Habitat - Indoor :: Biohome users

Turtle tank setups and other indoor configurations.

Post Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:01 am   Biohome users

Does anyone have any experience with how long it takes to complete the nitrogen cycle with Biohome Maxi media? Just bought a kilo of this for 2 compartments in my Fluval 306 filter.
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Post Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 7:42 am   Re: Biohome users

Biohome say very fast but they do not give a time line. A lot of factors involved like what condition your tap / well water is in to start and what's in it. (chemicals) Do / did you use RO water... Do you use activated carbon to dechlorinate or chemicals ? Naturally a few weeks even with the best media. If you kick start it with some liquid additive or some like those live bacteria balls little faster. In the old days we used a few minnows as starter fish to help start the cycle faster. First see an ammonia spike then as nitrosomona waste produced nitrite spike second until the nitrobacter is established. Most and I say do NOT do water changes during cycling. I used that before but I go in a different direction today. I found must protect it with media pads well due to the fact they clog up very fast. ( just my opinion) Did you get the ones with trace elements in it? I was into bog filters at one time but with age and health I keep it simple. Cycling doesn't bother RES as much as fish. Good luck !

PS: Pond guru has some good video to watch .
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Post Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 4:14 pm   Re: Biohome users

I use the API tap water treatment and the fluval beneficial bacteria for my 40 galling tank. I do watch DIY Fishkeepers too and he showed how to declorinate water so I'll try that. But if my tap is treated with chloramine then I have to stick with the API
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Post Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 4:45 pm   Re: Biohome users

I suggest you switch to activated carbon and just let the tank naturally cycle.
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steve
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Post Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 8:02 pm   Re: Biohome users

I saw Joey do Carbon, fluval clear max, carbon. Is the clear max really necessary if I have a moss ball in the tank?
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Post Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 9:16 pm   Re: Biohome users

The Maxi is what pondguru recommends because of how dense the core is allowing anaerobic bacterial growth. It's the size of the Ultra with the iron and other minerals in the plus while having a larger dense core since this media is roughly 3"L x 1"D. This will be for my female RES in her 40 gallon tank.
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Post Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 3:53 am   Re: Biohome users

You don't need clear max and with a 40 gallon tank, you will want to do frequent water changes.
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Post Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 5:36 am   Re: Biohome users

I've tried the Deep Blue nitrate reducer for about a week now and there is no change in my levels. I know the preferred range of nitrate is 0, but how high can a RES tolerate it? I do a 50% change every 3 days, I started off with 24 minnows in the tank and now I'm down to 3. I have the API test strips and spent around $9, but now I'm reading I should get the master test kit so I may just get that.
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Post Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 8:32 am   Re: Biohome users

I have never found test strips to be accurate ! Your results will be very different with a good kit ! If you could down the road a larger tank will be / IS easier to control water perimeters , with the high maintenance for a large turtle you tank does not have time to ever cycle. Larger water volume can / will help in that area.

Why not carbon as Steve stated , it does the job as long as you are good when it needs to be changed ! About every 2-3 weeks depending on tank load. Conditioner has some bad chemicals. Seen some next step to use more chemicals to treat the chemicals they put in , not me , my opinion only.

Please read API's own MSDS and they are one of the good company's. (API is Mars Fishcare Inc.)

http://www.redearslider.com/~res-mod/ve ... 122309.pdf

Read all you will see in there words----SODIUM THIOSULFATE : Very toxic to aquatic organisms / YES

Carbon sounds good now ! You read and you decide...
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Post Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 9:24 pm   Re: Biohome users

I've seen some videos about getting sodium thiosulfate in it's fine crystal form and making ur own conditioner, but I may just stick with the carbon, clear max, carbon method. I want to get a huge Rubbermaid tub and have that as her outside pond. My problem may be with the media I have, it's just the fluval bio max ceramic rings. My biohome Maxi will be coming in a few days. After watching more videos Pondguru ended up saying it would take about 2 kilos of biohome and about 2 months to complete a cycle, at least that's what it says on Great Wave Engineering. So I may get the biomotion moving bed media as well.
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Post Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 10:31 pm   Re: Biohome users

I've been doing this since 1961 and my time with the Louisiana Nature Center found out one thing that always was / is true. There is no one pill / chemical and or product that takes the place of nature. No one product that will do a maintenance list. I have mostly set my in ground ponds and indoor pond's as natural as one can. Even at the Nature Center all was set as natural with NO chemicals and all filtering was natural products NO LPS used. As stated before that's why I like bog filtering. Nature does very well without going to a LPS. I have been successful in breeding and thank nature for some very old offspring without chemicals or products that companies hype. Some spend great money on advertising and play with labeling laws. A natural setup can / will cycle completely in 3-6 weeks with natural media. No chemicals no store products. This has always worked for me and the Center. Sorry I can't be a help for you.
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Post Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:13 pm   Re: Biohome users

RES are pretty tough and if you have a healthy turtle then I wouldn't worry too much about water conditioning and testing. I don't want to discourage your use of biohome... I think it's pretty cool actually and look forward to your results.
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Post Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 5:13 pm   Re: Biohome users

My Biohome Maxi came in today and it filled up a little over a basket for 1 kilo of media. I still had room to use the rest of my "better" fluval media and replace it in he cracks. I will keep track of the progress and keep this page up to date. 1 kilo came with 11 starter balls roughly 1/4" in diameter.
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Post Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 1:07 am   Re: Biohome users

I have a 3pk of fluval 100g packets so 300g total. To properly dechlorify the water for the 20 gallons I will be taking out for my nxt water change, how slow should be output be of the hose? Maybe 10 min for 20 gallons or longer/shorter?
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Post Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:54 am   Re: Biohome users

All I have ever seen is a "slow flow rate" better but no one really gives a number (gph). Unlike sterilizers that gives a flow rate for each level you want to get to. Just me , I would find a way to control the filters flow. Then do test runs each water change to find the BEST for your setup. I'm getting old and chart everything in my log book to remember. I like to tweak things being all setup are a little different , that's just me , my opinion. I do not use anything to dechlorify Piggley water , stays out his tank for an hour or so (play time) I let tank and the filter do its thing and all is safe for him to go back in. Worked for me over 50 years. Good luck ! Let us know what flow rate works for you.
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