Path: utzoo!hoptoad!amdcad!decwrl!ucbvax!jade!ig!uwmcsd1!marque!gryphon!richard
From: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Information on filtration needed
Summary: Oh really
Keywords: filters, ammonia
Message-ID: <2642@gryphon.CTS.COM>
Date: 19 Dec 87 17:46:59 GMT
References: <539@ncrcan.Toronto.NCR.COM> <2598@gryphon.CTS.COM> <369@nrc-ut.UUCP>
Reply-To: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton)
Distribution: alt
Organization: Trailing Edge Technology, Redondo Beach, CA
Lines: 37

In article <369@nrc-ut.UUCP> andre@nrc-ut.UUCP (Andre' Hut) writes:

>>I think I's stir the gravel up and diatom it to get it as clean as possible
>>and THEN do as you propose. But I cannot see any advantage to do what
>>you are proposing.
>
>This is a *good* way to upset the biological function of the undergravel filter.
>If you stir it all up and diatom it, then you will see an ammonia cycle!
>

Good, I'd love to see an ammonia cycle. All I usually get to see is bi-cycles.

Seriously, what are you talking about ? What is an "ammonia cycle" ?

I usually drain half to a third of the water. Scrape all the algae off (and
make spinich lasagna) and by this time the water is pretty stirred up
from all the muck. I throw the diatom filter on it, and add new water.
At this poiny I stir up the gravel a bit, wait 10 min. for the gravel
to clear up, and repeat four or five times.

Now, if you are saying that by stirring up the gravel you will see
a rise in the ammonia level, something isn't right here. I thought
all that ammonia was being converted to nitr*tes, so where is the
ammonia coming from ?

And besides, if its in the undergravel filter bed, which has
water constantly passing over it, wouldnt any ammonia already
be in solutiion ?

Explain please.



-- 
       "Well they say, that Santa Fe, is more, than 90 miles away"

{ihnp4!crash, hplabs!hp-sdd!crash}!gryphon!richard || richard@gryphon.CTS.COM