Low-tech, broke ecologist's filter.

[Andyroo]

Lads & Lasses,
So, here's my tank. Likely built in the 1970s, came to me in '03 and rebuilt from the bare panes in '07.
In storage for 2years, re-sealed according to guidance from this list a couple of months ago and now reinforced, filled, seascaped, planted and prepped for (primary) stock. It's a 100gal "show", at 6'long x14" x2'tall.




Task at hand: this old Frankenstein's Marineland 350 is a good workhorse, but it's a little thirsty for electricity at 35Watts (very costly around here) and needs to be cleaned too often for my laziness and schedule (can be off-island for 3 and 5weeks at a time). So- refit to high-efficiency all around.
Bought so far: 2x 20Gal liquid/chemical shipping tubs, 1" male & female threaded fittings, epoxy & silicone.
Also bought: 1x Jebao DC3000 pump. According to the website: 25Watts at full-throttle -which is serious- and can be dialled way down.

So, to start:

Two 20Gal HDPE drums from the local bulk-stuff lady. That's a 1m range pole in the foreground, and the lids with their (awful) sealing inserts.
Bore through (carefully) with Dremmel to just barely the male thread diameter, then press and crank through (x4). Remove, dribble epoxy over inner face at bottom of threading then crank back into place. If you're smart enough to have enough female fittings (I bought all 4, but only 2 fit properly... quality) then smear base of threads with silicone and crank female tightly into place to clamp all so it all cures into seriousness. Poor-man's bulkhead.
Not sure what I'm going to do about the ones that don't have a female yet- I suppose I'll just continue with the epoxy already cured and hope for the best.


Same, internal view.

Reason for 2x cans:
Water will come in at the bottom of one, which will be filled with thumb-sized chunks of bamboo charcoal, roasted green so it's porous (activated?). Water will fill that can to come out at the top hole, pipe, into top of second can.

Second can will be filled with whatever sponge I can find. Hopefully I can find some course exterior//marine/lawn furniture stuff for an upper-level, but I'll probably be stuck with a single level of regular mattress sponge. I know, there are potential chemical breakdown issues. I've used it a lot before and I've not got a lot of options. Thus the charcoal, as well.

Charcoal can will be opened/cleaned maybe annually and will be seeded with all manner of wee filtering fauna: ostracods, amphipods, snails (various), fairy-clams (if I can find) and fan-shrimp etc...
Sponge can will be opened and hosed-out every couple of weeks and/or as necessary.

 

[Andyroo]

And the location.

Pump is going to be mounted to the outside of the (off)white support pole at the middle of the tank, upside down so water comes in at the bottom and exits to the left to run along the tank and go back in at the far left end.
With the generator, LPG tanks and store/works room, the filter-cans are to go on the ground/concrete in the right-hand corner of the wall, next to the store-room door.

 

[Andyroo]

Plumbing is to be primarily in 1.5" PVC drain pipe as a) it's way less expensive than 1" pressure, b) we've got the option of 45degree elbows rather than harsh 90s and finally c) there's far more running distance than I'd like, so the larger pipe will reduce flow resistance. Yes, I know, snails, shrimp etc will take up residence.
Smaller spans will be in 1" pressure or flex pipe, though flex is >$4 per foot around here and will be minimized.

Yes, I realize that I'm looking at the best part of 13' of head-pressure from tank-top to cans-filters. I am a little bit fearful...

Any advise or ideas you may have in sealing these cans (lids) will be greatly appreciated. I've made rubber gaskets from truck tire-tubes but they've not worked any better than the plastic insert. Next step will be to make a seal/O-ring-y-thing using silicone within the insert.

A

 

[Gill Blue]

that's quite the plan.
personally, after reading some of the horror stories I've read around here about sealed filters bursting containers and seals, I wouldn't seal them. just use the pump to send the water up to the tank and let the tank overflow into the bamboo.

maybe something like this? http://fryertofuel.com/products/wvo/collection-lids/55-gallon-drum-security-bolt-band-detail

my first thought was stainless steel straps with a clasp type thing I can picture, but don't know the name of and couldn't find...

how about ratchet straps?

 

[Andyroo]

Thanks Gill.
I know these sorts of lid-fasteners, but I've not been able to find any around here. Option#2 is a sealing 40 or 55gal with a metal strap and something of an O-ring, but the top opening of the 40 is kind of small and I can't reach the bottom to set the bulkhead, and the seal of the 55 is notoriously crap. Option 3 is this: two smaller drums plumbed together.

Point of the exercise is to minimize electricity draw, thus eliminate pumping water-weight against head, thus a sealed system. If push really comes to shove I'll mount the tanks higher on the wall, either on a stand or some sort of wall-mounted rack... that can carry a couple of hundred pounds of water/tank.

As current designed, 15 feet of head is 0.5 atmospheres so maybe 7PSI or so. More than makes me happy and quite a bit for the epoxy, but doable. The HDPE is tough stuff and should be fine (should...). Either way, meshed intake in the tank will start at 1/3 of depth, so even in a total failure we'll not lose fauna.

 

[Yoimbrian]

Any luck? What do you do?

I happen to agree with the other guy, don't seal DIY filters. Either above tank and drip down or sump style.


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Andyroo]

Still haven't found (*##@!!) 1.5" elbows in any of the local hardwares. The search continues... everything else is set, 'cept still waiting on my bamboo charcoal too. Also waiting for the seasonal rains to slow down a bit so I can get to the good stuff in the river.
Electricity is way too costly around here to be lifting water. Thus your concerns are appreciated and noted, but I'm still going to seal it all and live the wild-man, risk-taker life.

A

 

[Andyroo]

Right-
For a normal bubble filter, the floss goes before the charcoal.
Why? Keeping the charcoal clean, apparently(?)
Should I expect this to be an issue on this system? Should I reverse the foam & charcoal tanks?
Will the expected ecosystem elements (snails etc) keep up with this? Maintaining this/these is the point of having charcoal first (bigger plant/food bits get eaten in tank-1), but if it's going to be drama then I can certainly reverse.
A

 

[Gill Blue]

you want the charcoal last so it doesn't get clogged with large particles since you want it for capturing small particles. I have snails and scuds in my tanks and filters and they don't help much. mostly just an extra food source for the fish.

you can buy pvc stuff on amazon, and they will ship to Jamaica, but you have to pay duty. I had to resort to amazon because i needed a 5-way pvc elbow for my RUGF.

 

[Andyroo]

Re. charcoal, the system is going to be over-planted and under-stocked, so I'm not too too worried about the micropores of the charcoal. It's also not going to be formally activated charcoal, just a green-burn. The coal will certainly (be expected to) get some chemical-uptake work done, but the main roles are in course filtration, including holding of material for snails et al to find, eat and poop. There will be 3cubit feet of assorted filter mesh behind that. My main goal is to reduce maintenance and/or having to open the canisters.
Worry #2 is MTS shells grinding the pump's impeller, so I'd like the pump to be behind the finest filter and away from anywhere that snails might or are supposed to live.
I've got a lot of snails to get this going... I'm always impressed at their hooverishness vis-a-vis anything that can't get away.

I'm not justifying so much as explaining my thinking. Nothing's set in stone and I'll take all comments.
For example: There was mention of nitrate development in over-dirty (ceramic?) media in another post. I'm hoping/expecting/planning that snails etc & flow will keep this from becoming an issue- am I being stupid?

The drain elbows are annoying, but they're around (somewhere). I just need to do the legwork.
A