Filtering strategy

[markstrimaran]

Well I have two algae scrubbers, a 7"x 8" @ 20 watts Gem powered waterfall.
And a 6"×6" 10 watt experimental. Horizontal. Just built last week.

My sieve is experimental. Due to cut backs at work, I am only getting 36Hrs. So funding is limited. Currently I use 2 layers of quilt batting, topped with a " polypropylene trampoline fabric" that has roughly 500 micron holes.
I have not tried any stainless steel mesh, although, it would work much better. It is not nearly efficient as the "Cetus sieve" Mine was built for less than $5.00 however.
My thoughts are the longer waste stays in the system the faster nitrates will accumulate. I have let it go a week once well on vacation.
My fish get fed alot, and cleaning takes about 3 minutes each day. The filter floss is good for 3 weeks of cleaning.
The filter floss does about 25 microns. I have some cotton batting that is very 2 microns tight.

The sieve is based on a Colorado irrigation sprinkler set up. That uses water wave energy to push the bigger solids into a collection tray.
I have not seen a Cetus sieve until today. I am very tempted to down scale it and try it on my other 75 gallon.

 

[AZ Red]

yeah I understand the limited funding. I've been on 30hrs/wk throughout the slow season, but hopefully that will change soon.

I hadn't seen the Cetus until yesterday myself. At face value, I like the design, and might bastardize it for my needs.

Does your fabric seem like it could handle a higher flow rate, or does 500gph seem about as much as will flow through the fabric?

 

[markstrimaran]

Given enough surface area it could.
A series of pictures today.


This was with out the poly fabric, just poly batting. 24 hours of waste.

Unemployed today, so I cut a 6.15" x 19" piece of poly fabric to seize with.

10 minutes after installing 470 gph.
Works perfectly.

 

[markstrimaran]

10 hours latter water is starting to over run the sieve. Keeping it perfectly flat is the main problem. A 316 stainless 300 micron would probable work wonders, but that's a luxury I can't afford at the moment.

 

[markstrimaran]

Old canister of poly floss. Hard to change.
Replaced with triple stacks, that are removable for fast maintenance.
IIt took an hour to get it to operate in complete silence.
Yes I will try a sieve on it. That's for October shut down.

 

[markstrimaran]

Two 75 gallons. On separate filters. Top tank had canister replaced.

Bottom uses filter sieve.

After 12 hours, run out is 20 inches and not productive with sieve. 6" x 20" @ 500 gph good for 12 hours.

I pulled the polypropylene screen, and you can see the impression in the poly floss. It will take 48 hours for the waste to over run the quilting batting, polyester floss.
It gets cleaned 5 times a week. It definitely keeps organic from becoming nitates. Someday I will find some 316 stainless micro screen. .

 

[AZ Red]

hmm... For my flow rates, I'm gonna need a lot of surface area... I wonder if I can actually build it cheaper than I can buy it...

 

[markstrimaran]

Here's it after 24 hours, floss only.
It has about half the floss left.
This is when I usually clean it.

 

[markstrimaran]

It will be a few days till the results are in. Here are the specs.
316 stainless steel.
50 mesh, 300 micron.
500 GPH.

 

[markstrimaran]

It just is not practical. It works but it takes too long to clean.

So I thought I might try on my other tank.

It took some tinkering, but it is very quiet. The air pump is louder.

If it works any thing larger than 300 microns should end up on a piece of filter floss. That is easy to pull out.
Any thing smaller will get stuck in filter floss. That hopeful will last a few weeks.
The main large debris is algae specks. That sluff off the scrubber.