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[quote:5b851afb1f="neon"]Although it is more related to equipment and accessaries, but some topics regards to NO3 also......
Anyone has any idea that biohome or bioring can last ? Should it be changed after some time ? If so , how to tell it is time to change ?[/quote:5b851afb1f]
Don't bother..unless it really clogs up and slows filter flowrate way down.
[quote:5b851afb1f="neon"]Reason was , I dropped by bioblast on sat to top up my CO2, and asked Tan on his DIY carnister filter. He mentioned he used only sponge for the 6.5' tank, and said that the bioring may need to change after sometime as it emits too much NO3. I totally confused here , either he does not understand or two different schools of thought. The sponge, the bioring/biohome do not have any chemical effect, except they will house the beneficial bacteria to breakdown the ammonia->nitrite->nitrate. It is good thing right ? if the carnister produce a lot of NO3, it is doing its jobs. What is causing too much ammonia in the first place is the other matter. The more and faster breakdown of ammonia into NO3 , the better the filter media condition of the carnister , am I correct ? [/quote:5b851afb1f]
Anything that is porous will house bacteria..plants surface, substrate and many things in a tank can do that as well.
The size of the bacteria colony determines the amount of time needed to convert ammonia into NO3. The larger the colony (wet/dry units do that very well due to its large bacteria colony housing ability). Do note that the more bacteria, the more O2 demand in the system.
A filter does not play a major part in a well running planted tank except for circulation and backup in case your plants stop growing for some reason.
[quote:5b851afb1f="neon"]He also mentioned best to keep in low NO3, that means, and low dosage of NO3. He demostrated with a multi-test paper strip, and true enough the NO3 is almost near 0 . Totally confused !!! Look at his tank water condition, the plants growth is crystal clear and bubbling like mad . Further more he is using 2 x 150w MH with he tank facing the main road with bright sunny sun outside. Hardly any algae . Of course, he is using a chiller . He is doing water change every 2 days of 20%, dose every day few drops of fertiliser and that's it !![/quote:5b851afb1f]
What kind of test kit is he using? Most NO3 stinks unless he is using those lab grade stuff from LaMotte or Hach. He does water changes every 2 days...unless the water is RO quality, expect some NO3 to be in there. For what I know, the tank houses slow growing plants like moss and Monosolenium tenerum which does not need that much NO3 for growth.
[quote:5b851afb1f="neon"]Also asked about his CO2 injection. He is using the bioblast internal reactor. Look like a honeycomb inside where CO2 is injected from the top, with a small area on top for mixing. How's this compare with the external reactor like the NA version , anyone has the experience on these two for comparison ? [/quote:5b851afb1f]
Depends on the size of the tank you are going to inject the CO2. The internal reactor should be able to keep up with small tanks but might be found wanting in a large tank with high CO2 demand or loss.
Regards
Peter Gwee
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