PDA

View Full Version : Nasty



bobbd
05-03-2014, 07:57 PM
I have 2 moving bed filters partialy under ground filled with k-1 every spring i have to get out the shop vac and suck out all the k1when i get down to the bottom besides being to much work its nasty smelling gook , does any one have an easier way of dealing with the crud and cleanin g of k1 every spring. I also get all the k1 out and let it sit in chlorinated water for a day ,should i throw some bleach in with k1 and in barrels , i know it will kill the bio if there is any .

Marilyn
05-03-2014, 08:35 PM
With my Nexus I will remove the K1 once a year when it's buoyant in the water.
Once it's out then I drain the chamber down to about 3-4" of water and dump about 4 cups of high strength hydrogen peroxide in it and let that sit for a few hours. The bubbling is amazing but I do think it does a number on all the nasties on the bottom. Drain that out, fill partially to make sure I'm purging out any residual hydrogen peroxide, purge and add the K1.

Regarding the removed K1, I put it back in the chamber, fill with water and add a lighter dose of the peroxide, probably around a cup. Turn the air back on and let it churn for a good 30 minutes. Drain it and refill and I'm good to go.

Btw, if this is your only or primary bio source I would not be too aggressive with the use of peroxide on the K1 media.

icu2
05-03-2014, 08:45 PM
The best way I found was, if you can, put a shower drain (with the grate left on) in the bottom of it with a ball valve. Then
you just open the valve and drain the filter and hose all the K1 down really good.
Personally I wouldn't go the bleach route.

sandthemall
05-03-2014, 09:15 PM
Yes, is it really necassary to clean the media?

Marilyn
05-03-2014, 09:19 PM
Yes, is it really necassary to clean the media?
It would depend on how well filtered the water was going into the mb.
Mine stays pretty clean but like I said and because it's not my sole or primary bio filtration, I like to give it a light cleaning.
I've seen pics of some that weren't prefiltered well and had a lot of algae and particulates in there. I would think it would be a good idea to get rid of some of that.

bobbd
05-03-2014, 10:03 PM
Thanks mayilyn and steve as usual. The drain i thought of steve but the 55 gal. Drums are 1/3 buried in dirt.

sandthemall
05-03-2014, 10:35 PM
It would depend on how well filtered the water was going into the mb.
Mine stays pretty clean but like I said and because it's not my sole or primary bio filtration, I like to give it a light cleaning.
I've seen pics of some that weren't prefiltered well and had a lot of algae and particulates in there. I would think it would be a good idea to get rid of some of that.


Yes, of course...that makes a lot of sense

sandthemall
05-03-2014, 10:54 PM
Is it possible that you can add a circuit from the bottom of your MBs to your primary pump? This would require a little excavation and drains as Steve said but the lines would go to a wye and ball valves at the pump inlet. A check valve could be employed to keep it primed.

Another wye and ball valves at the pump discharge to isolate the circuit from the primary circuit would allow you flush the MBs more frequently during regular maintenance. You could also integrate a sight glass to determine length of flush.
It is a bit more plumbing but it could prevent the crud build up and chore of cleaning yearly.

Sweetwater
05-03-2014, 11:10 PM
Since your barrels are buried 1/3, a drain can't completely empty them. but when full, opening a drain on the bottom will give quite a flush. This is the situation with my S&G filter.

bobbd
05-04-2014, 06:39 PM
Steve and sandthemill great idea but the pipe from drains would not be completeley buried below the frost line and we have cold winters here and i run the bottom drain to cetus sieve then to moving beds all year long so pipes dont freeze . the water from the shower drains to the closed ball valves would be filled with water without any way to purge them b4 winter. Moving beds are outside and buried about 18 inches

icu2
05-04-2014, 10:09 PM
Just for an option, you can put the ball valve below ground level right after the barrel
and just make an access to operate it, and then the water wouldn't fill the pipe.
I just made one out of pt wood, but you could do the same using large pvc pipe.

:twocents:

bobbd
05-05-2014, 05:31 PM
Will the ball valve trick still work in this setup as far as not freezing the water because as you can see the barrels are buried but there in a section above ground level.

bobbd
05-06-2014, 07:45 AM
Would a knife valve be better in this situation ?

Sweetwater
05-06-2014, 07:53 AM
Would a knife valve be better in this situation ?

Probably not. A knife valve is much more likely to leak in the future and should not be used where a leak could remove water from the pond. In the winter do you turn off the flow and drain the barrels in your previous post?

bobbd
05-06-2014, 11:25 AM
Bob no I run that circuit all year I only drain them by wet vac every spring to get crud that accumalates on bottom of MB barrels cause water enters about 12 inches above bottom of barrel. Because u have to put a hampster ball on

Sweetwater
05-06-2014, 11:31 AM
Bob no I run that circuit all year I only drain them by wet vac every spring to get crud that accumalates on bottom of MB barrels cause water enters about 12 inches above bottom of barrel. Because u have to put a hampster ball on

Then yes, you should be able to use the "buried ball valve with access" in your system. I am just curious, since the barrels are in a planter, do you have somewhere to drain to?

bobbd
05-06-2014, 05:07 PM
Got 2 inch shower drain for barrel but now idont think its goin to work because the bottom of thr MB barrel is not flat in a large enough space to put drain has anyone put a shower drain on a non lat surface without having a leak.i do have 3M 5200

icu2
05-06-2014, 06:01 PM
I don't know if I'd risk it but I've never tried it either.

I wonder if it would work well enough going through the side?
If it were me, I might bring the shower drain back (or save it for the next project :)), and
get a couple 2" electrical conduit adapters and go through the side. You could use a 90* fitting to get closer
to the bottom if needed and then put a screen on that to keep the K1 in.

And I think I forgot to say before, but I'd use a ball valve for better insurance against it leaking as opposed to
a knife valve.

bobbd
05-06-2014, 06:40 PM
Good idea steve ,do you think a ball valve would be better then a knife valve on a 4 inch pipe from bottom drain before cetus sieve and i wonderif anyone tried putting K1 in a sreened bag and let them boil in moving bed then when u have to take them out for cleaning or to get to the bottom with wet vac to suck out the nasty crud u just lift out.

icu2
05-06-2014, 06:59 PM
I think the K1 in a bag would equate more like a static bed with air... the moving bed really keeps most of the debris
that ends up in it moving through it, but not all. That's why the drain is handy.

And on the BD before the sieve, I'd use a knife valve... reason being that it's not going to waste like the cleanout would be in
the MB. If the one before the sieve leaks a little bit, it won't cause a disaster.

Sweetwater
05-06-2014, 07:01 PM
Good idea steve ,do you think a ball valve would be better then a knife valve on a 4 inch pipe from bottom drain before cetus sieve and i wonderif anyone tried putting K1 in a sreened bag and let them boil in moving bed then when u have to take them out for cleaning or to get to the bottom with wet vac to suck out the nasty crud u just lift out.

I think you could save the money and use a knife valve there. If it does eventually leak the water will stay in the system.

bobbd
05-06-2014, 09:33 PM
Thanks Steve and Bob for replies.

bobbd
04-24-2016, 02:57 PM
Im thinking of finally putting a drain in bottom side of MB filter with 2 inch electrical pvc, with a ball valve immediatley after connection to side of barrel but as you can see barrels are approx 10 inches in ground and its truley not 10 inches under ground because the area is buit up above ground level. Im worried about the water freezing in the winter that collects in the electrical pvc b4 the ball valve .i do run this circuit all year long . What do you think ?

icu2
04-24-2016, 05:47 PM
If you can get the ball valve pretty close to the barrel, I don't think you'll have a problem. Just Googling Philly's average temps, Jan. looks the
worst with an average low of about 26*; probably a little colder than we average, but if buried with just access to the valve, I think you'd be fine. :twocents:

richtoybox
04-24-2016, 08:14 PM
Putting the ball valve in a water meter box or similar adjacent to the moving bed filter, below ground where you can reach down into the box to work the valve should provide good protection for the valve.

bobbd
04-26-2016, 12:27 PM
Ok Steve n Richtoybox i trust your judgement goin to install the drain and i found this at lowes to keep k1 in when i open ball valves the holes are slightly smaller then k1 and they slipped on 2 inch elec pvc with a little sanding. Oh i do not cover pond in winter and according to my themometer water does get down to 30 but never lost a fish to temp of water.

icu2
04-26-2016, 04:43 PM
If you're coming in through the side you might get a little better pickup if you bring in and down with a 90* fitting towards the middle:

550393

But the screen looks to be the perfect size. :thumb:

bobbd
04-26-2016, 07:19 PM
Steve i would do that but there is 9 in air diffuser in the bottom middle of barrel also do u think it would drain more water if i came in straight thru about an inch or two off the bottom. I think using an elbow would lose suction when water level was in the middle of elbow. What do you all think ?

icu2
04-26-2016, 08:03 PM
Steve i would do that but there is 9 in air diffuser in the bottom middle of barrel also do u think it would drain more water if i came in straight thru about an inch or two off the bottom. I think using an elbow would lose suction when water level was in the middle of elbow. What do you all think ?

Great point about the diffuser... I raised mine up so I forgot the original design had it at the bottom.
I think if you brought it in towards the middle as much as possible, that would work fine. The amount of flow from it will slow substantially as the water level in the MB gets closer to the level
of the outlet. When I flushed the dirt from mine, I'd only dump about 10 gallons or so. When you open the ball valve you should get a big rush of water and debris from near the bottom,
so you shouldn't need to dump the whole thing... or at least I never did. :) And if you do choose to drain in and flush it out, the drain makes it 1000 times easier, even if it's a bit slow and won't
empty the whole thing. :thumb: