The Anoxic Filtration Story
As told by: Manky Sanke
NOTE:
This
is a reprint from a UK Koi forum, from a member called Manky.
Kevin Novak, a limnologist (a researcher in
freshwater science), designed and developed the idea amidst a lot of ill
informed criticism over about twenty years (1). The criticism that it was
nothing but a bog filter came from those who, when asked a direct question,
admitted they had never read Kevin's CD book and therefore didn't understand
how it worked but were opposed to it anyway.
In 2009 Koi magazine asked me to write an article
on nitrate reduction. I was aware of anoxic filtration but hadn't read much
about how it worked so I contacted Kevin and asked if I could buy a copy of his
CD. At that time Kevin was posting copies FOC (free of charge) to anyone anywhere in the world
so he refused my offer of payment and sent me a copy FOC. He wouldn't even
accept reimbursement of the Trans-Atlantic postage
I spent a few weeks reading and understanding all
about the dimorphic metabolism of facultative anaerobic chemo-litho-autotrophic
bacteria (love that expression) and was able to include, in my article, the
first brief description of the system (that I'm aware of) in a UK magazine.
It's now on my website here:
In appreciation of how Kevin had helped and
because I was impressed by the beautiful simplicity of the idea (even if the
science is mind numbing) I offered to put Kevin's book on my website. That
allowed him to just email a link to my site rather than having to pay for the
CDs, copy the book onto them and then posts them to anywhere. My site gets a
lot of visitors and so Kevin's idea came too much wider attention.
Then the Editor at Koi Carp saw the book and the
article and she asked me to write a comprehensive two-part article,
specifically on anoxic filtration. I used that platform to write the simplest
description possible about how it worked while challenging the mistaken
criticism that it was a nasty anaerobic bog filter.
That then attracted a lot of interest and
questions to me, nearly all of which I could answer because my career had made
it possible for me understand the science behind the system. In the early days
I had to forward a few questions to Kevin but he copied me in to the replies
which filled in any holes in my understanding. I also followed everything that
he put into forums. I soon took on, on his behalf, answering forum posts that
my original magazine articles had provoked plus the growing interest in the
system. Since then more hobbyists are trying it and consequently there's a lot
of chatter about it on forum threads such as this one.
That brings the story up to date (nearly).
Since being asked to become an instructor for Koi
Organization International, they also asked me to write a short eBook about anoxic
filtration for them. As soon as that's finished, it will be on their website
and I'll also put it on mine. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I keep promising that
it'll be finished soon but I'm very busy with a sudden influx of new students
who must take priority over finishing the book but I promise, it's nearly
complete). When it is complete, it'll go on my site here.
PS. I've just re-read this and, in case it comes
across that I think I've single handedly provoked all the interest in Kevin's
system, I don't want to claim all the credit.
I was the first person in the UK to write
magazine articles about and I certainly was the first person to put Kevin's CD
on a website. I also spent a lot of time in those days answering questions
about it on forums but Kevin and a few others in the US have been promoting it
and it became quite popular in Australia. Kevin has put a massive amount on the
Internet and now on his blog. He also has a free download of his CD on iTunes.
I'm probably guilty of starting the ball rolling
in the UK and putting the book on my website helped raise the anoxic profile
and get it onto Google but, since then, posts appear about it on a great many
forums and there have been more and more hobbyists who have tried it and added
their experiences onto forums threads such as this.
__________________
[Ed: (1) The Anoxic Filtration System was introduced
to the public the same time as the Nexus filter was introduced to the U.S.A. hobbyists
in about 1989. I wouldn’t say a filter that has been used by the public far 25–years now would be classified as in its infancy stage any longer as some would like
others to believe.]
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