**Update** 2 months and no water changes

[billberet]

well just figured I would check in.
I have a drip system running on my 150 gal FW and sump.
Sump running bio media and a fluidized bed and filter sock.
THATS IT.

all my chems are 0 across the board
I have not done a water change in over 2 months, and all my fish are healthy and active, tank water is clearer, and algae has decreased with a reduction of TDS due to the drip.

originally I had a 40 GPD drip system, using a 40gpd regulator on a carbon block system and overflow, the water being added was overflowed to a drain.
this created a dilution that equaled 100% water change in 7 days.

I have tweaked my system a bit.
now I have my carbon block system feeding my sump via float valve.
and I added an overflow tube connected to a lifter pump, this pumped the water out of the overflow tube to the drain.

here is the amount of water being pumped out

here is my sump, the carbon block is connected to the float on the last chamber

in case of overflow, the float valve will kill the auto feed

float valve and backup kill switch

latest chem results

so far so good, my fish are happy and I have no work to do other than admire the tank

 

[TMaier]

What is the source of water coming into the tank? I can't imagine it's chlorinated tap water...


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[billberet]

Yepper.
it's going through a 3 carbon block drip system.
I know what your thinking, municipal water and chlorine.

but you have to remember, water is not flowing into the tank at a quick rate, it's going at 40GPD. that means the water is in 1000% more contact with the carbon. which in turn does allow the water to be treated before it enters the tank. Most carbon filters will begin to "leak" other chemicals long before they begin to allow chlorine to pass. I test my water and it has 0 chlorine when it enters my tank. For example, the MatriKX 1+ extruded carbon block used in most PWP RO units and carbon filtration units has an amazing 20,000 gallon chlorine removal capacity (when operated at .75 gallons per minute). It should, therefore, be replaced annually although it will still have lots of chlorine removal capacity left.


in my 30 years of fishkeeping, this has been the best setup to handle water changes. And you can see the color of my submerged bio media, (not the fluidized one), it has a great color, the colonies are flourishing.

 

[PB_Smith]

Yepper.
it's going through a 3 carbon block drip system.
I know what your thinking, municipal water and chlorine.

but you have to remember, water is not flowing into the tank at a quick rate, it's going at 40GPD. that means the water is in 1000% more contact with the carbon. which in turn does allow the water to be treated before it enters the tank. Most carbon filters will begin to "leak" other chemicals long before they begin to allow chlorine to pass. I test my water and it has 0 chlorine when it enters my tank. For example, the MatriKX 1+ extruded carbon block used in most PWP RO units and carbon filtration units has an amazing 20,000 gallon chlorine removal capacity (when operated at .75 gallons per minute). It should, therefore, be replaced annually although it will still have lots of chlorine removal capacity left.


in my 30 years of fishkeeping, this has been the best setup to handle water changes. And you can see the color of my submerged bio media, (not the fluidized one), it has a great color, the colonies are flourishing.

in addition the aeration and turbulence in the fluidized portion will also help dissipate chlorine.
all that's needed to remove chlorine is light (sunlight preferably) and good gas exchange.
That is the reason for some water treatment plants using chloramine. Being bound to the ammonia molecule greatly slows down the natural breakdown of chlorine.
so any residual that gets past your carbon filters will quickly be handled by the activity in the sump, even if it is chloramine.

Nice set-up.

 

[billberet]

thanks man,
I forgot about the fluidized part, which was one of the reasons I added it, I was so focused on the carbon block.
GOOD CATCH !!!!!

and i TURBO'd my fluidized bed, not only do I have custom made air lines, I have a huge powerhead churning it all and breaking the surface. it's like a constant storm is raging in the middle section, then the return compartment is calm for the trip back to the tank.


most bubble walls are poor and cannot do the job of churning a fluidized bed so I made my own out of some spare parts I had lying around. the result was GREAT, big powerful bubbles. no glue, all pressure fittings, so I can dismantle and clean.

 

[PB_Smith]

thanks man,
I forgot about the fluidized part, which was one of the reasons I added it, I was so focused on the carbon block.
GOOD CATCH !!!!!

and i TURBO'd my fluidized bed, not only do I have custom made air lines, I have a huge powerhead churning it all and breaking the surface. it's like a constant storm is raging in the middle section, then the return compartment is calm for the trip back to the tank.


most bubble walls are poor and cannot do the job of churning a fluidized bed so I made my own out of some spare parts I had lying around. the result was GREAT, big powerful bubbles. no glue, all pressure fittings, so I can dismantle and clean.

I've been using rigid airlines with holes for DIY bubble bars and airstones for decades.
If they clog, a little vinegar and a needle and they are as good as new.

I also have the same Coralife air pump powering my 5' tall protein skimmer, so I know you are cranking out a lot of air!

 

[billberet]

I've been using rigid airlines with holes for DIY bubble bars and airstones for decades.
If they clog, a little vinegar and a needle and they are as good as new.

I also have the same Coralife air pump powering my 5' tall protein skimmer, so I know you are cranking out a lot of air!

yea love that coralife airpump, quiet and strong, but I was thinking of getting a piston pump to power everything, instead of having several different pumps. I have a pump for the sump for my 2 bubble walls, one pump for each, I have a pump for my bubble wand vac I made (I use it to vac the sump). so rather than power 3 separate pumps, i'll just have one. granted it's a single point of failure and I'm all about redundancy, but I feel it will be cleaner and more powerful.


I know it's silly but I made a bubble vac out of one of my sons bottles, lol
it's the best one ever, works better than I could ever imagine, I can vacuum the sump out in 2 min (not that it needs it)

all I do is add some filter floss, which I have a ton of.

 

[TMaier]

This sounds way to tech for me. Lol

And I would miss my bucket!


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[Delapool]

The setup looks nice and the carbon reminds me of our water filter system connected to the fridge water dispenser. This also says annual replacement although quite a small system. This sometimes makes me wonder as it gets quite a bit of use but I've never noticed the taste/smell of tap water returning.

I was wondering if you do ever detect the carbon blocks failing slightly or just replace on a schedule?

 

[billberet]

The setup looks nice and the carbon reminds me of our water filter system connected to the fridge water dispenser. This also says annual replacement although quite a small system. This sometimes makes me wonder as it gets quite a bit of use but I've never noticed the taste/smell of tap water returning.

I was wondering if you do ever detect the carbon blocks failing slightly or just replace on a schedule?

it's not in the picture but I have a water sensor on the fresh water coming in to the block, and on the way out, so I can get a snapshot of what the carbon block is doing.. but yes, I plan to replace it once a year on a schedule. since my flow is only 40gpd, it only increases the longevity of the filter. I actually had an extra chlorine meter kit for my pool that I use once a month just to check on things. my filter has a chlorine capacity of 20,000 gallons, and I do 40 gal a day, that gives me 500 days of filtering. so by cutting it to 365, I have a nice buffer zone.

my first canister in the filter is a 5 micron sediment filter
stage 2 is a 5 micron Matrikx CTO carbon block
stage 3 is .6 micron Matrikx CTO Plus carbon block

 

[Delapool]

it's not in the picture but I have a water sensor on the fresh water coming in to the block, and on the way out, so I can get a snapshot of what the carbon block is doing.. but yes, I plan to replace it once a year on a schedule. since my flow is only 40gpd, it only increases the longevity of the filter. I actually had an extra chlorine meter kit for my pool that I use once a month just to check on things. my filter has a chlorine capacity of 20,000 gallons, and I do 40 gal a day, that gives me 500 days of filtering. so by cutting it to 365, I have a nice buffer zone.

my first canister in the filter is a 5 micron sediment filter
stage 2 is a 5 micron Matrikx CTO carbon block
stage 3 is .6 micron Matrikx CTO Plus carbon block

Thanks - I was just curious as have wondered on lifespan for this. I should try our pool chlorine kit on the fridge water every so often out of interest (probably when the family is out )

 

[Harry Vysekal]

Nice job there,

Am working on multiple DIY stage filter similar to those expensive RO ones but purely on gravity feed, as the Ro works under pressure to force the water from one to the other section, mine would be more like straight forward 2 storey maze, where there will be sections divided by under or over flow.
I will use many filter medias in such combination, fluffy filter, filter pads, sand, bio filter gravel, sand,fluffy filter, etc.. Bottom the last storey of the filter will be purely carbon and ceramic rings, sand and small micron filter media which will then feed into my sump section where is fluidised media , other section of the sump
Is covered with Java moss and dwarf lettuce and duckweed
Here's couple months old pic, undergoing rebuild so no pictures for now



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[Delapool]

Is that the yellow and green things? Wondering what they did?

 

[Harry Vysekal]

DIY Egg tumblers


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[Harry Vysekal]

Here's my biorb 60L running on 300l/h haven't done water change neither substrate cleaning in year, it also have 30l mechanical filter



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[Harry Vysekal]

And here's my another DIY UGF for my 15l breeder just received another tetra APS 100, 50l-100l tank should be enough as the tank cycle 5x-10x every hour from now on. Have to say am happy with them the 20l- 50l is cycling my 15l shrimp tank with sponge filter it's been going for many months now . Very impressed with these





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