Yes it’s that time of the year again in the UK as
well as in the US and the Anoxic Filter needs its 6-month cleaning. Brian’s
innovation and foresight saved him lots of time cleaning the filter and he did
something that increased his Anoxic filter availability to biological
activities by 30%.
Brian placed some PVC pipes underneath his
Biocenosis baskets to allow for easier cleaning of his filter but what he also
did was create a Plenum. Now the word plenum may be new to some hobbyist but it
is not new in the filtration world. Basically it is a gap underneath a
substrate or medium filled with matter. Because the Biocenosis baskets are
sitting on top of the PVC pipe, it now allows the bottom of the baskets to take
in ions without hindrance. The water at the bottom of the Anoxic filter is
moving slower than that on top of the baskets. The baskets themselves act like
baffles to slow down the incoming water and ions.
The slower moving water on the very bottom now
acts like a void or an empty space between baskets and pond liner. This then
allows chemical and biological mediators on the bottomed of the baskets to
process detritus better than just laying the basket directly on the liner itself.
Whenever you can increase biological activity by the lack of restrictions you
then can increase biological activities and in this case it’s by a whopping 30%
better.
I also now see the error of my ways by not
putting in a bottom drain in my Anoxic filter, too. No more sump pump or
electricity to empty the filter, gravity and water presser does it all.
Connecting a Lay-flat hosepipe to your drain makes it “a breeze” as Brian says.
How long did it take Brian to clean his filter out start to finish…20 whole
minutes! It takes me longer than that to clean a canister filter to a fish
tank.
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Run the Lay-flat hose to the drain and then started to drain the filter. Used a garden hose just to
wash any crap to the bottom.
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Then filled once clean... [Ed:Boy this looks so hard...NOT!]
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Job all done...start to finish in about 20-mins. Just to add, I have taken a few plants
out as I wasn't too keen on them and added another water lily with red flowers this time.
To
read more about Brian’s Anoxic filter.
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