particle filter before or after bio filter

[kalebjarrod]

can i garvity feed my water through a rotating hub then through my bio balls and then through my particle filter?

i have a stainless screen on the overflow so my rotating hub won't get blocked but i am unsure if this is still praticle or correct.

and if i can't why? :lol:

[fishpimp]

kale i would say this would be effective. i think the majority of cannister filters available have the water flowing thru the bio before the particle filters (and have a intake screen of some sort). the larger pieces of waste loaded with ammonia are trapped in the bio media and the beneficial bacteria break this down once it begins to become effecient.
keep in mind the bacteria thrives in air, a gravity trickle system has great potential to be able to suspend the media above the waterline.
it's a good idea to have the particle filters easily accesible and rinse it out in fishy water weekly or every other.
myself i do have a fairly coarse and medium foam overlaying the media,
so it's before the media, practical for me.
a rotating hub sounds interesting, how and what happens there?
:idea:

[flukes]

Id have too disagree, normally there is a sponge before the bio media to colect larger waste, reason being it is alot easier to clean a sponge than the bio media without losing the beacteria from the nio media.
Even if there is a larger pore sponge used so the larger bits get stuck and the water still passes through.
Another idea is too put this larger pored sponge on the intake to the cannister/trickle filter.
I dont really know what you mean by stainless steel screen but as long as it removes larger waste so you dont have to clean the bio balls all the time. You could also make a drip plate so you get even water distribution over the bio media.

There are plenty of wet.dry trickle filter designs on the net just do a google and you should get a heap of results.
I was thinking of doing this with a 8 2ft breeding tanks, have a large bio tower, like a garbage bin then but the bottom off. So the water gets pulled from the tank by gravity, goes into a rotating arm which spreads the water over a drip plate. Then pases through a sponge and into the bio balls (in this case) then with the bottom but off the bin sits into a large container which has a large pump too pump the water back. Also the heaters can be put into the conatiner at the bottom. Even if i still have 1 heater in each tank and one in the container just to keep an even temp.

Well let us know how things go.

Not sure what other people do with sponges and media in which order so wait for other people to reply.

Cheers
Scott

[kalebjarrod]

Scott,

i have found a stainless stell screen from my loacl irrigation store. 1 1/4inch hooks directly into my trickle pvc and has a sreen of about 1mm tops

see attched, seems to catch the leaves and large grity bits.

fishpimp,

check the next photo fishpimp its of a rotating hub. just a pvc rotating tee peice with plastic ball bearings

i still have to weld a custom plastic box to house my filter foam. i still use a layer of filter wool does anyone else?

[Tryhard]

Kal did you put that together (the rotating arm) or did you buy it complete - if you made it could you post the design would appreciate it greatly :D .

[kalebjarrod]

i am in the process of building a custom filtration system with automatic water changes. so most of what you saw is my handy work ( pat on the back for me)

You can buy the rotating hub from LFS this particluar one is 1 1/2inch and will cost $150.00+ i think. you can buy smaller units although they won't run the amount of water (2500lph) i need through a GRAVITY system. smaller units will work under a pressuized system.

the hub when you buy it looks like a tee peice and you have to add the bits and peices. they do make a more complete package but it would not work in my situation.

i will draw some diagrams and add some photos of my system over the next few weeks when i weld my plastic particle filter box together and add my storage tank.

i happen to have a spare one (next project) which is a complete package so see photos below

Ryan

[kalebjarrod]

sorry

photos

[flukes]

Ryan, id be putting a drip plate in there just to get a more even flow over the bio balls, you would know better as you can see it running but are the balls at the ends getting a good amount of water.??

[kalebjarrod]

good observation scott,

the balls at the very ends are NOT getting the adequte water flow but i have not calculated these into my filtraton system. The balls directley underneath are enough for the size tank i have and the balls at the end are in excess. the water flow underneath the rotating arm is fantasctic

i will (when i have time) place a divider at these ends and remove the excess bioballs for use in my next project

[flukes]

Naa leave them in, iam a huge fan of overkill when it comes to filtration. Id be putting in a drip plate so you get an even spread.

[fishpimp]

thanks kale , i agree with flukes on drip plate and all other comments for that matter.
rotating hub is nice but i think an overkill, a feedring on drip plate is less than ten bucks and an hours work, providing total wetting of all media. tried to attach a snapshot but giving me grief boohoo. more holes safer against blocking and no rotating item which may jam up?
i do like the style though.

[fishpimp]

start ya buggar
i see files are too big ok i'll stop kicking the hard drive
heres the feed ring, think the nozzles are probably an overkill

[fishpimp]

found some more shots of a poor mans drip plate.
the tub is $12.50 and food quality, the plate was a lid which i drilled hundreds 0f 8mm holes in with the help of beer

[fishpimp]

start ya buggar
i see files are too big ok i'll stop kicking the hard drive
heres the feed ring, think the nozzles are probably an overkill

[kalebjarrod]

cheap is always good and DIY rocks,

I use a couple of similar plates over my ceramic tubes.

the rotating hub is not glued and is able to be use with water flow up to 9000lt per hour (presurerized for future projects).

my main concern was the particle filter before or after the bio filter and my tank is working well no nitriate prob etc etc for the past week.... so i think i will trial this way, if my bio balls look like clogging i will put a sponge filter on the PVC intake and trial this.

lets see the results!

the beauty of the rotating hub system is it works well and LOOKS WAY COOL to impress freinds when they come around..... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[fishpimp]

great stuff best of luck

[luvfishies]

To the question at hand:

Particle filtration BEFORE bio. A little after bio for "polishing" the water is good too.

Most biomedia will clog and foul very very quickly if the larger particulates aren't "filtered" out first, thus negating the efficacy of the biomedia.

[kalebjarrod]

i have had a change of heart!

i am going to return my filter to the way it was, partical then bio

i will trial my idea on fiah that aren't worth a weeks wage i think!

again i will post some of my results

[kalebjarrod]

to continue the subject

what would peolpe think of a pre-filter sponge over the top of the bioballs

my rotating arm could spread water evenly over this

and then a further partical filter after the bio-balls?

[fishpimp]

sounds good kale i run a trickle i made like that and after a week and up to two the waste staining on the particle filter stuffs is uniform and looks lik it's working well. tend to rinse it weekly by habit but it would probably run a couple of months no problem.
really like the idea from luvfishies about using further particle filter stuffs to 'polish' water further. may give it a red hot go i think.

[fishpimp]

sounds good kale i run a trickle i made like that and after a week and up to two the waste staining on the particle filter stuffs is uniform and looks lik it's working well. tend to rinse it weekly by habit but it would probably run a couple of months no problem.
really like the idea from luvfishies about using further particle filter stuffs to 'polish' water further. may give it a red hot go i think.