REACTORS- Filtration for stingrays

[DIDYSIS]

http://usakoi.com/bio-chip-25-liter.html is this your bio chip??

That Stoney Creek stuff is actually more money then K1. One could argue it has more surface area, but without some sort of media similar to Kaldness's chips I would still go with Kaldness without a doubt..

Ultima 2 media? Is that not for a bead filter? Not sure why it should be used in something like a reactor if it's designed to be used in a filter that's backflushed regularly.

The bio chips are an important part of the equasion that always seem to get overlooked. Here's some info from Aquatic Eco on them.....

The Biochip is much more than just a different shaped media. In addition to having a total protected surface area more than 2.4 times that of Kaldnes® K1, the protected area in Biochip is a great environment for micro animals, not just bacteria. Micro animals feed on small particles such as fish waste, dead bacteria and algae. There are many different types of these micro animals, and they produce high levels of filtration. For example, Vortecilia filter 10,000 times their own volume per hour and feed on particles up to 5 microns in size. A hydrophilic layer in the Biochip creates extremely quiet zones in which micro animals can flourish, whereas other types of media would flush them out. Add to existing K1 moving bed at a ratio of 1 part Biochip to 4 parts K1.

I buy from Aquatic Eco. I have yet to stump people with questions there. They're supposed to pricematch, and there's way cooler stuff in that book then any other supply house I've seen......

 

[vamptrev]

I dont think it relly matters what media you use as long as everything is measured correctly. I use the stoney creek media also and it works like a charm for me.

Reed put it very well. Everything needs to be sized correctly to be effective


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[snake8myelbo]

Great thread! I would also like to build a reactor! Thought I knew something about them until I read this thread.

Sent from my LG-P999 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[DB junkie]

http://usakoi.com/bio-chip-25-liter.html is this your bio chip??

Yup. looks like the same thing....... 25 liter = .9 ft3.

I skipped chips when deciding to start messing with reactors. Knew they wouldn't be right at first. After they seemed to work right added Prazi and the foam sent me back to the drawing board. I'm still redoing mine. On about the 4th rendition over the last year. Messing with the cheaper 80% of the media can buy you time to save for the spendier 20% of the media..... Takes a bit to get the drains figured out- to drain ok without sticking media to them if using in higher flow applications. (K3>K1 here). Drains are another battle. Seems like concave or at least V shaped bottoms would have an advantage over a flat bottom. Maybe fixed with Korilias? Could one flush a reactor with a controller via phone ap? LOL........ ugggghhhh.

 

[snake8myelbo]

DB, that unit from aquatic eco systems. Could you post a link to it? Think I found it but its like $1k

Sent from my LG-P999 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[DB junkie]

http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/2652/Clearwater-Low-Space-Bioreactor

 

[DIDYSIS]

That looks super cheap. Lol

http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/2652/Clearwater-Low-Space-Bioreactor

Sent from my DROIDX using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[johno27]

It doesn't have to be pretty with bells and whistles it just needs to filter the water ;-)

That looks like a well thought out reactor to me. The more complicated it is the more things can go wrong

 

[coyotethug]

With everything said so far, why wouldn't bioballs work as media in a diy reactor?

I have two 50 gallon trash cans and 50 gallons of bioballs. They are only slightly positively buoyant, with bacteria film on them I suspect slightly less so. I have two pondmaster air pumps, ap-60 I believe which should be plenty of air. After all it will bubble the water right out of a 10 gallon tank. I am planning on trying to construct these regardless of what is said here, but why shouldn't it work?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[DB junkie]

Why won't bio balls work? Cause they aren't designed for the bio to fall off of. They don't work the same way moving bed media does.

IF you went out and bought a high end sports car designed to be ran on nothing but 91+ octane would you dump 87 in it? It's cheaper, and it's still gas so it should work right?

This again is no differen then the UV conversations. Spend thousands on rays, thousands to house them, food and electricity bills, but when it comes to thier filtration by all means lets cut some corners and save a few bucks..... Am I really the only one that thinks this seems odd? Maybe I am crazy..... lol

The link to the reactors was so that you have a starting point for #s if you're going to build one. They are expensive. That's why they are a fun little project to build yourself. But anyone that thinks they're just gonna toss one together and have it work properly right out of the gate might need to adjust their thinking..... It is much easier to build one that runs off the slow turnover they are recommended for then to run in the sumps of our rediculously turned over ray tanks.