55g Food Grade Barrel for mechanical...ideas?

[davenmandy]

My plywood ~600 aquarium I am making (haven't exactly calculated) with millerkid519 is going to be filtered using 3 55g food grade barrels. The middle one will be k1 moving bed, third one will be output equipment etc. and the first one I want to dedicate to mostly mechanical with a bit of bio possible (got a bunch of bio balls and pot scrubbers I could use). The k1 will only be 50 litres, 1.7 cu ft, so sounds like I made need a bit of bio in that first chamber. There will be an internal overflow box with 4x 2" bulkheads with corresponding 2" pvc, and the 3 barrels will be linked using uniseals and 3" pvc. I was thinking of using this pump, anyone know about it?

http://www.amazon.ca/Algreen-Produc...=1443722366&sr=8-2&keywords=algreen+pond+pump

Whether it is this one or not, I want one with a high amount of GPH, head height will be 5-6 feet. If anyone knows about this pump please chime in.

With this amount of turnover I do not want to be changing filter pads twice a day, and I am not planning on doing full siphon or anything but I guess I could still use socks. I was going to stick a wal-mart stackable plastic drawer set in the barrel and put mostly mechanical like sponges and pads and then some bio, but I was wondering if anyone else had any ideas for high turnover mechanical. Thanks.

 

[in_the_seance]

I run a mag 90 on my 420 with a 40 gals sump to 55 gal barrel to 90 gal aquarium refugium back to tank. I have pot scrubbies in 55 gal barrel with 4 doublestacked sponge filters on the bottom rated 110 gal each. The air flow ssems to knock a lot of bacteria off as this I have to suck out during wc. I was using socks off the overflow but I just been using the quilt badding stuff from Walmart you get a blankets worth. I just cut a strip fold it and when I see that's is getting dirty I just take the top layer off.

 

[davenmandy]

Hmm hate messing with filter floss but it's looking like that's what I'm gonna need to do huh? No real experience with socks either, what else do people like for mechanical?

 

[duanes]

I have used a 55 gal barrel as a sump on about 300 gals of aquarium, and had filter socks for mechanical on each of the overflow lines following a fluidized bed, and bio, but before protein skimming (fresh water) and thought they worked well.
They tended to get plugged every 2 days or so, so I always had fresh ones at the ready after soaking overnight in bleach, then soaking another night in a sodium thiosulfate solution.