Fluval Ammonia Remover (For Canister Filter)

[MICKEYSWIFT]

I was going to add the fluval range of ammonia remover to my fluval 205 canister filter.
I just wondered what everybodys views are on this type of product and, and if i was to add more fish and the ammonia peeked a bit would it work to remove the ammonia like it says, and would it affect the water or my test results in anyway?
Thanks

 

[anon02]

I was going to add the fluval range of ammonia remover to my fluval 205 canister filter.
I just wondered what everybodys views are on this type of product and, and if i was to add more fish and the ammonia peeked a bit would it work to remove the ammonia like it says, and would it affect the water or my test results in anyway?
Thanks

I very much doubt that many experienced fish keepers will have tried this because they realise the importance of controling water quality through balanced stocking and a good husbandry regime, water changes work wonders for temporary blips

 

[ian]

you'd be surprised...many planted tank keepers will use Zeolite (which i expect this product is). We use these products in our last media baskets so we keep the N/A bacs. It will be used as sometimes you'll miss a rotting leaf, this will cause small ammonia spikes. The Zeolite will deal with this 'sometimes' better than the N/A bacs IME.

 

[anon02]

you'd be surprised...many planted tank keepers will use Zeolite (which i expect this product is). We use these products in our last media baskets so we keep the N/A bacs. It will be used as sometimes you'll miss a rotting leaf, this will cause small ammonia spikes. The Zeolite will deal with this 'sometimes' better than the N/A bacs IME.

Oops ! forgetting you planted guys are a law unto yourselves

 

[ian]

lol, Another thing i have seen/read is a lot of the Eastern European scapers use Zeolite within a silent cycle as last stage filtration, add the fish in straight away. This is not a beginners way of doing things BTW. I personally don't see any problems in using Zeolite. I use Seachems Purigen as a last stage filtration in my filter, and i swear by it. It'll remove any organic matter in the tank, this give me more scope when dosing the in-organic matter into the tank.

 

[Bignose]

I personally don't see any problems in using Zeolite.

Except that if it is actually being used (i.e. actually adsorbing things), you have to keep buying more of it. Most of us don't have a kiln and a source of nitrogen needed to properly regenerate it after all its adsorbtion sites are filled with organics or ammonia molecules.

 

[ian]

it isn't that expensive though, it will also help stop outbreaks of Diatoms in a new tank. As i say i would always use it as last stage filtration, as the bacs will still get their food source.

Just out of interest, Bignose, do you know the average life span of Zeolite? I know average 1 gram of Zeo with remove 1.5g of Ammonia. I can't manage to find anything regarding the lifespan, ie, we know Carbon doesn't last that long.

 

[Bignose]

it isn't that expensive though, it will also help stop outbreaks of Diatoms in a new tank. As i say i would always use it as last stage filtration, as the bacs will still get their food source.

Just out of interest, Bignose, do you know the average life span of Zeolite? I know average 1 gram of Zeo with remove 1.5g of Ammonia. I can't manage to find anything regarding the lifespan, ie, we know Carbon doesn't last that long.

Lifetime is really measured by the concentration of what it is adsorbing. I.e. if the concentration of chemical A being adsorbed is ten times higher, all the adsorbtion sites in the zeolite are filled ten times faster. Zeolite is very interesting because it can be tailored for specific chemicals. Its adsorbtion properties change depending on the ratios of the different constituent mineral makeup, and what trace minerals are in the structure. This can change the affinity of how strong or weak the adsorbtion is for certain groups of chemicals, and, even more interestingly, it changes the pore sizes in the structure itself. Zeolite can work as a molecular seive where it will only adsorb molecules small enough to get to the adsorbtion sites. As I said, you can design zeolites for a wide range of application.

That said, I am sure that the zeolite used in the fish is the stuff dug up out of the ground. I don't think that anyone is manufacturing zeolite designed specifically for the fishkeeping application. It would be too expensive, when the stuff mined naturally is good enough. Good enough to adsorb ammonia, anyway.

But, to get back to the question -- if there is a lot of ammonia, its adsorbtion sites will be filled very quickly. Zeolite will hold onto the adsorbate stronger too. Carbon will let go of its adsorbate if something it has more affinitiy too comes along. Or if something with a higher concentration comes along. Carbon isn't nearly as particular. Zeolite, however, will usually bond to something pretty strongly. So, if it is being used to take up ammonia, not much of that ammonia is going to be let back out. If there is a lot of ammonia in the first place, it could literally be just a matter of hours before all the sites are filled.