Fluidized bed Nerds. I need help.

[357MAGNOLE]

I'm gonna make one chamber in this sump for fluidized media. The chamber is 13.5"x17.5"x9".

How much media do I need, and also, which one will be best to work with my setup. Notice the chambers are secured off with light diffuser panels which has just over half inch sized holes.

 

[357MAGNOLE]

I calculated the chamber to be 9.2 gallons roughly.

 

[357MAGNOLE]

Nothing? From what I'm gathering I need about 6 liters worth of fluidized bed. Im going with the K2.5 sized media. .59" diameter. Should not escape through my grates.

 

[Bigfishnut]

Here's what I'm using....370 gallon tank with 2 adult rays, a large arowana, and a medium sized datnoid. 110 gallons of sump volume, 65 gallon K1 chamber with 4 cubic feet of K1...roughly 60% of the volume of the chamber. The chamber is about 3" from being full to the top.

 

[357MAGNOLE]

Correct me if wrong but my math would show you have roughly 39 gallons of media which would be approximately 10% media to your tank volume.

I have 120 gallon display tank, with a 9.2 gallon chamber at 60% being 5.52 gallons of media for a total of 21.73% media to tank volume.

So I should be fine with that chamber. And I'll need roughly 5.52 gallons of media to make the chamber function correctly.

 

[Bigfishnut]

I think that will be fine. I go a bit to the extreme because I keep rays...they produce an incredible amount of ammonia. 10 times the amount of a similar weight fish of any other kind. Your set-up will handle pretty much anything you throw at it once your media is cycled. It takes a lot longer for fluidized media to cycle...like 2 months

 

[357MAGNOLE]

That's fine, I like to over do it myself.

I'm also in no rush, just need to figure out how to get the media to properly turn over. Guessing a good air bubbler bar on the drain side of the chamber. The water will be tumbling in from the top left, so air rising from bottom right should help it all mix and stay in a state of movement.

 

[eddiegunks]

That's fine, I like to over do it myself.

I'm also in no rush, just need to figure out how to get the media to properly turn over. Guessing a good air bubbler bar on the drain side of the chamber. The water will be tumbling in from the top left, so air rising from bottom right should help it all mix and stay in a state of movement.

It is trial and error if you use a retangular tank. (A barrel is easier to fluidize). I have tried one inlet....not so good.

Now i use one pipe that has 3 outlets on it. The farthest outlet is restricted to 1 inch. The middle 1.25 or 1.5.....i have to look and the closest to the pump is 2 inch. (System uses 2 inch pvc). I point the outlets on an angle towards the side....this makes it move circular. I have 4 are bubblers (they get pushed around in by the water)

I find it that the water level also plays a big part in the fluidization. It seems good a bit lower than i would like......and a bit higher than i would like. Go figure!

450 gallon pond. 75 gallon tank as the sump. 4000 gph pump at my head height. 1.75 cubic feet of k2 (still adding more. Hoping for 2cf. About 5lbs of ceramic type of media. And a uv filter.