On my 330g tank I use an AquaDyne .6 bead filter. After the bead filter is a micron bag filter from Aquatic Ecosystems. The pump I use is a Red Dragon 10, which pushes 2650 GPH. The issue I'm having is that my micron bag seems to clog and require replacement too frequently, especially now that the fish in the tank are getting quite large. I was changing the bag about once a month, which is totally reasonable. However, as the fish have grown, I am now needing to change it weekly, which is ridiculous (the micron bag is clogging and slowing the flow). My only theory is that the Red Dragon pump is too strong a pump for this system, and is potentially pushing detritus right through the bead filter and into the bag filter, without the bead filter trapping anything and functioning as it should. Does this sound plausible? Any ideas?
Micron Filter Clogging too Quickly... Perhaps a Flow Issue?
- Thread starter The Mule
- Start date
What does the filter mfg say is the correct size pump to use? That is what you should use. What size micron filter are you using? Changing the filter weekly sounds about right to me. Some people with heavy fish loads change filter socks daily. I change every week or two on all my tanks.
100 micron. Once weekly seems too often to me. The fish are large, but the tank's not crowded and I don't feed more than 3 times a week. The "manual" I have for the AquaDyne doesn't provide much info. I seem to recall being told at one point it was recommended to push 30 gallons per second, which would be 1800 GPH. If I recollect correctly and that is the case, I'm pushing too much through there (2650 GPH). So I'm just trying to determine whether getting a smaller pump would in fact make enough of a difference to be worthwhile. Is there anyone out there running a bead filter like an AquaDyne, that can offer some input?
OK....... do you want the poop sitting in the filter until you absolutely have to flush it? Sitting there rotting? Or do you want to change filter socks. Maybe you should change to 200 micron socks. That way you can push the smaller turd pieces back into the water column. Filters clog by design.
I understand that filters clog. My concern is that the micron filter is clogging with stuff that SHOULD be getting trapped in the bead filter. To answer your question though, I backwash the bead filter on a weekly basis. It's easy to do, I just flip a lever. So YES I want the poop to be trapped in there, and only the finer particulate stuff to get into the micron filter. That is how the system is designed to work.
I clean filter bags every other day, for large fish.
I have one soaking in bleach while the other is in service.
Drop the bleached bag in water with sodium thiosulfate a few minutes and its good to go.
For smaller fish I just squeeze a plugged bag out in water change water every other day or so.
I feel the more you get detritus and other nitrate precursors out of the water column the better.
Although getting the particulate out of the tank is good for visual or aesthetic reasons, the most important thing for fish health, is getting stuff out that metabolizes into the invisible really damaging stuff.
I have one soaking in bleach while the other is in service.
Drop the bleached bag in water with sodium thiosulfate a few minutes and its good to go.
For smaller fish I just squeeze a plugged bag out in water change water every other day or so.
I feel the more you get detritus and other nitrate precursors out of the water column the better.
Although getting the particulate out of the tank is good for visual or aesthetic reasons, the most important thing for fish health, is getting stuff out that metabolizes into the invisible really damaging stuff.
Good tip on the sodium thiosulfate, duane. Will have to try that... And no question about getting rid of the waste, etc. - I agree. My point is that more of this stuff should be getting trapped in the bead filter (and removed from there via backwashing) before it has a chance to clog the micron bag. I've got a few emails in to people I've found that should have a good amount of experience with the Aquadynes. Will see what they have to say.
I wonder if you need to backwash the bead filter more frequently.
It could be getting partially clogged from the larger bioload, which allow cracks to form in the bed and thus particulate break threw.
Although I don't have any experience with bead filters, I worked in a water purification plant with dual media filters (3 ft of anthracite/2 ft sand.
We found filters needed to be back washed every 4 days (of 24/7 use) or break threw would occur, sometimes sooner depending on seasonal load.
The break threw would register on particle counters and grab samples run on turbidity meters, but in your case, the premature plugging of a filter bag could mean the same thing. Although we were filtering hundreds of millions on gallons per day, its all relative, and the concept is the same
It could be getting partially clogged from the larger bioload, which allow cracks to form in the bed and thus particulate break threw.
Although I don't have any experience with bead filters, I worked in a water purification plant with dual media filters (3 ft of anthracite/2 ft sand.
We found filters needed to be back washed every 4 days (of 24/7 use) or break threw would occur, sometimes sooner depending on seasonal load.
The break threw would register on particle counters and grab samples run on turbidity meters, but in your case, the premature plugging of a filter bag could mean the same thing. Although we were filtering hundreds of millions on gallons per day, its all relative, and the concept is the same
Well, I actually heard back from one of the Aquadyne guys and he actually had this to say:
"I think that you are quite correct in thinking that you might be overpowering the .6 Aquadyne. I believe that somebody over-specified the pump in order to compensate for the head-loss created by the addition of the filter bag. I would recommend that you split the pump flow into an adjustable bypass -- and then bring one leg of the bypass through the .6 and allow the other (valve-regulated) leg back onto the tank - unfiltered. It will all eventually go through the filter, but just a bit slower, on a staggered pressure/ volume, and allow the filter to adequately do its job."
He went on to say "This model filter has always proven to provide gin-clear water without the inclusion of ANY filter bag."
So I'm going to rework the plumbing and see if the decreased flow through the bead filter actually does improve things. I know the water would not be clear with just the bead filter as it is now, so I think he must be right. Slower flow = more gunk trapped in the bead, which can be backwashed weekly (which is what I do already when I do my weekly 70% water changes). And goodness, if the bead filter can get me "gin clear" water without the need of the micron bag, well, that would be delightful. We'll see...
"I think that you are quite correct in thinking that you might be overpowering the .6 Aquadyne. I believe that somebody over-specified the pump in order to compensate for the head-loss created by the addition of the filter bag. I would recommend that you split the pump flow into an adjustable bypass -- and then bring one leg of the bypass through the .6 and allow the other (valve-regulated) leg back onto the tank - unfiltered. It will all eventually go through the filter, but just a bit slower, on a staggered pressure/ volume, and allow the filter to adequately do its job."
He went on to say "This model filter has always proven to provide gin-clear water without the inclusion of ANY filter bag."
So I'm going to rework the plumbing and see if the decreased flow through the bead filter actually does improve things. I know the water would not be clear with just the bead filter as it is now, so I think he must be right. Slower flow = more gunk trapped in the bead, which can be backwashed weekly (which is what I do already when I do my weekly 70% water changes). And goodness, if the bead filter can get me "gin clear" water without the need of the micron bag, well, that would be delightful. We'll see...
