OHF for ranchu tub?

[sanggarra]

Just wondering....

Anyone uses Over Head/Wet & Dry Filter or bakki for their Ranchu tub?

Does that creates too much current?

[judge]

Current would be the least concern to me. Here is mine that I did last year...

Current has to be there to create circulations. Circulations increases surface area. The more the surface area the better the oxygen exchange rate is. Better oxygen exchange rate promote good bacteria growth and increases fish appetite. The end result is faster growth provided nutrition can follow.

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[small_ranchu]

No go.. I had one last year became a waste for me. I almost lost my fish, got so mad and gave it to somebody here.

[Ichthius]

No go.. I had one last year became a waste for me. I almost lost my fish, got so mad and gave it to somebody here.

Not the filters fault! >:)

[small_ranchu]

I don't know David. I wish I can do less water change with diy bakki. But with heavy feeding,nothing can beat water change.

[Ichthius]

You can do heavy feeding with filtration too. Just because you have filtration does not mean you don't do water changes you just have more flexibility when you do them.

With a filter your fish do not experience ammonia which burns gills and fins. With static water you are constantly exposing your fish to ammonia thus the need for large water changes. Properly filtered your fish will never see ammonia. You do water changes to get rid of nitrates which are much less harmful to the fish.

Another issue is surface film. You need to skim or aerate the heck of the water to keep it at bay. Surface skimming puts it right into the filter so your surface is alway perfectly clean.


Just because a filter didn't work the first time you used it doesn't mean that the filtration is the problem. You just had more to learn about the filter and it's use. I've been working with filtration for atleast 20 years and I still learn something new everytime I work on a project. I'm not speaking from theory here, this is what I do for a living but to each their own.

[sanggarra]

What exactly was/were the problems you have with the OHF?
Bad bacteria growth? Sick fish? Hoping to learn from your "mistake" :-P

I don't know David. I wish I can do less water change with diy bakki. But with heavy feeding,nothing can beat water change.

[sanggarra]

... Just because you have filtration does not mean you don't do water changes you just have more flexibility when you do them.

David,
Thanks, I learnt so much about setup and filtrations from your posts and so much more to learn.

Can explain what you mean by "more flexibility"? Do you mean less water changes needed or less water needs changing each time?

[Ichthius]

David,
Thanks, I learnt so much about setup and filtrations from your posts and so much more to learn.

Can explain what you mean by "more flexibility"? Do you mean less water changes needed or less water needs changing each time?

Thanks Stan, glad to help.

If you have filtration that water change you need to do can be done at a more convenient time because the ammonia is taken care of. The filter will convert it to nitrate. If you have 20 ppm nitrates you can change the water when you want. If you have 3 ppm ammonia you have to change the water now.

You can still do daily 100% water changes with a filter system but you can also do them once or twice a week depending on what level of nitrates you allow in your system.

Also one a tank is plumbed and filtered to a central system you can simply shut it off and do manual water changes.

Take a centralized system with a sump, filtration and multiple tanks. Runs great but you go some new fish to quarantine. Cap the bulkhead leading to the system and you've got a quarantined tank that you can do hand changes on. My bigger tanks have two bulkheads. One to filter and on to drain. In quarantine I drain the tank then refill with system water so they don't get hit with a large volume of fresh tap water but rather aged system water.

In a system your nitrates are going to be higher than in a pump and dump but you can keep those at bay with large water changes or even automated water changes. Small consistent doses of water from a sprinkler valve.

I have a busy life and am happy if I get the fish fed. Water has to be simple or you can feed the fish heavy without then doing a large water change.

Systems have their complications too but its all a learning experience.

[HNLim]

I have always used OHF for both my tubs and tanks. The simplest is to put a layer of small coral chips at the bottom and one layer of sponge or wool over it. The thing here is not to wash your filter till it choke. In some instances it would last for about a year. What I do/did is to always incorporate an over flow drainage pipe to remove the surface water from the tub/tank which is what you call a film. The film is what you need to remove more than anything else from your system.

Simply trickle water into the system and the surface film will overflow and be removed from the surface and out of entire system into the drainage. In this way your water smells fresh without those fishy smells. I have found that in Singapore I do not need to treat the water directly coming out from the tap if I slowly trickle water into the system. That small amount of treated chlorinated water actually is very good at keeping the water in pristine condition.

[sanggarra]

Bro Lim,
Thanks for the input. My inspiration of OHF for tub comes from yours and other's posts on FM forum.

It is surprising to hear that the filter should not be cleaned until it choke. Kinda counter intuitive. What is/are the reason/s for that? Maximum beneficial bacteria buildup?

I believe you have many fishes in your tub, which some would consider overstocked. (I am projecting/guessing from reading your posts) Is it true you find you can get away with higher stocking level with OHF and constant trickle with surface skimming?

Feel free to pm.

[BruceP]

HMLim.. Thanx for your input. I do a few of our systems similar to yours.
Stan.... Did you ever see my article on DIY trickle towers? It may be on this site but if it isn't I can direct you to it or tell you how to build it. Mr Lim is correct in the non cleaning of them. It is easier and doesn't cost much to just dump the lava rock and put new in than try to clean them. Lari has also discovered that impatiens grow quite well bare root in the tiers. Let me know if you need any advice on building a trickle tower.

BTW: Your link to the directions to fix that virus that I had on that pc worked GREAT! Thanx much.