Q
& A TIME ONCE AGAIN:
THIS
QUESTION COME FROM THE NETHERLANDS:
Dear
Kevin Novak,
Thanks
for all your good work on the anoxic filtration system. I am
really
interested in this system and would like to get more technical
understanding
for implementing such a great system. In the Netherlands,
where
I live, it is hard to find good information about this system. As a
farmer
I am looking for a biological ammonia filtration system. And I
wonder
if your system could do the job, as nature has intended to.
May
it be possible to filter high ammonia concentration (14mg/l) on this
filter,
by adding more and more baskets with cat litter? If so I could
re-use
my 7000 liter of water. I have read that one basket should filter
the
ammonia production of active koi per day (33mg ammonia per hour per
kilo
bodyweight production is 800mg ammonia per day for a mature koi).
Although
the ammonia concentration in koi ponds is lower than in my
situation,
I wonder if the facultative bacteria could increase to eat
14mg/l
ammonia for lunch.
And
what is the maximum amount of water per hour which can be pumped
over
an anoxic filter? It might be a solution to increase the
recirculation
rate of the water over the filter.
I
am really looking forward to your ideas and advice.
With
kind regards,
F.
Bikker
A:
The Anoxic Filtration System is capable of lowering ammonium/ammonia of
concentrations higher than the 14mg/l that you stated. The more Biocenosis
Clarification Baskets there are, the better the system works on available
foodstuff, if that is, it has the chemical insults to deal with in the first
place.
You
can use your 7000-liters over and over again as long as the stability of the
water stays stable enough with ions to hold pH at a constant.
The
amount of water that passes through the Anoxic Filter will depend how big the
filter is to begin with. The rule of thumb is: The more water that passes
through the filter without disruption of sediment or mulm is the best way to
use the filter. That is why the diffusion of the water is so important. In the
case of the Anoxic Filter, more is better.
QUESTION
FROM SINGAPORE:
Hi Dr Novak
I am Cornelius from Singapore. I have read through your
excellent blog on the Anoxic Filtration System, and am in the process of setting
up one for myself. I would be very grateful if you could help me clarify a few
queries?
Regarding Pond Baskets:
1. Is the pond basket (28cm x 28cm x 19cm deep) I have purchased over the internet the
correct one (See attached picture)?
2. Are there enough open lattices at the bottom of the
basket? From the picture, it can be seen that some sections of the bottom does
not have open lattices. Would this affect the performance of the filter?
Regarding Laterite / Ironite:
3. Do I need to rinse the laterite or ironite before placing
them in the center of the basket? I am using ironite and placed half cup of it
into a nylon sock before rinsing it. But after rinsing, the amount of ironite
that remained in the sock weighed less than half cup.
4. Is the positioning of the laterite / ironite critical?
Must it be deeply rooted in the center of the basket? Would it be ok if the
laterite is closer to the surface but still covered totally by cat litter?
Regarding Pebbles:
5. For my old filter, I am using Seachem Pond Matrix (Porous
Stones) for biological filtration. As I have a lot of them, can I reuse these
stones in place of pebbles to cover the baskets? Would they be detrimental to
the anoxic system?
Regarding Cat Litter:
6. I am using Sanitcat Pink (Danish Moler Clay) cat litter.
It does not clump and retains its structure when wet. But I noticed this cat
litter had a fragrant scent upon opening up the packaging. The scent was
reduced after rinsing the litter a few times. Would this cat litter be ok for
use?
Thank you so much for inventing this awesome system.
Best Regards
Cornelius Tan
 |
| This plant basket will do well for an Anoxic Filter. |
Q:
1 Regarding Pond Baskets:
1.
Is the pond basket (28cm x 28cm x 19cm deep) I have purchased over the internet the correct one (See
attached picture)?
A: The
plant basket in your photo will do just fine for the Anoxic Filter.
Q:
2. Are there enough
open lattices at the bottom of the basket? From the picture, it can be seen
that some sections of the bottom does not have open lattices. Would this affect
the performance of the filter?
A:
Yes there are more than enough lattice opening at the sides and bottom of your
plant baskets.
Q:3)
Regarding Laterite /
Ironite:
Q: 3) Do I need to rinse the Laterite or Ironite before
placing them in the center of the basket? I am using Ironite and placed half
cup of it into a nylon sock before rinsing it. But after rinsing, the amount of
Ironite that remained in the sock weighed less than half cup.
A:
NO, never rinse the Laterite or Ironite before use. Just place the Ironite in a
nylon sock as you have suggested, this will do just fine. You can also if you
wish do the same for the Laterite but it is not necessary to do so. The
Laterite can be placed directly into the basket in the center as explained on
my blog.
anoxicfiltrationsystem.blogspot.com
4.
Is the positioning of the Laterite / Ironite critical? Must it be deeply rooted
in the center of the basket? Would it be ok if the Laterite is closer to the
surface but still covered totally by cat litter?
A:
The placement of the Laterite is really not that critical as long as it is
evenly distributed inside the baskets. However, most hobbyists keep it in the
center of the baskets. The Ironite on the other hand, must only be placed in
the center of each basket.
Q:
4) Regarding Pebbles:
5.
For my old filter, I am using SeaChem Pond Matrix (Porous Stones) for
biological filtration. As I have a lot of them, can I reuse these stones in
place of pebbles to cover the baskets? Would they be detrimental to the anoxic
system?
A:
Very good question and is the best of the lot. Reusing the SeaChem Pond Matrix
is not a good idea. If you read my blog I do go into great detail about such
filter medium and the good and bad about their use. Please read my articles on
filter mediums and then you may see why their use is not a good idea. Just
stick to the pebbles to cover the baskets. The links below will get you on a
good start about filtration medium.
Q:
5) Regarding Cat Litter:
6.
I am using Sanitcat Pink (Danish Moler Clay) cat litter. It does not clump and
retains its structure when wet. But I noticed this cat litter had a fragrant
scent upon opening up the packaging. The scent was reduced after rinsing the
litter a few times. Would this cat litter be ok for use?
A:
This is a very hard question to answer because I don’t know the contents of the
fragrant/s use in the cat litter. My only suggestion would be make sure you
rinse and clean such cat litter to the nines. Then test one of the baskets with
a sacrificial lamb goldfishes to see if it will have any ill effect on their
health. Some hobbyists have had very good luck with such cat litter and other
have had a pond of death with fragrance cat litter.
