I run my 240 community tank on a fluidized bed filter for bio. Not being a big water-noise fan, and this tank being right beside the bed, I use an Ocean Clear cartidge filter for mechanical followed by anothe rOC canister for carbon- 7 pounds of it at a time!
I do a ten-percent water change every third day, and the fish seem to be superbly happy and growing at very fast rates. They're all eating well, look good, aren't gasping for oxygen, or anything like that.
REason I'm posting is because I have heard that an FSB filter will rob oxygen from the water. I haven't seen this in my community tank, but has anyone got any articles or research or evidence that says otherwise?
It'd be a piece of cake to alter the filtration to a wet/dry system, but I don't know that I really want the water noise.
Fluidized sand bed filters
Ed_R,
My understanding is that any biological activity that we have for filtration be it Fluidized bed, wet/dry, power filter, sponge, etc. will consume some oxygen for aerobic bacteria activity. All we need to do is provide enough air/circulation to achieve as close to oxygen saturation for the bacteria to perform efficiently.
So in your case with the Fluidized filter, yes it will consume oxygen but so will any other filtration. Circulation and air is the key. So anything like airstones, power heads, splashing at the water surface from water returns will provide gas exchange to achieve enough oxygen.
As a side note, in my opinion, it is important that if power ever goes out and you have a high population/density of fish, you need to make sure you have a backup that will provide circulation and air.
Hope this help.
Thoughts from a simple fish keeper.
My understanding is that any biological activity that we have for filtration be it Fluidized bed, wet/dry, power filter, sponge, etc. will consume some oxygen for aerobic bacteria activity. All we need to do is provide enough air/circulation to achieve as close to oxygen saturation for the bacteria to perform efficiently.
So in your case with the Fluidized filter, yes it will consume oxygen but so will any other filtration. Circulation and air is the key. So anything like airstones, power heads, splashing at the water surface from water returns will provide gas exchange to achieve enough oxygen.
As a side note, in my opinion, it is important that if power ever goes out and you have a high population/density of fish, you need to make sure you have a backup that will provide circulation and air.
Hope this help.
Thoughts from a simple fish keeper.
Ken, I was thinking much the same. I get plenty of surface action ( turbity? ) from the filter returns, and there's no sign of ill effects on teh fish, so it wasn't too big a concern. I was and still am curious, though.
I don't currently have a big backup system in place, but I did have a major pump failure a couple months back and it took three or four days to get a replacement big enough, so teh tank had no juice for a very long period of time with no casualties.
I don't currently have a big backup system in place, but I did have a major pump failure a couple months back and it took three or four days to get a replacement big enough, so teh tank had no juice for a very long period of time with no casualties.
Hi Ed_R,
Your post got me thinking but I have not heard of FSB filter robbing too much oxygen.
I suppose theoretically this could be the case but only because FSBs have the capacity to hold vast numbers of bacteria. Therefore if you had LOADS of fish in your system that equally produced LOADS of bioload then yes there would be a huge demand on the dissolved oxygen levels in the water.
I would hazard your set-up isn't like this so I would say you've got a powerful filter ticking along just nicely. Especially with your good water-change regime. I wouldn't worry at all. Having said that, a we/dry filter is also a great option, so I suppose your choice would be down to which produces the least noise pollution
On the issue of running water, when I was growing up I always had at least one tank in my bedroom and use to find it difficult to sleep away from home because I liked the sound of water helping me to sleep. Now i've got a Mrs there is definitely no water in the bedroom ...and if I can even here a peep out of my tanks elsewhere in the house I can't sleep....completely the opposite from when I was young?
Your post got me thinking but I have not heard of FSB filter robbing too much oxygen.
I suppose theoretically this could be the case but only because FSBs have the capacity to hold vast numbers of bacteria. Therefore if you had LOADS of fish in your system that equally produced LOADS of bioload then yes there would be a huge demand on the dissolved oxygen levels in the water.
I would hazard your set-up isn't like this so I would say you've got a powerful filter ticking along just nicely. Especially with your good water-change regime. I wouldn't worry at all. Having said that, a we/dry filter is also a great option, so I suppose your choice would be down to which produces the least noise pollution
On the issue of running water, when I was growing up I always had at least one tank in my bedroom and use to find it difficult to sleep away from home because I liked the sound of water helping me to sleep. Now i've got a Mrs there is definitely no water in the bedroom
...and if I can even here a peep out of my tanks elsewhere in the house I can't sleep....completely the opposite from when I was young?THEre's around 65 or so fish in the big tank- roseline sharks, dojo loaches, clown loaches, some apollo sharks, some 'mystery barbs', flying foxes, and a couple oddballs, all from Asia. There are also the zebra plec, three striped raphaels and three banjo cats in there somewhere as well, from South America. I have no idea wjhy I was limiting myself to Asian speci, I just was.
Anyway, the population is numerous but not large- aside from the Dojos, nothing's over 4 inches and the vast majority are smaller, but growing like weeds. I expect the oxygen demand to go up as the fish increase in size. I just have to keep my eyes open for gasping fish.
Anyway, the population is numerous but not large- aside from the Dojos, nothing's over 4 inches and the vast majority are smaller, but growing like weeds. I expect the oxygen demand to go up as the fish increase in size. I just have to keep my eyes open for gasping fish.
