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  • Results 1 to 7 of 7

    Thread: Downsized version of Birdman's Sand and Gravel Filter

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    1. #1
      Cecil is offline Senior Member
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      Downsized version of Birdman's Sand and Gravel Filter

      Used a 30 gallon blue drum (27 inches tall by 18 3/4 inches wide instead of the 55 gallon Birdman uses because my flow is only 900 gph in my small basement tank, that would be similar to what one would use to bring koi in for the winter, or a quarantine tank. However I use mine to produce up to 75 lbs. of feed trained bluegill, yellow perch, or black crappie by spring that I bring in for the winter. I was concerned the flow would not be enough to back wash a larger 55 gallon Birdman S & G version, hence the 30 gallon tank.

      Only difference was I used 1 inch pvc for the manifold pieces vs. 1 1/4 inch in Birdman's original sand filter, and two inch pvc for the waste drain and overflow to the fish tank vs. three inch on the bigger filter.

      Also instead of 3 inches of 1 1/2 inch drain field gravel, 3 inches of 3/4 gravel, 3 inches of pea gravel, and the remainder granite chicken girt to the bottom of the waste drain (about 11 inches) in the 55 gallon drum, I have kept the ratios the same but reduced the thickness of the layers to 2.5 inches, 2.5 inches, 2.5 inches, and 8 1/2 inches respectfully due to less height of the 30 gallon tank.

      The gray conduction pieces are also cut off one inch on each end like the bigger drum, but the spokes are only 5 3/4 inches.

      I was set to use uniseals for the installation of the waste drain and overflow pipes, but messed up and cut the holes with the wrong hole saw at 1/4 inch too big. Ended up using bulkhead fittings, but it worked out for the better, as the outside of the tank had ribbing and troughs which I had to soften with a heat gun. Cranking down the bulkhead fitting on the softened plastic was just what the doctor ordered.















      Special thanks to Birdman!
      Last edited by Cecil; 02-03-2017 at 01:41 PM.
      The risk I took was calculated, but man am I bad at math!

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