Filter Media

[stoneagedinosaur]

Hi all
I am running an Aqua One Aquastyle 850 that uses the trickle / up and over filter system.

I have removed the filter cartridges as recommended by many forum members. I have replaced the huge gap left with more ceramic noodles and added some fine filter media on top.

My question is... will adding more noodles make more bacteria to break down waste OR will only enough bacteria grow to break down the waste created. If I create more biological filtration, will that mean that I could stock more fish? (I'm prob overstocked already, but remember that my BN plecs are still babies and I have a friend who is waiting for one to grow to inherit)

I haven't completely filled the tray and this leaves a bit of a dip in the middle where the woolly filter media sags a bit... should I even it out so that the water spreads over a larger surface area?

Does this all make sense?

 

[mattlee]

your bacteria levels will only grow to demand, adding more fish equals more demand so more bacteria will grow to compete with the bioload created. this is why you should add fish in small amounts when adding new fish its best to keep an eye on the water stats for a while to ensure all is well.
adding more noodles will give your filter more space to grow the bacteria when needed but only you know your tank and its water parameters. so if you think your overstocked already then adding more fish seems a bit crazy, unless your actually not overstocked!
normally when people want to push their tanks limits on stocking an extra filter is added. for example i have a 65G containing 4 discus, 16 cardinal tetras, 1 SAE, 3 polkadot loach, 2 otocinclus on paper using the 1 inch per gallon rule im overstocked but i am running 2 x external filters (rena xp3 and fluval fx5) so hve plenty of water turnover giving me more chance of adding more fish.
if your filter can handle extra fish and your fish still have room to move then its not a problem to add more just be carefull and do it slowly.

there are also types of media that can hold more bacteria per piece than others so depending on what is in a filter can also have an effect....

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

I don't think that my tank is overstocked yet. The gouramis are quite big (defo one adult), rasboras and cories are all adults, sterbai must be full grown too. Parameters are fine 0 for nitrite and ammonia, nitrate sits at 50 mg/L. So only stuff still to get bigger are the plecos. All levels of the tank have interesting stuff in it so not planning to add anything except plants

Just hypothetical thinking

 

[mattlee]

I don't think that my tank is overstocked yet. The gouramis are quite big (defo one adult), rasboras and cories are all adults, sterbai must be full grown too. Parameters are fine 0 for nitrite and ammonia, nitrate sits at 50 mg/L. So only stuff still to get bigger are the plecos. All levels of the tank have interesting stuff in it so not planning to add anything except plants

Just hypothetical thinking

"If I create more biological filtration, will that mean that I could stock more fish? (I'm prob overstocked already, but remember that my BN plecs are still babies and I have a friend who is waiting for one to grow to inherit)"


i thought you did.....

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

"If I create more biological filtration, will that mean that I could stock more fish? (I'm prob overstocked already, but remember that my BN plecs are still babies and I have a friend who is waiting for one to grow to inherit)"

Notice use of the word COULD rather than CAN... just sematics really

 

[OldMan47]

More filtration does not allow a higher fish stocking when you are already at 50 mg/l of nitrate. You are already not doing large enough water changes for the fish that you have in the tank. More filtration would help change ammonia to nitrite to nitrate but that just means that a larger stocking would produce nitrates even faster. If you truly want to increase stocking levels, it is the size and frequency of water changes that must be adjusted. Most people have plenty of media surface to seriously overstock their tanks. What they mainly do not have is enough energy to do all the needed water changes that would be required.
I just returned from a fish convention where I was keeping some fish in my room in small tanks so that I could sell them at auction at the end of the convention. Because I could not carry a very large tank with me, the fish were very crowded in the tanks. I was doing 50% daily water changes to keep my water quality acceptable for the 4 days that I was there but I would not want to set myself up to do that many big water changes all the time at home. It is the main reason that I do not stock any higher than I do at home. Fish should be relaxing, not a stress producer.

 

[mattlee]

"If I create more biological filtration, will that mean that I could stock more fish? (I'm prob overstocked already, but remember that my BN plecs are still babies and I have a friend who is waiting for one to grow to inherit)"

Notice use of the word COULD rather than CAN... just sematics really

with could or can in the question it still sounds like you want to add more fish.... try it!

"will it mean i could stock more fish"

"will it mean i can stock more fish"

sounds the same to me

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

More filtration does not allow a higher fish stocking when you are already at 50 mg/l of nitrate.

That's how it comes out of the tap! It's often higher from the tap dependent on the time of year (lots of farmland near original water supply)

Already doing 30% changes once a week. Highly unlikely to be able to do more than that...

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

[/quote]
with could or can in the question it still sounds like you want to add more fish.... try it!

"will it mean i could stock more fish"

"will it mean i can stock more fish"

sounds the same to me
[/quote]


There lies the curse of an English teacher!

 

[mattlee]

with could or can in the question it still sounds like you want to add more fish.... try it!

"will it mean i could stock more fish"

"will it mean i can stock more fish"

sounds the same to me
[/quote]


There lies the curse of an English teacher!
[/quote]
far from it mate

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

Thinking of adding another female pearl to try and chill the male out a bit. Let's see what could / can / will happen