Sand Filter

[MO360]

I am looking for some information on sand filters. I just set up a 6'x10" filter chamber, filled it with 80lbs of caribsea florida crushed gravel.
I hooked up a 1800GPM Danner to the chamber, this does not float or tumble the substrate in the chamber. What I am worried about is that
instead of creating benifical bacteria I am creating problem bacteria.

 

[Krish]

If your plans are to promote anaerobic bacteria, then using crushed corals may pose a problem as they tend to allow air pockets to form due to the size of the grain. Anaerobic bacteria requires regions void of oxygen so a finer grained sand would be a better option if this is the direction you are heading.

Just a few thoughts for starters. Let us know though what it is exactly you are trying to accomplish with the sand filter.


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[MO360]

Anaerobic bacteria is what I am after, I went with the crushed coral because of the voids in it. I was hoping that this would allow
more water flow after all that 3 feet of media packed in a 10 " round chamber. I believe that you are correct on the oxygen problem
though. I guess that I will see if I can find a different pump and increase the flow, hopefully be able to tumble the material.

 

[mojoreef]

Ok so you have a few issues with the design if anaerobic is what you are after. If you are running Salt water through the sand substraight its not going to allow it to go anaerobic as you are pumping oxygenated water through it, and while you do that they wont go anaerobic. The 2nd issue is the use of crushed coral, Crushed coral is comprised of a lot of shells from snails and other shell bearing critters. SO if you were to get the sub-straight to actually go anaerobic it would then lower the PH in the water in the bed and that would begin the melting of the sub-straight and Shells are super saturated with Phosphate.

good luck

mojo

 

[Krish]

I started to post about oxygenated water pumping through the sandbed, but deleted that part of my post because I didn't want to jump the gun too quickly until I found out what the purpose of the sand filter was. Mojo posted exactly my thoughts if going for anaerobic bacteria. Usually sand filters are used in this way to promote increased surface area for aerobic bacteria to grow and populate, but with the oxygenated water working it's way through a region that is supposed to be void of oxygen defeats it's purpose.


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[MO360]

This is 1 piece of a RK-2 filter system, the other piece is a 6' tall skimmer which I need to get a pump for and fix the plumbing.
I am going to trying to get RK-2 to explaine to me what this will filter out once it is full of sand. If what you say is true about being able to creating anaerobic bacteria, even using fine sand I would have a problem with the amount of air that I have in my system.
Maybe I should just turn it into a jellyfish chamber.

 

[Krish]

This is 1 piece of a RK-2 filter system, the other piece is a 6' tall skimmer which I need to get a pump for and fix the plumbing.
I am going to trying to get RK-2 to explaine to me what this will filter out once it is full of sand. If what you say is true about being able to creating anaerobic bacteria, even using fine sand I would have a problem with the amount of air that I have in my system.
Maybe I should just turn it into a jellyfish chamber.

Haha!! That would be differenteace:. Not sure how the filter is designed as in if water is forced through the sand through the bottom of the chamber through the substrate and exits out of the top like how a phosban reactor is used or if the water enters the top and exits the top. That would make all the difference. Oxygenated water pushed through an area designed to be void of oxygen goes against the laws of promoting anaerobic bacteria IMO.


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[MO360]

The filter forces water up from the bottom. I am going to wait until saturday and pull it apart, change some of the piping then it it with a LARGER pump.
If I do not get the tumbling effect I am looking for were going jellyfish.
Always wanted to have one but never had a round tank.
On a different note I did get the nonphotosythinic tank started up. Right now I only have 1 orange tree sponge and a couple of Anthis in it.
Been feeding the sponge daily and will wait to see results in the next couple of months before I add anything else.

 

[mojoreef]

The RK system sand filter is part of a proffesional line of filtration. So for use on large public style fish tanks. What a sand filter does is to separate or filter out larger particules prior to being skimmed out. not really for a kind of bacterial system, kind of a media/filter pad type of filtration but using sand instread if that makes sence.


Mike

 

[MO360]

Thanks for the imput guys. thats what I am finding out, its just an over sized filter that has to be flushed out ever now and then.
There ain't nothing like getting this all set up thinking it did one thing and finding out it does something else.:frusty:
Looks like i'm in the market for a jellyfish.

 

[mojoreef]

Yo can use that tube for a number of thing buddy, sounds like a really good score to be honest. How big is it??

Mike

 

[Krish]

Might make for a nice media reactor like carbon or phosphate media.


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[MO360]

Its 6 foot tall-10 inches round. I think right now I will just run it. I have a 150 gallon tank that I use for a sump/pump chamber.
Thats were I put all my media, easy access.

 

[mojoreef]

Yea thats a good 3 to 4 hundred dollars chunk of acrylic. Anyway down the road it could be a good skimmer, reactors and so on.

Anyway on running it now their are something to look for. If you run tank water through it your basically creating a huge area for the population of areobic bacteria, so this would be good for nitrification but because it hasnt the ability to create and anaerobic zone your going to get the bi-product of nitrates. SO keep an eye on it and make it the first you look to if you end up with an elevated level of nitrates.

hope it helps

Mike

 

[Krish]

That's a really big piece of equipment. I was thinking of something a lot smaller!


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[MO360]

I also have a 6 foot skimmer that goes with it. but i need to do some work to it.

 

[billwann]

the part you are discribing is a fluidized bed sand filter , used on large fish only systems to break down ammonia . is is run befor the skimmer and the output goes directly into the skimmer . its a great nitrate factory . these are of no use unless you have a holding system for a ton of fish . be careful if you run this , if the power goes out or pump shuts off it makes a huge ammount of hydrogen sulfide or it will deplete to O2 nice and fast .

 

[kpiotrowski]

fluidized beds are for heavy stocked tanks where you want alot of biological filtration like NOW. very efficient! and hence the problem with also being nitrate factories. The also double as mechanical filtration which compounds the sitution... and the end product, nitrate.

To maintain pristine water you need to think physical removal of wastes BEFORE they break down. Thats my ideal anyway.

 

[Spinner]

I have used sand filters on many builds back in the day, and do agree with input already given to a point. If you want to use a fluidized filter and do water changes, have good flow thru DT, and use ATS, or macro algae you will be OK. I also would hook up pump to a back up in case of a power outage.
Crush coral won't work for several reasons some already given.
Any piece of equipment we use will cause problems if we don't clean and up keep

Good Luck!

 

[kpiotrowski]

I have used sand filters on many builds back in the day, and do agree with input already given to a point. If you want to use a fluidized filter and do water changes, have good flow thru DT, and use ATS, or macro algae you will be OK. I also would hook up pump to a back up in case of a power outage.
Crush coral won't work for several reasons some already given.
Any piece of equipment we use will cause problems if we don't clean and up keep

Good Luck!

Am curious what are the points you disagree with?

you are saying that one MUST prepare for nitrate removal by way of water changes and use of macros etc., if they want to run a fluidized bed filter. Then why would one bother in the first place? ( unless you are overstocked etc.)