Why Your Filter is TOO SMALL and NOT CYCLED
Vložit
- čas přidán 11. 07. 2024
- Apologies for the accusatory tone of the video title but the fact is over 95% of people who watch this video will have high nitrates in an under-filtered aquarium or pond.
Don't believe me? Then please watch the video since I have tried to cram in as much useful information about filters and biological processes as possible in the run time which is close to 35 minutes.
Bear in mind that the figures given in the video for recommended media amounts is based on Biohome ultimate in a properly set up filter and achieving FULL CYCLE FILTRATION so they are based on the filter working at best efficiency. With less effective types of filter media you could need way more to get near full cycle filtration and most will never achieve that no matter how much you use.
Media choice is critical as it needs to support a good balance of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria to process Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrite for the full cycle (low flow rate is not needed for Biohome to be effective so that is a bonus).
For the people out there who have achieved full cycle filtration and now enjoy a healthy system with happy fish I'd love to see your comments posted on this video - feel free to link to any videos of your tanks too.
Only FULL CYCLE FILTRATION is successful filtration.
A full cycle is completed by bacteria - the aerobic part of biological filtration which processes ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate followed by an anaerobic part which processes nitrate into soluble nitrogen which bubbles off to the atmosphere.
Therefore it requires a suitable amount of excellent quality filter media to be able to provide the environment for both aerobic AND anaerobic bacteria - that is what Biohome ultimate does perfectly but even with such good media there are limitations and we recommend the following amounts for different stocking scenarios:
(1 US Gallon = 3.8 litres)
(1kg = 2.2 lbs)
Average community tropical aquarium = 1kg per 100 litres
Average coldwater aquarium = 1kg - 1.5kg per 100 litres
Predator aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Large cichlid aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Malawi / Tanganyikan aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Marine aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Average mixed fish pond = 1kg per 200 litres
Average koi pond = 1kg per 150 litres
TIME STAMPS:
00:00 Introduction
01:45 Misleading information
02:48 Explaining the proper Nitrogen cycle (full cycle)
04:40 Sizing a filter properly (for full cycle filtration)
07:58 Some examples of aquarium filters true capacity
12:42 Booster filter
14:00 How long a full cycle should take
16:01 How to set up a canister filter for full cycle filtration
22:33 Carbon / chemical media placement in a filter
24:18 Placement of 'polishing pad'
26:10 Notes on cleaning the filter
27:46 Chemical filtration problems / effects on bacteria and nitrate levels
31:01 Biohome, cheap media and summary
GEAR LINKS:
Biohome, foams etc. www.filterpro.co.uk
APS 2000 filter: geni.us/2LnO
SunSun 304B (UV version) US: geni.us/iINgHik
EF2 2.3 litre Booster filter: geni.us/2bj1
SunSun HW-603 2.3 litre booster filter (US): geni.us/QA3w
Eheim pre-filter: geni.us/oP1GW6h (not shown in video)
USEFUL VIDEOS:
Looking inside filter media: goo.gl/NCJ2oP
Wheelie bin shower filter: goo.gl/xd7YVe
Aquarium / filtration playlist: goo.gl/QiiCWZ
Pond construction playlist: goo.gl/cRVwn2
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS ON AMAZON: goo.gl/jMaBWy
INSTAGRAM: / pondguru_outdoors
FILMING EQUIPMENT:
Panasonic HC-VX870 HD camcorder geni.us/3UwE
+Rode stereo microphone: geni.us/4OL
+Rode 'deadcat' mic cover: geni.us/1pmn
JVC Everio quad proof HD camcorder: geni.us/e09e
+Rode 'deadcat' mic cover (opened up and held between tripod and camera base) geni.us/dee24
Zomei Z666 tripod: geni.us/1a1af3
Manfrotto MTPIXI-B PIXI mini tripod: geni.us/87f7
If you've enjoyed this video please check out the playlists on my channel for hundreds more - on a variety of subjects.
Feel free to share or link any of my videos on facebook, twitter, forums etc. for the benefit of anyone you think may also enjoy watching.
See you next time.
Pondguru - Zábava
I am 52 and have been in the aquarium hobby on and off since I was 18. I have had salt water,fresh water and reef tanks. When I started there was no CZcams. It was read a book and get advise from a local fish store. I bounce around looking at different videos about "the experts" with all their do and do not advise for fish keeping. Usually within 5 minutes you can tell who knows his stuff or who just wants a bunch of likes and subscribers. I was expecting the same here. Surprisingly, I watched the full 35 minute video and actually ENJOYED listening to you. Very sound advise for newbies and veterans. Thank you for the time and dedication you put in to educate people on this fascinating hobby. 🐠 🐠 🐠 🐠
I agree. From another 40 plus year aquarist. I was in public aquaria for a while and i also consider myself very knowledgeable. Pond guru is great. One of the best.
You are THE ONLY person on CZcams who fully explains everything, mechanically, biologically and logically. You actually TEACH the viewers, not just tell us half-assed information. I write down everything i learn in your videos and all of my tanks and ponds are thriving more than ever. ANOTHER THING, putting the cermaic rings underneath the trays collects a MASSIVE amount of crap. Very simple yet so effective.
Groovy, I'm glad you find the videos useful as I make them to help clear up some of the nonsense out there.
my dogs nuts DIYKing explains very well all his aquatic videos you should check him out
I have cermaic balls not rings can i can use those?
@@arranjohnson9795 Aquarium co-op is also good.
I 100% fully agree with you.The ONLY about ANYTHING.The gentleman did an awesome job.Pls read my comment to him.Cheers.
You just opened my eyes. My aquarium - a lot o plants, RO water with mineralization, Amazonia bed, not many fishes, regular water changes, and constant problems with algae. Now I doubled the filtration, used different media in a proper order setup , problems gone! Thank You!
"Slightly big is better than slightly small", that's what she said. Good honest video.
This is a cool dude, not annoying, very natural and informative
You sir have given me the exact information about filtration that I have spent many months trying to find. Thank you for posting this. I use 2 of the exact units you used in my 175 gallon tank. I now know how to arrange the media for optimum performance.
It's Thanksgiving 2019, in the USA. Not sure if you check in here any longer, Richard, but your videos are making a world of difference for me, my fish, and tank this go 'round. Intelligent and concise presentations minus any ambiguity. Cheers, mate!
What a fantastic, straight-up, informational video from someone with experience and knowledge. Thanks so much! Truely appreciated. I spend months on end researching the biology and learning about various options, cross-referencing etc. before even thinking of starting up a new large tank (even with a few years experience in the hobby). People like you are doing us all a huge kindness! All the best to you!
thank you for this video! I appreciate the time you take to time stamp the topics.
That is no problem and it doesn't take long to do that for viewers - I do it on most of my longer videos.
Thanks for watching and appreciating the video.
I wanted to thank you for posting this video, as it's been a life-saver - not for me, but for my much-loved fish!
I've only been a first-time fish owner for a few months now - my daughter bought them for me to keep me occupied - and, never having owned them before, I've been doing my best to research every aspect of it - only to become totally and utterly confused with all the conflicting advice here on CZcams!
But your video is the first one I've come across that really goes into a true depth of explaination, not only of the basics, but also the whole water cycle - something I've been struggling with, because nobody else really explained it as well, or as clearly, as you have - my fish would be very grateful to you, if they knew! Lol
Co-incidentally, I'd just bought myself a Fluval 106 filter, as the one I have at present isn't as good as I'd like - and so, now, I know what I need to buy to make sure I get the best out of both the new filter, and my 70 litre tank!
I've already stopped your video a couple of times, to go and order the 700g of biohome filter gravel, plus varying sponges, that I'm going to need! Lol
Thankyou for being so clear and concise - and for being so willing, and patient, to really teach your viewers how to get the best out of their filters, whatever they are :)
Thanks pond guru! I have just changed my foams to the bottom of the canister external filter. Glad your here.
This is a fantastic video. I need to watch it again to fully understand all the pearls you've mentioned.
Thank you again.
Dude, you need to sell T shirts that say "And I'll tell you why...". You are the MAN. Thanks for all the great info. You are a true Guru.
Brilliant.. Thank you for taking the time and energy in putting such crucial and valuable information out there.
The right knowledge is key. You make perfect sense even to novices to the hobby like myself.
You're a legend!
this information was super useful and i appreciate all of it! there is a LOT of mis information all over the internet thats mainly based upon personal trial and error. the fact that you actually scientifically tested and developed your own media is amazing!
Dude.... All hail the master. No nonsense natter. I had my filter set to the manufactures recommendations and had nothing but problems. Your chat was like a slap around the head. Changed my filter media and its position. Tada. I have a planted tank in perfect balance. Great work.
Hudson.
One of the few videos I have actually thought about leaving a comment on. Really enjoyed this and provided a lot of great info!
Awesome - I'm glad you found it useful.
So true one video from thousands and millions with just great information
I've just bought an FX4 to boost my stock Jewel Lido 200 filter and just followed your set up guide! Man its a step up from my Eheim Ecco Pro 300! Thank you for all your advice, i've been keeping fish since i was 5 but still learning new things from you!
I miss your fish keeping vids. Watch them all !!
THIS !
Video is a little over a year old but you got my subscription. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Been in the fish hobby for a 4 years now and still struggling with getting filtering just right. I think this is the first thorough explanation i've encountered. Thankyou heaps for the clarity and thoroughness of your explanations.
I honestly don’t know why I don’t watch you all the time!! I apologize. I just bought one of these filters, didn’t really know how to set one of these up....never used one. You are so good at explaining them and the way bacteria develops and what it does! Thank you, thank you thank you. So helpful. Watching you helped me set up a filter for my koi pond a couple of years ago, having problems there now, just the filter part again, koi have gotten bigger since then. Need a bigger filter now. I’ll get it with your help. Thanks again!
This is the single most informative video I have seen yet. Completely explains why everything is 0 except for 30ppm nitrates. Thank you very much!
No worries and I'm glad you enjoyed the video as I love making anything useful and / or educational.
finally someone explained it propperly :) pointing out the ratio between filtermedia and water volume is great! I read multiple books till I got to that very usefull information.
I'm amazed you eventually found it in books since I hadn't found that information in 25 years in the trade!
Obviously the figures of kg of media to litres of water I gave in the video do not apply to all types of filter media as most will not support aerobic AND anaerobic bacteria but the general sizing of filters will still be accurate.
Choice of media is critical to achieving the full cycle.
Yeah :) books about aquaponics usually cover that topic.
Groovy.
I ordered and read a ton of books and can assure you I never found the relevant information in regards to media and tank size calculations. With how obsessive I am about reading about this I merely stumbled on this video by accident and knew I’d found the missing piece...
Great info and thank you. I bought a 304 b sunsun and set it up yesterday. I haven't started it on a tank yet. I'm glad I watched this, now I have some adjustments to make.
I just want to thank you so much. Ive kept fish since i was young lad, but decided to get more seriously into the hobby about 4 years ago. I started researching things with planted tanks and canister filters. I came across the video you made that was bassically the same thing as this just alittle shorter and more to the point. It taught me so much and ive had nothing but success. Im very happy to see you made this video with even more info and I really hope it helps another newbie getting into the hobby. Hope to get myself some biohome ultimate too!! keep doing what you do and thank you again!
Awesome to hear that the videos are useful to you - that's why I put them out.
I know they are never going to get millions of views and earn me a retirement fund but getting proper information out in a world of nonsense and deception is way more important.
I'm happy to be the guy who pops up from time to time to share stuff of use, lol
Hi Richard, always a great knowledge with your videos. Always find i learn something more. I plan on installing a new drum filter on my koi pond over the next 12-18 months and then plan on using your biohome product in a shower filter. Keep up the pond videos coming thick and fast buddy. Kind regards, Chris.
Glad you enjoy the videos and I'm hoping to shoot a video which has a drum, moving bed and shower all in one customisable unit before Christmas so you will like that one for sure. I have another shower video to do soon as it is from the same guy who is bringing up the aforementioned filter for me to take a look at and film - really looking forward to that as it solves so many problems associated with traditional filters.
Pondguru I look forward to seeing this upcoming videos. Drum filters really intrigue me.
Apologies for the accusatory tone of the video title but the fact is over 95% of people who watch this video will have high nitrates in an under-filtered aquarium or pond.
Don't believe me? Then please watch the video since I have tried to cram in as much useful information about filters and biological processes as possible in the run time which is close to 35 minutes.
Bear in mind that the figures given in the video for recommended media amounts is based on Biohome ultimate in a properly set up filter and achieving FULL CYCLE FILTRATION so they are based on the filter working at best efficiency. With less effective types of filter media you could need way more to get near full cycle filtration and most will never achieve that no matter how much you use.
Media choice is critical as it needs to support a good balance of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria to process Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrite for the full cycle (low flow rate is not needed for Biohome to be effective so that is a bonus).
For the people out there who have achieved full cycle filtration and now enjoy a healthy system with happy fish I'd love to see your comments posted on this video - feel free to link to any videos of your tanks too.
Only FULL CYCLE FILTRATION is successful filtration.
A full cycle is completed by bacteria - the aerobic part of biological filtration which processes ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate followed by an anaerobic part which processes nitrate into soluble nitrogen which bubbles off to the atmosphere.
Therefore it requires a suitable amount of excellent quality filter media to be able to provide the environment for both aerobic AND anaerobic bacteria - that is what Biohome ultimate does perfectly but even with such good media there are limitations and we recommend the following amounts for different stocking scenarios:
(1 US Gallon = 3.8 litres)
(1kg = 2.2 lbs)
Average community tropical aquarium = 1kg per 100 litres
Average coldwater aquarium = 1kg - 1.5kg per 100 litres
Predator aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Large cichlid aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Malawi / Tanganyikan aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Marine aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Average mixed fish pond = 1kg per 200 litres
Average koi pond = 1kg per 150 litres
TIME STAMPS:
00:00 Introduction
01:45 Misleading information
02:48 Explaining the proper Nitrogen cycle (full cycle)
04:40 Sizing a filter properly (for full cycle filtration)
07:58 Some examples of aquarium filters true capacity
12:42 Booster filter
14:00 How long a full cycle should take
16:01 How to set up a canister filter for full cycle filtration
22:33 Carbon / chemical media placement in a filter
24:18 Placement of 'polishing pad'
26:10 Notes on cleaning the filter
27:46 Chemical filtration problems / effects on bacteria and nitrate levels
31:01 Biohome, cheap media and summary
GEAR LINKS:
Biohome, foams etc. www.filterpro.co.uk
APS 2000 filter: geni.us/2LnO
SunSun 304B (UV version) US: geni.us/iINgHik
EF2 2.3 litre Booster filter: geni.us/2bj1
SunSun HW-603 2.3 litre booster filter (US): geni.us/QA3w
Eheim pre-filter: geni.us/oP1GW6h (not shown in video)
USEFUL VIDEOS:
Looking inside filter media: goo.gl/NCJ2oP
Wheelie bin shower filter: goo.gl/xd7YVe
Aquarium / filtration playlist: goo.gl/QiiCWZ
Pond construction playlist: goo.gl/cRVwn2
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS ON AMAZON: goo.gl/jMaBWy
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/pondguru_outdoors/
FILMING EQUIPMENT:
Panasonic HC-VX870 HD camcorder geni.us/3UwE
+Rode stereo microphone: geni.us/4OL
+Rode 'deadcat' mic cover: geni.us/1pmn
JVC Everio quad proof HD camcorder: geni.us/e09e
+Rode 'deadcat' mic cover (opened up and held between tripod and camera base) geni.us/dee24
Zomei Z666 tripod: geni.us/1a1af3
Manfrotto MTPIXI-B PIXI mini tripod: geni.us/87f7
If you've enjoyed this video please check out the playlists on my channel for hundreds more - on a variety of subjects.
Feel free to share or link any of my videos on facebook, twitter, forums etc. for the benefit of anyone you think may also enjoy watching.
See you next time.
Pondguru
Awesome video. You truly are the guru!
Does high water movement inside a filter prevent or reduce the efficiency of anaerobic bacteria? Was wondering, because I was thinking of getting something like the Eheim Aquacompact and chucking in anaerobic supporting media.
can you do a review on nitrate minus pearls? They are quite expensive but are very effective in removing nitrates for a one year period. i do stack my fx6 with pimus stone and only clean the filter every few months with good results but nitrates always end up getting kinda high after a few months (because of two goldfish). I just wanna know if i could use nitrate minus pearls that require reactors the same way i use tetra nitrate minus pearls which you just throw into the tank and eats up the nitrate. Here is an amazon link of it:
www.amazon.co.uk/Tetra-189188-TetraAqua-NitrateMinus-Pearls/dp/B007OX9ABQ/
Thanks in advance and thank you for the video
When I had the shop we had a treatment from Tetra called Nitrate minus which was quite effective and that had pearls of some sort in it. The effect was only ever temporary so I don't consider it to be a proper solution to lowering nitrate levels. Having a properly sized, well set up filter will always be better than a temporary fix.
Generally high flow would reduce the chance of developing anaerobic bacteria but with the biohome it doesn't seem to matter due to the variability of the internal structure - in any flow rate there is always small pockets of anaerobic activity.
when you quoted terence you melted me completely. a great video.
Class video mate! Learnt lots and has really helped me to figure out what I will need for my first canister filter, and definitely going to get the little mechanical canister too. Super grateful for your time and advice PondGuru 🙏
Fantastic video mate been using your setup on my 2 tanks for 3 years now and it works perfect. People this guy knows what he is talking about 😀😀😀
That is awesome to hear and I'm glad you enjoy the videos.
I can remember last year I watched your video on how to set up a filter and contacted you and your advice was second to none. As you may know I use two of the. APS 2000lt/h filters both with boosters. I can honestly confirm 100% what you are saying here. I check my boosters once per month and every three to four months check my canister which holds only the Bioholme. I run a 5 ft 93 gallon 433 litre tank and the water clarity, fish health and water quality is second to none. Everyone needs to watch and believe what your say8ng. Take great care.
That is great to hear and I'm glad you appreciate the videos as i put them out purely to help people.
To get all this great feedback really justifies making more filtration advice videos since there is still such a dearth of good information out there. It's criminal that should be the case when there are aquatic channels out there getting 100,000+ views in 1-2 days on their new videos but tat is the nature of the beast - viewers in CZcams land would obviously rather watch an Arowana being crammed into an already over-populated aquarium than would want to find out how to properly filter their water.
I'm happy to be one of the guys to be producing something useful which helps the viewer, not the up-loader so it's great to hear that everything is going well and that I could have helped in any way - to me sharing anything useful has the greatest worth.
Groovy
Pondguru it is sad really isn’t it. I mean, I’m a member of god knows how many fish groups on Facebook and most have not got a clue about the nitrogen cycle. Off all the groups I’m in I’ve shared this video in a hope that people will watch it and actually get real and proper information on the cycle and how not to be duped by big rip off companies misleading people into buying their products. I’ll keep spreading the word for the simple reason i am testament on how effective this works. Have a great day buddy.
That is great to hear that you persist with facebook as it has largely devolved into a sponsored fanboy zone which I haven't got any time for. For every person who wants to learn and understand their filtration there are 10 others copy and pasting nonsense for the clicks and likes, trying to make themselves look clever - there's nothing complicated about filtration which I think is what confuses so many of those 'experts'.
I have a unbelievable post from a forum to show in an upcoming video where a self proclaimed scientist comes up with all sorts of total nonsense and people actually fall over themselves to thank him for the useful 'knowledge'.
It really has to be seen to be believed.
Surely it would be easier to simply post a link to a video where something is explained simply so I am very appreciative of you doing that for the benefit of others.
Groovy.
Am sharing your videos with my circle of friends. I watch a lot of 'tip' videos and find yours to make the most sense! Following your advice in my 50gal goldfish aquarium and all is well. Thank you! Looking forward to many more vids.
No worries and I'm glad you find the videos useful - feel free to share them anywhere.
What a wealth of knowledge. Thanks for making this video and sharing. This type of well presented and well spoken material is what we need more of on the Tube.
No worries, I know my videos aren't the most entertaining but I do try to put important information in them and I'm glad you found it useful.
Ive learned so much from you man, why did you stopped doing vids about Aquariums and ponds? They are gold, I hope u start doing them again.
My work situation has changed over the last few years and I gave up pond construction to concentrate on the shop then closed the shop to concentrate on the online business - I couldn't do all 3 jobs at once as the online business was growing to the point that I needed to give it full attention.
Problem is the business has grown to the point where I am lucky to get 1-2 hours free a week so making videos of any type is difficult.
However I have a plan to build a small studio in a new building we're making for the online business where I can film aquarium / filtration videos. I wasn't going to do that but seeing the dearth of good information out in CZcams land on filtration forced my hand there and it has to be done.
Dang... I hope you do more videos - I will go thru all the ones you have done... your information is the most relevant I have found this far! You’re gifted!
Hi there Richard,
Another great video, very enjoyable to watch, thanks for the info and best regards from the boys in Down Under, Tony.
Just as well I put it out before the weekend as there has been a nation of comments on this one - no free time for me....
This was by far, the most usefull information on filtration I have seen so far on CZcams. Thank you very much.
No worries, I'm glad you enjoyed the video - thanks for watching.
Super helpful. I’m new to the hobby and have a couple of tanks running canister filters. This helped me tremendously! Thank you!
No worries, any time and I'm glad you found the video useful.
Your the only youtuber who can actually hold.my attention when talking about the nitrogen cycle. All the rest make me feel like I'm 5 years old being taught by a teacher who was to stupid to teach an actual class . Thanks for the video it came just in time , I haven't been able to cycle through nitrites in my 125 gallon tank for almost 1 month now . Though I should have more than adequate filtration. I'm gonna try a new dechlor. And soon an entirely new filter setup.
Sounds good to me, man.
The videos on youtube often make it super complicated or ignore anaerobic part of the cycle hence the need for something like this.
I really should have made multiple smaller videos on the specific parts of this video but I'm not one for chasing views and would rather put one video out for anyone wanting to get lots of information in one video - it seems to be going down quite well except for a few nasty comments from fake channels which I deleted (we all get them, lol)
I think there is a trend of people getting impatient (short attention spans?) and wanting all the major points in a 30 second video. I appreciated the in depth explanation. The way I see it, we all watch 30 minute/hour long videos on Netflix, so why should we complain about an instructional/informational video being that long?
FGC: So, U tnk there is a trend of people gtg imp (sas?) and wanting all maj pts in a 30 sec vid? U app the in depth exp. The way U c it, we all watch 30 min/hr long vids on Netflix, so why shd we comp about an instr/info vid being that long?
Every new aquarist should watch this video!
I am learning tons from your channel, thank you.
Thank you so much for all you do! We’ve learned so much from your Pimp My Filter series. But, this video with a general overall look at proper filtration is invaluable. I will share it as much as I can.
I can’t tell you how much I struggled with Nitrates within my canister filters when I started out. I have always gone with at least double the rated filtration on all of my tanks and extra water changes were not making a dent in the Nitrates. I kept doing research and asking for help. I tried multiple types of treated media and pads. Some helped somewhat, for a short amount of time. Plants weren’t helping much. I truly struggled. Adding sponges to intakes and adding HOBs with sponge that could be cleaned frequently (and very large lava rocks in our African Cichlid tank) were the only thing that helped, eventually... until I started seeing your filtration videos.
Again, thank you so much for taking the time and effort to share this knowledge. You are an asset to the community. We and our fish are truly grateful for your help.
- MeShell
Great stuff and your comment here illustrates exactly why I make these videos - having a properly sized filter which is well set up for a full cycle to occur is within the reach of every fish keeper but all too often we're told bum information by companies who just want us to buy more additives, more treatments when most are unnecessary.
I'm generally derided by companies and other aquatic channels on CZcams for the information I give out but it is important to keep useful information flowing about filtration as the people clinging to the old narrative of preaching that the cycle ends with production of nitrate are being found out by anyone who experiences the fact that a full cycle is achievable simply with a properly sized filter set up to work properly with suitable media to get the job done.
Exactly what's happening in my tank. THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO I WAS GOING CRAZY
That is no problem and I'm glad you enjoyed the video - thanks for watching.
...I so know what you’re talking about - I was going crazy trying to Figure out WHY I was having to do so much waterchange work! Hubby thought I was nuts! Said “some hobby...”. Now o can’t wait to tweak these filters till I get it right!
about to set up an aquarium this month and this was unbelievably helpful, I now know what filter size I need and how to set it up thank you for this knowledge 👍
this video has helped me so much as all your videos got my pre filter so happy keep the great work up
This one video has been more helpful than the last 2 months of research I've been doing to try to find the correct way to do things! Thank you much!
No worries and I'm glad you found the video useful. I make these sort of videos purely to get good useful information out there.
I feel like I have just been told off 😂 great video. Great information.
Sorry about that but the nonsense talked about filtration has been keeping me up a night (literally) so I needed to drop this information bomb, lol
Pondguru what needs to be said, needs to be said! Better to know now than later. My ef1000 is set up pretty well by the information in this video, a few things to adjust ☺
Awesome - sounds good to me.
Funny!
100% SATISFACTORY with information! Especially the medication aspect! I tried to explain that most meds will kill good bacteria! But with no luck they know more! Lol of course it only makes sense!
Glad you are back and thanks for a great video. I've been using Biohome since I first saw your youtubes about 3 years ago. But this offered more useful tips. Will look forward to your next one.
I'm glad you found the video useful - thanks for watching.
John M . Hi, have you3 nitrates been reduced with the use of the biohome?
You changed my aquarium life with this helped out so much thanks for your time 100% recommend this video
Here in America biohome is at 20$ a pound give or take a few dollars! But as a fish keeper for 15 years I don't know of any media that's better! Biohome is the best Aquarium filter media.... period ,end of conversation!
Great that you recognise the usefulness of biohome - yes it is quite expensive to produce and is labour intensive but he results it gives can't be beaten.
Groovy.
The Fishy Life ! Great wave engineering has ultimate at $18 a kilo which is a bit over 2 lbs.
The Fishy Life ! I think marine pure comes close.
Get Eheim Substrate Pro, Marinepure, Seachem Matrix, and Fluval Biomax. Just as good if not close to biohome.
@@hotrodvdub Thanks. Just ordered 3 kilos. Was the cheapest place I could find. Broke down to slightly less than $10 per lb after shipping.
very interesting and really understood what your saying thank you for taking your time to do videos like this it really helps people
i do have biohome filter media in my canister 2kg , nitrite 0 ammonia 0 nitrites rise fast but i combat this with water changes love the advice and realize i should have more media for the size of my aquarium so ordered another 3kg so will be interesting to see the results my aquarium should be 5kg from what u say ill add 3kg and next month 3kg more as i run 2 filters ill do one at a time mainly due to cost lol i know this should be over kill but hopefully this helps , start a full cycle and ill update on progress after install
Yes I will be very interested to see how it develops so please keep me informed - bear in mind that the anaerobic side can take around 4-6 months to develop but yours may be a bit faster if you already have biohome in the filters as you should already have the necessary bacteria for the full cycle (just not enough of it).
yes i know it will take time but my plan is to have 10kg in 2 filters my tank is only 350 l but i like to over do stuff than under do it lol cost dont come in to question i will be upgrading my discus aquarium and that will make sure i have plenty for my bigger aquarium and will not have to add much more .my wife dont know yet lol ... 700L aquarium hahaha best keep the wife sweet
Yes it is always best to go overboard on tank size and filtration and the new project sounds awesome - I'm sure the wife will be thrilled with that..........
Great video!
Recently I upgraded my tank from 40 to 60l and replaced my internal filter for external canister. It's a small 150l p/h with 2 compartments. First one had only coarse sponge which I replaced with 3 smaller but different (corase/medium/fine) and second compartment was filled with ceramic rings and carbon. I removed carbon and added more ceramic rings so there is about 0.9kg of them in the filter.
Works well, water is clear and fish looks happy.
Btw it's only 1 Balck Moor in it.
Thanks for good video and effort you did to explain everything. It's hard to keep someone attentive for half an hour but you did a great job.
This is a great and informative video. Right now I will buy this filter along with another filter and set up the way you have prescribed for my 125 tank.
what you should aim for is water hits media in this order.... coarse~ medium~fine foams... then some form of sintered glass media.... the idea is that the muck is filtered out in the foams so the water hitting the 'bio rings' ect .. is as clean as possible for the aerobic bacteria 2 thrive ... if the porous media gets clogged its not as effective... companies sell filters with the wrong set up... and rack in loads of cash with disposable cartridges
Cartridges are an awful idea, expensive and created purely for a follow-on sale to keep manufacturers sales figures good.
I've had a 55 gallon freshwater aquarium for the last 10 years. Have always run a side filter with carbon, never had any problems. I never use chemical additives in my setup. I do water changes every two weeks. I do add salt to keep electrolytes to fight off ich. I just ordered a cannister filter to maximize my water content. Your videos make a lot of common sense to water conditioning. Keep up the good work.
I'm glad you enjoy the videos and find them useful as I think it is very important to get useful facts and figures about filtration out there online. Although it is the most critical part of fish keeping it is so often ignored in favor of 'look me an my fish' type videos which have no useful content in them.
I'm currently working my way through as many filters as possible as part of a new series to show how water flows through each type, best set up method and explain the limitations of each filter as far as recommended tank size goes (for a full cycle) since figures from manufacturers are all over the place.
For example I did a video on the FX6 which is 'for aquariums up to 1500 litres' and it took 5kg of media to fill the trays (making it suited for a normally stocked tank of around 500 litres) and have just uploaded a video on the Unimax 700 which is 'for aquariums up to 700 litres' and it took 8kg of media to fill the trays (making it suited to a normally stocked tank of round 800 litres) so the one which promised least actually provided much more filtering capacity - there is no industry standard to the claims manufacturers make about their filters so it leaves the end user very confused and often misled. Ultimately that causes tanks to be terribly under-filtered and fish to suffer and that is something I'm passionate about combating.
I'm currently adding the information to a 'Filters' page on my website which will eventually allow viewers to check the list of filters and see a detailed set of information about all the filters so they can check if their current filter is big enough for normal or heavy stock, how much media is required if they want to upgrade the filter and also have links back to the relevant CZcams videos where I upgrade that particular filter. It's costing a small fortune to collate the information since I'm upgrading all the filters people send me for free and posting them back for free too but I think it is important to have a hub of freely available information available for fish keepers.
Excellent! A must see for all fish tank owners. I definitely learnt a lot about effective filtration here. Thank you for the sharing!
Love your aquarium videos pondguru. Truly changed my way of thinking about filtration. Halfway through changing my allpondsolutions 1000ef to match how you do things. Keep up the good videos mate
Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos. Great to hear that you're setting the filter up properly.
Can you explain how biohome is better than matrix for denitrification?
There are a few reasons which spring to mind:
- Every piece of biohome is exactly the same structure
- The structure of biohome allows for a balance of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in any flow (seachem recommend a 50 US gal. per hour flow for matrix at which point you're effectively trying to create a nitrate reactor which could work with any media). 50gph is not practical or achievable in 99.9% of aquarium filters.
- Sand is one of the most receptive surfaces for bacterial colonization
- Some forms of biohome have specially chosen trace elements to boost bacterial colonization and activity allowing it to mature faster and work harder.
I'm sure that there are more reasons but maybe the best visual demonstration is in this video I did where I look inside lots of different types of filter media: czcams.com/video/QTtAUYR67Eg/video.html
For the 'matrix' I used a better form of white pumice without all the junk rock found in seachem's pumice (matrix) as I wasn't going to spend many times more than necessary on an inferior grade of white pumice when I had half a ton of good stuff sitting on a pallet ready to be used in koi filters.
In that video I touch on surface area but I really need to make a video specifically about surface area which will include total surface area, available surface area, variable surface area, suitable surface area and all the factors which make any given filter media good at supporting bacteria, having a long service life and being capable or incapable of achieving a full cycle.
Hope you enjoy that 'looking inside filter media' video and find it useful as it is one of the most important videos on filter media I have ever done but unfortunately it rarely crops up in the 'related videos' on CZcams for some reason. I know it has been deleted from a few forums which are 'sponsored' (controlled) by companies and individuals with very opposing views who would rather not have you seeing it so that is a seal of approval as far as I'm concerned, lol
Regards,
Richard
Amen!
Great to see you're back doing fish/pond videos. Huge fan and customer. I've used BHU for a while now. Also works great as a plant anchor for my Anubis and Buce. They root right around it. I was very happy to get some of the BHU in my subscription to My Aquarium Box. Keep up the good fight. You definitely get two thumbs up from me.
Groovy - I'm glad you like the biohome and find the videos useful.
It’s only since I’ve been doing exactly what you’re saying in this video that I have enjoyed this hobby! Spot on mate thank you so much for everything!👍🤘
No worries, I try to explain WHY the changes to filtration are necessary in the videos instead of meaningless preaching so thanks for taking the information on board - I'm stoked to hear that your enjoyment of the hobby has increased too as there are so many unnecessary frustrations surrounding fishkeeping where the root cause is filtration (or lack thereof).
So, my wife was wrong to moan when i bought the 'APS'1000Ef for a 130L tank. Muhahaha, oh boy this sofa is comfy :D
You actually could have went with the 1400 with a tank of that size. I've got a 100L tank and I'm running the 1000 along with their 800 hang on back with UV light as a polisher. Maybe an idea for you? TBH the suction on the intake of the 1000 seems very poor to me but I'm only really using it to break down nitrates
I bought the biohome ultimate 10kg for my 2 sun sun 704b .. will be putting it to action next week on my 120 gallon discus tank... do you recommend seachem prime as a dechlorinator? If not please recommend a dechlorinator. Im setting it up just the way you have shown.. please reply
Any treatment which states that it will 'detoxify / bind ammonia, nitrite and nitrate' seems to have a retarding / starving effect on bacteria so achieving a proper set up with them is hard or impossible. A simple (ordinary) dechlorinator which neutralizes heavy metals and chlorinates (e.g. API stress coat) is all you need to make water safe and allow the bacteria to establish properly without the negative effect on bacteria.
If you look at the companies making water conditioners promising to be a cure-all for pollutants they also offer a nation of different chemicals to stabilize conditions, boost bacteria etc. etc. as they operate using a pharmaceutical business template where they knowingly sell treatments which cock up something else which requires another of their 'solutions' which in turn cocks something else up and on until you run out of space in the cabinet for treatments which are mostly unnecessary. There is only one winner there and it isn't the fish keeper....
However after saying that about prime and similar treatments which negatively affect bacteria there is an excellent product from the same manufacturer which seems to have only positive effect and that is 'flourish excel' (plant food) since it has an available source of carbon and trace elements which really speeds up the development of a filter (unless it is held back by the treatments mentioned above). We have had reports recently of people achieving a full cycle on a new tank using fish or daily ammonia (fishless cycle) in around 1 month - that is for the 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite in 2-3 weeks and 0 nitrite by week 4 which is incredible given that it generally takes between 4-6 months to establish the anaerobic population in suitable media to notice a reduction in nitrate. That has happened on everything from community tanks to heavily stocked discus tanks so far and I've no doubt it would help when plants aren't present way better than any 'bacteria booster' nonsense peddled by some sellers.
When using any minerals / plant food avoid using chemical filtration since it will draw in much of the goodness you are trying to add to the water - carbon / charcoal don't seem to have a noticeable negative effect but purigen / chemipure etc. definitely draw in way too many useful trace elements and available 'food' for bacteria so have that familiar retarding / starving effect on bacteria.
Also if you're totally replacing the media in established filters make sure the change is done gradually - maybe do one tray in one filter every 1-2 weeks if you have 2 filters on the tank so the full swap takes many weeks to perform. That way you will always maintain good biological activity in the filters while the new media matures.
If you have the UV lights turned on normally it would be best to turn them off for 2-3 weeks if it was a new set up (to give bacteria a chance to flow through the system) but if it is a mature system and you're replacing one tray at a time it is fine to run the UV lights 24/7 as the new media will be seeded by the old media in the filter - replace upper trays first in a filter flowing bottom to top and replace lower trays first in a filter flowing top to bottom.
Hope that helps.
Regards,
Richard
Pondguru wow ... thanks alot!!
No worries, any time
Pondguru after abit of research I found that the city water we have sometimes has ammonia in it.. as we all know ammonia is good for beneficial bacteria but poisonous to fish. I do water changes every alternate days (50%) so ammonia in that heavy quantity could kill my discus instantly, and doing tests before every water change would be too expensive. they say prime is active only for 24hours, and Since api doesn’t bind ammonia *any advice?*
How does the tap water test when you check it for ammonia? also how does your tank water test? a 50% change every other day is massive so with good filtration you should only need 10%-15% per week change.
Thank you Richard for this excellent, well described video. I found it very enjoyable and interesting to watch. Like us all, I have watched countless videos on this subject in an effort to get a grasp of what the best filtration method is and without a doubt your way is by far the best.
Great video, you covered everything I needed to know. Thanks from The Netherlands!
No worries and I'm glad you found the video useful.
I leave my grid off of my canister filter, does it really matter?
No it shouldn't make any difference unless you use a potentially buoyant media like pumice or matrix (which is pumice) - the grid is there to prevent media being drawn up into the pump but ceramic rings and sintered glass will be too heavy for that to occur unless the filter is tipped on its side while running.
Thanks for watching and appreciating the video.
Pondguru you taught me everything I know. Thanks for the reply.
Well i have to say I'm very disappointed not with this information but the views of some people on a Facebook group that says it's a place to get and share information regarding all things aquatic, the views of some of the people weren't aimed at the information but were in my eyes a personal attack at you and the knowledge that you share, had i known that people would be as rude as they were i would not have shared your video. Personally i thank you for your knowledge and hope to learn more from you. All i can think is that these people have very small minds and they think that their way is the right way.
And people wonder why I'm not on facebook, lol
Thanks for sharing the video where you think people would benefit from anything which was covered in it. I just put the videos out purely to help those people who are struggling with water quality and the understanding of the filtration process and let viewers decide if the information is useful. I've only had to delete a couple of comments so far on this video and they were probably from the same keyboard warriors on facebook.
I'm not sure what it is with some people: Jealousy, Fanboyism, the fact that they can't be bothered to share anything they have learned unless some sort of financial gain occurs for them?
I've given up trying to work those clowns out and I just let them get on with it since genuine people attract genuine people - just look at the comments on the many videos I have made. I'm really stoked to have such really nice set of viewers on CZcams and putting videos out for free in my own (limited) time for the benefit of others will always be something I love doing as CZcams is not about earnings for me, it's still a hobby even after all these years and will remain as such.
I've always said that information should be shared freely and I stick by that - thanks for appreciating my efforts and if I could give advice to anyone on facebook it would be to get off facebook since it seems to create division where there should be none - surely we should all want to share experience and thoughts in an environment where minds are receptive to new ideas, not argue with each other over different viewpoints using other people's thoughts to lower our own thought processes.
I'm glad you have a higher mind and thanks for watching, much appreciated.
we cant thank you enough for your time and crucial information on the fish hobby !!
That's no worries and I enjoy throwing anything useful out on the channel - thanks for watching and appreciating the videos.
I'm a complete noob with a mere 87 litre aquarium as my first tank (Marina Vue 87 AKA Fluval Vista 23). This video has helped me understand filtration to a much higher level than any other previous "guide" videos on the subject. I think I have enough info now to run a nice clean planted tank with a few choice fish swimming around happily. I'm definitely going to get an external mini pre-filter, which will feed into another external filter with all bio-media in. I've not even added any water to my tank yet, still trying to work out how best to get it all setup without any issues. Also, I never expected a Terence McKenna quote in a video about tank filtration - made my day! Many thanks for the clear and simple info.
" A lot of supposedly learned people can`t." . . Good for you for being bold (non-snowflake) and calling out the strong-headed, emotional and opinionated.
1000 liters = 264.172 gallons . These are global videos please state the gallon equivalent because several thousand of us had to google the conversion.
*So keep that in mind please*
Oh WTF now we are into kilos. I can do metric linear measurements but not volume in my head.
US gallons are 3.8 litres per gallons but UK gallons are 4.54 litres per gallon so every time I mention a volume in litres you want me to tell viewers what it is in US and UK gallons?
I've also been asked how many litres are in a cubic foot, quart, fluid ounces, a cup and other crazy units of measurements which I simply can't put in a video as it will sound like I'm talking gibberish.
For future videos like this I will be filming them in a studio where I will have a whiteboard behind me with the conversions written on so that should help with regard to UK and US gallons.
I wish every country would just count in 10's instead of 12's, 14's etc. - at least in the US you're steadfast in one system which makes it easy to understand what's going on in your own country. In the UK we use both metric and imperial measurements since our government in its wisdom decided not to switch to metric like the rest of Europe which so that makes us even more confused.....
You left out "British Standard Whitworth"
lol, I had to look that one up - isn't it ridiculous that in these days of intercontinental trade the powers that be can't decide on a universal set of measurements?
The US tried to move to the metric system about thirty years ago but because of all the re-tooling it never actually happened. (almost)
I can only imagine why a standard was not reached long ago. I have to go look for a 14/16th's or is that a 7/8's? It should have been, maybe a 19mm?
Do Kilos to CUPS conversion in google it really helps visualize the quantity with media - that’s what I did
Great video, I believed I know the things until I watch at this video like a young student, very appreciated!
This guy is the man. So easy to follow, logical and not driven by product, but science. You have a new follower.. keep up the guru!
No worries, I'm glad you enjoyed the video - thanks for watching.
Was debating whether to go for the All ponds solution 1400 or 2000 for a 350litre tank, and after watching this went for the 2000. It also gave me some information i never had about the nitrogen cycle so that was a great help. After seeing how you changed the filter, i went on your site and got the same stuff (media and foam, and just did a second order for some more media and some bacteria balls) you used to pimp the filter. Really want the best for my fish tank, and this video really helped me. Great video :)
Thanks mate. This is probably the last video I'm watching and am confident enough to finally buy everything I need for a 150 gal discus tank after keeping guppies and khuli loaches for over two years.
I am so happy,I found your CZcams video,I now understand at last how to pack my External Filter,Even the manufacturer instructions are useless,and seen so many other confusing videos
Thank you so much.
Regards Phil (uk)
As always great information big thank you Richard for all this effort you are doing to educate people about this great hoppy. For sure I am one of them and a millions of like to all of your videos. Nasir
Wow, love the video and information. I’ve been Raising fish and keeping aquariums for a long time ,but you are like the Windex to my dirty windshield. Cool guru!
Been doing and still ongoing research and glad I stumbled on this video, very informative and real, I currently have a fluval filter and will be swapping that around as the explanation in this video makes so much sense with the filtration of water in these cannister's, thank you
First video ive ever seen of yours. So glad im doing it right :) ! brilliant video! keep it up!
This is so brilliant! Just as I had progressed from Eheim 4+ 600 to Fluval FX6 I now make my way here to a cheaper alternative. It's been a journey and a half.
Very helpful thank you Guru! Awaiting the next video.
I’m new to the aquarium hobby and im so glad I’ve discovered the pond guru 😀
Thank you for this. Hands down best video ever.
THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! Ever thing you said makes total sense keep up the great work. Now i can properly cycle and get proper filtration and quit doing massive water changes and wasting money.
Thank U, I needed this! I have been soooo wrong in my setup. Thanx for setting me straight!!
No worries and I'm glad you found the video useful.
I really learned a lot from this video. I have a larger tank I will be needing to filter and now with this imformation in hand I know I will have a great trouble free set up.
No worries, I'm glad you found the video useful - thanks for watching.
Brilliant. It took me years to work this out. Very helpful to newcomers!
Watched this video twice as I am setting up a new tank with external filter. second time just went to the bits I wanted to double check. Really useful video and will be following your advice.
Great stuff and I'm glad to have been of service. I like making any videos with some sort of educational content.
You are the man. Thank you for teaching us how things work in having an aquarium.
I am by far your average fish keeper my daughter (14) has recently gotten into wanting to learn more and experiment with aquascaping and fish keeping which has in turn further peaked my attention in the hobby and this video has been a *Wealth Of Knowledge* and made the complicated process so much more understandable. Although i have always went with a bigger size filter (thinking more is better) i was in the category of arranging the media just as instructed and only as instructed. But what you are saying does make soo much more sense and you have broken it down in a way everyone should understand that it only makes good sense! I do like the booster filter ideal having a completely separate Mechanical zone so as to not have to disturb the Bio zone when cleaning! Once again GREAT VIDEO and i agree with other this should be a MUST WATCH for all looking to join the fish keeping hobby!
Thank you for sharing this information. I've been running a 55 gallon tank with the HOB filter that was supplied with my tank for over 20 years, but I've never taken the leap into external canister filtration and bio media. I've watched this video as well as your pimp my filter series with great interest and I've learned a lot from your thorough fact based videos over the past two days.
It is great that you're thinking about the filtration as its an area which is so often neglected by fish keepers of all levels of experience - I'm glad you're enjoying the videos and thanks for watching.
You don't really need a canister filter. Thanks to Richard and a couple others on CZcams, I learned how to hot rod my Emperor 450. I put a layer of coarse sponge at the bottom of both Chambers, then a layer if medium sponge, then a layer of polly-fill for fine filtration and on top of that I have bags of matrix. I also have a fluval 307 canister that my son gave me on this tank as it is a 55 gallon mbuna cichlid tank that's heavily stocked. I am ordering biohome ultimate to replace the 2 bio media baskets I have in it because it's challenging keeping the nitrates down with these mbunas.
Best Video about filtration i've seen so far! Well explained! 👍 A very useful explanation, thank you for this one!
30 years in the hobby and I learned something. Top notch video, thanks for making it.
I'm glad you took something useful from the video as I put them out to help - thanks for watching.
Oldy content, BUT, absolutely great content! Best explanation about canister filtration and filter-media around.
I'm glad you found it useful - thanks for watching.
I am new to fish keeping and love the hobby so far. Your content has been invaluable. I understand bio home ultimate is most likely the best media for my filter. I am on a budget and would love your videos to include some decent options the get by with until I can get the bio home. I would like to be able to swap out one tray at a time. I am currently using seachem matrix for my 29 gallon tank to get me going with a pen plax cascade 1000 Canister filter. I am now setting up a 55 gallon tank and purchased a sunsun 704b as the filter. Was able to get 1pound of biohome to start with. Thank you for all the great information, keep doing what your doing.
Keep it going mate, don’t be shy when you speak, make it clear nobody can be to touchy -well done
Awesome knowledge u have about filtration, learnt something from you today.
Hey bud love the videos keep them coming very very helpful and your right no one is talking about this..This should be one of main topics we talk about
It's not as sexy as "Hey guys look at this huge fish I'm cramming into my under-filtered tank" so unfortunately not many people view important videos. Hopefully I can get a series going when my studio is finished - it's getting there.
Thanks for watching and I'm glad the video was useful.