Originally Posted By: Cecil Baird1
 Originally Posted By: JKB
 Originally Posted By: Cecil Baird1
 Originally Posted By: esshup
Cecil:

Come-on, you can spare a few small bg to see how the tank is doing! Throw some in there already!!!!!! Whatcha waiting for!


The nitrites are at least 5 mg/l. Sure death for any fish.


Yep, sure death.

Your Nitrites are going to take a bit longer. Cooler temps and light make it take longer to fully cycle.

Can you rig up a cover for the RBC? Cheap black plastic or something to keep the light out.

Also, elevated air temperature will help with an RBC. If you can cheaply direct a heater duct, that will help.

One thing I tried was infra-red over a flat black shield. Raised the temp up pretty good without drying anything out. That would be too expensive to run full time, but as an experiment it went well.

The beauty with your RBC or fixed film reactor is once it is working properly, it is very reliable.

I did however have an instance of Nitrate poisoning with a new mini rbc. Something to keep an eye on.


I am planning on a cover when I transfer it over to an oblong rumbermaid container, but just like the heater money is an issue right now. However it's quite dark in that back room. I even blocked the only window --a very small one -- with cardboard so it's pretty much pitch black in there most of the time.

What's interesting is there quite a biofilm layer on the RBC now.

I'll be watching nitrates as I do now. Water changes should keep it under control.



All Good.

I cant wait till you post a video with your tank stocked. But be patient.

I would have also liked to see you add a salt regime when you started your bio-filter. I would ask Jim Held or Bill Cody and get their opinion, being that I am not an expert, but I have killed many fish

I want your RAS Project to be a success. You have taken on a bit more difficult rout, but it will be long term success.

If I can help, let me know.