Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

That link requires a log in.

Yes, I mean it has a high amount of torque when filled with water. So even with metal support straps, it twists and bends.

The barrel type designs sit flat on the floor, providing a wider base of support.

And yes, even in the barrel design, the input flows to the bottom before pressing back up through the sand.

I have it in pdf, the system will not let me post it, as I said.

*EDIT*
Here is the PDF FILE of the above.

Registration is free, just need an email address

I dont give out my email addresses, besides if its a good doc it would be worth having it here.

A friend of mine has built one from a blue barrel, works a treat for his fish pond (I've been trying to convert him to ap), I'll get the plans from him when he gets back and post here.

Ahh makes sense now
Cheers

I did a fbf once they work very well, i didnt use any sand though i let the fish dung be the media.

It was a 3 foot piece of 4inch pvc, vertical the input was a 3/4in pvc trough the top until about 1in from the bottom and the output 3in down from the top end with shade cloth stuffed in just bellow the output to filter the water

I haves pics on the first page of my system tread

Here is a test I did using a cone design. I used the software from a earlier post on this thread to design a cone and printed the pattern on a piece of transparency sheet. Then I epoxied a bottom into it and sealed it with a bead of epoxy. This proves how we can build our own cone FSB filters using thin sheets of food grade HDPE for example. The cone works super awesome over using a tube. The flow slows at the top and only clear water exits.

Here are two pictures. The first is the sand at a resting state and the bottom is the sand in a fluidized state.

Here's another DIY Fluidised Sand Filter .... http://www.sydneycichlid.com/fluidised-bed-filter.htm

Thats a fine looking bit of diy, Dan
It occurred to me the traffic cones on most motorways can be upto 2.5ft tall and are made of hdpe (over here anyway).
Could be a very cheap cone option if you come across a "lost" one and don`t mind the dayglo colour scheme

An ldpe version in a 1m tall size costs about £8 brand new.

oooo, traffic cones. btw, there are a lot of traffic cones for sale on eBay. Including some that are 3 feet tall.

Good idea Hex. Some of them are vinyl others are PVC; on ebay. I like the tall cones best. I think there are advantages to a cone that is longer vs the normal cone shape. By having less size change over a longer distance the water flow is more even. In a standard cone the water flow at the bottom of the cone might be to high to allow bacteria to effectively live there by the time you get the flow high enough to float all the sand.

My only concern with traffic cones is what the coloring agent might be. In a closed system I would want to keep the water free of toxins. Anyone have a number to a place the makes traffic cones?

For a small system we could also use kitchen funnels. Some of them are very large.

Mmm, fish poop smoothies!