Automatic Mechanical Filter

Windy2 said:
I don't use any mechanical filters. Why would I want to spend $400 on something like this. What does a roll of the filter material cost?

Take a look at how ponds are mechanically filtered.
Click to expand...


Pods are not pelagic organisms, so in theory they should not make it from the dt to the sump, and in practice most people find under 10 pods per week in their filter socks- not enough to make a difference. And filter socks have been shown to reduce BOD if replaced frequently. They also greatly increase water clarity. If you don't run filter socks then you have to remove detritus some other way, whether that is vacuuming out your sump or letting it break down or be consumed. Saying you don't need mechanical filtration is like saying you don't need a skimmer- you don't, but there is a reason most large, professional tanks run both mechanical filters and skimmers.
 
bigrock said:
Yes I think you're right, need to take out 2 rows of holes on each side of plates. I was going to have the guide rods removable so i can install the felt easier but might take your advice and make it a flat plate to simplify things.

What's your thoughts on the width of the filter media? Should I try and get as tight a fit as possible or is a little space nessasary for smooth movement of the felt?

What's your thoughts on flow through the batting your using? I'm going to need 4-5000 gph of flow to go through this design. I think I'm going to wire in a float switch to control the motor.

Thanks for the tips.
Click to expand...


You've gone beyond what I can answer for you! I had the rim of the 40b to deal with so my felt had to have a lot of space- I think I would go with a tight fit- if it doesn't work trim it down.

4-5000 gph is a ton of flow. How much turnover do you have? Do you have a reason to push that much water?
I have no idea how much surface area you would need. But I can guess :) I would think a 7" filter sock would handle the flow easily for a day- it would have a surface area ~250 square inches. So a drip plate of 15x15" would seem sufficient. maybe. I really don't know.
 
This is a sump for a 1500 gallon tank so it's only around 3-4x turnover rate. I have the drip plates right around 15" so I think I'll be pretty close. Worst case is the motor will have to run a little more often and I refill the spool a little sooner.
Thanks
 
Very cool. Does the used media portion ever dry out on its spindle?
If not it must get pretty heavy. Will that motor handle the torque?
 
csb123 said:
Very cool. Does the used media portion ever dry out on its spindle?
If not it must get pretty heavy. Will that motor handle the torque?
Click to expand...

The used media dries out a little- I'd call it moist. If you accidentally drop the supply roll in your sump then it gets really heavy on one side, doesn't really dry out, and doesn't un-spool smoothly.

I don't know about the motor I suggested to big rock, but my motor has a TON of torque- When I was building it I accidentally let a spool of material get stuck sideways- the motor sheared 1'' pvc- sounded like a gunshot.
 
Awesome build! I'll definitely be building one of these when I upgrade & my 75g becomes my sump.

Since you're using a 24v power supply you could use a 24v RIB & a float switch to get your media to last longer.
 
I thought about doing that, but figured the timer was more reliable. The roll does last about 2 months as is. Can you explain how I would use the rib?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
A RIB is specific kind of relay. The one I use on my RO/DI setup is made by Functional Devices, Inc.

On the control side it accepts 10-30v to close the coil.

On the contactor side there are wires for common, normally open, and normally closed.

Whenever the coil has power (say you run 24v through a float switch to the control side) the contacts will change state. If you have your motor wired up to the Normally Open contacts then as soon as that float valve reaches a certain level it'll close, powering the coil. That'll cause the NO contacts to close & would run the motor until the float valve opened again.

I won't deny- there's always a chance for a float valve to fail & I'd make sure you find a float switch with long enough leads so that salt creep won't be an issue.
 
Couldn't you just wire the float valve in line with the power. I.e. Use a float valve that is off when level is low


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If it were me, I would design a manual version that all you had to do was crank it to get new floss. That would still be 100x better than using socks imo, and it could be FAR cheaper to produce.

That being said, I already bought the Rollermat on sale at BRS for $360....
 
So i contacted the seller and inwas told this:

"hi friend.

No-load current: 115mA

Load current: 550mA

Stall current: 3500mA

best regards"

So i guess anywhere from 1-2amps would be good?
 
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