If glass, make sure no one sits on it and sues you. lol You could get really thick glass of course. It should be heavy enough that the wind does not have a chance of grabbing it either.
Sticky Doc Bio Filter
- Thread starter DrDave
- Start date
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
plants like hyacinths are a better way to go...they gobble up them nitrates as the water flows thru the roots...not to mention all the fines they stop as well!
Yeah hyacinths are truly multi-purpose plants their roots pick up alot of dissolved nutrients so they help with algae, their roots can shield fry from adult fish,their roots are so dense that they can catch many fine particular matter,they provide shade for the fish, they provide safety for the fish,they flower very beautifully and finally they grow really fast I mean I read that they double in population every 12 days and I though it was an exaggeration until mine made 2 daughter plants in 1 week the first week I had it. Overall a very nice plant
so i got my doc 55 gal filter up and running. I got it with 1/2" irrigation tubing and supplied by a 1500gph pump with no restrictions on a 1600 gal pond. From the time I turn the pump on it take 2mins 20 secs to fill the barrel and go out the outflow pipe. I like the flow cause it makes my waterfall look nice but I'm concerned that it might be going to fast through the barrel. Should I add a ball valve and slow the water flow down so it stays in the filter closer to 4-5mins or do you think 2.5mins will be enough? thanks
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
time will tell...if your deeing gunk build up all the way up to the top media pieces, a lower flow may be in order. but my 55gal filter takes right at 3 min to fill and does an excellant job.
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
how true...needed or not the valve will give flexability.
I've been reading this thread along with some other information from different threads and sites. Currently, I am trying to improve my pond filtration. The pond is about 450 gallons and I'm using a 5 gal bucket for filter. Obviously, a bigger filter is better but I really don't have the space with my current setup. My question is do you think it is would be sufficient enough if I scaled down the idea of the doc filter to a smaller container?
koidaddy
karps house of koi
JayJeep said:
As long as you can get the waste filtered and have room for a bio chamber anything is possible. Just remember that smaller useally equals cleaning more ofter. That being said go as big as you can. The footprint on a 55 gallon drum isn't that large, but I do understand space restrictions.
Its more of a height restriction than a footprint. I don't want something that tall in my yard and if I bury it I can have a drain at the bottom. I'm thinking of using something like a rubbermade container, more volume than a bucket but not much taller.
I'll have to think about it some more.
I'll have to think about it some more.
koidaddy
karps house of koi
JayJeep said:
I have seen some good DIY rubbermaid filters made with the 30 gallon model.
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
and RubberMade "Brute" series are about the strongest you'll find in trash cans
Scaling down, means keeping the same proportions. The geometry is very important in the Doc Bio Filter.
The swirl chamber in the bottom is critical to forming and maintaining the vortex that traps solids. Remember, there is only bio material for the areobic bacteria above it, not filter mesh as in most other designs.
The swirl chamber in the bottom is critical to forming and maintaining the vortex that traps solids. Remember, there is only bio material for the areobic bacteria above it, not filter mesh as in most other designs.
How big of a swirling chamber would one need? Basically, how many inches off the bottom should the bio material be?
Using a 55 gallon drum, 8"... So if you scale it down using a smaller drum, figure out the percentage smaller and that will be your factor.