Aquarium Maintenance made easy

Note: information on this article are good for both fresh and salt water aquarium

Let me share with you how I manage to keep overpopulated fish tanks clean and healthy without doing weekly water change. I use this technique at work for all my clients.

First of all, any aquarium, lakes and ponds needs a way to eliminate pollution produce by fish and other inhabitant. Your aquarium really on your filter, plants and live rock (for reef tank) to eliminate this pollution. Because most of the time this is not enough, we do water changes. If pollution build up to fast, larger or more frequent water changes are needed and this is where aquarium maintenance becomes time consuming.

There is no way my clients will accept to pay me to service there tanks more than once a week so I had to figure out how to get good results with limited maintenance. The way I proceed to only service these tanks is to make sure that filtration is strong enough to eleminate all that crap for me. The filtration system I’ll show you is so strong that bacteria in it consume complete the azote cycle and eliminate No3 and Po4. Yes that’s right! You can build yours using any canister filter or phosban reactor (even an aquaclear filter could do for a small tank).

You can find all the supply needed for this project at madcaptains.com

Bacteria in your filter has the following limiting factors :
1. The amount of available food.
2. The amount of accessible oxygen.
3. The total surface platforms to form colonies.
4. Water temperature; and
5. pH range.

The Solution:

Here on plant Earth, in any ecosystem, if the inhabitants are to survive, the Nitrogen Cycle must be established and the poisonous nitrogen compounds brought down to tolerable levels.

Ensure minimum limitation for bacteria life grow and you’ll get a nitrogen cycle able to do the job. With a real good filtration system, you could easily have a pollution reading close to 0 without doing all that maintenance and these water changes.

How to do this :

1-you need a really large bacteria bed (platform to form the colonies). There is two ways to do this : you first option is to have a super large filter and the second is to use a media that has a really large surface area in contact with water. I use an activated carbon call Tri Base Pelletized Carbon. It has a surface area in contact with water up to 10X larger than most filtration media on the market. Plus, it has available carbon. When use as a bacteria bed (and not as a chemical reducer), Tri Base Pelletized Carbon have a 4 years life time!

2- I do not wait anymore for cycling. I use a bacteria call Right Now Bacteria. This bacteria grow really fast and will establish on the carbon within only a few hours. It also resist to copper and can survive within a large temperature range. It contains many different organism that work all together at different level. What’s great about it is that I only need to use it once to get long lasting results. Right Now Bactria is the bacteria that will remove all that pollution for us. You will not get no3 and po4 reduction without it.

Here is a graph showing results in a small reef tank


As you see, results are great and what’s great is that it work for all tanks.

By the way, I still do water changes once in a while but much less and much smaller. My main task is to rince the carbon in the filter once a month.

An other great thing about this bacteria combined with Tri Base Pelletized Carbon is that bacteria grow fast enough to cycle the tank within 24h only! I never lost a fish doing this (I have done this 100s of times). I have made water testing every hours many time and it always showed good water for healty fish.

But remember, if you try this system, you'll need both the bacteria AND the carbon.

It’s realy cheap to get a filtration system like this. Yes, Tri Base Pelletized Carbon is more expensive than any other activated carbon on the market but with a 4 years life, it pay for it self quickly.

If you want to give this a try, there is a simple but really important protocol to follow. Make sure you ask for it before you buy.

There is also some other things I use for tanks that I really have no time to take care of. The pH adjustment rock are great because they hold pH in salt water tanks and last certainly over 10 years. The only problem with it is that it can take some time and tune-up before it is totally stable so it could be risky if install on an old reef tank with fancy corals. When it’s a new tank, I do use it because I have all my time and can make adjustment without risk.
Trace Elements block are one of the goods I use in all salt water tanks (not fresh water) running with that filtration system. The reason I use these block is because they supply trace elements and all magnesium I need. The carbon has the inconvenient to remove these trace elements so we need constant supply. What I like about it is that I do not need to dose. I simply add one block and an other one when the first one has dissolved. On fresh water tanks, these extra goods are not needed.

So if you find aquarium maintenance time consuming or allays pollution problems I invite you to give this method a try. It work for me and will work for you for sure.

DIY Denitrator for fresh and saltwater aquariums

Find on this page all you need to know to setup a filtration system that will establish a Totally Aerobic Nitrogen Cycle in 24 hours (instead of 28 days), as well as treat and remediate serious nitrogen pollution in both fresh and saltwater aquariums.
For more information about this system and why it works, please consult our Advanced Information Page. You may also read Patent Number 6,025,152 for more technical informations

All equipment needed to build this filter can be found here

PART 1: SET UP

1.1 Calculate the TOTAL AMOUNT of gallons your new tank can hold without anything in it.

1.2. Now calculate how much Tri Base Pelletized Carbon you need. Here is the math: 0.1667 lbs x Gallons
*If your tank is going to be a reef tank with no fish: corals need only 1/3 the amount of TBPC if it is an all coral tank.
*If your tank is reef tank mix with small amount of fish: you'll need only 1/2 the amount of TBPC.
*If it is a fish only tank, then you need the full amount of carbon.

Remember, when usd as a bacteria bed, this carbon only needs to be replaced once every four years.

Let Tri Base Pelletized Carbon soak in a water bucket with an air pump for about two days. Once this is done, add it to your filter. Do not add it all at once: the best to do this is to add 1/4 to the canister every day. For freshwater tank with live plants, do not use Tri Base Pelletized Carbon. It will remove everything your plants need to survive. Use Earth Pellets instead.

1.3 The Canister:
For best results, Tri Base Pelletized Carbon should be used in a canister. This way, all the water will be in contact with the carbon.

One pound of Tri Base Pelletized Carbon fills a 1L volume.
For a small tank, any filter could do (aquaclear, fluval filter, etc.) but for large tank, the only canisters we found to carry the amount of carbon needed is the RED TORPEDO.
The Red Torpedo: This canister is nothing more than durable and lightweight filter tank designed specifically to maximize media load with no internal restrictions and pressure tested to 150 PSI.

1.4 Water Flow:
Water flow is the water returning to your tank after it has passed through your filters. There is just one easy thing to remember here: IT MUST BE TEN (10) AN HOUR.

1.5 The Return Pipe:
This is very important! In all systems (except for those in an aquarium with plants), the return pipe MUST be about two inches ABOVE the water surface. It MUST shoot from the rear to the front, and be cross corner. If you DON'T do this, you will have a very hard time with your pH and the Dissolved Oxygen levels in your tank. Water should be taken from the bottom of the tank.

1.6 Water temperature:
The water temperature should be around 78 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In the tropics the water temperature is usually between 84 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in many places. For a salt water tank, density (no, it is not really called salinity) should be between 1.020 to 1.025. At the lower density there is less disease and the water can carry more oxygen.

1.7 Water Changes and Cleaning:
This system will keep your water clean and will reduce No3 and Po4. This is not an excuse for you to stop changing the water. You can change a smaller volume and save on water and/or salt but dont skip that very important maintenance routine. Your Red Torpedo or filter should be cleaned (actually it is the carbon inside that need to be cleaned) once a month. All you have to do is to back flush. Back flush for 10 to 15 seconds ONLY. Otherwise your bacteria bed will be carried away in the waste water. Back flushing does not mean to back flush water back into the tank!

1.8 The Bacteria:
Right Now Bacteria is the master-piece of that system. It has nothing in common with all those bacteria starters you see on the market. Right Now Bacteria will establish on your Tri Base Pelletized Carbon or Earth Pellets and will grow at a phenomenal rate. Within only a few hours it will have enough bacteria to cycle your tank AEROBICALY. It will consume waste like nothing you’ve ever seen and it remains in your system. Actualy, you only need to use the bacteria once, but if you want (and this is what I do), you can add a few every month after water change to boost the system a little. If you do this, help yourself and get a pound of it instead of small quantity every time (you'll save money this way).

PART 2: TRULY BULLET-PROOF 24 HOURS AEROBIC NITROGEN CYCLE IN A NEW TANKS

2.1 SET UP THE TANK AS NOTED ABOVE

2.2 ACCLIMATISE YOUR FISH:
Acclimatise your fish by using an air line with a plastic valve. Drip water from the air line into a small plastic bucket. Start slowly at first, and after an hour and a half, increase the flow. Keep putting the water into the tank as the bucket fills up.

2.3 FIVE MINUTES BEFORE YOU PUT THE FISH IN THE TANK:
Add the Right Now Bacteria to the tank five minutes before you put the fish in the tank. DO NOT ADD THE BACTERIA BEFORE THAT!

2.4 THE FIRST 24 HOURS:
During the first 24 hours, the tank may cloud up. But by the next day, you will have the entire TOTALLY AEROBIC NITROGEN and PHOSPHORUS CYCLE!

2.5 FOR SALTWATER TANK ONLY:
If you have live rock, you can simply add the Right Now Bacteria when you add the live rock in the tank. You do not need the Tri Base Pelletized Carbon. Even if you do not use the Tri Base Pelletized Carbon, Right Now Bacteria will protect your fish from the deadly ammonium and Nitrite spike, and will cycle your tank in 24 hours. You will now have No3 and Po4 reduction without Tri Base Pelletized Carbon.

For all tanks: Without Tri Base Pelletized Carbon you will NOT have continual Aerobic nitrate or phosphate reduction, or will have it only to a lesser degree.

PART 3: OLD TANKS INSTALATION

3.1 SET UP:
Set your system as noted above. Once again, do not add all Tri Base Pelletized Carbon at once (it could kill your fish)!!!

3.2 RIGHT NOW BACTERIA:
Add Right Now Bacteria.

This is it! Simply remember that all those steps are important.

Better filtration for planted aquarium

This is a new filtration media made for fresh water planted tank or saltwater refuge. Outlined bellow are the reasons why Earth Pellets is the best filtration media for your planted tank.

GREATER SURFACE AREA:
- Earth Pellets has a surface area equal to 980 meter squared per gram.
- Bio Ball's surface area is 100 cubic feet for every cubic foot of material.

Fast Aquarium Cycle (How To)

Right Now Bacteria has proven to establish a Totally Aerobic Nitrogen Cycle in 24 hours (instead of 28 days). It work 100% of the time as long as you follow the protocol:

For freshwater and fish only (no live rock) saltwater tanks, follow the instruction HERE.

For saltwater WITH live rock:
If there is live rock in your tank, you can simply add the Right Now Bacteria when you add the live rock. We recommend 1 to 2 lbs of live rock per gallon. You do not need the Tri Base Pelletized Carbon like other tanks. Even if you do not use the Tri Base Pelletized Carbon, Right Now Bacteria will protect your fish from the deadly ammonium and Nitrite spike, and will cycle your tank in 24 hours.

But remember: Without Tri Base Pelletized Carbon you will NOT have continual Aerobic nitrate or phosphate reduction, or will have it only to a lesser degree.

Aquarium Algae Control With Metal Gone

Get Metal Gone Freshwater! Get Metal Gone Saltwater!

MICRO and HAIR ALGAE DESTROYER! 100% NATURAL - FOR FRESH AND SALTWATER AQUARIUMS Will DESTROY all types of MICRO and HAIR ALGAE in your Aquarium and inhibits their regrowth! Algae are always present in our aquariums. Either they take over a poorly-maintained tank, or simply wait for the appropriate conditions to occur

when we overfeed, do not do make proper water changes, or have a poor filtration system.

Algae cannot be completely eliminated from the aquarium, no matter how concentrated the effort. Algae are introduced with every new fish or other organism placed in your aquarium. This includes all foods, both live and dry. Each contains some algae.

BUT ALL ALGAE CAN BE CONTROLLED WITH OUR METAL GONE!

Our goal is to ensure you have a clean, pleasant looking aquarium. To achieve this objective, we at MadCaptain's Aquarium are here to help you find a way to keep the algae you’ve introduced to your aquarium keep from finding a place to grow!

There are many chemicals and antibiotics which are employed against algae. But do we really want to use chemicals in a living ecosystem? Many of those chemicals not only kill algae, but also affect all the living creatures, plants, corals and bacteria in your aquarium. Do you really want to risk all that after all the time and effort you have spent on your tank?

METAL GONE WILL FIRST WEAKEN ALGAE

Metal Gone has been laboratory proven to:
1. Remove deadly toxic metals for better fish and invertebrate health
2. Removes NOT only PHOSPHATES, but also other heavy metals which affect the well-being and growth of invertebrates and fish Converts an unsightly aquarium to a pristine aquarium
3. Vastly reduces and eliminates DEADLY EUTROPHICATION in your aquarium. It is a scientific fact, EUTROPHICATION always contributes to rapid HAIR and MICRO ALGAE growth

By using either our Fresh Water or Salt Water Metal Gone in the required dosage in your aquarium, algae gets weaker and dies, or are easier to control.

THEN, WEAK ALGAE CAN BE ... EATEN!!!!!

Yes, that's right! Metal Gone weakens the algae and allows Right Now Bacteria to consume every algae cell found in your aquarium water. Simply add Metal Gone in your filter or sump and pour Right Now Bacteria in your tank. You should maintain bi-weekly water changes to remove dead algae and the chemicals which were found in their bodies. Remember, in science, matter cannot be created nor destroyed. Within a month or two, depending upon how affected your tank was with either MICRO or HAIR ALGAE; your aquarium will become the prize show tank you have always desired.

But remember, algae are always reintroduced into our aquariums. Excess of nutrients will trigger rapid growth, so routine maintenance will ensure the algae cannot grow back. Simply keep small quantities of Metal Gone in your filter to prevent pollution build up.

How to destroy MICRO or nasty HAIR ALGAE using Metal Gone and Right Now Bacteria in your aquarium:
1. In a canister filter put in one pound of rinsed Metal Gone per 30 gallons, and one dose of Right Now Bacteria
2. The flow rate does not matter, but be sure to have the water shooting across the water’s surface for maximum oxygenation. (Right Now Bacteria needs lots of oxygen to do its job)
3. Change the water every two weeks (25%) to remove excess nutrients from the dead MICRO or HAIR ALGAE
4. While changing the water, be sure to vacuum the gravel and also any rocks that have hair algae on them. Do NOT scrub the rock. You will notice much of the HAIR ALGAE will simply come off your rock without any effort, every time you vacuum
5. In about one month, you will see a vast difference. After you notice the MICRO and HAIR ALGAE DISAPPEAR, wait another month while the Metal Gone and Right Now Bacteria continue to work to ensure your aquarium no longer has any algae cells remaining

6. When all remaining algae cells are destroyed, algae won't re-grow until they are reintroduced in the aquarium. Be sure to clean your nets and other equipment so they will not carry algae back into your aquarium. As mentioned above, algae cells are everywhere, so they will be reintroduced whatever you do. However, if you keep changing the water regularly to avoid pollution build up, things should stay under control. If you fear water changes might not be enough to keep algae away, simply keep small quantities of Metal Gone in your filter to prevent pollution build up (1/2 pound per 30 gallons will do)

REEF SAFE WHEN USED AS DIRECTED

Get Metal Gone Freshwater here!
Get Metal Gone Saltwater here!