Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Damn I wouldn't want your electric bill. ouch!
How much does it heat up your garage?

badfish03,
Remember that in MN, heating up the garage is probably more of a benefit than a problem. Kinda different than where we are.

Not MN, NM!

Oh well that changes things then. For some reason I had it in my head that slicer was in Minn.

So, have you figured out your bio filter yet Slicer?

Actually it got quite cold and concerning in the winter. But no matter the heat is not too bad yet. With the doors closed when it gets cold "no air movement in/out" it hits about 80 degrees in there with the lights. However with the doors open on the structire I built in the garage the temps are around 70 so far. As summer wears on I may operate the lights at night as it can get over 100 outside.

Electric bill increase is only 40$ we got cheap power here. For the heat I am going to be concerned in the summer however I think I can move enough air to keep it at 90 degrees.

Biofilter still in limbo on ideas but I think I got it under control. I will start building it once I get my hands on another barrel. I have no barrels right now they are all used.

There is a rather clever idea for a self cleaning biofilter on freepatents. Since I can't post pdf's I shall have to attempt to describe how I would make it.

It consists of a plastic barrel, down the centre is the inlet pipe to about 2/3rd of the depth. This has four upwardly pointing nozzles spaced equidistant and close to the inlet pipe. attached to the bottom of the inlet pipe, underneath the nozzles is a disc about 1/3rd the diameter of the barrel. beneath this is the exit pipe with a bend pointing upwards to the centre of the disc. Below that is a waste pipe, with tap with a bend pointing towards and close to the bottom of the barrel.

The media has to be of a semi bouyant type (in my case it is likely to be plastic soft drink bottle tops, when I get enough, thanks CG ).

The theory of operation is as follows. the inlet water is forced upwards until it hits the surface where it will then flow outwards and down the sides of the barrel to the exit pipe. This creates a torodial (donut) current in the barrel in which the downward outside current is flowing slower. The media should follow this current however the crap will have a tendancy to settle to the bottom of the barrel where it can be drained off. (would be nice if it had a tapered insert to direct the crap to the centre)

Setting up initially would be fiddly but it has a number of advantages. Should provide good biofilter action, self cleaning. Filter does not have to be turned off to remove sludge and probably not expensive.

Note I am guessing sizes of things and this was described simplisticly. My main concerns are the pump pressure/volume to effectively create the toroid in the media.

How about the bubble washed filter? http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/vie ... 3&start=60

If you put an air geyse in the bottom you have a "poly geyser" self cleaning filter with no moving parts (other than beads)
http://www.beadfilters.com/products/polygeyser.php

Dan I'm cheap and lazy and also think the toroid is more elegant (in an engineering sense) one of the designs did use an airlift but unless you venturi it will be extra power.

my biggest question is how to clean the filter? I mean I see easy cleaning of filter but I dont understand how you do it without wasting alot of water? Can somebody explain this please?

Bubble washed or the other?

The bubble washed filter is closed at the top. A siphon (source of energy) is opened at the bottom (the longer the siphon drop the more vigor you get when washing). Then an air valve is opened. the bubbles go up and fluidize the beads allowing the solids to release as the beads come apart. In the neck of the device the bubbles churn/scrub/tumble/wash the beads. All the soilds fall to the bottom and as the water drains the solids are carried away. You loose the volume of water contained in the filter. Its the easiest filter I have ever cleaned.

Geyser version fills an air reservoir large enough that when its released its washes the beads in one big bubble and the water level drops below the input so the beads are washed by incoming water as well.

Slicer

In all those devices the amount of water involved and the frequency of cleaning means minimal loss in the system. If you really wanted to you could run it through an external mechanical filter and return it to the system, or more sensibly put it on something you are growing in the garden and save using the water you are currently watering them with.

In your particular system if you don't get it out you are likely to end up with a far greater water loss when you hit HSM.

Sleepe one problem with the bottle caps is that honey bees are attracted to the colour, I ha vent seen bees around for about 3 years until i had those colorful corks then they came in a plenty.

This will come in handy when I get flowering tomato plants but until then i keep the corks covered.

You would think since there is no food for the bees that they would get tired and go away but that's not the case they actually swarm the corks

Thanks CG

Should be allright in the filter but was also going to try them in GB's mixed with graded brick rubble, so will watch out. Biggest problem at the moment is getting enough caps.

Edited by CL

Thanks Charlie

Probably use half a slightly larger barrel to stand it in.