540 filtration opinions

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
The only reason I wanted to go with drums was that I was taking after what Joey built in his large aquarium build. Should I still run the barrels but have the 3rd one a tank? I would like to keep the RFS and k1 chambers, what would be the best way to set this up? Do all auto change systems require water to be added upon power comming back on? Thanks for comming back to the party DB!

Nothing wrong with the drum idea for both the RFS and moving bed. But where are the socks going???? How bout 1st drum = RFS then drain into a rubbermaid tub where the socks are and the return pump is plumed then the other drum used as a moving bed which could either be IN the rubbermaid tub or next to, then "T" the pump return to the tank and to the RFS, then RFS just drains into the tub where you can add another filter sock if needed. (another stupid argument to get into) I filter after the moving bed as well as before.
 
Was planning on a ghetto filter floss holder for the moving bed filter, something similar that I saw in the video. I know socks work well but I'm not positive I want to use one. I used one in the past and it clogged like crazy. Would an overflow box help my auto change problem? Not asuch water would drain from the tank then right? Or am I thinking backwards?
 
Eddie, not all submersibles are unreliable. I've been running my submersible for nearly 4 years and I have yet to clean it. There are people that have been running them in ponds for 10 years+ without a problem. To say that all submersibles are garbage is disingenuous.

Having said that, I honestly don't think you can go wrong with Reeflo or Laguna. Both are high quality, efficient pumps, each with their pros and cons.

How cold does it get in your basement? Have you thought about how you are going to heat the tank?
 
Doesn't get terribly cold. It's an insulated basement. Not finished yet but will be I'm the future. I have a couple 300 watt titanium a right now, was gonna try those in one of my filtration chambers and go from there. Trial and error.
 
I think you'd be better off using socks, but I suppose floss could work. The problem is the stuff plugs and crap water gets by it. Socks are cheap, reliable, and easy to clean.

A drip system will have a drain that sets the water level of the last chamber of the sump where the pumps are. This drain has to be here and not in the tank. So despite how water gets from tank to filter in order to have a successful restart after a power cut without having to babysit the system you'll need room for enough water to prime the system under that drain, so if using three drums the further you move the drain up the less room for water draining from everything else, which was why I suggested a tub type of sump. The larger surface area should make it easier to work with in terms of water level fluctuations. Valves- either check or power cut would make life easier, but I've never tried using them.

I thought there was pics of my system in the link??

As far as the pump I'll tell that guy to get a hold of you if he still has it......
 
An insulated basement is definitely a plus. The reason I bring it up is if you had to increase the wattage for heating, you may need to run another circuit to handle all the pumps, lights, heaters etc. If you needed an extra circuit, running it before you finish your basement would obviously be ideal.

In regards to mechanical filtration, the Radial Flow Separators look interesting, but if you are going to need to run filter socks anyways, I think you might as well just design your filter to utilize several of the largest filter socks (8 x 32"). I'm not sure how heavily you plan to stock the tank, but I think if you designed the filter to use three or four 100 micron socks, that should give you at least 7 to 10 days between required cleanings.

Radial Flow Separators seem popular with pond owners, but I'm not so sure you will get the clarity from them that we demand for aquariums if you were to use them as your only source of mechanical filtration. Maybe that's something that our friend DB can speak to?
 
I saw the always on and always off valves...thought about doing one of these. I have decided to go ahead with a 4' skimmer box for surface skimming. This should help my restart problem maybe? I'll only be draining a few gallons of water instead of 40+ in the event of an outage. Will I be ok with a 55 gallon Rubbermaid or should it be bigger for the final chamber? I know that Alex guy, bought a few fish from him years ago. I messaged him, still waiting to hear back. Would a single dart be enough gph to run this system? I'll just end up searching for a backup pump in the near future.
 
Analogy time.....

Lets take a fish you paid dearly for. Let's say a ray. A black one. Put it in a 5 gallon bucket, crap in the bucket. Now what?

A) wait a week to change the water -rays are tough.
B) Dump it all in a 20 gallon tank and add water - solution to pollution is dilution - it'll be fine for a week cause it's diluted.
C) install a drain on the bucket so daily crap can be removed by cracking a valve.

I urge you to ask the ray guys how long 100 micron socks will last...... I KNOW how long they last. It was the reason I made RFSs, and it greatly helped with sock changing intervals.......
 
Agree 100%. That's why I wanted the radial flow setup. I like the socks, just didn't like the constant rinsing. Did u post ur build thread on here DB? I apologize if I missed it.
 
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