32gal upflow filter flow rate?

FredrikAnderson

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I am trying to figure out if I have a good flow rate for a 32 gal upflow filter that is built as so:
32gal rubbermade brute trash can That has a 2" dump at the center bottom. 8" settlement chamber at the bottom. 2" filter mat (scrubbie like matterial that is white that you can get at most the fish stores around here) cut to fit, put into layers the entire way up until about 8" from the top. 2" drain at the top for out flow that goes into a 9" wide water falls that dropes about 3-4". The water comes in via a 500gal @ 0 head pump that after everthing is said and done drops to about 350gal/Hour, is being pumped in to filter in 1" piping that goes down the center and tees and is shoot out of 2 90 elbow that create a cyclone action.
I had this filter working on a 100 gallon stock tank that I was using to quarintine 2 koi that were 5" long. I loaned it out to a friend that may or may not have killed off the good bacteria inside.
I now have it hooked up to a 150 gallon tank (built to a small scale of what I saw Jameskoi built in his basement, Thx Jameskoi). It has 10 new koi I bought (wrote about them in a different thread). I have been doing wholesale water changes (50percent or more) one to two times a day trying to keep the amonia under control.
It may be that the bacteria just has to re-estamblish and everything will be fine but it is also possible that the bacteria is still there and it just can't keep up. So, I am just asking if anyone else can tell me the optimal flow rate for such a filter or if I may need to add some more oxygen?
Some pictures:
BreedingTank1.jpg

BreedingTank2.jpg
 

FredrikAnderson

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I used a 9.5" waterfall box by pondmaster. Its the only thing in this setup besides the pump that is made for a pond, more or less. I guess the liner falls in that catagory as well. I like the box because it sits on a 2x4 just perfect.
 

DrCase

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Your turning the water enough. Just like you thought it might take a little more time to get stable
Have you added any thing to help the bacteria ?
 
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First of all you did and excellent job on the filter. DrCase is right the flow is enough. Very seldom is the flow through a filter too little if we err it's having too much/fast flow. Just give it some more time to establish. Also lower water temperatures llike you might have now in Oregon slow down the biological process.
 

FredrikAnderson

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Okey I am just going to cut back on the feeding and stick with one water change a day to keep the amonia levels down until the filter is running properly again. At this time I have 2 of these tanks made and have been using the second one to stage the water for the water changes. In the end I will have 3 tanks. I now have a spot to get as many 55gal barrels as I need and will be changing the trash can over to a barrel cut down to hold about 40 but first I will get the others up and going. I have cut all 3 barrels to size and drilled out the holes aready. I am putting the first one together now. Here are some pictures.
newfilter012.jpg

newfilter002.jpg


Rather then leaving the tee at the top of the inlet pipe open, I put a small hole into the cap and cap it. It cuts down on the girgaling noise and still allows for a syphon break if the pump is turned off. It also still allows the water to drag some air down into the filter as you can see with the bubbles coming out of the pipe in this picture.
newfilter004.jpg
 

FredrikAnderson

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For the 3 filters I plan to pull out the mats in the garbage can filter to line the bottom with of each of the 3, about 2 layers per (4") and will acount for the machanical portion of the filter. On top of the mats I will be trying straping for the first time. I figured I would try my luck and see if I could get some on the cheap and I lucked out big time. I went down to the local news paper plant. Found someone at the loading docks area and asked what they did with there scraps of strapping. They said they recycle it. So, I asked if there was any way for me to get some of it. Once I explained that I just needed a bunch of it and it didn't matter if it was big, small, cut offs, whatever, he said well todays your luck day. Now it just happened that he had a box of stuff that was the wrong size for their machine and the gave me the box which had 2 rolls in it.
newfilter009.jpg

newfilter010.jpg

newfilter011.jpg


Stuff is about 1/4" or 6mm wide and 23000 feet long (not sure if that is per roll or between both). I figure that should keep me going for a while.
 

hewhoisatpeace

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As far as the air in the filter goes, I added two venturis to my filter plumbing, one on each side before the elbow. I piped the air intakes through 3/4" PVC around behind the filter, to eliminate the gurgling sound.
 
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Thats funny, I use this strapping in my business and a new roll got away from me, ended up having to toss the whole thing
 

FredrikAnderson

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when I went to the newspaper, that is what I was hoping that they had, some rolls that came apart or were somehow not able to be used on there mechine or just a large pill of cut offs or scraps
 

DrCase

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Lol ..... we need better communication ..One mans trash is what every one needs
 

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