fbf's

[David M]

There have been a lot of new posts about designing breeding systems and some old threads have been in use lately. What I am wondering is why aren't we using fluidized bed filters ( or is it just me) ? Even brand new those LifeGaurd or = "hobby level" filters are pretty darned cheap and claim to be rated at 900 gallons. Of course our systems are heavily loaded but I'm thinking 2-3 of these should be = to a 55 gal drum or more of bio-balls They are practically free when used, all these converts changing their f/o systems to reef are literally throwing them away. I have three of them sitting in my garage from tear downs I've done. Is there some drawback I'm not seeing?

 

[rsman]

I know someone here uses them, just not me

there are a number of reasons I dont. first i DIY'd my setup so it was cheap. 2nd I use the same pump to do all of my filtering except for the skimmer. it pushes water up 4' and it doesnt matter how much i neglect it(which has been alot lately) it does the same flow today as it did a year ago. gravity moves the water thru the 50micron screen filters then across my bio wheels then into the currently empty carbon filter area.

and i know from both testing and experience that even thougy my system needed a large bio filter that this did the work and that my O2 levels through out my system stay high even though there is a lot of filtering going on.

 

[Dman]

Too many abbreviations, when I first read the title for this thread I thought you were refering to fish breeding forums.

I use them. Picked them up for next to nothing to boot. Rainbow lifeguards the biggest ones.

 

[jaybro]

For my largest system I use fbfs that I make myself. For a smaller system I have, I am using Rainbow's largest. I like Rainbow's design when all is operating well, but if you get one of theirs I 'highly' recommend putting in a better check valve on the feed. The one that comes with it (atleast in my case) didn't work well at all. On several occasions when I lost power, it allowed enough water to backflow such that it sucked sand up the feed and was a real pain to get started again.

 

[David M]

How important is it to replace media? It's just sand, right? I can't see why you would ever have to. I was thinking I'd just run one of these used ones in a tank of fw and add a little bleach to clean it for a few hours.

 

[David M]

Oh one more Q, I'm guessing you want to feed it only pre-filtered water, is that right? Like in line with a canister filter or something? That's how I do my small uv's anyway.

 

[Morgman]

David--

Lets see you build a replica one of R2K's Fluidized Bead Filters that many of the wholesalers use. I am sure you can figure that out. I don't believe they even mess with sand they just use beads like ponds filters, but in a columnar form. Plus, you can get beads with negative or positive buoyancy. Not to mention you can screen the outflow so no beads accidentally get pumped into your sump.

 

[jaybro]

Personally, I don't bother prefiltering it.

As far as replacing the media... the first system I built I used an arogonite based sand. That is slowly melting out/flowing out as the particles get small enough. I'm replacing it with what I use in my other systems which is a normal nonaragonite play sand. It lasts 'much' longer but I still get some flow out into the main system. I'll probably have to level it up once a year or so.

I use these to make the fbfs for the large systems.

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/13480/cid/3799

I cut out a round frame from the grating they sell, cut out a cirle of acrylic and drill holes in it. Put them in, 6" of gravel on top, then the sand. Cut a hole up higher for the flow out... you get the idea. Pretty cheap and a 'lot' of filtration.

 

[David M]

Those AES cylinders are exactly what I was looking at That's when I said to myself "there has to be something cheaper" :lol:

 

[damer]

what i have read about them (on the aussie sites anyway) is that if the power goes off, they go anaerobic very quickly and then dump hydrogen sulphide into the system when it comes back on. i got a new one off ebay for cheaper than i could probably make it for. taking into account mistakes of course ,

i havent used it as its sitting in the shed waiting to have water put through it along with everything else.