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  1. #1
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    biocenosis baskets

    ok so I have got some baskets on the way,
    the baskets are 29cm square

    If using aqua basis instead of the laterite would the amounts be the same or different?
    suggestions is 200-400 grams for laterite.

    I saw one suggestion somewhere of using a cut of 4" pipe to form a hollow in the center, fill with the aqua basis then pull out.
    Would that be an 1" 2" 3" ??

    I am currently testing a litter, holding together for last few days now. no additive, just a natural product.

    would the baskets all need to be the same litter?
    what if a batch was done at one time then added to later, would it be ok if a different litter was used?
    Are there possible benefits of using different litters...


    Link below for the super informative article.


    Building an anoxic system



  2. #2
    There you are Simon. Answers below.

    If using aqua basis instead of the laterite would the amounts be the same or different?

    suggestions is 200-400 grams for laterite.
    No. The article says that you only need about half the amount if you use Ironite but JBL Aquabasis is a direct substitute.

    I saw one suggestion somewhere of using a cut of 4" pipe to form a hollow in the center, fill with the aqua basis then pull out.
    Would that be an 1" 2" 3" ??
    I don't know who's idea that was but that seems like a lot of unnecessary buggering about. It would be much simpler to follow the first sentence in the article - fill the basket with cat litter, scoop out a depression and pour in the laterite (or the substitute in your case). If you prefer to use a pipe to put the laterite, or substitute, into the basket then I'd suggest you use a large diameter pipe so as to get as much of the volume of your Aquabasis as possible into the centre of the basket.

    I am currently testing a litter, holding together for last few days now. no additive, just a natural product.
    That's the correct way to test if the litter you've chosen is suitable.

    would the baskets all need to be the same litter?
    There's no reason to use different brands.

    what if a batch was done at one time then added to later, would it be ok if a different litter was used?
    It wouldn't make any difference provided the new stuff was a suitable type.

    Are there possible benefits of using different litters...

    None whatsoever. The granules of cat litter only create negatively charged molecular sites that attract in ammonia molecules. It doesn't do anything else so alternative cat litters don't have different properties that might be of benefit to the system.


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  4. #3
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    Thanks for the reply.
    As the anoxic pond needs a low oxygen level,
    Would the water falling in from a higher pond (about 10 inches) cause the water to be to airated?
    How do you measure the oxygen level or is it just fit and forget?

  5. #4
    Simon,

    Don't be mislead by what you read about anoxic ponds, written by people who don't understand but have theories. There's a theory being spread around that the anoxic pond needs to be low in dissolved oxygen. I've seen that comment more times than I can remember but people who spread this theory clearly don't understand how anoxic filtration works and won't read the link I repeatedly give to my article which explains just about everything a potential user needs to know in order to build their own.

    If you look at the drawing of the basket, it's the zone C in the basket that develops anoxic conditions not the pond. Figure 12 in my article even shows how the system can work by an airlift and you can't oxygenate the anoxic pond any greater than that. I even suggest that an anoxic pond could be used to keep very small fry in until they are big enough to transfer to the main pond and you couldn't do that in an oxygen depleted anoxic pond but some people prefer their theories to reading the plain facts that I can't set out any clearer.

    Read my article as many times as you need in order to understand it. Too many people just skim it rather than reading it properly to see how anoxic filtration works and what they need to know in order to build their own. I spent literally weeks and weeks writing it. Of all the articles I've ever written, that one is by far the one that took me the longest to write. Much of the time was spent rewriting and re-rewriting it and drawing simplified diagrams in order to present it in a form that anyone should be able to understand.
    Anoxic Filtration

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  7. #5
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai oddbod's Avatar
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    my anoxic filters been running for 2 years , no problems , I have a airated bottom drain on constantly . I put my aquabasis in to little mesh bags , made out of old tights .

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  9. #6
    I’m looking at the Tesco cat litter, red/white bag with black/white cat on front. Does anyone know if this is ok to use ? I’ve already bought 2 bags that were no good.
    Thanks.

  10. #7
    Would you mind passing on the brand of litter if you have found it to be ok ?
    Thanks

  11. #8
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai oddbod's Avatar
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    I used Tesco cat litter , it was like a red clay , I think it was on a purple bag with a cat on it , proberly could be found on Tesco web site

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  13. #9
    If you read my article I've tried to adress every question I've ever been asked or point that I've seen made including some types of cat litter that users have found suitable.
    Anoxic Filtration

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  15. #10
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    The article above is the touchstone for this subject.

    There are lots of possibilities, I have cats so any wrong buys would eventually get used.
    But, I appreciate from my own experience that you don't want to get it wrong.
    You just want someone to say that one works,

    In the end I got a good deal on a light weight pink clay, sanicat pink.
    Sanicat Pink Cat litter - 30Ltr on Sale

    £9.99 for 30lt and free post if you spend £40

    The old tights is a good suggestion, obviously holes are not going to be any good.
    if you keep the bundles and knots tight, you should get 3 or 4 bags out of each leg.

    using the basket size suggested in Manky's article you get 4 baskets done with 30lt, that's with a bit of space at the top to cover with stones. Packed fuller maybe 3 baskets
    so you would do around 12-16 baskets with the 4 bags. worked for me.

    For the planters that are going on the floor of the pond, I used some black overflow pipe (21.5mm)
    cut several lengths to somewhere between the top and base measure of the basket,
    fitted 2 on each basket with 2 nylon tie straps through the basket to each piece of pipe.

    The best deal I found for Aqua basis plus, was Pond Planet
    https://www.pond-planet.co.uk/aquari...sis-plus-p2754

    free delivery if you add it up with other bits to £50
    Last edited by Simon Fish; 31-12-2018 at 05:29 PM.

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  17. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Manky Sanke View Post
    If you read my article I've tried to adress every question I've ever been asked or point that I've seen made including some types of cat litter that users have found suitable.
    Anoxic Filtration
    I’ve read yr article severel times and I’m keen to give Anoxic filtration a go. However the cat litters you mention seem to have been discontinued. I have just ordered biozorb as used for Bonsai. Hope this is the right stuff. I think it is same thing as Sanicat litter without the perfume.

  18. #12
    Hi Simon Fish, I'm trying to use Sanicat Pink to make an anoxic filter. How did you get all the scent off it, please? I am really struggling with it. I've tried soaking it, showering it, multiple rinses and even rinsing in 10%vol alcohol. Nothing seems to work!

  19. #13
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    ???
    The stuff I have is just a natural clay.

  20. #14
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    Just done a quick Google.
    There is a sanicat with aloe Vera,
    The bag looks very similar, maybe that's what you have?

  21. #15
    Hi Simon Fish, no, definitely Sanicat Pink.

  22. #16
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    There are various sanicat pink products.

    The link I posted above was for a natural clay.
    That's all it is,
    a Moller clay size 3-6mm.
    If yours has a scent, it must be something else??

  23. #17
    That's why I include in my article, under the section specifying the brands that have been found to be suitable, that the ingredients of the litter may be subject to change by the manufacturer so the suitability of any clay or cat litter should be checked before buying large quantities and how this may be done.

    BTW ideally use an unscented brand but don't worry if the scent can't fully be washed off. Just give it your best attempt to rinse it in plain tap water.
    Last edited by Manky Sanke; 09-07-2019 at 04:10 PM.

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  25. #18
    Thanks, Syd, that's exactly what I did... Just washed it as best I could then did a 50% water change a week later to make sure.
    I found using a pressure washer most/all of the scent came off.
    I did a fairly extensive review of cat litters (my wife thought I was going mad I was testing so many), and only Sanicat Pink from Pets at Home was suitable.

  26. #19
    You used a pressure washer to wash the cat litter???
    Did you spend the rest of the week picking up granules from your garden and those of the neighbours???

  27. #20
    Done on a gentle setting so as not to break up the litter nor spread it around. It was more water efficient than using large quantities of tap water.

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