The number of nitrifiers depend on the load of the tank. They will spread on all surfaces they don't really care for the location as long as they get what they need. You might have alot of surface area and/or other ways of getting rid of nitrogen like plants, so you don't notice it if you killed the ones in the filter.
Washing Your Bio
- Thread starter benzjamin13
- Start date
Hello; I am going to make an assumption, possibly a faulty one. My assumption being I expect there to be two sorts of filter media. First is the mechanical which is supposed to trap tank detritus and to my thinking is replaceable. I throw away the stuff when it gets loaded up and put in some new stuff. (Note- I also replace this throw away media in stages and not all at once because I figure some bb are on it.)
The bio-media is kept behind the mechanical media and in ideal conditions only clean water will flow over it. Bio-media should have lots of surface on which the bio-film of bb will colonize. However in my experience the mechanical media does not trap all the gunk. Also is the build up of layers on the bio-media surfaces that simple rinsing will not remove.
My take is and has been that the bb do not have property rights for the bio-media. My guess is lots of other bacteria, gunk and such will take up residence. At any rate the bio-media gets loaded up.
Again, what you can pull off safely, compared to others, will vary greatly. The only way that you could get away with what you describe is if your tanks are lightly stocked with fish, and you are on a chlorine only system, with a small residual of chlorine at your tap. A large amount of décor would obviously help, but the reality is that the majority of bio-bacteria in every established tank will be found in ones filtration media.
Like RD. have said, I also keep my biomedia in bags, just put the bag in a bucket and swish it a few times, you might want to dump the water and do it a few times to get out most of the gunk. You can also do it if you don't have them in bags just do the same but work the media with your hand, you'll get out almost all of the gunk
If you are requiring a garden hose to blast off the outer layer of bio-film, chances are a lot of the nitrifying bacteria has already been oxygen starved and died off. In which case the newly formed anaerobic bacteria that replaces it might be helping lower nitrates, but probably not doing so well at nitrification.
Hello; To use an old Bill Nye The Science Guy statement = "extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof." I do not challenge the statement in a sense of thinking nor wanting it to be wrong in any way, but to understand what sort of evidence backs this up.
I get where ammonia and nitrite laden water flows over bb loaded surfaces that the bb have a better chance to take in these toxins. My take has been that bb will better colonize surfaces where some flow in present. What I would like to understand is why somehow the majority of the bb are in the media? Seems they will colonize the tubes feeding water into the filter and any other surface where flow exists just as well. There is a logic to bb colonies being on filter bio-media due to flow but not clear why such media will hold the majority.
Hello; Not a case of requiring a garden hose for cleaning, just that this is a practical way to do a more thorough job. As I stated earlier I take care to preserve some bb loaded surfaces as I fully expect cleaning with a hose to remove the bb and do understand the chlorine will take a toll as well.
I also after a few decades have gone to low stocking densities which helps. I run either an UGF or sponge filter on air in all my tanks which I figure will home some bb. I have some sponge bases in the back of a couple of filters to have ready so I can set up a new tank in a hurry and also figure they will home some bb. I do not clean all media of any type all at one time.
..... because filtration media, including bio-media, has more square footage. It simply boils down to one of my least favorite subjects, math.
As an example, several of the top brand names were broken down in a past thread.
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...en-aquaclear-biomax-and-fluval-biomax.348530/
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Eheim EHFISUBSTRAT with over 450 m2 per liter = 4842 sq. ft. of surface area per liter.
Seachem Matrix; provides over 160,000 cm2 per liter = 170 sq. ft. of surface area per liter.
Hagan Biomax each ceramic ring contains at least 100 square feet of surface area x approx 66 rings per liter = 6600 sq. ft. of surface area per liter. Link c. Each 17.63 oz box contains approximately 100 ceramic cylinders - perfect for most mid-sized (approximately 1-1/2 L) media baskets.
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Then factor in the constant flow of water, which not only causes increased exposure, but also creates elevated levels of 02, and voila, it's no longer extraordinary at all.
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I've always used (chlorinated) tap to rinse filter media, when necessary, without - to my knowledge - any adverse effects. I use a lot of Poret in my fishroom (including their sponge filters). The key is not cleaning too thoroughly...
Here's what Dr. Stephan Tanner of www.swisstropicals.com says on the topic (at least as it relates to Poret foam):
http://www.swisstropicals.com/faq/
Q: how do rinse Poret® foam sheets?
A: the easiest way is outside in the yard or driveway using a garden hose. Simply bang the sheet flat on the ground several times (Note: I recommend not wearing your best outfit doing this) to shake out the filter sludge, then rinse with the hose; repeat until the water coming out is relatively clean. Don’t overdo it! Sufficient microorganisms will survive this procedure to quickly re-establish the biology of the filter. It does not matter if you use cold or chlorine-treated water! The often repeated notion that this process would kill all the filter organisms is complete nonsense, because the residual chlorine concentration in drinking water is way too low to kill them all.
Here's what Dr. Stephan Tanner of www.swisstropicals.com says on the topic (at least as it relates to Poret foam):
http://www.swisstropicals.com/faq/
Q: how do rinse Poret® foam sheets?
A: the easiest way is outside in the yard or driveway using a garden hose. Simply bang the sheet flat on the ground several times (Note: I recommend not wearing your best outfit doing this) to shake out the filter sludge, then rinse with the hose; repeat until the water coming out is relatively clean. Don’t overdo it! Sufficient microorganisms will survive this procedure to quickly re-establish the biology of the filter. It does not matter if you use cold or chlorine-treated water! The often repeated notion that this process would kill all the filter organisms is complete nonsense, because the residual chlorine concentration in drinking water is way too low to kill them all.
