sand filter

[sumo2001]

probably not the right place but here goes.
i`ve aquired a swimming pool sand filter which i want to convert from sand to kaldness k1 so it becomes a fluidised bed filter the thing is i want to feed from my overflow and then return it to my sump will the gravity work ok like this please?probably sounds stupid but got the filter for free so if doesn`t work then fine.
just a massive amount of biological filtration for very little cost.
cheers

 

[kendragon]

Will not work with gravity. Must be pushed with a pump. There is a lot of back pressure with sand filter valves and laterals. Not to mention the air lock that's going to be in the chamber because it's not vented. I'm sure with some modifications you may make it work.

 

[sumo2001]

Will not work with gravity. Must be pushed with a pump. There is a lot of back pressure with sand filter valves and laterals. Not to mention the air lock that's going to be in the chamber because it's not vented. I'm sure with some modifications you may make it work.

cheers was going to run it without the top and just connect the pipe to the inlet and have the outlet return to my sump

 

[sumo2001]

 

[Oughtsix]

It looks like it should work great to me. Are you running it without the top so you can fluidize the K1 with air? IMHO the best way to run K1 is fluidizing it with air to keep all those bacteria lively and productive as well as add huge amounts of O2 to the water.

I guess the alternative would be to put the top on and run it as a pressure filter. You could load it up with a massive amount of ceramic bio rings and use a smallish regular aquarium pump. You might achieve a state of maintaining a colony of Nitrate eating anaerobic bacteria with that much air free volume and relatively low volume water pump?