Thought I'd explain a bit more about my Anoxic filtration whilst I've got everybodies attention.
For those who are curious about this type of filter or who are even considering installing one, I thought I’d write about my experiences of running one for the last 4 and half years. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of filter?
Disadvantages
I’ll start with this first because it’s much easier. The Anoxic filter is a bio filter only, so although this is not strictly a disadvantage, it does require some sort of solids removal system as a first stage. Depending on how the Anoxic container is constructed then it can take up a fair bit of surface area unless you stack the baskets vertically.
Advantages
These are many but I will try and explain a few of them.
Cost. As in everything in life nothing is free BUT there is no need to spend thousands chasing the nitrogen cycle. I currently have 60 biocensus baskets in a liner pond that filters the main pond. The baskets were filled with cat litter and Laterite although there are now cheaper alternatives available to Laterite. Baskets, litter and Laterite worked out at £19’s each so not cheap but could be reduced to about £12’s today. The Laterite has a reported life of at least 20 years and the baskets and cat litter are forever.
Water parameters. The Anoxic filter will first “eat” ammonia, so as such there is no nitrogen cycle except for the bacteria living on all pond surfaces. As there is very little ammonia then nitrite is also low and is consumed by the filter when it has finished with the ammonia. Once this is in short supply then the filter will start to consume the nitrate and phosphate leaving the water clean. The filter has no influence on KH or pH so the pond is very stable, I have been running my pond with a KH of 2dh for years with no signs of any change. So the pond water is very good.
Cleaning. I have an RDF fitted so there is very little dirt that gets into the Anoxic filter. All I have is a very light covering of mulm on some of the baskets (between 1 & 2 mm thick). I last cleaned the Anoxic filter on 4th October 2013
and have no plans to clean it in the near future.
Water changes. I don’t change the water at all and haven’t done so since installing the Anoxic filter. I top up with about 200 liters of RO water a day that is used by the RDF but that is all for my 45,000 liter pond. The pond is crystal clear and all parameters checked on my Hanna 83203 electronic meter are low. Current temperature is 9.4°C and I’m still feeding 250 gms of 36% protein food a day.
Koi. I have about 40 koi in the pond of which 20 are over 60cms. They are all looking very well and I’m hoping my Chagoi which is currently at 85 cms will pass the 1 meter mark in the next two years. The Koi are growing well but I don’t feed for quick growth so there are no growth records being broken in my pond. The Anoxic filter also consumes growth suppressant pheromones which would explain why the Koi in my overcrowded pond are still growing.
Conclusions. I wish I’d found the Anoxic filter system before I spent thousands on all sorts of fancy filter systems that only leave you with a pond full of nitrates and a very large water bill trying to eliminate them.