njin9
Koi Lover
Dec 18, 2007, 2:20 PM
Post #4 of 4
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Re: [norazli] Brushes or JMatt?
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1,2 + 3 are identical. Let's say "settlement" because that's what their primary role is.
They merge into drum 4 which is suppose to be a mechanical filter.
The media is still questionable at the moment because I haven't yet decided on static K1 or brushes. I'm thinking long term, how much work is needed to clean the mechanical filter. J.mats are definitely out of the picture as mechanical filters b/c there's simply too much work trying to disassemble and remove them from the drums let along cleaning them off. Because of the internal bulkheads and the opening (top of drum) has a smaller diameter (21.5") then the body (middle third is 22.5"), each layer will need to have J.mat custom cut in half circles to be able to enter the drums, to perform a tight fit, otherwise there will be channeling. Each J.mat will is only 3" thick, so I will need lots to cover the 18" void space between input and output. One J.mat(Matala) can yield 1.5 layers at $30US. The math gets expensive for 18". I don't have these so I'm not going to even imagine cleaning these out. On top of that, calculate, pick and optimize the density (4) of the mats to my application.
K1 is expensive. I need roughly 142 L for drum 4 alone. 50 L is roughly $85US not including s+h and brokerage. I'm sure there's a cheaper price out there, but I haven't found it yet. From what I know, static K1 will be self cleaning if it becomes aerated with an air ring. But with air, it becomes a moving/fluid bed which is a bio-filter.
The other option is brushes. Brushes are fairly cheap, durable and adequate.
Option 3 is ribbon media (Springflo)
It seems it's more like a bio-filter media then mechanical, although if you cram enough in, it can suffice as a mechanical filter.
Drum 5 will be my bio-filter.
Norazi
I was thinking of using the green nylon dishwasher scrubbies as my bio-filter.
The idea originated from Skippy's filter.
It was adopted and adapted by Jim in Jim Prior's Crazy Bio-filter.
http://leisure.prior-it.co.uk/build-diy-pond-bio-filter.shtml
I had this filter for a year and a half now.
I think it works great as long as I was able to prefilter (which I didn't do).
Cleaning these little pads was long and tedious b/c you had to wring each piece out by hand, slosh in a pail of pond water, and wring it some more. (Each pad over and over till it looked reasonably clean.)
That's why I'm so adamant about getting this mechanical filter right. It just means less work in the long run. There's also going to be TT'sx6 that will assist in bio-filtering, drawing water from either drum 4 or 5. Everything is being made right now. Just have to wait for ice to melt and winter to end.
Sorry about the long post,
I got carried away,
Do
Short intense hard work to long-term laziness
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Short-term intense, (obsessive) hard work to long-term laziness.
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All the fish crud will be slurry once it gets sucked through the impeller. 