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It's
said this is the latest fashion in filter technology; its main
highlight is its capability to eliminate (be reduction) an enormous amount of
nitrates (NO3)
while absolutely no mechalical filtration, of ANY kind is performed.
Keep this in mind when You chose such a filter. The idea that's
behind this filter is absolutely simple: a water flow moves
"sand" inside the pipe (number 4 in drawing), amongst
floating sand (after a settling period long up to 40 days!)
nitrifying bacteria (nitrosomonas and nitrobacter) will settle
"feeding" on ammonia and nitrites, while anaerobic
bacteria will take care of nitrates. Any kind of matter (wastes,
decaying food, leaves and so on) floating in tank will, highly,
reduce filter's performance (mostly if once entered the filter
they'll result too big to get out!!!) You know how it is when
keeping Mbunas ... they dig, dig, dig, dig ... dig all day long!!!
Its
outstanding oxidizing / reducing performance fascinated me when I faced the
duty of setting up one, more, tank for my beloved M'bunas (wild
caught specimens, got at Lake Malawi, back in 1997, during a
safari), then as soon as I decided to use this filter (mostly for
the sake of curiosity and wishing to test this new technology) I had
to face the only, and real, problem of those filters: debris, mostly
because of M'bunas digging attitude. That's why I decided to use a
canister filter, as a pre-filter unit, before the water flow reaches
the "Fluidized Bed Filter" unit (see drawing) and also an
internal, separate, filter performing only a mechanical action
(flow: 600 lt/h - 160 gals/h; not pictured) then the problem was
choosing a pump, of correct flow and power, suitable for this use.
Those filters, generally, do better with slightly overpowered pumps
(moving water through all the filter system is quite an effort) and
thus can result slightly noisy. The rest has been a
"plumbing-game" choosing pipes, connections, taps of
correct size and connecting them all in a suitable way.
Drawing,
Pictures and following notes, should (I DO hope!) explain, in
further details, how the filter has been built up.That's why I
decided to use a canister filter, as a pre-filter unit, before the
water flow reaches the "Fluidized Bed Filter" unit (see
drawing) and also an internal, separate, filter performing only a
mechanical action (flow: 600 lt/h - 160 gals/h; not pictured) then
the problem was choosing a pump, of correct flow and power, suitable
for this use. Those filters, generally, do better with slightly
overpowered pumps (moving water through all the filter system is
quite an effort) and thus can result slightly noisy. The rest has
been a "plumbing-game" choosing pipes, connections, taps
of correct size and connecting them all in a suitable way. Drawing,
Pictures and following notes, should (I DO hope!) explain, in
further details, how the filter has been built up.
Note
on drawing (numbers refer to drawing):
- Is, simply, the tank on his
stand (mine is 360 lt/100 gals).
- Is the canister filter (has
a pump of 600 lt/h - 160 gals/h in flow. BTW tried also a 840
lt/h - 220 gals/h; bit too noisy). This filter alone is suitable
for filters up to 250 lt - 66 gals/h..
- Is, basically, the
"Fluidized Bed Filter" stand.
- Is the "Fluidized Bed
Filter" unit, suitable for tanks up to 1200 lt - 300 gals
(alone! Both filter reach a flow way over tank's need).
- Is the intake pipe (has two
taps; one safety tap on the pipe while the other
"open/closes" the cantister filter flow.
- Is the outlet pipe to
"Fluidized Bed Filter" and to tank (redirects a
possible overflow)
- Is the outlet pipe from
"Fluidized Bed Filter" to tank (main flow).
- Is the safety tap on inlet
pipe (see point 5).
- Outlet tap of canister
filter.
- It's the "T"
switch direct possible overflow directly to tank (NOT passing
trough "Fluidized" unit)
- Is the safety tap on inlet
pipe of "Fluidized" unit.
- Is the safety tap on outlet
pipe of "Fluidized" unit.
- It's the flow control valve
of "Fluidized" unit (increse/decrease) water flow to
tank
- Is the safety tap on outlet
pipe of "Fluidized" unit.
- Power supply cord (mine is
200 V: 50 Hz).
Thanks are due to Vladimir Potabenko for spotting some
mistakes in the original article.
For detailed
pictures see next page
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