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Bad Inferno
Fri Oct 08, 2004, 01:10 PM
I have a trickle filter setup in a 24" sump and 25% of the bioballs are covered constantly. ( I have 2x30g tanks being filtered by this sump at the moment.)

The easiest way to do a water change is just fill up the sump (add 1 bucket) and then vacuum the tank (1 bucket). Only takes a minute. My current setup does not enable me to evenly distribute the water entering the filter over all bioballs.

OK the question.......Would it be benificial when I fill the sump to leave the Bioballs fully covered for XX time in the sump before vacuuming the tank. I was thinking of leaving the bioballs submerged 10 hours (in the morning I will add 1 bucket to the sump) then at night do a vacuum which leaves 25% bioballs covered.

I will eventually automate this however at the moment I just use a bucket 1 in / 1 out each day.

kalebjarrod
Fri Oct 08, 2004, 10:04 PM
Questions; Why don't you get even coverage over your bioballs?

are your tanks drilled?

can you show me a pic of your sump?

firstly, you should be trying to get an even coverage over the bioballs, water movement combined with high oxeygen levels are what will get you the correct amount of bacteria on your balls.

leaving the balls covered won't kill the bacteria but it will stop the saturation of oxeygen that you achive by have the balls rasied. this is the whole concept behind a trickle filter, water movement plus aireation = bacteria growth = healthy tank! :wink:

i am interested in your automation, keep me posted!

Bad Inferno
Sun Oct 10, 2004, 10:47 AM
Yeh....you state the obvious, get it working coorectly int he first place ! It's taken this long to get to where I am I was just running it as is.

I have a spray bar however it would really on spary over 30% of the media. I really need a drip plate and I will go down this path this week.

My two tanks are drilled and I have a corner partition for overflow.

Escher
Mon Oct 11, 2004, 05:22 AM
As a drip plate have you considered seedlings raising trays from hardware/nurseries? I found a perfect one for only 3.00$.

kalebjarrod
Mon Oct 11, 2004, 09:50 AM
i find that a drip plate made up of the largest sized plastic pot saucer your sump can fit from bunnings works a treat, buy the saucer then get and OLD screwdriver, get a gas burner (bbq, gas stove, camping stove) and heat the tip of the screw driver. Then just start sticking it through the saucer.

the hole size never varies - you never crack the saucer - you can get an even coverage of water - it is also pretty cool fun :wink:

Bad Inferno
Mon Oct 11, 2004, 11:05 AM
OK OK my fish will appreciate it ! I'll get the drip plate going and post a pic of the final setup..

Thanks for your tips...motivation is back to finish the sump....I have two 4-5" discus in the setup for the past two weeks. Ammonia is still just registering 0.01 and hope in the next week this goes to zero. (especially when I get the bio efficiency up with my drip plate. I am doing a 15 litre change every day to the 110 litre (tank + sump)

chrissyoscar
Mon Oct 11, 2004, 09:40 PM
Yeah I have the same problem with my sump I don't get an even coverage of water over the bio balls.
If you guys/girls can add some photos of your drip trays that will be a great help.

Oscar

kalebjarrod
Tue Oct 12, 2004, 08:48 AM
heres a smaller version of my drip plate descibed

chrissyoscar
Tue Oct 12, 2004, 10:18 PM
Thanks that helps heaps.

Oscar

Bad Inferno
Sun Oct 17, 2004, 07:46 AM
OK I finished the sump this weekend. I have two spray bars (1 from each tank) however as I only have one tank going at the moment I do not have even water coverage over the bio-area.

Below the spray bars I found a large lid that perfectly fitted on top of the bioball's. (could not believe my luck fits within mm all round) I drilled some small holes and now sit the filter wool on top of this lid "drip tray" Its great cause the lid obviously has a lip that partially fills and enables an even water distribution even when the drip tray is not sitting perfectly level. I will have to increase the size of the holes when I get the two tanks going otherwise the water will just spill over the edges of the drip plate straight into the sump. I put just enough holes into the lid to enable it to partially fill. The lid has a 15mm lip all round .

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/rjconway/IMG_0001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/rjconway/IMG_0002.jpg

I saw some filter sponge in cut-to-sixe sheets in the LFS 1-1.5" deep and will get a piece cut 12" * 18" and sit this under the drip tray to again increase the bio area as I could do with either some more balls or this sponge.

kalebjarrod
Sun Oct 17, 2004, 08:24 AM
NICE WORK

i like the drip tray, lucky find getting it that cloase all round :wink: