My 125G Tank

[wroberson]

I have a 125 Gallon Fish Tank that's 20 months old. It's moderately planted with over 50 plants. Most of them 1 week new. Over the summer the heat wave kept my tank over 90 degrees and the 3 days without power injured my biological filter. One day I spend 6 hours changing the water adding the coolest water I had to get the temperature down. It hit 82, but over night it went back up into the nineties. Many of my plants died. The fish managed through it, but there was an algae bloom and I'm still working on it.

Before using the Pura Filtration Pad:

Ph 7.5
GH 120
KH 120
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 1
Nitrate 200
Phosphate 10

I did a lot of reading and found several sources that said an algae bloom can occur at phosphate levels over 5ppm. The sources are varied from institutions, water management persons, and even the EPA. SO I when on a furious hunt for a phosphate remover. I don;t like adding chemical to the fish tank and was looking for a filter media product. After finding on online, I search the local store and found one.

The product is Pura Filter Pad. It is a cut to fit media. The pad removes solids, organics, Ammonia, Phosphate, Medications, Lead, Copper and silicates from Aquarium water. It is intended for aquarium and pond use only. Use is simple and should be removed or replaced monthly. You can cut to fit, or fold to fit your external filter.

My 125g aquarium uses 2 HOB filters. 1 Whisper EX 70 and 1 Marineland 400. Together they have four independent slots to hold filtration media. There is also extra room for polishers other other media to customize you filtration preferences. The placement in my filter(s) was in front where the water passes through the filter pad just before entering back into the aquarium. The pad does decrease the water flow.

After running one cut to fit pad for 24 hours in one slot of the EX70:

Ph 7.5
GH 180
KH 80
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 1
Nitrate 200
Phosphate 5

After 48 hours:

Ph 7.5
GH 180
KH 100
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 1
Nitrate 200
Phosphate 2

I decided to add a 2nd filtration pad into the EX70 filter. I guess I should have kept using the single, but I am new to testing and it was what I had planned all along. For some reason after the great results I thought about the formula of filtering water. This is just an example. You have 1000 gallons of water and a filter that runs at 100 gallons per hour. In the 1st hour the 10% of the total water is filtered. In the second hour, 9% of the total water gets filtered. 100 gallons is still filtered, but 10% has already been filter. So after 2 hours, 190 gallons have been filtered. In the 3rd hour 100 gallons goes in and of that 8.1%~ get filtered for the first time. Eventally all 1000 gallons has gone through the filter 1 time. I just thought I would speed up the process and help get rid of the last 1.75ppm of phosphate.

The idea here is, based on how plants use nutrients. Phosphate inhibits a plants ability to use up nitrogen and other plant food and mineral. The plants efficiency begins to drop a 5ppm of phosphates. The ideal level of phosphate for plants is .25-1ppm. Plants also get into efficiency problems at 0ppm of phosphate.

So looking at my water, 200ppm of phosphate, there's a ton of food available and with the nutrient lock in the plant's ability to utilize the nitrates, I am hoping and kind of expecting that when the phosphate level reaches an ideal level, the plants in the tank will soak up the nitrates and the extra CO2 that the conditions are causing.

Also, the biological filter seems to mange all the ammonia, but isn't dealing with all the nitrites. As the product notes, it also filter's ammonia. So, if I decrease the ammonia, fewer nitrite will be created and should the nitrite level reach 0ppm, the nitrate level should start dropping in addition to what the plants use for food.

This test is not finished. It's in it's early stages and will be updated every 24 hours. From the results I have seen already, I recommend the Pura Filtration Pad for use in removing phosphate from aquarium water.

 

[wroberson]

Here is the water test for 8/28/2012.

Ph 7.5
GH 180
KH 120
Ammonia 0
nitrite .5
nitrate 200
Phosphate 2.0

My Tap Water:

Ph 7.5
GH 60
KH 80
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .5

Today's test was verified by my mother. and we came up with the same results. As for the sharp changes in KH, the API 5 in 1 strip test is kind of hard to read when dealing with the low ends of the spectrum. White and not so white then kind of pink? Gimme a break.

I got another goodie box in the mail today. I had purchased 3 CFL 2x25 strip lights to replace the 2 T8 single bulb strips. Both of the fixtures are hot to the touch but only on the left side. It's likely normal, but I may have the wrong starter in the fixtures They are FS4 starters rated 30/40 watts. Also in the box were 2 Seachem root tabs, Flourish trace minerals, iron and potassium. I also picked up a box of filter media for the EX70. No changes are being made to the aquarium today. However, I did sprinkle in a little salt to help replace the salt lost by the fishes last night.

 

[wroberson]

I got an email from someone that works in water management of lakes and rivers. He tried explaining things and from what he said, my biological filter is lacking “Heterotrophic” bacteria to breakdown the nitrates to release nitrogen into the atmosphere. Further research may suggest my substrate is not deep enough. The base is only about 1.5 inches deep with a top layer of 3-5mm gravel disbursed into a landscape. With the larger stones converted to the size of the floromax, I might hit 2.5 inches, but taking into account the large spaces between stones compared to the bottom layer, several inches more may be require. The other option I read was an external low oxygen system, or "safe nitrification".

Anywhoo, Here's a very interesting calculators for anyone who stumbles upon it.

http/www.water-research.net/watrqualindex/index.htm

Good Luck. I came up with a water quality of 70, and it might even be a little higher.

 

[wroberson]

8/29/2012 Water Test

Ph 7.5
GH 180
KH 120
Nitrate .5
Nitrate 160
Phosphate 1
Ammonia 0

Last night I clean the Marineland 350 filter leave the EX70 alone to keep filtering the water and remove phosphate The filter was not that dirty. I rinsed the carbon filter, cleaned the impeller, intake tube and removed a small amount of solids. The results are what I was hoping for. A continual lowering of the phosphate level. Also the Nitrate level has dropped to 160. I am super pleased with the Pura Filter Pad.

As mentioned above, I spent a few hours doing math to get a best estimate using formulas around the web and came up with a score of 70. Along my numerical journey I learned that plants use Nitrate and Phosphate at a ratio of 10:1. I found that I have a Nitrate limiting system and working towards a phosphate limiting system. The difference is a ratio of N of 10:1 and an N ratio of 15:1. My N Ratio is 32:1. My water was holding 120 pounds on N in the NO3. That's a lot of plant food. The difference in management is in the biological filtration.

Either manage the Heterotrophic bacteria which I seems to lacking, or the phosphate to get to the proper 10:1 ratio. The nitrification process is working, but the denitrification process is not. I can very easy introduce a large colony of Heterotrophic bacteria simply by reusing an old used carbon filter pad. The Heterotrophic bacteria survive dry as long as there is an oxygen supply. Introduce water and they spring back to life. But if unchecked, they can overpopulate the other bacteria and cause a bacteria bloom.

With the great results I'm getting, I am kind of against futzing with the EX70 and the Phosphate pads. The drop on Nitrates could have been from rinsing the carbon filter from the Marineland 350 and not by removing minute amounts of ammonia that the nitrifying bacteria use to create nitrate. Sooner or later it will be done, but right now I manage through observation.

I thought I should add this is about controlling algae through either a nitrogen limiting system or using a phosphate limiting system. And for all I know this was already understood.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Good technical info we're getting from you here, I removed my phosphate pads from my filter the day I bought it as running as high light & high CO2 as I am I need as much as possible.

 

[wroberson]

Thank you I appreciate the compliment.

I'm new to this part of fish keeping, but am catching on fast. The first thing I came across was algae bloom start at 5ppm phosphate and I became OCD with It. Bought the test kit(s) and then the pad. So glad I found one "now". I'd hate to be waiting for the USPS to deliver.

If there were do-overs, I would get the master test kit rather than the 5 in 1 strips. I'll be out in a week or two.

I just happened to send an email to the right person I guess.

Right now someone is trying to sell me a UV sterilizer to get rid of the algae.

An expert of Rainbow fish says 60-80ppm of NO3 is good.
They can handle 400ppm but not live as long.
So if/when I get down there, I'll need a 10:1 ratio or less
to control algae. At least the formation of it will slow down

With the heat wave and constant 90 degree temps and the 3 days power outage, I was left stranded.

Do you think that the N in the air effects the NO3 strip test?

Watching the strip color change, it's been changing slower and slower
It takes a little longer to get a reading. Before it was nearly instant
I get to watch as it turns from a lighter pink to a darker one.
So I'm hoping that part of the reading comes from the 10 foot walk from
work area to fish tank and the level is slightly lower than what I read.

Thanks again. I wouldt join and comment unless I was putting my best foot
forward to provide helpful information. I know what I know.

 

[wroberson]

This is the before picture. It is a composite to show the full 6 foot tank. The first think you notice is the algae on the back and left side glass. I left that there. It is a valuable food source for the loach, redtail shark, flying foxes and even the Dennison barbs feast on the algae. I have cleaned the left panel, and I the fish were all over it. The area is also the main spawning ground. I felt that since I was covering up most of the floramax, carribsea, I should leave some available. It's days are numbered. Gravity and a week have started flattening out my gravel landscape. Some of the pots that the plants are in are starting to show and I will be adding more gravel.

Of course the angelfish have chosen to lay eggs in the Kleiner Bar Sword. The big plant. Yes. It's in a tiny pot but is not root bound.

The picture is 8-10 days old.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Have you read through any of the threads in PARC? I doubt the Nitrates in the air would affect it and the effect would be microscopic if it did. How come your leaving plants in their pots? I know a lot of people believe that nitrates and phosphates cause algae but they're rarely the root of the problem, in fact I can only think of one off the top of my head that's caused by Nitrates and that's low Nitrates causing blue green algae. Some people blame them only to find out that doing water changes with lights on affects the CO2 level in the tank or that setting up yeast CO2 system is all you have to do and don't watch the levels of CO2 lol. Also low Phosphates can green spot algae, my LFS manager will argue till he's blue in the teeth that plants don't require N&P but they do even in low tech set ups, just a minimal amount. Have a google of "james' algae guide", great read and might help you chill a little with your levels, I have OCD and the way I tell if something is wrong in my tank now is look at my fish and plants, most people with a heavily planted tank don't use test kits any more and don't even fully cycle the filter before adding fish as the plant mass takes care of most nasties along with the daily new set up water changes.

Keep it up tho if those sections don't stop you worrying so much, I do love a technical read from time to time.


Steve