Can you check my filter?

[Bengalcats888]

Hi,

Please refer to my attached drawing. I'm almost done setting up a 14 gallon barrel, swirl type filter. Pump will be in the tank, outlet of the pump going into 1"
PVC through 1" Union Check Valve. Then down 90 degree PVC elbows into the side of the tank. I'm using about 6-10" Matala Gray and Green in staggered
vertical placement. Then 2 layers of Matala Gray round pieces in horizontal placement. I'm trying the Aquatic Expert Dual Density media as a semi polisher and
mainly that it is re-usable. Then finally 2" basic aquarium biofoam, seller stated around 40ppi.

I'm setting this up indoors so my main concern is OVERFLOW. So overtime the media will clog up. Where and how would it overflow? Or would the water flow just slow down?
Can I have too much media? I'm hoping to clean the top 2" bio foam weekly along with the Dual Density Poly fill stuff. Then the Matala every few months depending on how
fast it clogs up.

The 2" elbow is pretty close to the top of the barrel so not sure if a 1" overflow would suffice? I could get another barrel, put it lower and add an overflow?
Since I'm using the the check valve, during power outage or pump stops working, water would just remain in the barrel. The 2" outlet is gravity fed, the barrel is
about the tank.

I'm hoping most of the large waste will deposit at the bottom which I can use to water my potted plants and then do the water change.

What are you thoughts?

 

[TheWolfman]

First thought is why are you looking to stretch out your maintenance so long? That mattla is going to become a giant detritus and nitrate trap. Personally I would clean that at least monthly. The other thing id be concerned with is where the filter is located, in assuming that it will be overhead given the design. The check valve is a mechanical part and will need to be maintained regularly or one day you will have a back syphon and flood the aquarium. The overflow from the barrel I would leave more room above and possibly add a second overflow just for a safety factor I would also configure those overflows just like a aquarium overflow and control the full syphon with a gate vavle and have the second as a trickle to keep this running silent.

 

[Bengalcats888]

First thought is why are you looking to stretch out your maintenance so long? That mattla is going to become a giant detritus and nitrate trap. Personally I would clean that at least monthly. The other thing id be concerned with is where the filter is located, in assuming that it will be overhead given the design. The check valve is a mechanical part and will need to be maintained regularly or one day you will have a back syphon and flood the aquarium. The overflow from the barrel I would leave more room above and possibly add a second overflow just for a safety factor I would also configure those overflows just like a aquarium overflow and control the full syphon with a gate vavle and have the second as a trickle to keep this running silent.

I don’t have issues cleaning it monthly. Yes, it
is above the tank and about 6” length of 2”
PVC extends from the bulkhead to the tank.
I added a 45 deg. Elbow and approx. 4” length
into the water.

You are right, I will need to add a gate valve after the Check Vale so I can clean the Check Valve without having to empty the barrel of water.

You mention running silent so you must be very experienced in this.

The current set up works well however I am getting a gurgling noise. I confirmed the pump runs continuous and no duty cycles. Yet I can clearly see at the top of inside the barrel, the 2” elbow connected to the outlet, water fills up then empties cause gurgling noise.

Even if I increase the flow rate, it still produces gurgling noise(empties/refill) at the outlet.

When I addex some aquarium foam and wrapped around the pipe, then loose tied the output end of the foam,gurgling noise went away.

Does this have to do with air bubbles?
I would love to know the reason behind the noise.
Why it is not continues stream but starting n stopping at the output of the filter.

Thanks!

 

[BIG-G]

B Bengalcats888
Look into herbie and bean animal overflow design.
With a two return design (Herbie style)You can install a valve to regulate the flow on the first return so that it is a full siphon.
The remaining water will go into the second return.
It should be regulated so there is a tiny trickle of water going into the second return.
This will make a very quiet return.
The bean animal is basically the same only it includes a third drain as an emergency over flow that should ideally be dry unless there is a problem with the other two.

 

[Bengalcats888]

Hi,

It is all temporary set up and experimental. No bulkheads drilled into the tank. Mainly to see how the fish waste works on plants hence barrel type filter and not standard sump. Pump is inside the tank.

I read a little about Herbie/Bean type, this design, pump in the sump below the tank. I don’t think it would apply here. Thanks.

 

[TheWolfman]

The gate valve is for the overflow of the barrel.. a ball valve after the check valve would be a good idea. The gurgling your hearing is due to the barrel going full syphon and jot having the water volume and then it gurgles.. if you install a gate valve here it will eliminate that. The foam is only a temporary fix and will clog and eventually overflow. Look into the herbie overflow like B Bigg suggested.

 

[BIG-G]

Hi,

It is all temporary set up and experimental. No bulkheads drilled into the tank. Mainly to see how the fish waste works on plants hence barrel type filter and not standard sump. Pump is inside the tank.

I read a little about Herbie/Bean type, this design, pump in the sump below the tank. I don’t think it would apply here. Thanks.

The overflow in the barrel should be converted to the herbie just as you would the tank for a sump.
With the barrel being above the tank technically the tank is the sump.
You get what I’m saying?

 

[jjohnwm]

I have no experience with swirl filters, and very little with all the various cutely-named types of overflows, because all my overflow-equipped systems are in my basement fish room and the noise just doesn't bother me...so I can't comment on that particular aspect of this filter.

But, the basic design just seems bass-ackward to me. You have the water from the tank swirling to lose it's larger particles, and then flowing upwards through assorted layers of mechanical media that seem to be getting finer and finer towards the top. You are planning on cleaning the final layer, 40 pores/inch foam, every week. Meanwhile, the coarser grades of matala are down there in the bottom, getting filthy and not seeing a lot of maintenance. This seems exactly opposite to the way I would set it up.

I would suggest using one barrel as the swirl filter, set up with a bottom drain as you have it...but then allow the water to flow unobstructed to the top, where it can overflow into a second barrel that is set up with layers of filtration that start coarse at the top and become progressively finer at the bottom. Then you can be cleaning the first, coarse elements more often, leaving the foam hopefully untouched except for widely spaced intervals. You even referred to the foam as "biofoam"which is its intended purpose, i.e. to act as a biofilter. Hopefully, the water will be essentially filtered clean of all solid particles by the time it reaches that point. The only cleaning required will be the periodic rinsing of the excess bacterial sludge that will accumulate. It's those coarser top layers of matala that should be cleaned regularly; the more often you do that, the more solid organic waste you will remove before it has a chance to be broken down, and the slower your water will accumulate nitrates.

 

[Bengalcats888]

The gurgling your hearing is due to the barrel going full syphon and jot having the water volume and then it gurgles.. if you install a gate valve here it will eliminate that.
>>>I’m trying to better understand what causes the
noise. What is ‘jot’?

I’m not sure full syphon either. The pump in the tank is pushing water up on top of the tank then
drops down into the filter.

Big-G,
I sort of get what you are saying. I’m really slow to pick up on this plumbing stuff. :-(

 

[BIG-G]

What is ‘jot’?

I think that’s just a typo “not”