byronford
New Member
Management of Particulate Waste In Aquaria
The successful management of the modern marine vertebrate and invertebrate aquarium is complicated by several factors which have frustrated hobbyists in their attempts to model the outer tropical reef habitat. These factors amount, in essence, to a shortage of materials which are used by the organisms in the habitat and an excess of materials that are produced by those same organisms. The only factor not covered in one of these two categories is the influence of unintended organisms (parasites) on the system and on the cultivated organisms. Even this, however, relates to the two original factors in that host immune function is dramatically improved by superior maintenance of environment.
Materials used by marine invertebrates include light, oxygen, food, major elements (calcium, bicarbonate) and minor or trace elements (strontium, boron, iodide). Optimal methods of providing these materials to the artificial habitat are the subject of other dissertations. The subject of this discussion is the effective removal of waste material from the artificial environment. Particulate organic carbon (POC) is produced by all vertebrate and invertebrate aquarium inhabitants. It accumulates in rock crevices, underneath the rock pile, within the substrate and in both intended and unintended filter media. The undesirable effects of accumulation of this material on the habitat include creation of anoxic zones and decomposition of the particulate organic carbon first into dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and then into inorganic algae fertilizers (nitrate and phosphate among them). To combat this problem several authors have put forward the concept of nutrient import-export balance in which it is postulated that the aquarist should be removing a greater quantity of sediment than the cumulative mass of food he/she is feeding over the same period of time. On the outer reef, particulate accumulation is prevented by the action of waves breaking on the reef along with that of tidal currents. The former breaks up deposits and suspends particulate matter in the water-column while the latter transports those same particulates into the adjacent deeper water. Unfortunately the degree of perturbation necessary to achieve this goal is difficult to replicate within the aquarium without getting salt-water all over our living-rooms (although hobbyists are trying with artificial wave-makers).
Current technologies for removing dissolved organic carbon (protein skimmers) and inorganic algae fertilizers (algal turf scrubbers) appear to adequately address removal of these waste products from the aquarium but the lack of an adequate tool for removing particulate material leaves most aquarists unable to address the 'root' of the problem. The targeted particulate material is constantly produced and its tendency to settle leaves the most significant deposits in the most difficult to access areas of the artificial habitat. Approaches to this problem even include omitting the substrate entirely (the Berlin method). The typical in-line particulate filter will trap the part of the material which makes it to the filter intake but even this is of limited help because the trapped material remains within the confines of the system and the water transiting the filter gathers dissolved organic carbon from the trapped particles. This dissolved organic carbon then increases the load on the protein skimmer and the algal turf scrubber. When the load exceeds the capacity of these instruments then nitrate and phosphate begin to accumulate, which leads to the inevitable algae bloom. In addition to this set-back, trapped particulate matter mechanically impedes the flow of water through the filter, diminishing water circulation and causing even less trapping of particulates.
Removal of POC from within and underneath the rock pile is best accomplished by re-suspending the material through use of a hand-held power-head (or flexible tube from same) while circulating water through a temporarily attached mechanical filter which diverts water flow either significantly or else entirely from the in-line permanent filtration system (a siphon-powered bypass). The removal of this filter from the system at the end of the rock-cleaning session (after the water clears) completely removes the trapped material from the system, preventing reintroduction of the products of its decomposition into the aquarium. Care should be taken not to overdo this, however. If deep sedimentary deposits have accumulated over an extended period of time then the aquarist should jet only half or even a quarter of the habitat to prevent the liberation of an overwhelming quantity of toxic products of anaerobic decay. For all of the POC that this method removes, however, a solid majority of the material will settle onto and become incorporated into the substrate which covers the bottom of the aquarium. Personal experience reveals that this occurs even in systems with very high flow rates facilitated by powerful wave-makers. Removal of this material is complicated by the fact that an increasing number of artificial habitats employ sandy substrates which, while having great aesthetic appeal, are more difficult to effectively clean with a typical aquarium siphon tube assembly.
The difficulty with using a standard substrate siphon is that the particulate material being targeted for removal is very close in density to the finer grade sands. Continuous operation of the siphon results in loss of substrate into the waste bucket. Because of this difficulty, the standard approach has become to occlude the siphon tube when the substrate approaches the top of the siphon tube housing, wait for the substrate to settle then resume siphoning. During the pause, some of the targeted sediment also settles, resulting in loss of sediment back into the environment. What is needed is a means of slowing flow through the upper portion of the housing to reduce substrate loss while allowing continuous operation (which reduces loss of sediment). This device should simultaneously be capable of focusing higher water-flow at the base of the housing in order to agitate the substrate and suspend the sediment in the water column contained within the body of the device. Because this area of increased flow serves the same function as the wave-breaking action on the substrate, high speed variable direction currents are needed. After substantial experimentation, the author has developed a device which accomplishes these goals and, as patent-pending status has recently been granted, is nearing readiness for distribution. The device, dubbed the counter-current substrate separator, uses only gravity to both agitate the substrate and simultaneously remove the sediment-laden water with little-to-no mixing with habitat water. Agitation of the substrate is substantially greater than that accomplished by an aquarium siphon, as is removal of POC.
Although the device works well with small-grain sand, it is advisable to use the more expensive coarser grade sand to capitalize on the greater difference in density between this substrate and the POC being targeted for removal. Its designer believes that regular use of the device has the potential to dramatically improve the success of the average hobbyist as he/she endeavors to maintain some of the more challenging organisms. Also, by making success easier to achieve, the CCSS has the potential to broaden the appeal of the hobby in general.
The successful management of the modern marine vertebrate and invertebrate aquarium is complicated by several factors which have frustrated hobbyists in their attempts to model the outer tropical reef habitat. These factors amount, in essence, to a shortage of materials which are used by the organisms in the habitat and an excess of materials that are produced by those same organisms. The only factor not covered in one of these two categories is the influence of unintended organisms (parasites) on the system and on the cultivated organisms. Even this, however, relates to the two original factors in that host immune function is dramatically improved by superior maintenance of environment.
Materials used by marine invertebrates include light, oxygen, food, major elements (calcium, bicarbonate) and minor or trace elements (strontium, boron, iodide). Optimal methods of providing these materials to the artificial habitat are the subject of other dissertations. The subject of this discussion is the effective removal of waste material from the artificial environment. Particulate organic carbon (POC) is produced by all vertebrate and invertebrate aquarium inhabitants. It accumulates in rock crevices, underneath the rock pile, within the substrate and in both intended and unintended filter media. The undesirable effects of accumulation of this material on the habitat include creation of anoxic zones and decomposition of the particulate organic carbon first into dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and then into inorganic algae fertilizers (nitrate and phosphate among them). To combat this problem several authors have put forward the concept of nutrient import-export balance in which it is postulated that the aquarist should be removing a greater quantity of sediment than the cumulative mass of food he/she is feeding over the same period of time. On the outer reef, particulate accumulation is prevented by the action of waves breaking on the reef along with that of tidal currents. The former breaks up deposits and suspends particulate matter in the water-column while the latter transports those same particulates into the adjacent deeper water. Unfortunately the degree of perturbation necessary to achieve this goal is difficult to replicate within the aquarium without getting salt-water all over our living-rooms (although hobbyists are trying with artificial wave-makers).
Current technologies for removing dissolved organic carbon (protein skimmers) and inorganic algae fertilizers (algal turf scrubbers) appear to adequately address removal of these waste products from the aquarium but the lack of an adequate tool for removing particulate material leaves most aquarists unable to address the 'root' of the problem. The targeted particulate material is constantly produced and its tendency to settle leaves the most significant deposits in the most difficult to access areas of the artificial habitat. Approaches to this problem even include omitting the substrate entirely (the Berlin method). The typical in-line particulate filter will trap the part of the material which makes it to the filter intake but even this is of limited help because the trapped material remains within the confines of the system and the water transiting the filter gathers dissolved organic carbon from the trapped particles. This dissolved organic carbon then increases the load on the protein skimmer and the algal turf scrubber. When the load exceeds the capacity of these instruments then nitrate and phosphate begin to accumulate, which leads to the inevitable algae bloom. In addition to this set-back, trapped particulate matter mechanically impedes the flow of water through the filter, diminishing water circulation and causing even less trapping of particulates.
Removal of POC from within and underneath the rock pile is best accomplished by re-suspending the material through use of a hand-held power-head (or flexible tube from same) while circulating water through a temporarily attached mechanical filter which diverts water flow either significantly or else entirely from the in-line permanent filtration system (a siphon-powered bypass). The removal of this filter from the system at the end of the rock-cleaning session (after the water clears) completely removes the trapped material from the system, preventing reintroduction of the products of its decomposition into the aquarium. Care should be taken not to overdo this, however. If deep sedimentary deposits have accumulated over an extended period of time then the aquarist should jet only half or even a quarter of the habitat to prevent the liberation of an overwhelming quantity of toxic products of anaerobic decay. For all of the POC that this method removes, however, a solid majority of the material will settle onto and become incorporated into the substrate which covers the bottom of the aquarium. Personal experience reveals that this occurs even in systems with very high flow rates facilitated by powerful wave-makers. Removal of this material is complicated by the fact that an increasing number of artificial habitats employ sandy substrates which, while having great aesthetic appeal, are more difficult to effectively clean with a typical aquarium siphon tube assembly.
The difficulty with using a standard substrate siphon is that the particulate material being targeted for removal is very close in density to the finer grade sands. Continuous operation of the siphon results in loss of substrate into the waste bucket. Because of this difficulty, the standard approach has become to occlude the siphon tube when the substrate approaches the top of the siphon tube housing, wait for the substrate to settle then resume siphoning. During the pause, some of the targeted sediment also settles, resulting in loss of sediment back into the environment. What is needed is a means of slowing flow through the upper portion of the housing to reduce substrate loss while allowing continuous operation (which reduces loss of sediment). This device should simultaneously be capable of focusing higher water-flow at the base of the housing in order to agitate the substrate and suspend the sediment in the water column contained within the body of the device. Because this area of increased flow serves the same function as the wave-breaking action on the substrate, high speed variable direction currents are needed. After substantial experimentation, the author has developed a device which accomplishes these goals and, as patent-pending status has recently been granted, is nearing readiness for distribution. The device, dubbed the counter-current substrate separator, uses only gravity to both agitate the substrate and simultaneously remove the sediment-laden water with little-to-no mixing with habitat water. Agitation of the substrate is substantially greater than that accomplished by an aquarium siphon, as is removal of POC.
Although the device works well with small-grain sand, it is advisable to use the more expensive coarser grade sand to capitalize on the greater difference in density between this substrate and the POC being targeted for removal. Its designer believes that regular use of the device has the potential to dramatically improve the success of the average hobbyist as he/she endeavors to maintain some of the more challenging organisms. Also, by making success easier to achieve, the CCSS has the potential to broaden the appeal of the hobby in general.
