[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Filterless tanks
Roger wrote:
>>Running a tank without a biological filter is I think an exercise for
experienced aquarists.<<
Darn tootin'! I removed all bio-filtration on a 40 gallon, intentionally,
and cleaned the canister filter once a week religiously to be sure it didn't
become a biological filter (thoroughly washing all of the filter material.)
The benefits are there (lower nitrate levels, apparently healthier plant
growth, etc.) but there are drawbacks. The problem is you are depending on
actively growing plants to balance the waste products of whatever fish load
you have. If the plants stall for lack of some nutrient or other,
nitrogenous waste can build up quickly (very). It's a delicate balancing
act which shouldn't be attempted by those of us who are still fiddling with
perfecting the plant growth, where such fiddling results in stops and starts
in the plant photosynthetic processes, and stalled tanks. The fish load in
such tanks should also be kept alot lower than most of us are accustomed to
keeping (C'mon! I know most of you throw in one too many fish once in
awhile, so don't get all righteous :)) With a low enough fish load, the
bioactive surfaces in the tank alone may be sufficient to convert the wastes
(bioactive! I should go into marketing! That's almost as good as "New
Molecular Formula!")
Personally, I've allowed my canister filter to become more of a bio-filter,
just to give me and the fish, a little slack.
Darren