DIY Filter - Will this work? Request for comments

[Gemini420]

Hi there,

I just finished building this DIY pond filter.

My main objective here is to seperate out the solid fish wastes for use in a compost bin.

I am curious whether the filter design is sound and whether this design should (in theory) work properly and seperate out the solid fish wastes.

If anyone has any commentary or knows that this will or will not work as outlined, please let me know.

I built this filter inside of a ~55-65 gallon food grade Olive barrel. It has only been running for a day (which is too early to really test it's usefullness), but so far no solid waste are really accumulating. The water flow is not very fast, so I don't beleive it is too turbulent.

I believe this should work (in theory), but I am also concerned that the 'clean water out flow' is just sucking up dirty water and none of the solid waste is really settling out.

The attached image is seperated into four views, each showing a component of the filter.

1. Water in flow.
2. Water out flow.
3. Solid waste purge.
4. All components combined.

I would grealy appreciate any feedback or advice !!!

Shane

 

[HTH]

It may work to some degree but this is what I would do.

The solids want to go down and you are going to suck them back up.

Get rid of the pad.
Have the dirty water enter at the bottom of the barrel and work its way back up.

Just extend the in pipe to near the bottom.
Shorten the out pipe so it is on top.

Add more media.

 

[fishin4cars]

I've tried that setup or at least very similar, did not work very well, the top matting clogged far to fast, way to much work to maintain, and hard to clean what settles to the bottom.
I would suggesting going this route instead, https://www.gardenpondforum.com/topic/3106-sticky-doc-bio-filter/ using the bio-balls or similar material, But don't over stuff the bio filtration area,( Made that mistake as well thinking using cut up sponge I would have more bio surface area but ended up with channeling due to clogging. Once that was corrected this filter has run a pond for two years, been moved three times to start up other ponds and is now my filter for a QT pond and is working GREAT! As far as materials needed, pretty much the same as your design, so really no additional cost.

 

[Catfishnut]

Gemini,

If you are wanting to collect the fish poop for gardening, then I say a radial flow filter is the best way to go here.
It is extremely simple in construction and requires NO filter media whatsoever, so it won't clog. It operates on
the principles of fluid dynamics. It is basically nothing more than changing the direction of the water abruptly
so that it is akin to putting on the brakes and the water loses energy to carry any solids with it, so the solids
drop out. Really fine and bouyant solids might not get trapped here, but you could use 100 micron nylon
filter socks to capture them in the next filter stage.


Here is one video (of many) that you might find on the net:

catfishnut

 

[HTH]

Need to note that the radial flow is only the first stage (maybe only stage) of a mechanical filter and that it needs to be followed by biological filtration.

 

[Dave 54]

You should tranform your first filter into what is termed a vortex where the larger solids are spun down to the bottom of the the thing and they should be able to be removed from a 2" pipe ans slide valve at the bottom( all your filters should have them .
In your next filter I'd put Jap matting in with some zeolight rocks to handle ammonia problems , do the same again for the next barrel but use a bag of crushed oyster shell ( haveing been to your good state with the Royal Navy on numerous occaisions I know you whould have no problem with a supply of that ) just pop along to your nearest oyster bar lol top this off with quilt batting..
Your last filter should have what is already in it but add some K1 as well it should then return to pond via an inline pond pump and U/V-C

rgrds

Dave

 

[Catfishnut]

Absolutely correct, Howard. An excellent note to be included.

Yes Gemini, the radial flow filter is just where you get the major solids separated from the water. If recycling the water for a Koi or other fish pond, you have to have more filtration, i.e biological conversion "filters" to remove the ammonia and nitrites and then other filter systems to "polish" the water if necessary or desired.

The system I am working on is a ~1,000 gallon fish bait tank. I want to collect the majority of the fish "poop", bugs, leaves and uneaten food and use these waste byproducts to fertilize my trees / lawn / special plants at my cabin. I also want a very highly effective biological conversion stage to eliminate the ammonia and nitrites for the health of the bait fish population in my tank.

Separating the solid wastes first keeps the bio-conversion stages functioning at their best efficiency because the bacteria cultures or colonies are not being dumped upon with sludge. There are two bacteria in the system I refer to which perform two duties. Ammonia conversion to nitrite and nitrite conversion to nitrates. If you dump sludge on these cultures, they cannot absorb these compounds nor oxygen readily and therefore will not perform the task of converting them as you desire them to. Of course, other factors enter into that efficiency as well. Such as water temperature, water chemistry, flow and aeration.

Since I want to keep bait fish living all year round in this fish tank, I want to develop a very "hands-off", "self-supportive", "self-maintaning" system. So, I am really working hard to come up with the best of the best filtration systems to support this menagerie. Of course, I am luckier than a Koi breeder or a person who desires a pristine appearing pond in their back yard. I just need to keep the darn bait alive and reduce the work. The bait fish that I am going to keep are very rough and could live in a pretty foul environment just fine, whereas Koi may perish.

catfishnut

 

[Gemini420]

Thanks all, I'm glad to have some feedback here.

I should add that this filter's goal is specifically for solid waste. I am running an Aquaponics setup (/w Tilapia), so the fish are a relatively tolerant species, there is already ample 'growbed media' where biological filtration occurs and there is ample live plant material consuming exces Nitrates and Phosphates.

The main problem I have with my setup (other than bugs eating my plants) is seperating out the solid fish wastes (which I use for worm food/composting.) My pond is dug in to the ground and built with a pond liner, so there is no bottom drain. A solid waste filter is my best bet.

This filter would ideally seperate solid wastes and allow me to purge them into a bucket easily (i.e. with little maintenance and no washing out filter materials.)

I had built a predececor to this filter that was a vortex / upflow design, but it was cheaply made and built inside of a small trashcan. It didn't work well either. I think turbulance was the issue, and the purge plumbing was not purging the whole bottom.

I will look into these suggestions today. Some of the suggestions can be easily retrofited into my existing filter. I like the radil flow design, but that may need a complete rebuild!

Thanks for the suggestions and commentary.

 

[koiguy1969]

I have had great success with my 55gal poly barrel filter as well. i use the same media in both my 7o gal stocktank filter and the 55 gal filter. the 70 gal is my outdoor pond filter and the 55 gal is on my 800 gal basement pond where my fish winter. they actually spend more time indoors than out. and like most any filter, whatever your choice of media, it is fine..... https://www.gardenpondforum.com/topic/2766-koiguys-55-gallon-bio-filter-skippy-style/