larger pipe everywhere combined with the ball valve at teh end makes the difference.
Ephesians 2:8-9
faith is a gift, not a personal talent.
This is really a great thread, Ethan. I really appreciate all the photos and descriptive details you have provided of the construction -- I learn a lot in this way.
A few follow-up questions:
1. Am I correct that all the bubbles are being produced from the mechanical action of the water splashing down past those bioballs? In other words, you are not also injecting air into the water; is that correct?
2. I gather that most folks do not run these things (phoam phractionators) continuously -- How long, and how often would someone typically run one of these?
3. How problematic is the presence of hard water to the making of the foam?
Thanks for any additional insights.
Paul
1.2.correct, i am not injecting air. All the action is from the water splashing against the bio balls, and having much contact with air by doing so.3.i would run till one doesn';t have phoam. Although, you may not get phoam on the top of the water, yet get it in this unit. I wasn't having problems with phoam, becuase my waterfall is pretty mild. Yet, i figured i had docs to remove. I hooked it up, and voila! Phoam!i don;t know about hard water since i don't think i have hard water. I suggested to someone that they could salt to .01% which wouldn;t affect the fish in my opinion, to aid with phoaming action. I don't know that it would do it though.
Ephesians 2:8-9
faith is a gift, not a personal talent.
So, four days going, and here's what I have. the broken down phoam turned into almost one whole gallon of brown smelly DOC goo.
I poured it at teh base of two plants that needed some help. We'll see what happens now.
Ephesians 2:8-9
faith is a gift, not a personal talent.
Ethan, for my own understanding: You would want the water level such that it is as high -- or maybe just a touch higher -- than the height of the opening of the 2" outlet pipe? That way, none of the foam gets a chance to escape back into the pond, but is instead forced to go "up" (through the large elbow)? Do I have this right?
I will be all weekend.
I counted, and I needed 1500 bio balls, +/- 50 for the phoam phraxionator. That's with 1" bioballs. I went home and filled the 5.5 foot tall one I am working on. Counted how many fit in a 2.5 gallon bucket, poured those in, then multiplied by how many times I filled it.
Ephesians 2:8-9
faith is a gift, not a personal talent.
Ephesians 2:8-9
faith is a gift, not a personal talent.
put your little hand in the 4" pipe and feel where the water is. I actually didn't connect my outlet pipe there with glue, so I can take it off and see what's happening.
I figure if it leaks a bit of water, who cares....its a koi pond. not an indoor aquarium. I'd rather have the freedom to take that pipe off and see what's going on inside.
Ephesians 2:8-9
faith is a gift, not a personal talent.
Here;s teh deal.
ON the first one I made, I used a 90 with hubs on each end, as well as teh "T" having hubs on each end. SO, I have a 10 inch piece of pipe that fits into the 90, and into the "T" to connect teh two, here, shown with the BIG red arrow on the bottom of the picture. What that did was give me an extra, say, 1 gallon inside the chamber which may be aiding in giving settlement time for the bubbles to rise to the outlet 4" 90.
I am trying it without that on the next one as I got a street 90 instead of a double hub 90 (got a deal on it).
we'll see how it goes with less space. It may not work. I am trying this next one out first with water before I glue the two fittings together.
Ephesians 2:8-9
faith is a gift, not a personal talent.
Here's the deal. TOO MUCH FLOW with this, and you are screwd. Because unless you can somehow cut back flow before the water enters the unit (put a ball valve before hand I guess), then you certainly can't do anything about it once it enters the unit. You only have a 2" opening out. You don;t want three inch and allow more flow, becuase then you will be down to VERY LITTLE dwell time in the chamber, which won't allow the bubbles to settle up and out.
Last edited by Luck; 03-22-2010 at 12:21 AM.
Ephesians 2:8-9
faith is a gift, not a personal talent.
Then you will need a short 8-10 inch section of PVC to go inbetween that hubbed 90 and the "T".
and see if you can get the long 5-6 foot piece to be a piece that has the hub at ONE end of it. Have that 6 foot long 6" diameter piece attach with the hub on the top of the unit, so it makes it a breeze to add more pipe later (higher) if you ever wanted to.
Ephesians 2:8-9
faith is a gift, not a personal talent.