Salminus Franciscanus (Golden Dorado)

kendragon

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Do you use probiotics? How do you make sure there isn’t crazy build up of waste in your filter?
I do not use probiotics. High flow minimized build up but waste in the chamber.....anaerobic bacteria.....think about it.....isn't that my whole purpose?

Haywards reside here too....

Looks like that is where the similarities end..... Looks like you set it and forget it, while I keep wasting my time hunting for sasquatch wearing a backpack full of carbon dioxide.
Forget about sasquatch and his carbon dioxide. Look for the jackalope with pH down.
 
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nzafi

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Sorry, I don’t follow. Tons of fish waste gets pulled into the filter. You’re saying that turns into anaerobic bacteria? Why wouldn’t it be like any other filter where waste builds up and turns into a nitrate factory.
 

kendragon

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Sorry, I don’t follow. Tons of fish waste gets pulled into the filter. You’re saying that turns into anaerobic bacteria? Why wouldn’t it be like any other filter where waste builds up and turns into a nitrate factory.
Waste in the filter is a nitrate factory or is it the filter doing it's job converting nitrite?

Tons of waste gets pulled in and pushed out with high flow. Like DBjunkie's crazy K1 boil, this is power wash with waste water. The bio sledge remaining becomes anaerobic at the bottom of the chamber.

Other filters are mechanical and biological. This is not.
 

Troy1015

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Waste in the filter is a nitrate factory or is it the filter doing it's job converting nitrite?

Tons of waste gets pulled in and pushed out with high flow. Like DBjunkie's crazy K1 boil, this is power wash with waste water. The bio sledge remaining becomes anaerobic at the bottom of the chamber.

Other filters are mechanical and biological. This is not.

Starting to go over my head. So I run a sump like you say filter socks, into a ton of biological, into return, does the mechanical then hinder or due to biological being next waste must be removed first.

Where I'm lost is if you have the waste staying in the filter how or when do you remove it or your point is it doesn' need to he removed because the them anaerobic bacteria breaks down the nitrate... Just a little lost on this oart and by far mot a expert in filtration. So if rookie question bare with me.
 

Reedmaster16

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Waste in the filter is a nitrate factory or is it the filter doing it's job converting nitrite?

Tons of waste gets pulled in and pushed out with high flow. Like DBjunkie's crazy K1 boil, this is power wash with waste water. The bio sledge remaining becomes anaerobic at the bottom of the chamber.

Other filters are mechanical and biological. This is not.
Sorry I missed the exchange over the weekend, was out in the woods away from most electronics for a couple days.

Very cool. My mindset was always stuck on - any sludge or waste buildup was a ticking timebomb. More so for bacterial outbreak or something similar. You still do water changes obviously so that appears to be more than enough to reduce DOC buildup.

Is denitrification occurring within your filter via the anaerobic bacteria? The anoxic environment in the filter allowing the bacteria to strip/use the oxygen from the nitrate. Then gassing off as nitrogen?
 
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DB junkie

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I'd love to see what would happen IF rays were added to the mix.....

I can tell you what happened to me - mum/sludge/waste = bacteria. What didn't die from the bacteria was easily culled with meds.

Here I thought I was going to take something away from all this to use on my next build....

Guess I'll stick with my same unknoiwn direction hoping for less losses...... :(
 

Dloks

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I see what’s happening here.... Ken you’re getting some ideas for your next stock! Pancakes!
 

kendragon

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Starting to go over my head. So I run a sump like you say filter socks, into a ton of biological, into return, does the mechanical then hinder or due to biological being next waste must be removed first.

Where I'm lost is if you have the waste staying in the filter how or when do you remove it or your point is it doesn' need to he removed because the them anaerobic bacteria breaks down the nitrate... Just a little lost on this oart and by far mot a expert in filtration. So if rookie question bare with me.
Mechanical before bio is good. Helps take the load off bio filter. I have a mechanical filter too but don't need it at this time because I feed pellets and my load is low. WC takes care of build up.
My filter will only accumulate so much before it spits it out. It will not pack it till it explodes.

Sorry I missed the exchange over the weekend, was out in the woods away from most electronics for a couple days.

Very cool. My mindset was always stuck on - any sludge or waste buildup was a ticking timebomb. More so for bacterial outbreak or something similar. You still do water changes obviously so that appears to be more than enough to reduce DOC buildup.

Is denitrification occurring within your filter via the anaerobic bacteria? The anoxic environment in the filter allowing the bacteria to strip/use the oxygen from the nitrate. Then gassing off as nitrogen?
I think you got the idea.
I feel it is more water quality that causes problems. Bacteria is everywhere waiting to attack weak and sick fish. UV is an easy way out for ones who can't balance with filtration.
Again, I'm just trying to prove out my observation on traditional koi ponds and duplicating the the condition with pool filters. My tank is small and my stock is easy.

I'd love to see what would happen IF rays were added to the mix.....

I can tell you what happened to me - mum/sludge/waste = bacteria. What didn't die from the bacteria was easily culled with meds.

Here I thought I was going to take something away from all this to use on my next build....

Guess I'll stick with my same unknoiwn direction hoping for less losses...... :(
Keep an open mind!:)

I see what’s happening here.... Ken you’re getting some ideas for your next stock! Pancakes!
IHOP opening soon.
 
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Reedmaster16

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I'd love to see what would happen IF rays were added to the mix.....
I can tell you what happened to me - mum/sludge/waste = bacteria. What didn't die from the bacteria was easily culled with meds.
Here I thought I was going to take something away from all this to use on my next build....
Guess I'll stick with my same unknoiwn direction hoping for less losses...... :(
Don't get discouraged. As you know rays waste production is normal fish on steroids lol. The key point brought up earlier is finding a balance or sweet spot.

There is more to it than this but big part of achieving what Ken's doing is proper sizing of bio filter to load.
If surface area is undersized and load too high
biofilm can grow overly thick creating true anaerobic area (smelly) which can lead to problems​

If surface area is oversized and load too low
not enough oxygen demand to create anoxic area
For this reason, it makes sense that raykeepers choose to oversize bio to provide adequate surface area as stock grows.

Stocking density is also something to really think about. The more densely stocked less margin for error, easier to upset balance, and problems snowball more rapidly. Just because rays have the space to move around freely/comfortably may not mean its ideal to have 4 rays in a 500g tank. I only have 6 rays in my 2,000gal system.

With rays this could require something like smaller feeding sessions more frequently spread throughout the day. To minimize spikes during feeding time.
 
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