizes I need for my various filter systems. A package of this polypad media is inexpensive.
This shows a top view of the filter and reservoir. I use the "dirty"
extra polypad to clean off the buildup on the waterfall outlet and any other buildup, before I clean the polypad material. If needed, I clean the Bio-Wheel holders with a toothpick to remove any buildup that might slow down the spinning of the Bio-Wheel.
Here are the filter cartridge and extra polypad filter after cleaning under dechlored tap water from my PUR faucet filter. This keeps some of the N-Bacteria alive. I have two filters for this tank and clean one every other week to minimize disruption of the biological filter. If I only have one filter system on a tank, then I only squeeze/swoosh the filter media in removed tank water so I do not kill off any of the good nitrifying bacteria.
Here is the other side of the filter cartridge and polypad filter media.
The blue and white polypad material is a combination coarse/fine mechanical filter media, which also provides additional surface area for growing good nitrifying bacteria.
This shows how I used a razor knife to slice open the black slotted plastic on the back of the filter cartridge so I could dump out the carbon and re-use the filter cartridge over and over and over. Basically, I cut an "H" along the sides and across the middle but a "U" or inverted "U"
could also be done. I thought the "H" would leave the frame structure intact. I do frequent 25% PWC's (partial water changes) so I do not run carbon in all of my filters. I do keep bulk carbon on hand for when I need it and use filter media bags to hold the carbon. This is still the original filter cartridge that came with the system two years ago.
Here is another picture showing the "surgery" I did to the filter cartridge to remove the old carbon, yet allow me to reuse the filter cartridge.
Here is the filter Cartridge and extra polypad media replaced in the reservoir. Note how I have the extra polypad sticking up about an inch above the filter cartridge. I then fold this over the top of the cartridge so that when the filters start to get dirty and the water fills up more in the reservoir, it will eventually overflow the polypads but still get partially filtered by this extra inch of polypad.
This shows the extra inch folded over the top of the filter cartridge.
Here is the filter sytem cleaned and back on the tank. That white buildup is the calcium/mineral buildup from the evaporated hard tap water that I have. I would normally just use a little white vinegar on a paper towel to easily wipe that off.
BTW... that 1/2 filled 10G tank in the background is an H-tank where I have one of my goldfish right now. He's not feeling well and has a fin-tear/rot issue so I have him in the H-tank with a bubble filter so he doesn't have to deal with the over-filtration in the main tank. I'm treating him with MelaFix/PimaFix cocktail and anti-bacterial food for the past three days. He's doing much better but will stay in the H-tank till he's back to his perky self!
Lenny Vasbinder aka GoldLenny in forums
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Bio-Spira online - Where to buy???
2008-AUGUST - MORE LATE BREAKING NEWS
It seems that Dr. Tim Hovanec and Marineland have parted ways and the bad news is that Marineland has merged into Tetra which I consider to be a lesser quality company.... but the good news is that Dr. Tim has started his own company at http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/ and you can now buy his own version of an improved Bio-Spira-like product called Dr. Tim's One And Only http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/productguide/H2O-PURE_Products/H2O-PURE_Products.html which can also be purchased at most major retailers and online etailers. It doesn't have to be refrigerated and can last for up to six months at room temperatures but does last longer if it is kept refrigerated.
2008-0405 - LATE BREAKING NEWS ABOUT BIO-SPIRA
See the late breaking news here... http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2008/04/bio-spira-late-breaking-news-good-or.html
For years and years, I use to recommend people buy their Bio-Spira from The Fish Store in Tennessee since they had the best prices and lowest shipping costs. I just learned today that they are no longer in business so I went to work finding a new online source for Bio-Spira
After Froogling and Yahoo Shopping searching, I found that DrsFosterSmith.com is the only online source at this time. They are a reputable website but their prices aren't always the best and when I check their online prices just now, http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=15462&Ntt=bio%2Dspira&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1 , it looks like it will cost around $40.00 for a 1 oz package and $50.00 for a 3 oz package, including overnight refrigerated shipping. Not cheap but still much better than spending a month or more humanely fishless cycling or putting you and your fish through the arduous process of cycling with fish.
If you come across other online sources of Bio-Spira, please leave me a comment so I can add that resource to this blog and to my favorites folder.
You can also go to the Marineland.com - Order Bio-Spira page and on the left side, there is a place to enter your zip code to find a retailer but I've found that many of the retailers listed do not actually stock Bio-Spira but do carry other Marineland products. If you ask your local retailer, they may be able to order it for you and save you the expensive shipping charges associated with ordering a single pouch for yourself.
Hope this helps and saves a few "newbies" from having to go through the "cycling with fish"process. They can get Bio-Spira one day and get their fish the next day.
GoldLenny
Mozy.com - FREE, secure, encrypted and automatic online backup of your documents and files. Check out how simple and secure it can be to use the Mozy backup system. It will back up your most important files, photos and folders... or your entire hard drive, every day/night (you set the schedule) while you aren't using your computer... and did I mention... it's FREE. I have been using this product/service since it was in Beta Testing and have been 100% satisfied with the final product!!!
It seems that Dr. Tim Hovanec and Marineland have parted ways and the bad news is that Marineland has merged into Tetra which I consider to be a lesser quality company.... but the good news is that Dr. Tim has started his own company at http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/ and you can now buy his own version of an improved Bio-Spira-like product called Dr. Tim's One And Only http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/productguide/H2O-PURE_Products/H2O-PURE_Products.html which can also be purchased at most major retailers and online etailers. It doesn't have to be refrigerated and can last for up to six months at room temperatures but does last longer if it is kept refrigerated.
2008-0405 - LATE BREAKING NEWS ABOUT BIO-SPIRA
See the late breaking news here... http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2008/04/bio-spira-late-breaking-news-good-or.html
For years and years, I use to recommend people buy their Bio-Spira from The Fish Store in Tennessee since they had the best prices and lowest shipping costs. I just learned today that they are no longer in business so I went to work finding a new online source for Bio-Spira
After Froogling and Yahoo Shopping searching, I found that DrsFosterSmith.com is the only online source at this time. They are a reputable website but their prices aren't always the best and when I check their online prices just now, http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=15462&Ntt=bio%2Dspira&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1 , it looks like it will cost around $40.00 for a 1 oz package and $50.00 for a 3 oz package, including overnight refrigerated shipping. Not cheap but still much better than spending a month or more humanely fishless cycling or putting you and your fish through the arduous process of cycling with fish.
If you come across other online sources of Bio-Spira, please leave me a comment so I can add that resource to this blog and to my favorites folder.
You can also go to the Marineland.com - Order Bio-Spira page and on the left side, there is a place to enter your zip code to find a retailer but I've found that many of the retailers listed do not actually stock Bio-Spira but do carry other Marineland products. If you ask your local retailer, they may be able to order it for you and save you the expensive shipping charges associated with ordering a single pouch for yourself.
Hope this helps and saves a few "newbies" from having to go through the "cycling with fish"process. They can get Bio-Spira one day and get their fish the next day.
GoldLenny
Mozy.com - FREE, secure, encrypted and automatic online backup of your documents and files. Check out how simple and secure it can be to use the Mozy backup system. It will back up your most important files, photos and folders... or your entire hard drive, every day/night (you set the schedule) while you aren't using your computer... and did I mention... it's FREE. I have been using this product/service since it was in Beta Testing and have been 100% satisfied with the final product!!!
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Everyone NEEDS a decent Master Test Kit
NOTICE-THIS IS AN OLD "ARTICLE" THAT I DID BACK IN JUNE 2005 THAT I AM REPRINTING ON MY BLOG. SOME OF THE "OLD" LINKS DO NOT WORK ANYMORE SO I'M ADDING NEW LINKS TO CURRENT PRICES. IF A LINK DOES NOT WORK, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT SO I CAN UPDATE IT.
UPDATE - 2009 - WalMart.com has the best prices on the API Master Test Kit and the Tetra-Laborette Master Test Kit, for around $15.00 and $17.00 respectively. They offer FREE shipping to your local WalMart store. I highly recommend either of these kits with the API being most recommended. You would have to add on the optional GH/KH Combo kit to the API and the Nitrate kit to the T-L.
-------------
I've been doing some online shopping from "Clearance" pages from several popular web sites and I have also seen these prices on Master Test Kits that everyone should have. The basic tests that are needed are ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph (high and low), KH and GH. There are many other things happening in our tanks we cannot easily test for but these basic tests will go a long way in keeping our tanks healthy and happy.
Also, I know that my local PetsMart will match their internet prices for anything so I always look on PetsMart.com for my items before I go there. Print the page and show the cashier and they'll reduce their store price.
As you will see, I did not do any research on the "dip sticks" as every brand I've tried have not lived up to my expectations. They seem to give very inconsistent readings. I think everyone should have a decent Master Test Kit using test tubes and liquid reagent to get more accurate test results.
*****************************************
Tetra-Laborette Test Kit -
A complete test kit for freshwater aquariums. Kit includes ammonia, nitrite, pH, carbonate hardness and general hardness tests. Also includes a testing booklet, log book, syringe dispenser, and two test vials.
I received this test kit and along with doing the above tests, there is also a conversion chart to give you your CO2 reading using the pH and KH readings. Also, the pH test on this kit is not as accurate as the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test kit IMO.
(OLD LINK NO LONGER WORKS) http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19617;category_id=3233;pcid1=;pcid2=
Here is BigAlsOnline.com new link for the Tetra-Laborette Master Test Kit for $14.39 now:
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18538/si1379248/cl0/tetralaboretttestkit
But I also found this one online:
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=573 Same Kit but $13.92 US.
NOTICE - I did order this along with a few other items from BigAlsOnline since the "Master" kit, below, that I have did not test for GH or KH. This one DOES NOT test for Nitrates which is one of the more common tests in the long run.
****************************************
BigAl's also has the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Master Test Kit at a good price as well.... not the lowest but a good price none the less. This old link was for when it was on sale for only $12.99 but that sale is over.
(LINK NO LONGER WORKS) http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19383;category_id=3233;pcid1=;pcid2=
Here is BigAlsOnline.com new link for the API FreshWater Master Test Kit for $15.99... still a pretty good price!:
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18538/si1380887/cl0/aquariumpharmaceuticalsfreshwatermastertestkit
*****************************************************************
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit at Wal-Mart for $17.64 -
The Freshwater Master Test Kit Includes Tests for: Freshwater pH, High Range pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, GH (general hardness) and KH (carbonate hardness) (You will need a separate Nitrate test kit)
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3635493&cat=202105&type=1&dept=5440&path=0%3A5440%3A202074%3A202105#long_descr
(NOTICE - I bought one of these at my local PetsMart, $24.99, when I first got into the hobby and it did not test for GH or KH... but it did instead test for Nitrates so there may be a typo or different "Master" test kits from API or API may have changed the packaging on this test kit.)
*****************************************
$11.09 Mini Freshwater Test Lab -
$29.79 Deluxe Freshwater Test Lab -
The Deluxe Freshwater Test helps serious aquatic hobbyists to maintain the healthiest tanks. All inclusive kit contains tests for pH, ammonia, nitrite, hardness GH & KH, iron, CO2, and chlorine.
(LINK NO LONGER WORKS AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THESE KITS ONLINE ANY LONGER) http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441776885&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030068&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1119364370490
(NOTICE - I could not find a brand name on the above two kits or any information on the Mini kit but these do perform many different tests compared to other kits.)
******************************************
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit at PetsMart.com for only $13.49 as I write this Blog but their regular online price is still only $15.99 and remember that most PetsMart's retail stores will match their online prices if you bring in their printed online page -
Freshwater Master Test Kit is a complete kit for testing tap water & aquarium water. Tests water 6 different ways to protect tropical fish from dangerous water conditions. Tests include: freshwater pH, ammonia, nitrite, high range pH, Nitrate, 4 test tubes, tray.
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441776772&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030152&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1119364908908
(NOTICE - This is the first test kit that I owned and still use. I did recently order the Tetra-Laborette kit since it does the GH and KH tests as well as the above tests, but recent internet searchs and API's website now show their FW Master Test Kit has the GH and KH tests but not the Nitrate Test... so you may have to buy the Nitrate test kit separately.)
*******************************************
DrsFosterSmith.com has the API FW Master Test Kit for regular price of $18.99 but on 3/18/2007, it was on sale for $15.19.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4454&Ntt=api%20master%20test%20kit&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1
*********************************
NOW.... HERE'S SOME NEW INFORMATION FOR THIS BLOG.
Hagen Master Test Kit for $39.99 at BigAlsOnline.com -
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18538/si1380474/cl0/nutrafintestmasterlabkit
Aquarium tests for fresh and salt water. Every test you'll ever need in one complete kit. Hard plastic attache is portable and stores all your kits for future use. Tests for ammonia, calcium, nitrate, phosphate, nitrite, pH, iron, carbonate hardness, and general hardness. 9 instructions booklets, 5 glass test tubes with caps, 2 pipettes, and 1 spoon.
(This kit does not mention it but since it has all of these tests, but the instructions may have the conversion chart for CO2, or you can also use available online charts to determine your CO2 levels.)
Kordon AquaTru Test Kits (highly recommended by file://steve//) and I've read over the information at http://www.novalek.com/kordon/aquatru/overview.htm and I can see why file://steve// speaks highly of this kit. It's a much higher price than many of the above mentioned test kits but since accuracy is something we strive for, it's certainly something to be considered.
(START SNIP)
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Kordon AquaTru Water Quality Test Kits pioneered the use of dry reagents for use in aquarium and pond water testing using colorimetric water test kits. The major advantage of dry reagents is in their accuracy and shelf life. AquaTru Dry reagents for water testing are more stable than colorimetric tests done with test strips or liquid reagents. This means that the aquarist and pond keeper can perform tests using Kordon AquaTru water tests with the confidence of knowing the results will be as accurate as is possible for a "colorimetric" type test. Also, Kordon dates their reagents with their expiration dates. All manufacturer's reagents, whether dry or liquid, are subject to degradation. Because the reagent chemicals break down over time, it is important to know when the reagents are going to go out of date. Therefore, it is not recommended to use reagents that are not dated to show when they are out of date.
AquaTru's color comparator system has been carefully designed to reflect the needs of the concerned aquarist and pond keeper. The top is flared to make adding reagents easier,. The wide base increases stability. A special sliding window helps make color comparisons more accurate. The color strip consists of translucent colors applied to a durable plastic, rather than a printed paper card. The translucent color strip allows light to pass through, providing a much more accurate match when comparing the cube's colors to those produced by the reagents. Reflected colors, such as those produced on a printed comparator do not match as well when compared with the translucent colors in a test cube.
The quality of tap water varies widely and aquarium and pond systems. It is increasingly important to monitor water conditions carefully in the aquarium and pond. It is equally important to select only top quality, reliable test equipment to monitor these conditions. It is beyond the scope of most aquarists and pond keepers to analyze the accuracy of a test kit. They must depend upon the manufacturer to provide them with accurate, dependable test kits. Kordon has provided professional quality accurate water quality test kits in its AquaTru products for over 30 year, which are of the same grade as provided to scientific laboratories, government agencies, academia, and to commercial aquaculture.
(END SNIP)
The best price I could find on the Freshwater Master Test Kit was from an eBay store for around $60.00 plus 6.99 shipping. http://cgi.ebay.com/Kordon-Fresh-Water-Master-Aquarium-Test-Kit-35810_W0QQitemZ130125159778QQcmdZViewItem and here is the seller's online store site if the above link fails... http://stores.ebay.com/By-Rite-Pet-Supply but file://steve// provided this link where this kit is on sale for $48.00 right now (10/17/08) http://www.fish.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=790088+002 but it's regular price is $78.00 plus shipping when the sale ends.
******************************************
Often, I see people asking, "How long do the test kits last?". You should check the manufacturers website for current information but here is a forum link where the API (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) test kits shelf life info has been posted. http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/fishtest/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=19378 which actually got the information from another forum so I'll just re-print it here for simplicity.
Here is a recent thread from http://thegab.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2328 about how the Nitrate Test Kits and how the last reagent bottle may have testing abnormalities due to chemical separation. There are solutions in the thread on how to keeping this problem from happening.
Hope this helps some of the newbies and experts.
GoldLenny
Mozy.com - FREE, secure, encrypted and automatic online backup of your documents and files. Check out how simple and secure it can be to use the Mozy backup system. It will back up your most important files, photos and folders... or your entire hard drive, every day/night (you set the schedule) while you aren't using your computer... and did I mention... it's FREE. I have been using this product/service since it was in Beta Testing and have been 100% satisfied with the final product!!!
UPDATE - 2009 - WalMart.com has the best prices on the API Master Test Kit and the Tetra-Laborette Master Test Kit, for around $15.00 and $17.00 respectively. They offer FREE shipping to your local WalMart store. I highly recommend either of these kits with the API being most recommended. You would have to add on the optional GH/KH Combo kit to the API and the Nitrate kit to the T-L.
-------------
I've been doing some online shopping from "Clearance" pages from several popular web sites and I have also seen these prices on Master Test Kits that everyone should have. The basic tests that are needed are ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph (high and low), KH and GH. There are many other things happening in our tanks we cannot easily test for but these basic tests will go a long way in keeping our tanks healthy and happy.
Also, I know that my local PetsMart will match their internet prices for anything so I always look on PetsMart.com for my items before I go there. Print the page and show the cashier and they'll reduce their store price.
As you will see, I did not do any research on the "dip sticks" as every brand I've tried have not lived up to my expectations. They seem to give very inconsistent readings. I think everyone should have a decent Master Test Kit using test tubes and liquid reagent to get more accurate test results.
*****************************************
Tetra-Laborette Test Kit -
A complete test kit for freshwater aquariums. Kit includes ammonia, nitrite, pH, carbonate hardness and general hardness tests. Also includes a testing booklet, log book, syringe dispenser, and two test vials.
I received this test kit and along with doing the above tests, there is also a conversion chart to give you your CO2 reading using the pH and KH readings. Also, the pH test on this kit is not as accurate as the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test kit IMO.
(OLD LINK NO LONGER WORKS) http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19617;category_id=3233;pcid1=;pcid2=
Here is BigAlsOnline.com new link for the Tetra-Laborette Master Test Kit for $14.39 now:
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18538/si1379248/cl0/tetralaboretttestkit
But I also found this one online:
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=573 Same Kit but $13.92 US.
NOTICE - I did order this along with a few other items from BigAlsOnline since the "Master" kit, below, that I have did not test for GH or KH. This one DOES NOT test for Nitrates which is one of the more common tests in the long run.
****************************************
BigAl's also has the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Master Test Kit at a good price as well.... not the lowest but a good price none the less. This old link was for when it was on sale for only $12.99 but that sale is over.
(LINK NO LONGER WORKS) http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19383;category_id=3233;pcid1=;pcid2=
Here is BigAlsOnline.com new link for the API FreshWater Master Test Kit for $15.99... still a pretty good price!:
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18538/si1380887/cl0/aquariumpharmaceuticalsfreshwatermastertestkit
*****************************************************************
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit at Wal-Mart for $17.64 -
The Freshwater Master Test Kit Includes Tests for: Freshwater pH, High Range pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, GH (general hardness) and KH (carbonate hardness) (You will need a separate Nitrate test kit)
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3635493&cat=202105&type=1&dept=5440&path=0%3A5440%3A202074%3A202105#long_descr
(NOTICE - I bought one of these at my local PetsMart, $24.99, when I first got into the hobby and it did not test for GH or KH... but it did instead test for Nitrates so there may be a typo or different "Master" test kits from API or API may have changed the packaging on this test kit.)
*****************************************
$11.09 Mini Freshwater Test Lab -
$29.79 Deluxe Freshwater Test Lab -
The Deluxe Freshwater Test helps serious aquatic hobbyists to maintain the healthiest tanks. All inclusive kit contains tests for pH, ammonia, nitrite, hardness GH & KH, iron, CO2, and chlorine.
(LINK NO LONGER WORKS AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THESE KITS ONLINE ANY LONGER) http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441776885&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030068&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1119364370490
(NOTICE - I could not find a brand name on the above two kits or any information on the Mini kit but these do perform many different tests compared to other kits.)
******************************************
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit at PetsMart.com for only $13.49 as I write this Blog but their regular online price is still only $15.99 and remember that most PetsMart's retail stores will match their online prices if you bring in their printed online page -
Freshwater Master Test Kit is a complete kit for testing tap water & aquarium water. Tests water 6 different ways to protect tropical fish from dangerous water conditions. Tests include: freshwater pH, ammonia, nitrite, high range pH, Nitrate, 4 test tubes, tray.
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441776772&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030152&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1119364908908
(NOTICE - This is the first test kit that I owned and still use. I did recently order the Tetra-Laborette kit since it does the GH and KH tests as well as the above tests, but recent internet searchs and API's website now show their FW Master Test Kit has the GH and KH tests but not the Nitrate Test... so you may have to buy the Nitrate test kit separately.)
*******************************************
DrsFosterSmith.com has the API FW Master Test Kit for regular price of $18.99 but on 3/18/2007, it was on sale for $15.19.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4454&Ntt=api%20master%20test%20kit&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1
*********************************
NOW.... HERE'S SOME NEW INFORMATION FOR THIS BLOG.
Hagen Master Test Kit for $39.99 at BigAlsOnline.com -
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18538/si1380474/cl0/nutrafintestmasterlabkit
Aquarium tests for fresh and salt water. Every test you'll ever need in one complete kit. Hard plastic attache is portable and stores all your kits for future use. Tests for ammonia, calcium, nitrate, phosphate, nitrite, pH, iron, carbonate hardness, and general hardness. 9 instructions booklets, 5 glass test tubes with caps, 2 pipettes, and 1 spoon.
(This kit does not mention it but since it has all of these tests, but the instructions may have the conversion chart for CO2, or you can also use available online charts to determine your CO2 levels.)
Kordon AquaTru Test Kits (highly recommended by file://steve//) and I've read over the information at http://www.novalek.com/kordon/aquatru/overview.htm and I can see why file://steve// speaks highly of this kit. It's a much higher price than many of the above mentioned test kits but since accuracy is something we strive for, it's certainly something to be considered.
(START SNIP)
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Kordon AquaTru Water Quality Test Kits pioneered the use of dry reagents for use in aquarium and pond water testing using colorimetric water test kits. The major advantage of dry reagents is in their accuracy and shelf life. AquaTru Dry reagents for water testing are more stable than colorimetric tests done with test strips or liquid reagents. This means that the aquarist and pond keeper can perform tests using Kordon AquaTru water tests with the confidence of knowing the results will be as accurate as is possible for a "colorimetric" type test. Also, Kordon dates their reagents with their expiration dates. All manufacturer's reagents, whether dry or liquid, are subject to degradation. Because the reagent chemicals break down over time, it is important to know when the reagents are going to go out of date. Therefore, it is not recommended to use reagents that are not dated to show when they are out of date.
AquaTru's color comparator system has been carefully designed to reflect the needs of the concerned aquarist and pond keeper. The top is flared to make adding reagents easier,. The wide base increases stability. A special sliding window helps make color comparisons more accurate. The color strip consists of translucent colors applied to a durable plastic, rather than a printed paper card. The translucent color strip allows light to pass through, providing a much more accurate match when comparing the cube's colors to those produced by the reagents. Reflected colors, such as those produced on a printed comparator do not match as well when compared with the translucent colors in a test cube.
The quality of tap water varies widely and aquarium and pond systems. It is increasingly important to monitor water conditions carefully in the aquarium and pond. It is equally important to select only top quality, reliable test equipment to monitor these conditions. It is beyond the scope of most aquarists and pond keepers to analyze the accuracy of a test kit. They must depend upon the manufacturer to provide them with accurate, dependable test kits. Kordon has provided professional quality accurate water quality test kits in its AquaTru products for over 30 year, which are of the same grade as provided to scientific laboratories, government agencies, academia, and to commercial aquaculture.
(END SNIP)
The best price I could find on the Freshwater Master Test Kit was from an eBay store for around $60.00 plus 6.99 shipping. http://cgi.ebay.com/Kordon-Fresh-Water-Master-Aquarium-Test-Kit-35810_W0QQitemZ130125159778QQcmdZViewItem and here is the seller's online store site if the above link fails... http://stores.ebay.com/By-Rite-Pet-Supply but file://steve// provided this link where this kit is on sale for $48.00 right now (10/17/08) http://www.fish.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=790088+002 but it's regular price is $78.00 plus shipping when the sale ends.
******************************************
Often, I see people asking, "How long do the test kits last?". You should check the manufacturers website for current information but here is a forum link where the API (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) test kits shelf life info has been posted. http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/fishtest/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=19378 which actually got the information from another forum so I'll just re-print it here for simplicity.
Hope these answers help. Each bottle has a lot number printed on them. The last
four digits are the date of Manufacture. (e.g. ab120202 is manufactured Feb.
2002). The people at Tetra & API informed, that test kits have a shelf life
of 3 years from the date of manufacture & hence a lot number of ab120202
would be 'in date' until Feb. 2005.
Info from : http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/test_kits_life.php
Test Solutions Shelf Life from bottling date:
Wide Range pH Test Solution 3 years
Ammonia Test Solution #1 3 years
Ammonia Test Solution #2 3 years
High Range pH Indicator Solution (m-Cresol Purple) 3 years
Nitrate Test Solution #1 3 years
Nitrate Test Solution #2 3 years
GH Test Solution 3 years
KH Test Solution 4 years
Nitrite Test Solution 4 years
Fresh Water Ammonia Test Solution (Nessler) 5 years
Fresh Water pH Indicator Solution 5 years
High Range pH Indicator Solution (Cresol Red) 5 years
Salt Level Test Solution #1 5 years
Salt Level Test Solution #2 5 years
Here is a recent thread from http://thegab.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2328 about how the Nitrate Test Kits and how the last reagent bottle may have testing abnormalities due to chemical separation. There are solutions in the thread on how to keeping this problem from happening.
Hope this helps some of the newbies and experts.
GoldLenny
Mozy.com - FREE, secure, encrypted and automatic online backup of your documents and files. Check out how simple and secure it can be to use the Mozy backup system. It will back up your most important files, photos and folders... or your entire hard drive, every day/night (you set the schedule) while you aren't using your computer... and did I mention... it's FREE. I have been using this product/service since it was in Beta Testing and have been 100% satisfied with the final product!!!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Nitrates - Long Explanation (Thanks to Steve S. on another forum)
From: "Steve S" (Edits in brackets added by Lenny)
Subject: Nitrate - Long post
There does seem to be a lot of unnecessary concern of nitrate levels expressed by people on this list for relatively low levels of nitrate.
Nitrate is the end product of the ammonia cycle ("The Nitrogen Cycle") that occurs in every tank.
There is no easy way to naturally remove nitrate without the use of a setup that uses anaerobic bacteria to reduce nitrate to its components. The usual method of deal with nitrate is water changes (25% PWC's) and the addition of live plants, which includes algal growth.
At what level should one really become concerned about the level of nitrates in the aquarium. A level of 1000 ppm is definitely a concern, since everything dies. So we need to go lower than that. 500 ppm is still of definite concern. Many animals and plants will die at this level also, but some will live, though not well, as they will be subject to long-term effects of nitrate, such as hole-in-head disease and the erosion of the lateral line. Some plants also will not survive this level of nitrates.
At 200 ppm, the effects of nitrate will be more long term than immediate. Again, we would be looking at such things as later line disease and hole-in-head as a result. Going lower will help reduce the effects. At 150 ppm, again, the effects are long term. Going even lower, long term effects are still present.
Ideally, one would wish to reduce nitrate levels to less than 20 ppm, but immediate action is not called for until you reach a number of more than 150 ppm. Please do note that figures for a marine (salt water) aquarium are very much different, and action is called for when nitrate is measured in the single digits of ppm. In a marine environment, it is possible to reduce nitrates to immeasurable levels through the use of foam fractioners, which do not work well in fresh water.
So, you notice that your nitrates are rising, or at a high level. One can simply panic and do immediate large water changes (or a series of 3-4 24% PWC's) to reduce the level of nitrates. However, doing this fails to discover and remedy the core cause of the high level of nitrates. Unless you are getting reading over 150 ppm of nitrate, you do have some time to do investigative work to discover and remedy the cause of the nitrates, while your regular water changes (25% PWC's) should help you reduce the level.
Where does nitrate come from? Nitrate is the end product of the ammonia cycle ("The Nitrogen Cycle") as we follow it in the aquarium. Ammonia is produced as a waste product by the animals you have living in your tank. It can also be produced by dead and decaying animals and plants as well as food added to the aquarium. If you are using fertilizer for your plants, this may also be a source of ammonia. You need to reduce the sources of ammonia. Feeding less will help reduce the level. Most of us feed our fish too well. A day of fasting may help the health of your fish, as well as reducing the amount fed each day. Raising fry is a whole other ball of wax, which I will not be covering here, but to get quick growth you do want to ensure they are well fed. If there is left over food when you are feeding, you will need to reduce the amount of food you give to your fish, until there is no left-overs in the tank. Until this is remedied, you will want to wait a while after feeding the fish, then siphon off the left-overs.
If you are fertilizing your live plants, you will want to reduce or stop the fertilization of the plants or start adding only the trace elements your plants may need for good growth and avoid a fertilizer that contain nitrogenous products.
Also look for and remove any dead materials from your aquarium. Likely, if this is a fish, you'll do it rather rapidly. If it is plant material, then you will need to, perhaps, do this on a daily basis. Algae poses a particular problem. Removal of algae will reduce the capacity of your aquarium to remove nitrates, but then, it is also difficult to know when to remove it because it may be dead or simply another form of algae. It may be best to follow your aesthetic sense and remove what does not appeal to you, and remove any that is not green. Those of you that have snails in your aquarium are faced with a sometimes difficult decision--is the snail dead or is it alive? Tough to tell sometimes. However, if you have a nitrate problem, it may be well to take the conservative course of action and remove any snails you have doubts about, either to dispose of or to place in another environment. (You can always do the smell test on a snail. If it smells rotten, it's probably dead but you can put it in another container with some of your tank water if you want to be cautious.)
Throughout this entire process, you will need to keep an eye on the progress you are making. Go back to daily testing of your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. Also test your tap water, which could be another source of nitrates in your aquarium. The EPA has a regulation that states that drinking water should not contain more than 10 ppm of nitrate. However, from reports of aquarist's around the country, not all water companies are meeting this requirement. Also, if you are using well water, your nitrates may be high, especially when the aquifer is in agricultural parts of the country. Our well fertilized lawns and gardens can also have an effect on the nitrate level of aquifers, but most research has pointed to agriculture as a large culprit. If your water is starting with unacceptable levels of nitrate, you will need to look into means to reduce the nitrate before the water reaches the aquarium. This is usually done with chemical adsorption products.
If your nitrate level still does not lower after doing all this, you will need to look at some other aspects of your aquarium. I have mentioned live plants in this discussion, but I am aware that not all people utilize live plants in their aquariums. There may be practical reasons for this, like the vegetarian habits of your fish prevent the growth of plant s to any great extent, and may reduce the number of plants you have, your fish may be diggers that uproot plants, etc. Your tank may simply be overcrowded with fish, and be overloading the biological processes that would normally handle such situations. In the former situation, you may want to utilize the marine idea of a refugarium, where there is a separate tank that water flows through that has plants to pull out the "bad stuff" from the water, with water from the main tank run through the filtration system into the refugarium and back into the main tank. You may also wish to investigate plants that may be immune to the predation of your fish. As for overcrowding, well, you simply need to reduce the numbers of fish that are present in the tank. You may set up more aquariums to house them or give them to friends who would like them. You may even be able to bring them back to you LFS for credit.
Another source may be a decoration that has recently been added to your tank that is leaching substances into your water as it 'cures' in your tank. Removal of this object will show a quick and drastic reduction with your next water change. Should this be the case, you'll need to either cure the item outside the tank, or do without it inside the tank.
Also, not usual, but, perhaps not as unusual as we may like to think, there may be an outside force acting upon the tank, like something some one has added to the tank without your knowledge. One of the kids could have put something in the tank without your knowledge and you may never know if the youngin' expects they'll get a punishment for admitting it or an adult at a party may have added something just o see what the fish will do. This kind of thing can be the devil to track down, and the influence will abate with time.
What ever you need to do, don't panic. Take things slowly and try to identify the cause of the problem. Your fish will allow you time to fix things. Should you be keeping marine fish, well, as I mentioned earlier, we are in a whole other ballpark there, and you may need to take more rapid action to avoid losing animals. Marine animals have less a tolerance for nitrate than freshwater do, and I would advise you to find a guru near you that can be of assistance. I'm not a marine person, nor do I play one on TV, and do not claim to have any special knowledge of marine topics.
Don't buy into any 'magic' cures for what ails your tank. They may do more harm than good.
Thank you for your patience reading this long, and somewhat involved post.
\\ Steve //
Here is a follow-up email from Steve to me.
Lenny,
I've been out of town since before you posted this, and have just returned today. I do need to emphasize that there are some fish, such as those of the _Apistogramma_genus (at least some have been placed in the _Microgeophagus_genus now, I think), that are fairly intolerant of nitrates of any level.
One needs to check the literature available on these, and any other species of fish to determine what levels of nitrate they can stand. I do not believe this was emphasized in my original post properly.
The original post was merely meant to ease some people's fears, and therefore need to do something immediately, about nitrate levels that may be considered to be too high. Rapid changes in water chemistry can be more dangerous to the fish than the condition you are trying to correct.
Generally, if the nitrates are out of whack, it did not happen overnight, but was a gradual rise over a period of time. The correction should lead to a gradual downward trend over time. If you are keeping fish that are sensitive to even minimal levels of nitrate, such as the rams mentioned above, you may need to react quickly to change the level, and try to save as many as you can, but generally, a slow and considered approach is best for all involved.
\\ Steve //
BIG THANKS to Steve for this long article on Nitrates and his follow-up clarification.
EDIT added August 23, 2009.
Here is another good article that I found after looking at a web page that file://steve// posted to the AquaticLife Yahoo Group, which further talks about the effects of nitrates on our fish.
http://www.aquaworldaquarium.com/Articles/TonyGriffitts/AdverseAffectofNitrateontheAquarium.htm
GoldLenny
Mozy.com - FREE, secure, encrypted and automatic online backup of your documents and files. Check out how simple and secure it can be to use the Mozy backup system. It will back up your most important files, photos and folders... or your entire hard drive, every day/night (you set the schedule) while you aren't using your computer... and did I mention... it's FREE. I have been using this product/service since it was in Beta Testing and have been 100% satisfied with the final product!!!
Subject: Nitrate - Long post
There does seem to be a lot of unnecessary concern of nitrate levels expressed by people on this list for relatively low levels of nitrate.
Nitrate is the end product of the ammonia cycle ("The Nitrogen Cycle") that occurs in every tank.
There is no easy way to naturally remove nitrate without the use of a setup that uses anaerobic bacteria to reduce nitrate to its components. The usual method of deal with nitrate is water changes (25% PWC's) and the addition of live plants, which includes algal growth.
At what level should one really become concerned about the level of nitrates in the aquarium. A level of 1000 ppm is definitely a concern, since everything dies. So we need to go lower than that. 500 ppm is still of definite concern. Many animals and plants will die at this level also, but some will live, though not well, as they will be subject to long-term effects of nitrate, such as hole-in-head disease and the erosion of the lateral line. Some plants also will not survive this level of nitrates.
At 200 ppm, the effects of nitrate will be more long term than immediate. Again, we would be looking at such things as later line disease and hole-in-head as a result. Going lower will help reduce the effects. At 150 ppm, again, the effects are long term. Going even lower, long term effects are still present.
Ideally, one would wish to reduce nitrate levels to less than 20 ppm, but immediate action is not called for until you reach a number of more than 150 ppm. Please do note that figures for a marine (salt water) aquarium are very much different, and action is called for when nitrate is measured in the single digits of ppm. In a marine environment, it is possible to reduce nitrates to immeasurable levels through the use of foam fractioners, which do not work well in fresh water.
So, you notice that your nitrates are rising, or at a high level. One can simply panic and do immediate large water changes (or a series of 3-4 24% PWC's) to reduce the level of nitrates. However, doing this fails to discover and remedy the core cause of the high level of nitrates. Unless you are getting reading over 150 ppm of nitrate, you do have some time to do investigative work to discover and remedy the cause of the nitrates, while your regular water changes (25% PWC's) should help you reduce the level.
Where does nitrate come from? Nitrate is the end product of the ammonia cycle ("The Nitrogen Cycle") as we follow it in the aquarium. Ammonia is produced as a waste product by the animals you have living in your tank. It can also be produced by dead and decaying animals and plants as well as food added to the aquarium. If you are using fertilizer for your plants, this may also be a source of ammonia. You need to reduce the sources of ammonia. Feeding less will help reduce the level. Most of us feed our fish too well. A day of fasting may help the health of your fish, as well as reducing the amount fed each day. Raising fry is a whole other ball of wax, which I will not be covering here, but to get quick growth you do want to ensure they are well fed. If there is left over food when you are feeding, you will need to reduce the amount of food you give to your fish, until there is no left-overs in the tank. Until this is remedied, you will want to wait a while after feeding the fish, then siphon off the left-overs.
If you are fertilizing your live plants, you will want to reduce or stop the fertilization of the plants or start adding only the trace elements your plants may need for good growth and avoid a fertilizer that contain nitrogenous products.
Also look for and remove any dead materials from your aquarium. Likely, if this is a fish, you'll do it rather rapidly. If it is plant material, then you will need to, perhaps, do this on a daily basis. Algae poses a particular problem. Removal of algae will reduce the capacity of your aquarium to remove nitrates, but then, it is also difficult to know when to remove it because it may be dead or simply another form of algae. It may be best to follow your aesthetic sense and remove what does not appeal to you, and remove any that is not green. Those of you that have snails in your aquarium are faced with a sometimes difficult decision--is the snail dead or is it alive? Tough to tell sometimes. However, if you have a nitrate problem, it may be well to take the conservative course of action and remove any snails you have doubts about, either to dispose of or to place in another environment. (You can always do the smell test on a snail. If it smells rotten, it's probably dead but you can put it in another container with some of your tank water if you want to be cautious.)
Throughout this entire process, you will need to keep an eye on the progress you are making. Go back to daily testing of your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. Also test your tap water, which could be another source of nitrates in your aquarium. The EPA has a regulation that states that drinking water should not contain more than 10 ppm of nitrate. However, from reports of aquarist's around the country, not all water companies are meeting this requirement. Also, if you are using well water, your nitrates may be high, especially when the aquifer is in agricultural parts of the country. Our well fertilized lawns and gardens can also have an effect on the nitrate level of aquifers, but most research has pointed to agriculture as a large culprit. If your water is starting with unacceptable levels of nitrate, you will need to look into means to reduce the nitrate before the water reaches the aquarium. This is usually done with chemical adsorption products.
If your nitrate level still does not lower after doing all this, you will need to look at some other aspects of your aquarium. I have mentioned live plants in this discussion, but I am aware that not all people utilize live plants in their aquariums. There may be practical reasons for this, like the vegetarian habits of your fish prevent the growth of plant s to any great extent, and may reduce the number of plants you have, your fish may be diggers that uproot plants, etc. Your tank may simply be overcrowded with fish, and be overloading the biological processes that would normally handle such situations. In the former situation, you may want to utilize the marine idea of a refugarium, where there is a separate tank that water flows through that has plants to pull out the "bad stuff" from the water, with water from the main tank run through the filtration system into the refugarium and back into the main tank. You may also wish to investigate plants that may be immune to the predation of your fish. As for overcrowding, well, you simply need to reduce the numbers of fish that are present in the tank. You may set up more aquariums to house them or give them to friends who would like them. You may even be able to bring them back to you LFS for credit.
Another source may be a decoration that has recently been added to your tank that is leaching substances into your water as it 'cures' in your tank. Removal of this object will show a quick and drastic reduction with your next water change. Should this be the case, you'll need to either cure the item outside the tank, or do without it inside the tank.
Also, not usual, but, perhaps not as unusual as we may like to think, there may be an outside force acting upon the tank, like something some one has added to the tank without your knowledge. One of the kids could have put something in the tank without your knowledge and you may never know if the youngin' expects they'll get a punishment for admitting it or an adult at a party may have added something just o see what the fish will do. This kind of thing can be the devil to track down, and the influence will abate with time.
What ever you need to do, don't panic. Take things slowly and try to identify the cause of the problem. Your fish will allow you time to fix things. Should you be keeping marine fish, well, as I mentioned earlier, we are in a whole other ballpark there, and you may need to take more rapid action to avoid losing animals. Marine animals have less a tolerance for nitrate than freshwater do, and I would advise you to find a guru near you that can be of assistance. I'm not a marine person, nor do I play one on TV, and do not claim to have any special knowledge of marine topics.
Don't buy into any 'magic' cures for what ails your tank. They may do more harm than good.
Thank you for your patience reading this long, and somewhat involved post.
\\ Steve //
Here is a follow-up email from Steve to me.
Lenny,
I've been out of town since before you posted this, and have just returned today. I do need to emphasize that there are some fish, such as those of the _Apistogramma_genus (at least some have been placed in the _Microgeophagus_genus now, I think), that are fairly intolerant of nitrates of any level.
One needs to check the literature available on these, and any other species of fish to determine what levels of nitrate they can stand. I do not believe this was emphasized in my original post properly.
The original post was merely meant to ease some people's fears, and therefore need to do something immediately, about nitrate levels that may be considered to be too high. Rapid changes in water chemistry can be more dangerous to the fish than the condition you are trying to correct.
Generally, if the nitrates are out of whack, it did not happen overnight, but was a gradual rise over a period of time. The correction should lead to a gradual downward trend over time. If you are keeping fish that are sensitive to even minimal levels of nitrate, such as the rams mentioned above, you may need to react quickly to change the level, and try to save as many as you can, but generally, a slow and considered approach is best for all involved.
\\ Steve //
BIG THANKS to Steve for this long article on Nitrates and his follow-up clarification.
EDIT added August 23, 2009.
Here is another good article that I found after looking at a web page that file://steve// posted to the AquaticLife Yahoo Group, which further talks about the effects of nitrates on our fish.
http://www.aquaworldaquarium.com/Articles/TonyGriffitts/AdverseAffectofNitrateontheAquarium.htm
GoldLenny
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Filter Maintenance And Cleaning Recommendations
http://tinyurl.com/Filter-Maintenance
PREFACE - This article is most important to new fish-keepers and for tanks that are less than six months old. It is during these early stages that proper filter maintenance is most critical since you are still growing a proper sized Nitrifying Bacteria (N-Bacteria) colony in your filter media and substrate. This article is also very important and applicable for tanks over six months old that have limited filtration or overstocking issues or if you are having water quality issues, algae problems, sick fish, etc.... (Edit added 11/14/2008 - ...and most importantly because of a recent funny post in the Ponds-Koi Yahoo Group by Bill Dowden, owner of http://www.coastalpond.com/ so the following few paragraphs are about a Pond Filter but it's still applicable to ALL filters):
FILTRATION:
HAVING TO CLEAN A FILTER CAN BE GOOD.
First of all, if a filter does not collect junk and clog, it isn't doing its job and working to get the junk out of the water.
Since IT'S ALL ABOUT WATER QUALITY, the filter is supposed to take organics out of the water to IMPROVE water quality. (Inorganics = rocks = really aren't a problem.)
If a filter catches organics and the filter is not clogged (yet) but also not cleaned - then the organics can dissolve and go back into the water in solution = LOWERING THE WATER QUALITY.
SO, the object of a good pond keeper is to IMPROVE water quality = clean the organics from ANY filter BEFORE they dissolve = every other day, every third day.......
Sorry for bringing reality into your lives....
I know everyone wants a filter that doesn't EVER need to be cleaned.
Imagine that the filter catches poop. So it is the fishes' toilet.
How often do you clean (flush) your toilet? Why? Why not the fishes' also.
:-)
Bill
----------------
Here is a good article about "The Nitrogen Cycle" to help you understand this entire "article" further if you do not know about the nitrogen cycle. http://fish.orbust.net/cycling.html
You should also have a Master Test Kit capable of testing ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and pH. Having GH and KH test kits are also encouraged in determining some basic water chemistry/quality issues. There are many other things going on in our tanks that we can not easily test for.
And now... onto the actual article...
WHY ARE MY FISH GASPING, ACTING LETHARGIC OR DYING???
If your new tank has a small HOB (hang on back filter system) and you were told to buy and replace your filter cartridge once a month... or every other week, then that may be what is causing you so many problems. You are potentially putting your tank into a new mini-cycle everytime you "clean" the filters or change them out for a new one. NEVER clean the filters in the normal sense of the word "clean". If you cleaned the filter media by running the filter under tap water, the chlorine/chloramine in the water could have killed your GOOD nitrifying bacteria in the filter and you will have to "cycle" your filter media again. This will probably put your tank into a new mini-cycle which means testing for ammonia and nitrites and doing PWC's to keep them at safe levels. This could take around two weeks but there is usually enough N-bacteria on other surface areas and in the gravel to keep major spikes in the ammonia or nitrites but most of the N-Bacteria live in the filter sponges, pads, etc. so cleaning/maintaining them should be done carefully.
All you should do is once a week or every other week, when you do your 25% PWC (partial water change), take some of the tank water in a bucket and then you can take your filter cartridge or media out of the holder and swoosh it around in the tank water and squeeze it out to remove the big stuff off of it. Then put it back in the holder and back in your filter system. If it's really clogged up with detritus, you could also squeez it several times in the removed tank water bucket. This will possibly squeeze out some of the good N-Bacteria but will usually leave enough to keep your tank safe. The N-Bacteria are capable of doubling their colony size every 24 hours so as long as you leave enough, the colony will grow back shortly. This "swooshing or squeezing in removed tank water" method keeps the GOOD bacteria alive on the filter so you do not cause your tank to "cycle" again.
I know the filter companies and some pet store employees tell you to replace it once a month but they are just trying to sell filters. That is one of the leading cause of problems... messing with the filters because the "instructions" say to do it.
It is important to clean your filters regularly so you do not have excess detritus building up in them. Detritus in your filter media, when it starts breaking down, becomes a nitrate factory which goes into your water column as the tank water is filtered through it. Nitrates and phosphates feed algae blooms. Just like vacuuming your gravel to remove excess detritus before it breaks down, cleaning the filters often will also keep the nitrates much lower. I guess if you do frequent PWC's, that would substitute for keeping the filters cleaner but if you cleaned your filters before they become completely clogged, it would make the water quality even better between PWC's. Further, the bacteria that is consuming and breaking down the detritus use up a lot of O2 and KH and put out a lot of CO2. The higher CO2 further feeds algae growth and lowers your pH. The loss of KH can cause your pH to crash putting your fish into pH shock.
Here are two of my "Filter Profile" articles so you can see exactly how I clean and maintain two of my six filter systems.
Filter Profile - Marineland Penguin 200 Bio-Wheel
Filter Profile - Rena Filstar xP1 Canister
Here are some articles that I contributed to or did photo-documentation on at TheGAB.org forums, which has some more information on various filter systems including some photos from me and others.
http://thegab.org/Articles/Filtration.html
http://thegab.org/Articles/FilterProfilePenguin200.html
HOB's (Hang On Back Filter Systems - Power Filters and Bio-Wheel Systems) -
If you have a HOB filter system, you should really only clean the filter cartridge if the flow rate slows down or it's backing up back into the tank via the overflow outlet. But do NOT go more than a month between doing maintenance on any of your filters as they will build up a lot of detritus which will start to decay and possibly cause your nitrates to start climbing quickly. I just do the swoosh and/or squeeze method once a week with my 25% PWC and never have the problem. Don't worry.. most of us learned the hard way in the beginning.
Another thing if you have an HOB... is after you swoosh/squeeze the filter media/cartridge and have it ready to put back in the holder, dump the water out of the HOB reservoir as it will have some "big stuff" in there as well. Then put your filter back in the HOB, dip a few cups of water out of your tank to fill the HOB reservoir and then plug it back in.
If your HOB also has a Bio-Wheel, then you could technically change out the cartridge instead of using the swoosh/squeeze method since the actual Bio-Wheel would house sufficient numbers of N-Bacteria so that you would not cause a mini-cycle. The inventors of this system created it for that reason... so they could sell you lots of filter cartridges and encourage you to change them without causing harm to your fish. I still don't think it's necessary but if you find it simpler to change the cartridge every few weeks and don't mind the expense, then that is a choice that is available to you.
One last tip... if your "biobag" filters or filter cartridges have carbon in them, you can dump the carbon out after a few weeks since it has lost its effectiveness by then. This will also improve the flow rate through the "empty" biobag/cartridge as well. Some companies try to prevent you from emptying the carbon by sealing it inside of the plastic housing of the cartridge frame. I have been successful with doing "surgery" on the section holding the old carbon to open it up and dump the carbon while keeping the frame and floss/poly pad for reuse. The floss/poly pad or sponge material in the biobag/cartridge should last over a year but in the event you do decide you want to change your biobag/cartridge, put the new one in the reservoir for 2 weeks so it builds up a good bacteria colony. Then on your next PWC, you can trash the old one, swoosh the new one and then put in in the holder. It's not really necessary to change them very often... at least not until they look like they are about to fall apart. I have the same filter cartridges on my HOB's and they are all over a year old. (More about carbon below)
CANISTER FILTER SYSTEMS -
As far as a canister filter, I have four different phases of mixed mechanical/biological filtration in my canister filter system. I have a large sponge block with large pores, then a smaller sponge block with smaller pores, then even a smaller pore sponge and then a filter floss pad. I do maintenance on my canister twice a month or if I notice the flow rate slowing down. At the beginning of the month, I leave the sponges alone and clean the floss pad real good.. even running it under hot faucet water until it's white again. In the middle of the month, I squeeze the sponges to clean them and get the big stuff out of them but I don't run them under hot faucet water. This keeps a big portion of the nitrifying bacteria alive with each filter "cleaning" so I never have a problem with a mini-cycle. I also have two filters running on each of my tanks so I alternate the maintenance on them from week to week so I have at least one fully cycled filter running at all times. If you have a large enough canister filter, you can also add a more permanent biological filtration media. With this type of product, you would have it as one of the last phases of filtration and you would not do anything to this media other than a simple rinse in removed tank water to get any buildup off of it. There are many products sold that are excellent biological filtration but if you are not overstocked, your regular sponges and polypads will be sufficient surface area for the N-bacteria colonies. I do not have the "extra" biological filter media in any of my filters.
SPONGE FILTERS -
Sponge filter cleaning should be treated similar to cleaning the sponges in canister filters but obviously on a much smaller scale. The safest thing to do would be to squeeze the sponge in some removed tank water to remove the detritus from the sponge but keeping the majority of the N-Bacteria alive on the cell walls of the sponge. Then replace it and you are good to go!
MULTIPLE FILTER SYSTEMS ON A TANK -
If you have more than one filter system on your tank, then you could do alternating filter cleaning or changing and more thoroughly cleaning the filters since the other one will still be fully cycled. I do this on my Goldfish/Pleco tank since they are such big waste producers. I alternate between the two filter systems and clean 1/2 the filter media every two weeks. This means that I am only doing a good cleaning on 1/4th of my overall filter media volume and one of the filter systems does not even get touched every other week.
UGF's (Under Gravel Filters) -
These systems are not as common any more but some forum polls show up to 40% of fish keepers still use UGF's on some of their tanks.
There is also a reverse flow UGF that is making a comeback in the industry. I am thinking about trying this system if I ever have to breakdown my Goldfish/Pleco tank. The purpose of the reverse flow UGF is to push water up through the gravel which raises the detritus into the water column to be sucked into the intake and filtered out of the water before the "clean" water is returned to the tank through the gravel. This could save time in gravel vacuuming since it would not have to be done very often with this type of system but it does not work for planted tanks where the plants with a normal substrate. It would work if the plants are containerized plants.
The main thing with a regular UGF, that sucks the water down through the gravel (so it's not as good for a planted tank either), is to properly maintain them by vacuuming the gravel really good with the vacuum tube pushed down through the gravel to the UGF plate and make sure you suck up all of the detritus/mulm that gets caught between the gravel/plate/bottom.
Many of the older UGF filters on smaller tanks were under-powered with only an airline bubbler to power the up-tube siphon and these did not create enough suction which allowed excess mulm to build up under the gravel and UGF plates. Modern UGF's are powered by power heads, canister filters or HOB power filters which help eliminate the danger of mulm buildup but the gravel should still be vacuumed well all the way down to the UGF plate to make sure the excess mulm and detritus are removed.
If I was to use a UGF, I would also modify it in a couple of ways. I would make the holes in the UGF plate larger at the furthest points from the uplift tube so they get more water circulating from those furthest points to help eliminate the likelihood of mulm buildup. I would also add a box trickle filter of some sort so the returning water would flow through that trickle filter before returning to the water column.
Here's a forum thread about what happened to someone when they tried to "clean" or replace their UGF... http://thegab.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5895&highlight and some "scientific" info about what is in the mulm... http://thegab.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2349
Here are several sites on UGF maintenance & cleaning:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-under-gravel-filter-or-ugf.htm
http://www.bestfish.com/ug.html (page one of two)
http://www.bestfish.com/ug2.html (page two of two)
http://archimedes.galilei.com/raiar/lifttube.html (no longer working)
http://www.goldfishparadise.com/care/filter.php (no longer working)
CARBON -
As you may have noticed, I do not mention keeping carbon in my filter systems. Most experience freshwater fish keepers aren't keeping activated carbon in their filters anymore and rely on more frequent PWC's to keep the water quality in good condition. It's just another thing that the filter people are trying to sell you to keep revenue pouring in... pardon the pun. I haven't had any activated carbon in any of my four filter systems on two tanks for over two years and all of my fish are fine. I do keep some around in case of an emergency or if I need to filter some medicine out of one of my tanks but other than that, it sits in the closet. Of course, I am vigilant about doing weekly 25% PWC's so I am removing any organic buildup that some people may rely on carbon to remove. Also, most carbon products available to consumers will leach phosphates into your tank, which can cause algae problems... and some carbon products have been reported to actually leach the chemicals they had previously absorbed which can cause other health problems.
If your filter cartridges have the activated carbon sealed up inside of a plastic housing, it might take some minor "surgery" to open the plastic housing up so you can dump out the carbon. I have done this to several different manufacturers cartridges so I think it's possible with any of them. This way, you still have the plastic frame and floss/sponge material that can be re-used many, many times using the swooshing method above. It's better for your fish and your wallet.
If you have juvenile fish in your tank(s), then running carbon or Purigen is encourage to help remove the hormone buildup which can lead to stunting and health issues. Remember carbon should probably be changed every two weeks. I am now using Purigen in my tanks since it is better than carbon and is rechargeable so it costs less.
EDIT ADDED ABOUT "CARBON" ON 03/14/2007 -
I've been reading more and more about a product from Seachem, called Purigen, which is a rechargeable granular additive that can be used in filter systems and from what I've been reading on forum threads, it does work as advertised. It's not like zeolite which can starve your N-bacteria colonies. This product is more like activated carbon but is advertised to work 500% better than activated carbon. Since it is rechargeable and actually filters organic compounds better and LASTS LONGER than carbon, I'm not opposed to using a product like this and may actually try it soon.
Here is the manufacturer's webpage and information: http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/Purigen.html
Purigen™ is a premium synthetic adsorbent that is unlike any other filtration product. It is not a mixture of ion exchangers or adsorbents, but a unique macro-porous synthetic polymer that removes soluble and insoluble impurities from water at a rate and capacity that exceeds all others by over 500%. Purigen™ controls ammonia, nitrites and nitrates by removing nitrogenous organic waste that would otherwise release these harmful compounds. Purigen’s™ impact on trace elements is minimal. It significantly raises redox. It polishes water to unparalleled clarity. Purigen™ darkens progressively as it exhausts, and is easily renewed by treating with bleach. Purigen™ is designed for both marine and freshwater use. This product is sold by volume. Cited weight is minimal weight.
Directions: Rinse before use. Use in a fine mesh filter bag. Each 1 L treats up to 4,000 L (1,000 gallons*) for up to six months. Exhaustion is indicated by a pronounced discoloration of the beads to dark brown or black.
Regeneration: Soak in a 1:1 bleach:water solution for 24 hours in a non-metalic container in a well ventilated area and away from children. Rinse well, then soak for 8 hours with a solution containing 2 tablespoons of ChlorGuard™, Prime™, or equivalent dechlorinator per cup of water. Rinse well. For freshwater use, soak for 4 hours with a solution containing 1 tablespoon of buffer per cup of water (Discus Buffer™, Neutral Regulator™, or Acid Buffer™). Original color and full activity should now be restored and Purigen™ is ready for reuse. Caution: some slime coat products may permanently foul Purigen™ and render regeneration difficult. Do not reuse if odor of chlorine is detectable. In case of doubt, soak beads in small quantity of water and test for residual chlorine with a chlorine test kit.
Purigen FAQ's - http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/Purigen_faq.html
Purigen MSDS (Manufacturer's Safety Data Sheet)(pdf) - http://www.seachem.com/support/MSDS/Purigen.doc.pdf
GoldLenny replies:
I like how it changes color (darkens) as it gets dirty so you can tell when it's time to regenerate/recharge, or replace if you don't mind the extra expense. This is something carbon has lacked and what led to so many fish keepers not using it. The Purigen "regeneration" process isn't easy and since it uses Bleach, it must be done properly and carefully... including RINSING IT WELL, then the 8 hour soak in the dechlor solution and 4 hour soak in a "buffer" (for FW users) . From what I've been reading in forums, it's best to have two mesh bags working so that you can exchange them and then properly regenerate and rinse the "dirty" Purigen and then put the "cleaned" Purigen on the side for the next change. A 100ml package should be enough Purigen to make two mesh bags for a 50G aquarium.
Yahoo Shopping Search -prices for Purigen... lowest price (on this date) was DrsFosterSmith.com $5.89 for 100ml package (treats 100G for up to 6 months) - http://shopping.yahoo.com/search?p=purigen&cop=mss
PetsMart.com has Purigen for $6.29 for the 100ml package or $12.59 for the 250ml package and their retail stores will match the online price if you bring the printed page. The 100ml package comes in a media bag already where the 250ml package is in bulk form so you would have to purchase media bags also. Here is the PetsMart.com Purigen page as a TinyURL link... http://preview.tinyurl.com/3aakqj
ZEOLITE -
Zeolite is a white granular product that many consumers are often sold as a solution to ammonia issues in their tanks. While it does absorb ammonia, it gives you a false sense of security as it will "fill up" and then quit absorbing ammonia causing ammonia spikes in your tanks. If you did not use zeolite, you would have built up a proper sized N-Bacteria colony in your filter media which would have taken care of any potential ammonia issues. Further, when people get ammonia spikes, they are shortly followed by nitrite spikes. Then they are told to add salt to the tank to keep the fish from getting nitrite poisoning. The problem with this is that salt will cause zeolite to release ALL of the absorbed ammonia causing the ammonia level to spike even higher. Once again, it's a product that I keep on hand in case of emergencies... like when I went 15 days with no power after Hurricane Katrina, but it's not something I run in my filters on a normal basis.
HORMONES AND STUNTING, STRESS AND HEALTH ISSUES -
I've been learning a lot more about hormone issues that happen in overstocked or undersized tanks. In various fishery related studies, it has been reported that your fish release a hormone into the water column and when this hormone level reaches a certain point, the fish begin to get stressed and stunting issues start to develop. Stress leads to immune system issues and fish start to get sick. The best way to solve this problem is to NOT overstock your tank or have fish that are supposed to get BIG in a small tank. If you are stuck with this problem, then doing frequent PWC's (sometimes daily, depending on your situation), will reduce these hormone levels. It is also reported that products like carbon and more advanced chemical filtration products like Purigen, will remove some or all of these hormones but this needs further research. The best and simplest solution to removing these hormone levels is through frequent PWC's.
In conclusion:
There's a saying... "Dilution is the solution to pollution"... which certainly holds true in the fish keeping hobby. Fresh, clean and frequent PWC's (partial water changes) will do more to keeping your fish healthy than anything else out there.
I hope this helps save a few fish!
GoldLenny
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SELECT COMMENTS -
Mahstah posted:
"If your filter cartridges have the activated carbon sealed up inside of a plastic housing, it might take some minor "surgery" to open the plastic housing up so you can dump out the carbon. I have done this to several different manufacturers cartridges so I think it's possible with any of them. This way, you still have the plastic frame and floss/sponge material that can be re-used many, many times using the swooshing method above. It's better for your fish and your wallet."
Hi goldlenny-
Do you suggest NOT using carbon filters unless one wants to remove chemicals (malachite green or algae killer)? Is the carbon filter not needed because the good bacteria can fully take care of the ammonia?
-Mahstah
Hailey's Reply:
Carbon does not remove ammonia at all (or at least if it does, it is an immeasurable amount). I don't believe there is any reason to run carbon on an aquarium unless trying to remove a chemical like medication. It takes trace elements out of the water that fish need, it stops working fast, and worse yet, after it stops working it may leech the chemicals back into the water.
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BadSaturn3 posted:
I am a little new to Aquariums. I was wondering about filter care on a Bio-Wheel. Thank You very much.
GoldLenny's reply:
I need to update that article to include Bio-Wheels since they are gaining favor.
Basically, you would NEVER do anything to the Bio-Wheel, itself. If you are going to have the power off for very long, take it off and float it in your tank or in some removed tank water, to keep it wet so the N-bacteria in the actual wheel do not die off.
Marineland, also the inventors of Bio-Spira, came up with the Bio-Wheel idea... mainly as a way of selling filter cartridges since "now" you can change out their skimpy filter cartridges every two to four weeks without killing off your N-bacteria colony.... since they live mostly in the Bio-Wheel.
I have a Bio-Wheel 200, as the secondary filter system on my 65G Goldfish and Pleco tank and all I did after the first two weeks, is I used a razor knife to cut three sides of the black plastic slotted section and dumped the charcoal out. I added a piece of poly pad filter material into that square and put the cartridge back in the holder. Then I just do the filter maintenance as described in the article as needed. It's the same filter cartridge that came with the system many months ago. I also rolled up a 2" piece of poly pad, like a cigar, and put it in the little semi-circle overflow cut-out next to the intake tube. This forces the water through the filter, or over the top of the filter cartridge, when it starts to get clogged... but at least it keeps the Bio-Wheel spinning. I've found that if the water starts to back-up out of the overflow cut-out, then not much water goes through the filter and the bio-wheel does not spin properly, which could cause it to dry out and you would lose much of your N-Bacteria colony.
Thanks for asking about the Bio-Wheel systems.
GoldLenny
By rbishop on 05-05-2007, 06:40 PM ( This comment was added to my published article on AquariaCentral.com )
Well, it is probably semantics, but..UGFs...I think they are more popular than most folks think. Most any site I go to that has a poll, 40% of the respondents are still using them.
I still see folks claiming (repeating) that they clog up. I have never seen this to be the case in my experience, but feel those who fail to properly maintain them, could have an issue.
I believe RUGF are a great step forward in filtration, pushing the debri into the water column for removal by other power filters. This is extremely useful in high bioload tanks.In either case, there is no beating utilizing the entire surface area of the substrate as a bio filter. A lot of people and filter manufacturers talk about all the surface area their external filters create, but never acknowledge that your bacteria is only equal to your bio-load. I can run my UGF/RUGfs, and completely bust out any other filter to ground zero without any spikes or many cycles. That tells me the substrate alone holds enough surface area to maintain my tank.
Canisters..Kind of like above, the ability to put in multiple forms of media is vastly over rated. So many of us push letting your fish adjust to your normal parameters and then recommend filters that have the ability for 15 dozen medias. If you have a solid water problem and need to buffer, fine; or to create some conditions for spawning with peat or other products, they are nice. But to spend big bucks on some of the canisters out there is a waste, when a simple Mag 350 will suffice, by 10 fold. Or put the bucks into a small wet/dry. When run in parallel with a RUFG, there is no need for the fancy, high dollar canisters.
Carbon...This is a tricky one. To start, let me say, I run carbon in all my filters. Shock! $$$$ But I have clarity that is unachievable any other way.
The general theory is that a water change will do you just as well. I tend to disagree. If your water has impurities and discoloration, adding more of the same water doesn't make things better.
Also, carbon removes impurities we can not see and we can not test for. The nitrate test are an easy and conveinient method, but don't reflect other TDS DOCs we need to remove. Much as we have carbon filters on our drinking water systems. We can't see the difference, we don't test for it, but lab results show different. It is true that most cartridges have a poor quality and lack ample volume to be effective, but that shouldn't dissuade use of it.
Fish produce the growth inhibiting hormone for their full life span. Carbon should be used the full time for ultimate growth. The removal of impurities is a chemical/ionic bond. You can not release back into the water unless you heat to about 2400 degrees F.
Just my thoughts and experiences. I think we need to look at pros and cons, but not rule out a filtration method directly. Individual applications create the need for flexibility.
GoldLenny replies:
Thanks for your comments.
GoldLenny
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Last edited on November 14, 2008
PREFACE - This article is most important to new fish-keepers and for tanks that are less than six months old. It is during these early stages that proper filter maintenance is most critical since you are still growing a proper sized Nitrifying Bacteria (N-Bacteria) colony in your filter media and substrate. This article is also very important and applicable for tanks over six months old that have limited filtration or overstocking issues or if you are having water quality issues, algae problems, sick fish, etc.... (Edit added 11/14/2008 - ...and most importantly because of a recent funny post in the Ponds-Koi Yahoo Group by Bill Dowden, owner of http://www.coastalpond.com/ so the following few paragraphs are about a Pond Filter but it's still applicable to ALL filters):
FILTRATION:
HAVING TO CLEAN A FILTER CAN BE GOOD.
First of all, if a filter does not collect junk and clog, it isn't doing its job and working to get the junk out of the water.
Since IT'S ALL ABOUT WATER QUALITY, the filter is supposed to take organics out of the water to IMPROVE water quality. (Inorganics = rocks = really aren't a problem.)
If a filter catches organics and the filter is not clogged (yet) but also not cleaned - then the organics can dissolve and go back into the water in solution = LOWERING THE WATER QUALITY.
SO, the object of a good pond keeper is to IMPROVE water quality = clean the organics from ANY filter BEFORE they dissolve = every other day, every third day.......
Sorry for bringing reality into your lives....
I know everyone wants a filter that doesn't EVER need to be cleaned.
Imagine that the filter catches poop. So it is the fishes' toilet.
How often do you clean (flush) your toilet? Why? Why not the fishes' also.
:-)
Bill
----------------
Here is a good article about "The Nitrogen Cycle" to help you understand this entire "article" further if you do not know about the nitrogen cycle. http://fish.orbust.net/cycling.html
You should also have a Master Test Kit capable of testing ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and pH. Having GH and KH test kits are also encouraged in determining some basic water chemistry/quality issues. There are many other things going on in our tanks that we can not easily test for.
And now... onto the actual article...
WHY ARE MY FISH GASPING, ACTING LETHARGIC OR DYING???
If your new tank has a small HOB (hang on back filter system) and you were told to buy and replace your filter cartridge once a month... or every other week, then that may be what is causing you so many problems. You are potentially putting your tank into a new mini-cycle everytime you "clean" the filters or change them out for a new one. NEVER clean the filters in the normal sense of the word "clean". If you cleaned the filter media by running the filter under tap water, the chlorine/chloramine in the water could have killed your GOOD nitrifying bacteria in the filter and you will have to "cycle" your filter media again. This will probably put your tank into a new mini-cycle which means testing for ammonia and nitrites and doing PWC's to keep them at safe levels. This could take around two weeks but there is usually enough N-bacteria on other surface areas and in the gravel to keep major spikes in the ammonia or nitrites but most of the N-Bacteria live in the filter sponges, pads, etc. so cleaning/maintaining them should be done carefully.
All you should do is once a week or every other week, when you do your 25% PWC (partial water change), take some of the tank water in a bucket and then you can take your filter cartridge or media out of the holder and swoosh it around in the tank water and squeeze it out to remove the big stuff off of it. Then put it back in the holder and back in your filter system. If it's really clogged up with detritus, you could also squeez it several times in the removed tank water bucket. This will possibly squeeze out some of the good N-Bacteria but will usually leave enough to keep your tank safe. The N-Bacteria are capable of doubling their colony size every 24 hours so as long as you leave enough, the colony will grow back shortly. This "swooshing or squeezing in removed tank water" method keeps the GOOD bacteria alive on the filter so you do not cause your tank to "cycle" again.
I know the filter companies and some pet store employees tell you to replace it once a month but they are just trying to sell filters. That is one of the leading cause of problems... messing with the filters because the "instructions" say to do it.
It is important to clean your filters regularly so you do not have excess detritus building up in them. Detritus in your filter media, when it starts breaking down, becomes a nitrate factory which goes into your water column as the tank water is filtered through it. Nitrates and phosphates feed algae blooms. Just like vacuuming your gravel to remove excess detritus before it breaks down, cleaning the filters often will also keep the nitrates much lower. I guess if you do frequent PWC's, that would substitute for keeping the filters cleaner but if you cleaned your filters before they become completely clogged, it would make the water quality even better between PWC's. Further, the bacteria that is consuming and breaking down the detritus use up a lot of O2 and KH and put out a lot of CO2. The higher CO2 further feeds algae growth and lowers your pH. The loss of KH can cause your pH to crash putting your fish into pH shock.
Here are two of my "Filter Profile" articles so you can see exactly how I clean and maintain two of my six filter systems.
Filter Profile - Marineland Penguin 200 Bio-Wheel
Filter Profile - Rena Filstar xP1 Canister
Here are some articles that I contributed to or did photo-documentation on at TheGAB.org forums, which has some more information on various filter systems including some photos from me and others.
http://thegab.org/Articles/Filtration.html
http://thegab.org/Articles/FilterProfilePenguin200.html
HOB's (Hang On Back Filter Systems - Power Filters and Bio-Wheel Systems) -
If you have a HOB filter system, you should really only clean the filter cartridge if the flow rate slows down or it's backing up back into the tank via the overflow outlet. But do NOT go more than a month between doing maintenance on any of your filters as they will build up a lot of detritus which will start to decay and possibly cause your nitrates to start climbing quickly. I just do the swoosh and/or squeeze method once a week with my 25% PWC and never have the problem. Don't worry.. most of us learned the hard way in the beginning.
Another thing if you have an HOB... is after you swoosh/squeeze the filter media/cartridge and have it ready to put back in the holder, dump the water out of the HOB reservoir as it will have some "big stuff" in there as well. Then put your filter back in the HOB, dip a few cups of water out of your tank to fill the HOB reservoir and then plug it back in.
If your HOB also has a Bio-Wheel, then you could technically change out the cartridge instead of using the swoosh/squeeze method since the actual Bio-Wheel would house sufficient numbers of N-Bacteria so that you would not cause a mini-cycle. The inventors of this system created it for that reason... so they could sell you lots of filter cartridges and encourage you to change them without causing harm to your fish. I still don't think it's necessary but if you find it simpler to change the cartridge every few weeks and don't mind the expense, then that is a choice that is available to you.
One last tip... if your "biobag" filters or filter cartridges have carbon in them, you can dump the carbon out after a few weeks since it has lost its effectiveness by then. This will also improve the flow rate through the "empty" biobag/cartridge as well. Some companies try to prevent you from emptying the carbon by sealing it inside of the plastic housing of the cartridge frame. I have been successful with doing "surgery" on the section holding the old carbon to open it up and dump the carbon while keeping the frame and floss/poly pad for reuse. The floss/poly pad or sponge material in the biobag/cartridge should last over a year but in the event you do decide you want to change your biobag/cartridge, put the new one in the reservoir for 2 weeks so it builds up a good bacteria colony. Then on your next PWC, you can trash the old one, swoosh the new one and then put in in the holder. It's not really necessary to change them very often... at least not until they look like they are about to fall apart. I have the same filter cartridges on my HOB's and they are all over a year old. (More about carbon below)
CANISTER FILTER SYSTEMS -
As far as a canister filter, I have four different phases of mixed mechanical/biological filtration in my canister filter system. I have a large sponge block with large pores, then a smaller sponge block with smaller pores, then even a smaller pore sponge and then a filter floss pad. I do maintenance on my canister twice a month or if I notice the flow rate slowing down. At the beginning of the month, I leave the sponges alone and clean the floss pad real good.. even running it under hot faucet water until it's white again. In the middle of the month, I squeeze the sponges to clean them and get the big stuff out of them but I don't run them under hot faucet water. This keeps a big portion of the nitrifying bacteria alive with each filter "cleaning" so I never have a problem with a mini-cycle. I also have two filters running on each of my tanks so I alternate the maintenance on them from week to week so I have at least one fully cycled filter running at all times. If you have a large enough canister filter, you can also add a more permanent biological filtration media. With this type of product, you would have it as one of the last phases of filtration and you would not do anything to this media other than a simple rinse in removed tank water to get any buildup off of it. There are many products sold that are excellent biological filtration but if you are not overstocked, your regular sponges and polypads will be sufficient surface area for the N-bacteria colonies. I do not have the "extra" biological filter media in any of my filters.
SPONGE FILTERS -
Sponge filter cleaning should be treated similar to cleaning the sponges in canister filters but obviously on a much smaller scale. The safest thing to do would be to squeeze the sponge in some removed tank water to remove the detritus from the sponge but keeping the majority of the N-Bacteria alive on the cell walls of the sponge. Then replace it and you are good to go!
MULTIPLE FILTER SYSTEMS ON A TANK -
If you have more than one filter system on your tank, then you could do alternating filter cleaning or changing and more thoroughly cleaning the filters since the other one will still be fully cycled. I do this on my Goldfish/Pleco tank since they are such big waste producers. I alternate between the two filter systems and clean 1/2 the filter media every two weeks. This means that I am only doing a good cleaning on 1/4th of my overall filter media volume and one of the filter systems does not even get touched every other week.
UGF's (Under Gravel Filters) -
These systems are not as common any more but some forum polls show up to 40% of fish keepers still use UGF's on some of their tanks.
There is also a reverse flow UGF that is making a comeback in the industry. I am thinking about trying this system if I ever have to breakdown my Goldfish/Pleco tank. The purpose of the reverse flow UGF is to push water up through the gravel which raises the detritus into the water column to be sucked into the intake and filtered out of the water before the "clean" water is returned to the tank through the gravel. This could save time in gravel vacuuming since it would not have to be done very often with this type of system but it does not work for planted tanks where the plants with a normal substrate. It would work if the plants are containerized plants.
The main thing with a regular UGF, that sucks the water down through the gravel (so it's not as good for a planted tank either), is to properly maintain them by vacuuming the gravel really good with the vacuum tube pushed down through the gravel to the UGF plate and make sure you suck up all of the detritus/mulm that gets caught between the gravel/plate/bottom.
Many of the older UGF filters on smaller tanks were under-powered with only an airline bubbler to power the up-tube siphon and these did not create enough suction which allowed excess mulm to build up under the gravel and UGF plates. Modern UGF's are powered by power heads, canister filters or HOB power filters which help eliminate the danger of mulm buildup but the gravel should still be vacuumed well all the way down to the UGF plate to make sure the excess mulm and detritus are removed.
If I was to use a UGF, I would also modify it in a couple of ways. I would make the holes in the UGF plate larger at the furthest points from the uplift tube so they get more water circulating from those furthest points to help eliminate the likelihood of mulm buildup. I would also add a box trickle filter of some sort so the returning water would flow through that trickle filter before returning to the water column.
Here's a forum thread about what happened to someone when they tried to "clean" or replace their UGF... http://thegab.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5895&highlight and some "scientific" info about what is in the mulm... http://thegab.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2349
Here are several sites on UGF maintenance & cleaning:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-under-gravel-filter-or-ugf.htm
http://www.bestfish.com/ug.html (page one of two)
http://www.bestfish.com/ug2.html (page two of two)
http://archimedes.galilei.com/raiar/lifttube.html (no longer working)
http://www.goldfishparadise.com/care/filter.php (no longer working)
CARBON -
As you may have noticed, I do not mention keeping carbon in my filter systems. Most experience freshwater fish keepers aren't keeping activated carbon in their filters anymore and rely on more frequent PWC's to keep the water quality in good condition. It's just another thing that the filter people are trying to sell you to keep revenue pouring in... pardon the pun. I haven't had any activated carbon in any of my four filter systems on two tanks for over two years and all of my fish are fine. I do keep some around in case of an emergency or if I need to filter some medicine out of one of my tanks but other than that, it sits in the closet. Of course, I am vigilant about doing weekly 25% PWC's so I am removing any organic buildup that some people may rely on carbon to remove. Also, most carbon products available to consumers will leach phosphates into your tank, which can cause algae problems... and some carbon products have been reported to actually leach the chemicals they had previously absorbed which can cause other health problems.
If your filter cartridges have the activated carbon sealed up inside of a plastic housing, it might take some minor "surgery" to open the plastic housing up so you can dump out the carbon. I have done this to several different manufacturers cartridges so I think it's possible with any of them. This way, you still have the plastic frame and floss/sponge material that can be re-used many, many times using the swooshing method above. It's better for your fish and your wallet.
If you have juvenile fish in your tank(s), then running carbon or Purigen is encourage to help remove the hormone buildup which can lead to stunting and health issues. Remember carbon should probably be changed every two weeks. I am now using Purigen in my tanks since it is better than carbon and is rechargeable so it costs less.
EDIT ADDED ABOUT "CARBON" ON 03/14/2007 -
I've been reading more and more about a product from Seachem, called Purigen, which is a rechargeable granular additive that can be used in filter systems and from what I've been reading on forum threads, it does work as advertised. It's not like zeolite which can starve your N-bacteria colonies. This product is more like activated carbon but is advertised to work 500% better than activated carbon. Since it is rechargeable and actually filters organic compounds better and LASTS LONGER than carbon, I'm not opposed to using a product like this and may actually try it soon.
Here is the manufacturer's webpage and information: http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/Purigen.html
Purigen™ is a premium synthetic adsorbent that is unlike any other filtration product. It is not a mixture of ion exchangers or adsorbents, but a unique macro-porous synthetic polymer that removes soluble and insoluble impurities from water at a rate and capacity that exceeds all others by over 500%. Purigen™ controls ammonia, nitrites and nitrates by removing nitrogenous organic waste that would otherwise release these harmful compounds. Purigen’s™ impact on trace elements is minimal. It significantly raises redox. It polishes water to unparalleled clarity. Purigen™ darkens progressively as it exhausts, and is easily renewed by treating with bleach. Purigen™ is designed for both marine and freshwater use. This product is sold by volume. Cited weight is minimal weight.
Directions: Rinse before use. Use in a fine mesh filter bag. Each 1 L treats up to 4,000 L (1,000 gallons*) for up to six months. Exhaustion is indicated by a pronounced discoloration of the beads to dark brown or black.
Regeneration: Soak in a 1:1 bleach:water solution for 24 hours in a non-metalic container in a well ventilated area and away from children. Rinse well, then soak for 8 hours with a solution containing 2 tablespoons of ChlorGuard™, Prime™, or equivalent dechlorinator per cup of water. Rinse well. For freshwater use, soak for 4 hours with a solution containing 1 tablespoon of buffer per cup of water (Discus Buffer™, Neutral Regulator™, or Acid Buffer™). Original color and full activity should now be restored and Purigen™ is ready for reuse. Caution: some slime coat products may permanently foul Purigen™ and render regeneration difficult. Do not reuse if odor of chlorine is detectable. In case of doubt, soak beads in small quantity of water and test for residual chlorine with a chlorine test kit.
Purigen FAQ's - http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/Purigen_faq.html
Purigen MSDS (Manufacturer's Safety Data Sheet)(pdf) - http://www.seachem.com/support/MSDS/Purigen.doc.pdf
GoldLenny replies:
I like how it changes color (darkens) as it gets dirty so you can tell when it's time to regenerate/recharge, or replace if you don't mind the extra expense. This is something carbon has lacked and what led to so many fish keepers not using it. The Purigen "regeneration" process isn't easy and since it uses Bleach, it must be done properly and carefully... including RINSING IT WELL, then the 8 hour soak in the dechlor solution and 4 hour soak in a "buffer" (for FW users) . From what I've been reading in forums, it's best to have two mesh bags working so that you can exchange them and then properly regenerate and rinse the "dirty" Purigen and then put the "cleaned" Purigen on the side for the next change. A 100ml package should be enough Purigen to make two mesh bags for a 50G aquarium.
Yahoo Shopping Search -prices for Purigen... lowest price (on this date) was DrsFosterSmith.com $5.89 for 100ml package (treats 100G for up to 6 months) - http://shopping.yahoo.com/search?p=purigen&cop=mss
PetsMart.com has Purigen for $6.29 for the 100ml package or $12.59 for the 250ml package and their retail stores will match the online price if you bring the printed page. The 100ml package comes in a media bag already where the 250ml package is in bulk form so you would have to purchase media bags also. Here is the PetsMart.com Purigen page as a TinyURL link... http://preview.tinyurl.com/3aakqj
ZEOLITE -
Zeolite is a white granular product that many consumers are often sold as a solution to ammonia issues in their tanks. While it does absorb ammonia, it gives you a false sense of security as it will "fill up" and then quit absorbing ammonia causing ammonia spikes in your tanks. If you did not use zeolite, you would have built up a proper sized N-Bacteria colony in your filter media which would have taken care of any potential ammonia issues. Further, when people get ammonia spikes, they are shortly followed by nitrite spikes. Then they are told to add salt to the tank to keep the fish from getting nitrite poisoning. The problem with this is that salt will cause zeolite to release ALL of the absorbed ammonia causing the ammonia level to spike even higher. Once again, it's a product that I keep on hand in case of emergencies... like when I went 15 days with no power after Hurricane Katrina, but it's not something I run in my filters on a normal basis.
HORMONES AND STUNTING, STRESS AND HEALTH ISSUES -
I've been learning a lot more about hormone issues that happen in overstocked or undersized tanks. In various fishery related studies, it has been reported that your fish release a hormone into the water column and when this hormone level reaches a certain point, the fish begin to get stressed and stunting issues start to develop. Stress leads to immune system issues and fish start to get sick. The best way to solve this problem is to NOT overstock your tank or have fish that are supposed to get BIG in a small tank. If you are stuck with this problem, then doing frequent PWC's (sometimes daily, depending on your situation), will reduce these hormone levels. It is also reported that products like carbon and more advanced chemical filtration products like Purigen, will remove some or all of these hormones but this needs further research. The best and simplest solution to removing these hormone levels is through frequent PWC's.
In conclusion:
There's a saying... "Dilution is the solution to pollution"... which certainly holds true in the fish keeping hobby. Fresh, clean and frequent PWC's (partial water changes) will do more to keeping your fish healthy than anything else out there.
I hope this helps save a few fish!
GoldLenny
Mozy.com - FREE, secure, encrypted and automatic online backup of your documents and files. Check out how simple and secure it can be to use the Mozy backup system. It will back up your most important files, photos and folders... or your entire hard drive, every day/night (you set the schedule) while you aren't using your computer... and did I mention... it's FREE. I have been using this product/service since it was in Beta Testing and have been 100% satisfied with the final product!!!
SELECT COMMENTS -
Mahstah posted:
"If your filter cartridges have the activated carbon sealed up inside of a plastic housing, it might take some minor "surgery" to open the plastic housing up so you can dump out the carbon. I have done this to several different manufacturers cartridges so I think it's possible with any of them. This way, you still have the plastic frame and floss/sponge material that can be re-used many, many times using the swooshing method above. It's better for your fish and your wallet."
Hi goldlenny-
Do you suggest NOT using carbon filters unless one wants to remove chemicals (malachite green or algae killer)? Is the carbon filter not needed because the good bacteria can fully take care of the ammonia?
-Mahstah
Hailey's Reply:
Carbon does not remove ammonia at all (or at least if it does, it is an immeasurable amount). I don't believe there is any reason to run carbon on an aquarium unless trying to remove a chemical like medication. It takes trace elements out of the water that fish need, it stops working fast, and worse yet, after it stops working it may leech the chemicals back into the water.
¯`·.¸. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>¸.·´¯`·.,..·´¯`·..><((((º>·´¯`·.,..·´¯`·..><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>
BadSaturn3 posted:
I am a little new to Aquariums. I was wondering about filter care on a Bio-Wheel. Thank You very much.
GoldLenny's reply:
I need to update that article to include Bio-Wheels since they are gaining favor.
Basically, you would NEVER do anything to the Bio-Wheel, itself. If you are going to have the power off for very long, take it off and float it in your tank or in some removed tank water, to keep it wet so the N-bacteria in the actual wheel do not die off.
Marineland, also the inventors of Bio-Spira, came up with the Bio-Wheel idea... mainly as a way of selling filter cartridges since "now" you can change out their skimpy filter cartridges every two to four weeks without killing off your N-bacteria colony.... since they live mostly in the Bio-Wheel.
I have a Bio-Wheel 200, as the secondary filter system on my 65G Goldfish and Pleco tank and all I did after the first two weeks, is I used a razor knife to cut three sides of the black plastic slotted section and dumped the charcoal out. I added a piece of poly pad filter material into that square and put the cartridge back in the holder. Then I just do the filter maintenance as described in the article as needed. It's the same filter cartridge that came with the system many months ago. I also rolled up a 2" piece of poly pad, like a cigar, and put it in the little semi-circle overflow cut-out next to the intake tube. This forces the water through the filter, or over the top of the filter cartridge, when it starts to get clogged... but at least it keeps the Bio-Wheel spinning. I've found that if the water starts to back-up out of the overflow cut-out, then not much water goes through the filter and the bio-wheel does not spin properly, which could cause it to dry out and you would lose much of your N-Bacteria colony.
Thanks for asking about the Bio-Wheel systems.
GoldLenny
By rbishop on 05-05-2007, 06:40 PM ( This comment was added to my published article on AquariaCentral.com )
Well, it is probably semantics, but..UGFs...I think they are more popular than most folks think. Most any site I go to that has a poll, 40% of the respondents are still using them.
I still see folks claiming (repeating) that they clog up. I have never seen this to be the case in my experience, but feel those who fail to properly maintain them, could have an issue.
I believe RUGF are a great step forward in filtration, pushing the debri into the water column for removal by other power filters. This is extremely useful in high bioload tanks.In either case, there is no beating utilizing the entire surface area of the substrate as a bio filter. A lot of people and filter manufacturers talk about all the surface area their external filters create, but never acknowledge that your bacteria is only equal to your bio-load. I can run my UGF/RUGfs, and completely bust out any other filter to ground zero without any spikes or many cycles. That tells me the substrate alone holds enough surface area to maintain my tank.
Canisters..Kind of like above, the ability to put in multiple forms of media is vastly over rated. So many of us push letting your fish adjust to your normal parameters and then recommend filters that have the ability for 15 dozen medias. If you have a solid water problem and need to buffer, fine; or to create some conditions for spawning with peat or other products, they are nice. But to spend big bucks on some of the canisters out there is a waste, when a simple Mag 350 will suffice, by 10 fold. Or put the bucks into a small wet/dry. When run in parallel with a RUFG, there is no need for the fancy, high dollar canisters.
Carbon...This is a tricky one. To start, let me say, I run carbon in all my filters. Shock! $$$$ But I have clarity that is unachievable any other way.
The general theory is that a water change will do you just as well. I tend to disagree. If your water has impurities and discoloration, adding more of the same water doesn't make things better.
Also, carbon removes impurities we can not see and we can not test for. The nitrate test are an easy and conveinient method, but don't reflect other TDS DOCs we need to remove. Much as we have carbon filters on our drinking water systems. We can't see the difference, we don't test for it, but lab results show different. It is true that most cartridges have a poor quality and lack ample volume to be effective, but that shouldn't dissuade use of it.
Fish produce the growth inhibiting hormone for their full life span. Carbon should be used the full time for ultimate growth. The removal of impurities is a chemical/ionic bond. You can not release back into the water unless you heat to about 2400 degrees F.
Just my thoughts and experiences. I think we need to look at pros and cons, but not rule out a filtration method directly. Individual applications create the need for flexibility.
GoldLenny replies:
Thanks for your comments.
GoldLenny
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Last edited on November 14, 2008
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