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UFL (was Re: wet-dry filtration)

I hope, Harry, you'll forgive me for posting a personal communication, and
my replies, to the whole list. I just can't pass up a chance to share
interesting stuff, I guess. :-)

AUS62 at aol_com wrote:
> 
> OK, Wright, how about describing your "invisible" oxygenation system. I am
> using Henri's ugly drain pipe setups and they do increase oxygenation. The
> acidification is no problem for me as I am old fashioned and continue to
> change water. It does work.

My water is so well buffered (200 ppm of CaCO3 equiv.) that acidification is
a remote dream! I have to use mostly RO and peat to drop pH very much in
tanks without CO2 injection.

See below for the other trick.

> 
> By the way, thanks for the BAKA box of fish there were some dandy
> specimens

Not *everything* ends up disappearing into that "black hole" out on the left
coast. ;-)

> and I had to purchase several including a finep air of Fdp. walkeri GH-2
> donated by you. They are beauties.  I have never had them as find the old
> orange "Spurrelli" not very attractive. Apparently, I had overlooked the
> Kutunse and thank you for sending them.

It was a round trip, in a way, as the ones you got were offspring of a pair
I picked up at Convention in Tampa, last year. :-) I think they were from
Sweden. Remind me, on a future exchange, and I'll get you some eggs or young
to broaden the genetic base you have. We have been gang spawning the old
stock and refusing to select for anything not obviously deformed, so they
have stayed very constant through about 30+ generations in the hobby (since
1974).

> snip...

>  At the rate the energy crunch in CA is
> progressing, you may have to find methods to aerate your killies without
> electricity. Fortunately, most killies are very hardy and don't require
> lots of aeration.

When my fishroom gets to 84 (I resisted turning the AC on), it does get me
worried. Fortunately, I have no heavily-populated tanks right now or I'd
*really* be sweating it. (^_^; 

[That's a Japanese smiley I picked up from a fellow killinut, there. Means
the same thing as (^_^), but sweating!]

The oxygen enrichment I mentioned was invented by my Betta friend, Lew
Heifner, of "Lew's Gutter" fame. It seems to work, but could have serious
problems if things go wrong, so I'll tinker a while before giving it my
overwhelming approval.

The basic idea is to get more oxygen into the show tank, while reducing the
amount of algae visible to the outside world. Nice, if one can do it.

The method is to place an always-on lamp to shine up through the bottom of a
tank using an undergravel filter (UGF). [Most cabinets luckily leave the
bottom glass exposed for such purpose.]

Vascular plants are stunted by constant light, but algae can use it
effectively, 24/7. By encouraging a lush growth in the space beneath the
UGF, the algae there tend to use up the nutrients most liked by algae, and
starve the rest of the tank for them. In the process of photosynthesis, they
absorb CO2 and return oxygen at night. [That's when regular plants have
switched to respiration and are actually using up oxygen and releasing CO2!]

My tank is a 15 Tall (same footprint as a 10, but 1/3 higher). The Under
Filter Lamp (UFL) is a 15W compact fluorescent desk lamp. The tank is on a
closed stand, so the light leaks at the back and acts as a gentle night
light to let me know it is working after the X-10 system shuts off the main
tank lights. [The lamp was super ugly, so it's a great way to hide it and
still get some use from it. :-)]

I'm currently using injected CO2 and only 20W flourescent over the tank,
which is low for a planted tank (if the lower lamp is discounted). I started
it with a 40W AH Supply CF conversion kit, but created a monstrous algae
bloom at that level. Cutting the top light back and doubling the CO2 brought
the algae bloom to a screeching halt, and minimal hand removal took care of
most of it. The growth under the filter plates is still lush, I think
(haven't looked this week). I add Tropica Master Grow and macro nutrients
(KSO4 and KNO3) when I think to (or the plants show need).

The UGFs are air driven, which probably dissipates any CO2 left from the
algae under the filter (while adding oxygen?), so I have to inject a lot
more CO2 than I originally thought I should to get the dissolved amount I
expected. If the photosynthesis is at a sufficiently high level, the
dissolved oxygen from the plants can drive to a higher level than simple
atmospheric absorption. In that case, the UGF air will serve to actually
*reduce* O2 levels, so I should replace some of that air with a power head.

The *P. aberrans* I have in the tank respond well to O2 and current, so I am
about to put a power head on one of the UGF tubes and reduce air to the
other to a trickle.

So far, it seems to be doing almost what Henri's excellent filters do, and
is completely concealed from view.

Wright

-- 
Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510 494-8679  wright at killi dot net

       http://www.atchison.com/Killifish/BAKA-WCW-10.html

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