DIY - PVC Biofilter / Beneficial Breeding Ground

[RMCG]

Might be useful for those running NON-Sterile reservoirs to help prevent the dreaded slime.

View attachment DIY_PVC_Biofilter_v1.0.pdf

 

[BudLust]

very legit brotha

-boom

 

[aSilvrHaze]

That's incredible! Thanks for sharing

 

[RMCG]

very legit brotha

-boom

That's incredible! Thanks for sharing

Thanks guys.

 

[Giddeon]

Hell yeah just what I was looking for for my Hydro-Organic experiment. Thanks RMCG!!!

 

[primeform]

awsome bro going to share this with a few people

 

[MediMary]

cool man:)

 

[TrichromeFan]

Aha! That looks sweet! Do you have one in operation yourself? It definitely looks like it could be the missing link for the RDWC systems. Great work man.

-TF

 

[RMCG]

Aha! That looks sweet! Do you have one in operation yourself? It definitely looks like it could be the missing link for the RDWC systems. Great work man.

-TF

I whipped that up yesterday afternoon. Granted there was a few weeks of research that went in to it.

Going in to 'operation' tomorrow. Won't know how it does for a few weeks though while the bennies build up. Not sure 'how' I will know that it's 'working' unless I just don't get the snot algae. Again, 45$ is about 1/3rd of 'Down Under HF' or Zone.

Idea/design is sound though, 'trickle filters' are what pond enthusiasts and other aqua-culturists use. Koi people are crazy. Google 'skippy filters' for way more info than you ever cared about. :)

Bennies are a proven 'preventative' for the snot algae. (Bio-Buckets anyone?) I built this for my UC systems, hoping to build up the colonies and disconnect, flush, clean, sterilize the system and put it right back in for the next crop without skipping a beat, maybe an innoculation of Aquashield or Rootshield immediately after a res change or something, but maybe not?

I looked at aquarium 'canister' filters, couldn't justify the $150-$300 for them (because I could build that quickly and easily) AND I think they utilize BioBalls and other 'made' media (which are $$$) that as shown in the chart in the doc, while they ~look~ cool, don't have nearly the surface area that scrubbies do... Those things are made for the person that wants to buy a bag of filter media (sintered charcoal, ammostop, etc.) drop it in and forget about it for a few weeks or aquariums in dentists offices.

And besides, no one wants to drop 300$ on a filter from Petco, open it up and see dollar store scrubbies.

I've got a few more to build, but will run this one for a week or two in a system to see what I like/don't like and probably make a v1.1.

It is definitely a 'working' protoype. As with the nute doser, I hope that this gives others ideas to improve upon AND they post up changes here for everyone. It's not going to hurt my feelings, I promise.

I will say that I KNOW I saved some people all the crazy looks in HD I got while I was assembling this thing, in my mind, on the floor, back and forth between various aisles. I think I drove the plumbing 'associate' crazy... Pretty sure he thought it was a bong or a big pipe bomb.

 

[RMCG]

Need to post an addendum to this pdf/parts list.

I changed the bottom 'plug' layout.

Need to snap pix first.

 

[primeform]

a good way to see if its working is check the microbes under a microscope in your res after a few days being hooked up to the filter.

 

[RMCG]

They sell those at Home Depot? :)

 

[primeform]

prolly at walmat lol

 

[Seamaiden]

You think koi people are crazy? You don't know reefers (aka reefkeepers). If I'd known you were spending all this time researching I could have saved you quite a bit of time, this is stuff I've written about quite a bit, consulted, etc.

One caveat with dollar store scrubbies is that some of them may be impregnated with anti-microbial agents, which would sort of undo all that hard work you just put into building a biological unit.

 

[RMCG]

You think koi people are crazy? You don't know reefers (aka reefkeepers). If I'd known you were spending all this time researching I could have saved you quite a bit of time, this is stuff I've written about quite a bit, consulted, etc.

One caveat with dollar store scrubbies is that some of them may be impregnated with anti-microbial agents, which would sort of undo all that hard work you just put into building a biological unit.

I actually stumbled across a few of your posts in my travels.

I too used to keep (2) reefs, but broke them down/sold everything when I moved to CO. Swore then and there I would never set one up again until I own a house I will NEVER move from...

'Researching' is how I like to spend my time.

Would they say on the package if they are impregnated?

SS scrubbies are definitely not, correct?

 

[RMCG]

Biofilter Addendum

Switched out the 'Tom Kap' and the 3" Toilet Flange.

I used a 4" toilet flange, 3" end cap, and (2) 'screw in' M/F 3" connectors.

PVC Glue the end cap to a female connector, Glue the male connector to the biofilter body.

Do not glue it in to the toilet flange. It will fit tight and hold it upright.

Teflon Tape the threads and screw them together.

Stuff additional scrubbies into the additional space.

 

[Seamaiden]

I actually stumbled across a few of your posts in my travels.

I too used to keep (2) reefs, but broke them down/sold everything when I moved to CO. Swore then and there I would never set one up again until I own a house I will NEVER move from...

'Researching' is how I like to spend my time.

Would they say on the package if they are impregnated?

SS scrubbies are definitely not, correct?

Back when I started using them, they didn't always. But now it's so popular to make Suzy Housekeeper feel as though she's keeping her family safe and sound by using anti-microbial products, that it's become much more popular to make such claims very prominent. I mean, have you ever tried to find a non-anti-microbial hand soap lately? I hate that, seriously, people have no idea what they're doing when they use this stuff.

THIS is what I believe will be the demise of the human race.

 

[RMCG]

So True!

We are now a nation of germ freaks. And people with septic systems have no idea why they now have a dead system/shit fountain erupting in their back yard.

RIP G!

[YOUTUBE]CnmMNdiCz_s[/YOUTUBE]


Same thing happened with 'perfuming' EVERYTHING. Seems the manufacturers caught on and are swinging back to 'stink free/dye free' products finally. I cannot STAND 'artificial' smells like that. Get me close enough to someone that likes that crap and it looks like I just got hit with pepper spray, eyes/nose running.

 

[Seamaiden]

:giggle

Oh... Jesus... I think I now know why I curse as much as I do, the WAY that I do...! I'm always offending my sister for my Jesus Christing and God damning (but I told her, I mean it! I want God to damn that thing!). Fuckin' awesome, I think I've been tempered in raw shit, too (dad got a gov't grant while pre-med in uni for research into bacterial resistance, back around '60, before we knew they could share DNA sections, between species). :makeup

AACT..!!!! Oh my God!!! Armpits, asshole, crotch and teeth... I'm gonna giggle every time I read that now. :giggle

 

[RMCG]

"Armpits, asshole, crotch and teeth"

That is how I had to search Youtube for that skit! I couldn't remember the name of it, but I certainly remembered that part!