biofilter

[esvashoreman]

Ive read that you have to have the system running for thirty days prior to putting crabs in  for conditioning of the filter. Is this correct or is there a faster way to condition the biofilter?

[catchincrabs]

Is this question in regards to a closed shedding system?

[esvashoreman]

yes it is any info from someone who has one would be great.

[redneckshoreboy]

How many filters are you running ?

[esvashoreman]

I have 5 shedding tanks a 1400 gallon stainless tank i plan on using oyster shells , a 2 horse power pump and a 10 foot protien skimmer.

[redneckshoreboy]

Ok......I got ya.....I have never delt with a sytem that big.....the one we had ...used a 35 gallon tank with shells....we had crabs in it with in a week of start up....running the whole time 24/7 to get the bugs out of it

[cw4340]

esva yes you want to get it up and running and you need to put  some critters in there crabs catfish ells you need to get the good nitrates eating the bad guys but you get the bad ones first thats why it takes time you can jump start it with ridex spetic cleaner some where thats on here in another post also mike osterling has great information on closed shedding systems thats all on old posts in here some were  i run 10 shedding tanks closed system and i,ll tell you this theres a lot of try,ll and error but when you get that bio filter workin rite things run smooth take care
GOD BLESS! and good luck cw

[cw4340]

esva the ridx deal is on old biofilter page 2

[esvashoreman]

Thanks for the info. I got it running yesterday. ?  catfish will live in salt water? how aboiut bull minnows. and what do i feed them while in the tanks.

[R D]

You need to keep the salt level to with in 5 to 8 parts per thousand of where the fish came from. I have tried feeding fish before and all i did was screw up my water but with all the people on this forum maybe somebody knows how.

[cw4340]

we use bracish water here  what ever kind of will work you need there waste product  so you get the good guys &BAD guys eating one another did you try and find the old post on closed systems i no its in her some where

[cw4340]

esva go to page 2 and then click on soft crabs read them threads you can get that mike osterling info on line there

[esvashoreman]

thanks , the ridx option sounds great love to save on electricity just got a letter from elec co 43% increase starting this month. must be nice wish, we  could increase our pay that easily. my question is even though the ridx starts working immediately how long before i can load the system with crabs.

[kimsmm]

i put ridx in 2  or 3 times a week. if you had your system working last year it will catch on almost imdediatly if its new it will take a few weeks to get your nitrite levels right. just put a few crabs in your tanks and gradually increase the crabs and check daily the nitrite level. you will know if the water is ok when you start shedding if the nitrite is to high the busters willl lock up and die or hang up in the shell. when this happens start dumping water and get new water and pour the ridex. i have used cases during the season.

[R D]

i put ridx in 2  or 3 times a week. if you had your system working last year it will catch on almost imdediatly if its new it will take a few weeks to get your nitrite levels right. just put a few crabs in your tanks and gradually increase the crabs and check daily the nitrite level. you will know if the water is ok when you start shedding if the nitrite is to high the busters willl lock up and die or hang up in the shell. when this happens start dumping water and get new water and pour the ridex. i have used cases during the season.

I have never tried it before but i'm going to . Thanks for the info. I Just had a dieoff where they were shedding part way and dieing and t6he water tested great, biofilters were converting good, still don't know just what happened except i had the salt content at 12 parts per thousand, we had a lot of rain in Feb. and the water were i was catching peelers in was red with tannic acid but when they started dying i checked it and it was 20 to 24 ppt so i changed it again with salter water and they seem to be doing better now still losing some that were in the vats before i changed the water

[esvashoreman]

Thanks fork the help got the system running now i have one more question. How much foam should be coming out the top of the protien skimmer.
                                                                 
                                            Thanks, esvashoreman

[kimsmm]

i keep mine just to the top when i walk out my house i look up and it looks like a ball of suds on top of the pipe.  mine is set up to let the foam come to the top and the wind blows it off the top.

[esvashoreman]

Thanks for all the info yall I shed my first dozen crabs yesterday. no dead crabs yet. happy crabbing.

[dustin323]

Really you want to cycle the tank before adding anything in there. This could be done with a few hardy fish like damsels or with some dead raw shrimp. The animals produce ammonia, then it is broken down into nitrItes, & then they're breakenb down into nitrAtes which is the least potent. Your filter media & substrate will store most of the good bacteria that will allow this to happen.

[dustin323]

Darn it I didn't realize this was an old post.