5 replies to this topic

[Jamievb]

Hey guys I'm looking for some advice. I have a sump which has a bio ball chamber and have filled it about 80% with balls. The sump pumps about 3000ltrs per hour and the balls just sit there not moving. I have also put a large air stone pumping about 7 ltrs per minute in the chamber in an effort to encourage the balls to tumble. Still no luck.

A few questions:
I have heard that a moving fluid bed of bio balls breaks the nitrates down quicker than a static chamber allowing less frequent water changes. Can someone confirm that is the case or is this exercise a waste of time.
Does the chamber needs to be square for the balls to tumble?
Are there too many balls in the chamber?
Is the answer more water or air flow? The chamber itself is about 80ltrs in volume.
Is it the incorrect media for a moving fluid bed? Will K1 work better?
Should I use a little internal filter to further promote the movement of media?

Any advice would be much appreciated

Thanks

Jamie

[sydad]

Hi Jamie,

 

I feel that you may be a little confused on this subject. What I think you are asking about is a fluid (moving) bed filter. This works by suspending the filtration medium in an upflowing water stream. Traditionally the medium, or more accurately, bacterial substrate, consists of a suitable sand or similar medium. The use of bio balls would probably not be a good idea since their size and density does not make them an ideal medium.Add to this the fact that there is little benefit to having them suspended in an upflow when they are best suited to a wet, oxygenated, though not submerged downflow.

 

I can only suggest that you research the topic a little more...there is plenty of info available... before you decide this id the kind of filtration that you want or need. Fluid bed filters are extremely efficient biological filters, but exhibit little or no mechanical filter function.

 

Syd.

 

.

[Delapool]

Must admit can't see it removing nitrates? I thought anaerobic bacteria were needed there.

[Buccal]

I think he's googled a fair bit of info and got different filtration types mixed up a bit.
It's best to try and consider what your trying to achieve, then get the tools to make it happen.

[Jamievb]

Yes I should have been more specific. I read somewhere that a oxygenated moving fluid bed converts ammonia and nitrites to nitrates more quickly than a static system. I have seen videos of the k1 tumbling around in sumps so I thought I could do the same with my bio balls. I have come to the conclusion that my sump is doing fine with the bio balls not moving. The balance is fine with 4 weekly water changes so if it ain't broke I'm not going to pursue it anymore. There is some serious surface area in there so the conversion seems to be working fine with the bio load in the tank.


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[Buccal]

Yeah just wack some coarse airation bubbles raging from under the bio balls,, it will keep it gunk free and increase oxygen transference around the area of your beneficial bacteria.

25mm pcv and elbows and tee,,, to form a manifold that's square or rectangular with a few center cross sections (using the tee's).
Roughly the third smallest size drill bit that can be found on the shelf, or a bit of testing, and drill holes spaced out in manifold.
Place manifold under bio balls.
Use a PondOne 4000 pond air pump to drive it.