Fine filter media ideas please???

[Griller]

Are you sure its not micro bubbles? When I used polly fill it always got my water sparkally.

Definately not microbubbles.

If you have to have DIY you can do a step down filter for about 10 -40 bucks.

I'm sorry but you have lost me. What is a "step down filter"?

You get filter housings for the whole house filters. You can do it with just one but I like to use 3, I start at 10 microns, then go to 5 and then 1. you then just need a pump to pump the water through. You can get the filters on eBay in bulk I seen 40 packs of mix in match for 40 bucks.

OK - I worked out what you are talking about. This sort of thing:

So if you want the cheapest way buy one filter housing, and the sediment cartridge, for it and hook it up. That would be like 30 bucks maybe. I think you would need to replace the cartridge a lot, thats why I recommend the bulk packs on ebay. My polly fill completely clogs in about 1 week or less.

Can't you backwash the filter to clean it out??? Throw away media is a pain in the butt.

I can't find anything cheap of this nature on the net. Cheapest I found was over $100AU.

 

[nfored]

You might be able to back wash not sure. I really don't think your going to find single digit micron filtering that you can reuse, on the cheap. If you can get the sediment filters to last you one month that 40 pack for 40 is a good deal.

If you use a step down and use 3 units lets you change your filter once a month, for a year. Thats little over 3 dollars a month, beer money. If you chose to do a single filter you could change it every 10 days since it would clog faster, for the same 3 dollars and change.

One thing I have wanted to test is the sand bucket. fill a bucket with about 6 inches of and and run the drain to the bottom . Then provided the drain has enough flow/force it can make the water raise through the sand, this should provide a nice level of mechanical filtration. I have a bucket with holes in the bottom filled with lava rock the water comes in at the top and leaves at the bottom. This seems to filter fairly well, not as good as my Polly fill but it works.

I would like to see what you or others think about the sand filter.

 

[Griller]

Walmart batting in the craft section, roughly $6.

I was reading about a guy who used this batting and sheets of felt. I PM'd him to have a look at this thread. I hope he does. We don't have this Walmart in Australia - sounds like it has everything!

 

[Griller]

I would like to see what you or others think about the sand filter.

I think it was invented by engineers of the Roman Empire! I remember reading about them being associated with aquaducts.

Sound brilliant but I think it would be hard to adapt to a sump filter with gravity fed overflows.

 

[meerak]

me too same problem. tank also needs polishing.

 

[KYeasting]

I wish I could help you out more, but I don't know anything about sump design yet, sorry. Nice graphics though!

 

[Griller]

Walmart batting in the craft section, roughly $6.

Sorry to harp on but I think this may be the go.

This is from wikipedia:

Batting (also known as wadding in the United Kingdom[1] or filler[2]) is a layer of insulation used in quilting between a top layer of patchwork and a bottom layer of backing material.[2][3] Batting is usually made of cotton, polyester, and/or wool.

What kind of batting works in tanks? I know cotton just disintegrates, but what about polyester or wool?

I found this link Which filter floss (polyester cotton like stuff) is safe? in MFK that seems to indicate that polyester is OK

I pulled this from Best filter for mechanical filtration?

If you have a sump you do not need any other piece of equipment. Sump filtration is the best there is. It is just up to you to install the correct media to do the job you want done.

What media are you using for your mechanical filtration?

If your using a filter sock then get a smaller micron size.

If you have a mechanical pad of some sort then try to add some poly fill batting and pack it in that comapartment some what.

You can use cheap poly fill to catch what ever size particle you want. You just have to compact it more for smaller particles.

Some pics of your sump will help plan what you need to add/change.

OK - I'm thinking that we use polyester pillow batting as the media, packed down to increase effectiveness.

You can make a filter sock out of white felt from a fabric store or walmart. They come in sheets that are 8"x11".

You just fold it over and sew up the edge. You can use as many layers as you want for more of a polishing effect.

Other good polishers are polyester batting from the same 2 places. It depends on what type of filter you have, but every filter I own except AC filter can use it as a polisher.

The felt is what we use to stop the particles slipping through the gaps and to polish out the really fine stuff. So we make a felt sock and channel the water into it! The sock is also filled with polyester batting to filter out the chunkier bits. When it gets clogged we can just squeeze it out under a hose.

I'll start working on a plan to put this into a sump.

I wish I could help you out more, but I don't know anything about sump design yet, sorry. Nice graphics though!

Thanks, I'll come up with some more once I've nutted this out - then hopefully photos of the finished product.

 

[siebertn]

I was reading about a guy who used this batting and sheets of felt. I PM'd him to have a look at this thread. I hope he does. We don't have this Walmart in Australia - sounds like it has everything!

I use the same stuff in my sump( i get it from shops that sells linen and curtains) with sponge and filter floss.
The batting and felt gets dirty very quickly and i have to clean it every week but is ok coz i know its catching all the dirt.

I put the felt, batting and floss in the first chamber on top of some fine sponge so that i can clean it out without messing around with the bio-balls and ceramic rings.

 

[JakeH]

I think stuffing the felt sock with batting defeats the purpose... I was under the impression (I've been wrong before) that the sock shape makes your "chunky stuff" collect at the bottom of the sock, allowing water flow to continue out of the other 95% of the surface area. In addition, the weight of the incoming water probably has a slight hydraulic effect, pushing straight down on itself. Batting inside the sock may keep all the chunks at the top, restricting in-flow & nullifying any advantage the sock provided. Water flowing down, via gravity alone, through a sheet of floss/sponge/whatever has neither of these advantages. Just my 2 cents.

If I remember right, jcardona used one of these on his newest sump. I don't know any details, though.

As for the super fine mechanical filter box thingy you designed, I like it! I dont know about using stockings alone, though. I would layer thin sheets of coarse foam, then a finer sponge before the stocking. I think your design would also have some of the same advantages as the sock...

 

[Redoog]

your nylon idea might help. If yopu could stretch the nylon over the outside of your box. The idea, is to have your water pass through media that getts finer as it goes.

I use quilt batting first, about 4 layers, this getts all the big stuff, and is easily replaceable. Then I use a couple of layers of felt. What I did was make a box useing the felt, to go inside my plastic box.

You could then use a nylon, I do not.

I think your problem could be that your pump is on the bottom. My pump is sitting on a sponge and a carbon pad. I think this lets and sediment settle on the bottom, if your pump is on the bottom it is going to suck this sediment up and circulate it through the tank.