g'day everyone
this is a cool site and this is also my first post. a brief history of myself- im 23 have been keeping a range of aquariums from marine to temerate marines and cichlids over the last 10 years. i love the hobie as you can always learn in my last three tanks ive realised that it is cheaper and also often better to build things yourself.
the main thing about filtration systems is to learn the basics behind them.
there are two main types of filtration - mechanical and biological (although in nearly all mechanical filters there will be biological action) these filters can be used in turtle tanks and say gold fish and betta thant actually dont requires much done to the water except a water change. the could be filterwool or sponge and mainly pick up muck.
biological filtration is much more important, as it uses microbes to change compounds that may harm fish into substances that do not - it is not filtering out the bad chemicals but changing them. u can buy packs that remove chemicals but these are expensive and with a good bio filter and regular water changes u shouldnt have to.
the main chemical that is harmful to fish is amonia- NH3 this is a toxic chemical that is excreated by fish. it is a result of nitrates and nitrites being in foods that u feed fish- through the fishes motabolisium amonia is produced. nitrofying bacteria convert amonia to nitrite (wich is still harmfull but not as bad.) then different nitrofying bacteria change the nitrites to nitrates (relitavly harmless).
so thats the basics of filtration and nearly all filters - except protien skimmers and uv sterilisers etc.. work this way
the reason for the vast array of different shapes sizes and prices is due to the way bacteria live and function, (or the companies ar just trying to make them asthetically pleasing). - the way bacteria function at their optimal efficiency is on surfaces - the surface of the water, sand, rocks glass. so combining this knowlage with what we know about nitrofying bacteria, the best biological filter would be some sort of surface with a large surface area to volume ratio and have aquarium water flowing over it.(in the next tank i am going to use astro turf but thats a different story)
now weve finally got to what a fluidised bed filter is- (sorry if i sounded like a wanker its just that i figured id explain the theory if people didnt know)
u may have seen them in the stores as they are just a plastic tube with sand inside them. and that is exactly what they are, and dispite their simplicity they are extreamly effective. now what would have a huge surface area to volume ratio.. = sand but it cannot be sand in a tube as they would get clogged and it would take a massive pump to push the water against the resistance. what the fluidised bed filter does is hold the sand in suspension - therfore creating no channels and no resistance.
TO BUILD ONE: is probably the easiest part of this whole post.
u will need.
1. Clear acrilic pipe - buy stuf that is the same diamiter as standard stormwater fittings as it is easier mine is 100mm and about 50cm long .
2. two end caps- stormwater stuff (hardware or plumbing place.)
3. 15mm poly pipe extension that has a male thread and a gaskit- needs to be almost asw long as your tube mine would be 49 cm u get it see pic.
4. 15mm poly pipe extension with male thread and gaskit can be shorter as you will be cutting it off just below the gaskit.
5 two female elbows with spur connections on one side.
6 some sand
7 silicone sealant
8 irrigation polly pipe 15mm they sell them in 20m rols for 7$ in australia
9 pump, mine is 1000 litres an hour brought at bunnings for 20$
ok almost ready.
ill be back in a sec.
this is a cool site and this is also my first post. a brief history of myself- im 23 have been keeping a range of aquariums from marine to temerate marines and cichlids over the last 10 years. i love the hobie as you can always learn in my last three tanks ive realised that it is cheaper and also often better to build things yourself.
the main thing about filtration systems is to learn the basics behind them.
there are two main types of filtration - mechanical and biological (although in nearly all mechanical filters there will be biological action) these filters can be used in turtle tanks and say gold fish and betta thant actually dont requires much done to the water except a water change. the could be filterwool or sponge and mainly pick up muck.
biological filtration is much more important, as it uses microbes to change compounds that may harm fish into substances that do not - it is not filtering out the bad chemicals but changing them. u can buy packs that remove chemicals but these are expensive and with a good bio filter and regular water changes u shouldnt have to.
the main chemical that is harmful to fish is amonia- NH3 this is a toxic chemical that is excreated by fish. it is a result of nitrates and nitrites being in foods that u feed fish- through the fishes motabolisium amonia is produced. nitrofying bacteria convert amonia to nitrite (wich is still harmfull but not as bad.) then different nitrofying bacteria change the nitrites to nitrates (relitavly harmless).
so thats the basics of filtration and nearly all filters - except protien skimmers and uv sterilisers etc.. work this way
the reason for the vast array of different shapes sizes and prices is due to the way bacteria live and function, (or the companies ar just trying to make them asthetically pleasing). - the way bacteria function at their optimal efficiency is on surfaces - the surface of the water, sand, rocks glass. so combining this knowlage with what we know about nitrofying bacteria, the best biological filter would be some sort of surface with a large surface area to volume ratio and have aquarium water flowing over it.(in the next tank i am going to use astro turf but thats a different story)
now weve finally got to what a fluidised bed filter is- (sorry if i sounded like a wanker its just that i figured id explain the theory if people didnt know)
u may have seen them in the stores as they are just a plastic tube with sand inside them. and that is exactly what they are, and dispite their simplicity they are extreamly effective. now what would have a huge surface area to volume ratio.. = sand but it cannot be sand in a tube as they would get clogged and it would take a massive pump to push the water against the resistance. what the fluidised bed filter does is hold the sand in suspension - therfore creating no channels and no resistance.
TO BUILD ONE: is probably the easiest part of this whole post.
u will need.
1. Clear acrilic pipe - buy stuf that is the same diamiter as standard stormwater fittings as it is easier mine is 100mm and about 50cm long .
2. two end caps- stormwater stuff (hardware or plumbing place.)
3. 15mm poly pipe extension that has a male thread and a gaskit- needs to be almost asw long as your tube mine would be 49 cm u get it see pic.
4. 15mm poly pipe extension with male thread and gaskit can be shorter as you will be cutting it off just below the gaskit.
5 two female elbows with spur connections on one side.
6 some sand
7 silicone sealant
8 irrigation polly pipe 15mm they sell them in 20m rols for 7$ in australia
9 pump, mine is 1000 litres an hour brought at bunnings for 20$
ok almost ready.
ill be back in a sec.
