k1 flow ideas

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BMac91

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Mar 14, 2011
433
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Alabama
So, I am in the process of still working out the kinks in my 55 gallon sump. I have a 2 ft section in the center where roughly 30 liters of k1 are stored. It is being run off of 50LPM air pump. I built this sump strictly off of Joey's latest fluidized video, where i have 2 pieces of acrylic with holes drilled to get the water from one side to the other.

This, however, is where the issue lies. It seems like this wouldn't be a problem if I wasn't running a decent flow through it, but since I am, 70% of my media is being forced against the acrylic closest to the return pump and not tumbling. I can turn off the pump and the media starts tumbling with no problems. I have seen countless setups, only a few running the standpipe method, which is what I was referred to on another forum. But I was hoping somebody had some other ideas that didn't require me spending another 30$ on acrylic and redoing the sump completely.

Here are some videos of it:

Tumbling while return pump is off:

Turning pump on and showing the immediate movement of it:
 
Easy! Just make the PVC shorter and hits it towards the middle rather than the end.

i agree i would pull the pvc 2-3 away from the acrylic baffles and put them closer to the center
 
it should but it will basically be trial and error until you find the right spot
 
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So, I am not thrilled with the PVC air setup anyways, I ordered some large diffuser discs to replace it with, but everything I kept coming up with created tiny bubbles and they wouldn't cause any tumbling. So I am hoping that the new discs will change that. I ordered 2 8" discs and actually ordered a 100LPM air pump, as this 50LPM was a cheaper one and sounds like a factory in my fish room.
 
I use the giant rubber air diffusers for ponds. When they start to clog you flex them a little and Jack them off? They clean right up.
 
What size discs do you use? I have had trouble finding them, all the ones I can find are the actual stone discs.
 
another solution might be to direct all the air to the end by the return pump. With enough air flow it should over come clumping up
 
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