Switch from UGF to HOB

[fishwonder]

So is the now lack of flow over the substrate going to cause a bacteria die off thus an ammonia spike?

No. Never said that. It just that you have more abundant bacteria with fast water movement through your media which can by used to help cycle your new filter since you had a power UG filter. There is basically no bacteria on the substrate (less than 10%) anyway without a UG filter. It all resides in your filter now. You will be fine.

 

[Caliban07]

Pretty simple. Not enough air flow to pull a lot water through the gravel. You need fast water movement through your media for bacteria to grow. That's why a power head for more water movement is better. Simple.

But it isn’t even a bacteria that are the major nitrifiers in an aquarium filter. It is ammonia oxidising archaea.

 

[fishwonder]

But it isn’t even a bacteria that are the major nitrifiers in an aquarium filter. It is ammonia oxidising archaea.

Which everyone calls beneficial bacteria for ease...

 

[Caliban07]

Which everyone calls beneficial bacteria for ease...

It’s inaccurate. Like this comment from aquarium science.org

‘Note that these beneficial bacteria also require a pH above 6.0, preferably above 6.5, and a source of carbon dioxide and oxygen to function well’

Because ammonia oxidising archaea (which are not mentioned in this website) are much more tolerable of lower pH than the bacteria that occurs on filters with high ammonia loading.

 

[fishwonder]

Because ammonia oxidising archaea (which are not mentioned in this website) are much more tolerable of lower pH than the bacteria that occurs on filters with high ammonia loading.

And would take months to cultivate if any at all....

 

[fishwonder]

It’s inaccurate. Like this comment from aquarium science.org

‘Note that these beneficial bacteria also require a pH above 6.0, preferably above 6.5, and a source of carbon dioxide and oxygen to function well’

Because ammonia oxidising archaea (which are not mentioned in this website) are much more tolerable of lower pH than the bacteria that occurs on filters with high ammonia loading.

Just for you since you like to verify on that web site.

There is a type of nitrifying organism called archaea which can operate at very low pH. The problem is that these organism are what are called obligative acidophiles. I.e. they ONLY work at low pH. These organisms also grow very slowly. A nitrifying bacteria might double in population every 24 hours under optimum conditions. Archaea will double in population every ten days under optimum conditions.

Since this is a logarithmic relationship this is a huge difference. And there is no good way to increase the speed with which they grow. So an acid tank will need four to twenty four months to “cycle”.

So if one has an acid tank with low pH water one can simply cycle for four to twenty four months and the aquarium will then cycle ammonia, just like an aquarium above 6.5 pH.

Reference: https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/2-12-beneficial-bacteria/

Edit - Very low pH for obligative acidophiles is 2-4. Won't happen in a normal aquarium.

 

[Caliban07]

Just for you since you like to verify on that web site.

There is a type of nitrifying organism called archaea which can operate at very low pH. The problem is that these organism are what are called obligative acidophiles. I.e. they ONLY work at low pH. These organisms also grow very slowly. A nitrifying bacteria might double in population every 24 hours under optimum conditions. Archaea will double in population every ten days under optimum conditions.

Since this is a logarithmic relationship this is a huge difference. And there is no good way to increase the speed with which they grow. So an acid tank will need four to twenty four months to “cycle”.

So if one has an acid tank with low pH water one can simply cycle for four to twenty four months and the aquarium will then cycle ammonia, just like an aquarium above 6.5 pH.

Reference: https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/2-12-beneficial-bacteria/

Edit - Very low pH for obligative acidophiles is 2-4. Won't happen in a normal aquarium.

There are also AOA that operate at neutral and above neutral pH levels also. They are not restricted to pH levels 2-4 and changing environments in aquaria will host a vast array of microbes capable of nitrification and denitrification.

Of course, David believes that denitrification is also ‘patently false’ zzzz.

I posed a question to him once about denitrification in my soil tank. He didn’t like my question and he was just as arrogant and dismissive as he was on the forums. One of the reasons I thought you had written this article actually.

 

[charliebankston]

Honestly yalls chemistry lesson and information, while interesting, is of little relevance for OP. And hard for ignorant Texans like me to follow

 

[charliebankston]

Why do you think this? Please don’t link me to aquarium science.

Plenums utilise a gap between the glass base of the tank and the substrate. A small amount of flow is fed down in to the layer to create very low levels of oxygen. This facilitates the growth of microorganisms that use nitrate as an electron acceptor instead of oxygen to grow which allows you to run very low levels of nitrate.

Dr Kevin Novak uses them to great effect. His videos are on YouTube.

I don’t know much about under gravel filters.

 

[Caliban07]

Plenums utilise a gap between the glass base of the tank and the substrate. A small amount of flow is fed down in to the layer to create very low levels of oxygen. This facilitates the growth of microorganisms that use nitrate as an electron acceptor instead of oxygen to grow which allows you to run very low levels of nitrate.

Dr Kevin Novak uses them to great effect. His videos are on YouTube.

I don’t know much about under gravel filters.

Yes, I’ve seen his videos, thanks. In a planted tank, especially a co2 injected tank, the diurnal swings in parameters will cater to a vast array of microbes capable of many different functions. As new species emerge all the time I find it best not to try to cater to specific organisms.

I just try to allow for good oxygen levels because good o2 is the one common element that nitrifying organisms require.

Plant roots are subject to radial oxygen loss and leak oxygen in to the substrate to facilitate the growth of synergistic organisms. It would stand to reason that there would be zones of fluctuating redox potential which would facilitate the growth of organisms capable of denitrification. I think the microbial assemblage in an aquarium, with low ammonia loading and constantly fluctuating parameters would be quite diverse.

 

[charliebankston]

Oh, cool. Good info. My previous/ last post on this thread was from you. An old quote from you