DIY fluidized bed filter idea

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

ukgoffer

Candiru
MFK Member
Aug 3, 2012
388
80
46
Westport, CT
My set up is a 300g freshwater with a pretty heavy bio load. Medium sting ray, large pbass (20"+), large jar (~18"), large atobapo pike (~18"), fork bar dat (~15"), Nile tilapia (10"+), 2 geos (8"), 3 barbs (8").
The substrate is less than 0.5" of pool sand mainly for the Ray. I also have 3 large pieces of driftwood in the tank.
For lighting I have 3 led integrated LED units from AI on a location setting for San Juan PR. I turned off the nighttime blue light.
For mech filtration I have a 24" 100 micro sock filter on a 1750gph pump with inline UV. I have an eheim 2262 with K1 and I have a 24" x 6" fluidized bed filter with purigen media. I also have a drip system that I run 24 hrs at a time 2 or 3 days a week.
My ammonia is 0. Nitrate reads 10 to 20 ppm. I have more green algae in the tank than I would like and while my ph is generally right at 6.5, it will drift south after about two weeks and at that point will start to fall as much as 0.5 daily.
I'm thinking about another filter loop. I love the fluidized bed filter and am thinking about building one using a 10" od x 60" acrylic tube. I thought I might start with 1l of Pure nitrate lock in it and I have an extra eheim 1262 pump that I can hook up to it. If I can come up with an easy change design, I might fill the tube with pot scrubbers in one chamber and the Nitrate lock in an upper one.
Any thoughts? Recommendations?
 
Btw - cleaning for me generally means 2x a month I hook up my vortex diatom for an hour or two, change the sock filter, stir up the substrate, run a magnet on the glass and turn the drip up over night. I only feed massivore and night crawlers.
 
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