Prefilter for heavy bio load large fish

[Charney]

If you have heavy bioload, the filter is supposed to get clogged up quickly if it is doing its job. Adding a prefilter to a filter is not the solution as it simply moves clogging up the prefilter ahead of the main filter. Besides, an HOB is not designed to operate with a prefilter to restrict the flow. To delay the frequency of cleaning the fitler, you have to increase the total filter media area by either adding more filters, or switching to a sump system with the largest filter media area.

How big is your tank, the size and number of fish you are keeping? I have a heavily loaded 125 gal filtered by three Penquin HOBs and I have to change all filter pads twice a week when they get clogged up. But changing Penquin filter is easy, simply slide in and out of the filter pads.

the filters are definitely doing their jobs. i am rinsing the foam once a week. the 125 has silver dollars and large plecos. its running two ac 110 which are easy to rinse and an fx5 which i loath to clean. the 75 has a 70 and 110. my 50g is also a pleco tank and its amazing how much **** comes out of them.

 

[viejafish]

the filters are definitely doing their jobs. i am rinsing the foam once a week. the 125 has silver dollars and large plecos. its running two ac 110 which are easy to rinse and an fx5 which i loath to clean. the 75 has a 70 and 110. my 50g is also a pleco tank and its amazing how much **** comes out of them.

With big dirty fish, cleaning the filter once a week is not frequent all all. My 125 gal has 15 big cichlids rangng from 6 to 12 inch, so my bioload is likely heavier than yours. I don't clean my Penquin filters as AC, just replace all filter pads twice a week by sliding in and out old and new pads in 1 minute each. I don't buy expensive vendor pads but cut my own from polyester battling I bought cheaply from fabric shop. 3 Penquen 350 gave me a total filter area of 1 sq ft, which is equivalent to the filter area of a sump system.

 

[DB junkie]

How did you scale down radial flow to work in an aquarium? I am intrigued..... Is it intrusive?

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?559342-DIY-Radial-Flow-Separators

I'm sure you could scale one down far enough to use a 5 gallon bucket, and I bet you could use a canister filter to feed it.......

I was scared of how tough they'd be to get right, but I just shot from the hip with dimensions on mine, and they seem to be working. I'm sure they have much room for improvement but seeing results right out of the gate at least lets you know it's a solid concept......

 

[Andrewtfw]

I run two 110 sponges in my ACs. I don't have anything else in them.

 

[Charney]

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?559342-DIY-Radial-Flow-Separators

I'm sure you could scale one down far enough to use a 5 gallon bucket, and I bet you could use a canister filter to feed it.......

I was scared of how tough they'd be to get right, but I just shot from the hip with dimensions on mine, and they seem to be working. I'm sure they have much room for improvement but seeing results right out of the gate at least lets you know it's a solid concept......

This is really interesting. In your set up is it fed from the tank or the sump? And does it feed back into the tank or the sump?
If you did a 5 gallon bucket would you use a overflow box into the bucket then a canister filter to return it ? Is the idea that most of the sediment then will settle out in the bucket?
thanks

 

[DB junkie]

In my setup it drains from the tank to (2) 55 gallon RFSs, then to an acrylic 55 gallon fish tank that holds (4) 7x16 100/50 micron socks, that then goes to 90 gallon bio reactor, then to wet/dry bio towers that have moving beds in the bottom of them, those sit in a 300 gallon rubbermaid sump, return pumps through UVs then back to tank.

With a bucket, I'd just have it the very first stage, overflow box or drain in tank, to bucket, canister filter in the bucket somehow, return to tank. Mite have to tie in another bucket just to be sure there's enough volume, but I'm not seeing why it wouldn't work. Ypu may be able to remove say 40% of all solid waste with a RFS. Sure the canister would still get dirty but you could get a lot more time between changes if you can trap 40% without it even hitting media or being broke up by a pump or media.

The idea with them is to get all the big crap out without any media cleaning. Put a drain, or pumps in the bottom of the RFSs and you can now get all the solid crap that settled out completely out of the water column and it's easy enough to do that it could easily be done frequently. Once or twice a day, set it up on a timer or controller and it could be automated.......

 

[SickSauce]

not a possible option with my setups



this sounds really interesting. I will research it


will clog incredibly quickly


so in all of my ACs (which is a fair number) I have the foam block it comes with and then the cereamic noodles. You put it the other way? You find this works better?

I have the Ceramic media on the bottom, middle and Sponge on top. Pop off the sponge, rinse and pop back in your done

 

[Charney]

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?559342-DIY-Radial-Flow-Separators

I'm sure you could scale one down far enough to use a 5 gallon bucket, and I bet you could use a canister filter to feed it.......

I was scared of how tough they'd be to get right, but I just shot from the hip with dimensions on mine, and they seem to be working. I'm sure they have much room for improvement but seeing results right out of the gate at least lets you know it's a solid concept......

this is really interesting. I feel like it could fairly easily be incorporated into a small sump as well. The idea more or less is to have a place for the solids to settle out before entering the main filtration?

 

[DB junkie]

this is really interesting. I feel like it could fairly easily be incorporated into a small sump as well. The idea more or less is to have a place for the solids to settle out before entering the main filtration?

The main idea is to get the crap out before it breaks up. Once it hits your socks it's like pooping in niagra falls. The falls are going to break it up to the point it might be able to get through the socks. It also reduces nitrates as the crap is being physically removed from the system, unlike storing it in a sock (assuming the RFSs are cleaned regularly). It also makes socks last a lot longer.

I used to be able to plug up socks in less then a week. With the RFSs I went 3 weeks before caving and changing the socks, despite them never plugging. Pretty decent considering 10+ rays, lots of big fish, 8500+ GPH through the socks and 1.5-2 lb feedings.

 

[Charney]

The main idea is to get the crap out before it breaks up. Once it hits your socks it's like pooping in niagra falls. The falls are going to break it up to the point it might be able to get through the socks. It also reduces nitrates as the crap is being physically removed from the system, unlike storing it in a sock (assuming the RFSs are cleaned regularly). It also makes socks last a lot longer.

I used to be able to plug up socks in less then a week. With the RFSs I went 3 weeks before caving and changing the socks, despite them never plugging. Pretty decent considering 10+ rays, lots of big fish, 8500+ GPH through the socks and 1.5-2 lb feedings.

I am not sure if I can work it on this setup. When I upgrade everything i will be doing sumps. I want to build a sump. maybe a 65 g hex going into the sump will work as the RFS.