Veggie Filter Depth

It is not whether the water will change going over the waterfall, but the
action of the type of bacteria, and the waste products produced. Aerobic
digestion does not produce hydrogen sulfide or methane which smell bad and
are toxic to the fish.

So how would a 4 or 5 foot deep veggie filter be created to not have
this happen?

drop in an airstone. surprisingly enough, the only luck I have had over wintering
water plants is when the water was aerated. Ingrid

GrannyGrump wrote:


It is not whether the water will change going over the waterfall, but the
action of the type of bacteria, and the waste products produced. Aerobic
digestion does not produce hydrogen sulfide or methane which smell bad and
are toxic to the fish.

So how would a 4 or 5 foot deep veggie filter be created to not have
this happen?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

"GrannyGrump" wrote in message
...

It is not whether the water will change going over the waterfall, but the
action of the type of bacteria, and the waste products produced. Aerobic
digestion does not produce hydrogen sulfide or methane which smell bad
and
are toxic to the fish.

So how would a 4 or 5 foot deep veggie filter be created to not have
this happen?

The key design measurement for a VF is not depth but surface area. You need
to maximize your surface are in order to maximize the number of plants you
can float in it. More plants, more roots, more cleaning. A five foot deep VF
is probably no more prone to going aenerobic then an 2 foot deep one, but
over time you are more likely to clean the 2 footer then you are the 5
footer. Once signifigant mulm builds up, then you start having the aenerobic
problem. What I am saying is that it is not the depth that causes the
problem it's the depth causing you to not clean it that causes the problem.

Beside what would be the value of a 5 foot deep VF?

BV.

"GrannyGrump" wrote in message
...

It is not whether the water will change going over the waterfall, but the
action of the type of bacteria, and the waste products produced. Aerobic
digestion does not produce hydrogen sulfide or methane which smell bad
and
are toxic to the fish.

So how would a 4 or 5 foot deep veggie filter be created to not have
this happen?

Besides using an airstone, have the pump bring the water into the bottom of
the deepest part of the veg filter, and rain from near the top of the other
end. This way it helps ensure there is a good bottom to top waterflow.
Otherwise the water at the bottom of the filter tends to become stagnant.

Snooze

Besides using an airstone, have the pump bring the water into the bottom of
the deepest part of the veg filter, and rain from near the top of the other
end. This way it helps ensure there is a good bottom to top waterflow.
Otherwise the water at the bottom of the filter tends to become stagnant.

Well, I had intended to have the water go from the top to drain out
the bottom....would this prevent anerobic problems?

no still water, no bottom water, no anaerobic fermentation. Ingrid

GrannyGrump wrote:


Besides using an airstone, have the pump bring the water into the bottom of
the deepest part of the veg filter, and rain from near the top of the other
end. This way it helps ensure there is a good bottom to top waterflow.
Otherwise the water at the bottom of the filter tends to become stagnant.

Well, I had intended to have the water go from the top to drain out
the bottom....would this prevent anerobic problems?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

no still water, no bottom water, no anaerobic fermentation. Ingrid

Thought this was what I intended to do, thanks.