Pikey Posted December 20, 2015 Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 (edited) Been working on my new filter drums today. Going to make them up one at a time and swap them out so it doesn't upset the filtering system, someone else started the filter design and the drums have seen better days, so brought some new better ones. They are currently full of lava balls and they keep blocking the system so have to go. This will end up containing this new BioHome media that is supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread....hmmmm, jury is out on that one, only time will tell (f**king expensive sh*t I know that much). I have glued some egg crate in the bottom (with super strength araldite) to stop the media from blocking the flow and allowing the air to flow up through the media. The water comes from the tank into a pressurised pond filter that I use as a mechanical filter and UV, then through the inline heater and splits into 3 lines, each one going to one of these drums and then back into the splitter that takes 3 into 2. Each of the 2 lines goes into a separate canister that contains a filter sock, bag of Seachem Purigen in one and sock with a bag of carbon when needed in the other. Then from there back into a 10,000lph pump and back up to the tank. At each end there is a ball valve to shut off water supply and a tap and hose fitting under the tank for draining and filling the tank. I have glued an airline into the bottom of each of the drums and these are connected to a battery backup air pump to protect the biological media in each of the drums in the event of a power cut. There is another backup air pump supplying the tank with air in the event of a power cut as well. No such thing as overkill, is a stupid word. If the Nitrate stays too low it can mean only one thing.......you do not have enough fish in the tank. Go and buy some more! Only thing I am not sure about is my idea of supplying air to the drums (which they don't currently have) to protect the bacteria in the event of a power cut (and we get a few), What will happen when the tank pump stops circulating the water and the air pump is still blowing air into the drums. I am guessing it will get pushed back through the splitters at each end of the system as the drums are all individually connected via the splitters. At one end they go to the heater and then into the mechanical filter and back to tank. At the other they go into the filter socks and then onto the pump and back to tank. I am hopping as they are only air pumps, so low pressure, they will not have enough power to push the water and the crap from the foam filters backwards from the mechanical filter and then into the tank. With a bit of luck as it is only small bubbles from an air pump they will simply pass through the water and back into the tank. If it works really well I may even be able to remove the airlines to the tank as the air will get pushed back into the tank protecting the fish from suffocating. But does it mean I will see lots of air bubbles coming out of all the returns to the tank. Hoping that will not be too visible as I hate air bubbles in the tank. I use a wave maker to agitate the surface and oxygenate the water, so didn't want airlines in tank, but have no other way of protecting the fish.. Edited December 20, 2015 by Pikey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litigator666 Posted December 20, 2015 Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 i have a small scale version of your drum - I used an eheim 2260 for the media container. The water feeds in to the cannister by a 2252 internal filter as I my intent was added media with the less power usage. It works well and i have another modified 2250 fed by a 2052 internal filter. It also adds more water volume to the tank. I'll be interested on how you go with the extra air running through the drum. If the airpump only turns when there is a power outage, then you won't have an issue with the bubbles. Your media is very expensive - can you pm me where you sourced it and how much? I tried contacting richard a few years back about getting a few kilos in, but my other shipments from him were confiscated by customs. So it's a bit risky buying it and didn't follow through. I have heard that some customers did received their merchandise (same product i've bought) and it was me who didn't get lucky. He had a local supplier now, but pricelist was very close to the UK price so I didn't bother. I would suggest (1) close off /shut valves on both intake and outtake of your drum so you won't be hassled cleaning it and you can disconnect it from the system and a (2) drain outlet also will be useful for the dirt trapped under the drum. All the best on your design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Yeah, got a feeling the air in the drums might cause a problem, if it traps in the top of the system, it is possible it will push the water out through the bottom of the drums. No water in the drums and I will have a problem. I was trying to create a system that will prevent any loss or problems in the event of a power cut and has to function entirely on it's own, I don't want to have to do anything, that way it will work if I am asleep, or not even at home. I am thinking of a pressure release, might even be as simple as one of those one way valves in the top of the drum. If only there was a valve that would let air through and not water, could fit it to the top of the drum and it would stop the water being pushed out of the drums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lictoga Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Is this a completely closed pressurised system?' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted December 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 It is a completely close system, but due to the placement of the pump it is sucked through the drums, not pushed. With the drums I was thinking about an airline coming out of top of the drums and traveling up the back of the tank above the tank water level with a one way valve so it can let air out, but nothing in. All my other tanks are stumped so just have a 40hr battery backup air pump in the sump to keep bacteria alive in a power cut and want to do the same with this tank, but stand won't allow for sump, so have to work with the custom filter system just not sure it will work now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaholic99 Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 What type of community fish? If you have the mechanical filtration component sorted then that might be all you need as tropical community don't have a lot of nitrogenous waste, especially if you have plants. Inert substrate and mechanical filters also providing a surprising amount of biological filtration. Have you considered burying some sponge filters under your substrate - run on powerheads if you dislike air? Using portion of substrate as biological filter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted December 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2015 Nah, don't think that would be enough, there are no plants only driftwood and a load a big messy Americans in the tank. This is why the filter system is so extreme, will be 10 kg of media in each drum, so 30 kg all up, then with the pond filter full of foam and then the purigen and carbon followed by the filter socks, I am hoping the water will stay crystal clear with reasonably low nitrates and not too many water changes. It has been running on 2 drums and clay balls up until now, but fish are getting bigger, so wanted to overhaul it all and improve filtration will some failsafe measures along the way to protect fish. The more I think about it, the more problems I think the air in the drums will cause..... may have to re-think the idea and run a few tests, held up at the moment as the araldite is hard, but still a but tacky to the touch..... something is not right as it should only take 3 days to go off completely and is brand new, so glue should be all good. I have tried to break it and it is solid, just don't want to risk it with fish when it is tacky to the touch...... very strange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny@ageofaquariums Posted December 26, 2015 Report Share Posted December 26, 2015 I like this thread and when I have some spare time I am going to wrap my head around finer details. For now though, all I could think was this would be a perfect place to put a pressurized nexus. Too late now but dang, it would do the duty and then some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billfish Posted December 26, 2015 Report Share Posted December 26, 2015 I like this thread and when I have some spare time I am going to wrap my head around finer details.For now though, all I could think was this would be a perfect place to put a pressurized nexus. Too late now but dang, it would do the duty and then some. A nexus ,now youre talking donny those things are freeeeeeeeekin awesome if i remember they will run a 20000 litre system ,whats a pressurised nexus tho ? Ive only seen the easypod version Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billfish Posted December 26, 2015 Report Share Posted December 26, 2015 Nah, don't think that would be enough, there are no plants only driftwood and a load a big messy Americans in the tank.This is why the filter system is so extreme, will be 10 kg of media in each drum, so 30 kg all up, then with the pond filter full of foam and then the purigen and carbon followed by the filter socks, I am hoping the water will stay crystal clear with reasonably low nitrates and not too many water changes. It has been running on 2 drums and clay balls up until now, but fish are getting bigger, so wanted to overhaul it all and improve filtration will some failsafe measures along the way to protect fish. The more I think about it, the more problems I think the air in the drums will cause..... may have to re-think the idea and run a few tests, held up at the moment as the araldite is hard, but still a but tacky to the touch..... something is not right as it should only take 3 days to go off completely and is brand new, so glue should be all good. I have tried to break it and it is solid, just don't want to risk it with fish when it is tacky to the touch...... very strange If araldite is still tacky it could be the mixed quantities werent even so there may be unconverted resin or hardener Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny@ageofaquariums Posted December 26, 2015 Report Share Posted December 26, 2015 A nexus ,now youre talking donny those things are freeeeeeeeekin awesome if i remember they will run a 20000 litre system ,whats a pressurised nexus tho ? Ive only seen the easypod version Its a bead style filter. Heap of sizes but yea heres an example http://www.aquabluedistribution.com.au/productdetails/brandname/Evolution%20Aqua/category/Filtration/prdname/K1+Micro+Bead+Filters+20%22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
