I have always tried to keep the Anoxic filtration system free to the public and with help from good people like Syd Mitchel from the UK placing it on his website www.mankysanke.co.uk and Lio Fornellino in Italy http://liofornellino.blogfree.net the word has gotten out.

Hi Gert,

The Idea and biological activity is patented however the open cell baskets, cat litter and Laterite are not. What I’m saying, it’s like a ballpoint pen, and the inside workings are protected on how it works by patented laws but anyone can copy the outside and what it’s made of. All of those items have been patent by others.  

I will say right now that I think what Lio has done is great job and I wish him all the luck in the world. Lio has never claimed that the Anoxic Filtration system is his nor has he tried to change the name from what I have originally named it. He has always given credit to me the inventor.  

Everything he’s done is by the book and no infringements of patents apply to him or the sale of any of his products. I gave this to the public for free and if someone can make money on it … that’s great go for it as we say in the US. If I had the money I would do the same thing. 

I have always tried to keep the Anoxic filtration system free to the public and with help from good people like Syd Mitchel from the UK placing it on his website www.mankysanke.co.uk  and Lio Fornellino in Italy http://liofornellino.blogfree.net  the word has gotten out.  

What Lio tried to do before his passing, was sell cat litter and Laterite to the hobbyists to make up the Biocenosis baskets so people in Italy would have easy access to these products. I tried to do the same thing here in the U.S.  but no manufacturer of cat litter was interested in making up premeasured bags of cat litter and Laterite.  

 My idea was to have one bag of the premeasured stuff to fill one 11x11x7 open cell Biocenosis basket. That way it would be easier for the hobbyist to buy as many bags as needed without all the hassle of looking all over the place to find Laterite or baked non-clumping cat clay. Simplification!  That’s all I wanted to do! However, because I was not a big manufacturer of aquatic products it never became a reality. Yet I do see similar products like iron impregnated gravel on the internet for aquarium use but at five times the price. Let’s face it, if you could buy a 10 lbs. bag of premixed clay and Laterite for $3-4 USD then that would be a bargain.  It would only cost about $60 USD for twenty Biocenosis baskets that’s cheap enough! 

I know that someday someone in the pond business will eventually come up with a kit, but until then people will struggle or give up trying to get the right combination together to make up the Biocenosis baskets. They then will be missing out on what’s new for what’s old and cost more. Read your forums and see how many hobbyists are constantly talking about water quality problems and sick fish. Is this all the industry has to offer us is sick fish, drugs and water quality problems? 

 I cannot believe how many times Brian Woodcock from the UK has said:” I wish I would have known about this system sooner than spending all my money on expensive pond equipment.”  Because Brian’s ponds going so well now, he’s bored because he doesn’t have to fiddle with it every day. 

Click on the link below to read about Brian's Anoxic filtration build in the UK.
http://drklnovak.blogspot.com/2013/09/brian-woodcocks-anoxic-filter-build.html

 If you’re the kind of hobbyists that likes to be hands-on with your pond equipment, then the Anoxic filtration is definitely not for you. I don’t have time to fiddle with my pond every day to be part of the hobby; I have better things to do! I don’t want the hobby to consume my life: I just want it to be part of it, that’s all. But then again, you can always go on the internet and read how everyone else is struggling with their ponds and keeping their Koi healthy and keep yourself busy that way or take up another hobby like Mumble peg or then there is…