• Amused
  • Angry
  • Annoyed
  • Awesome
  • Bemused
  • Cocky
  • Cool
  • Crazy
  • Crying
  • Depressed
  • Down
  • Drunk
  • Embarrased
  • Enraged
  • Friendly
  • Geeky
  • Godly
  • Happy
  • Hateful
  • Hungry
  • Innocent
  • Meh
  • Piratey
  • Poorly
  • Sad
  • Secret
  • Shy
  • Sneaky
  • Tired
  • Results 1 to 10 of 10

    Thread: Will this Tandem Birdman S&G filter work?

    1. #1
      NaturalK is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2020
      Location
      AZ
      Posts
      586

      Will this Tandem Birdman S&G filter work?

      Hi,

      Due to reasons, I have very limited space for my filter setup so I thought a S&G is probably the best to serve this function without break the bank. I was thinking of using 2 drums (not the 55gallon ones, again just keep the space limitation in mind and don't focus on that) in tandem. One will be filled with medium rocks and one will be filled with smaller ones for fines. The large one will be airtight and tandem with the small one. My theory was to just put the blower in the large one and blow everything from first barrel to the second, and the air will boil the second as well and just drain the second barrel (multiple times). Will this idea work? Or will it causes to much back pressure and kill my blower? I don't think it'll blow up the barrel.

      Picture attached:
      Name:  bandicam 2020-10-26 13-00-15-108.jpg
Views: 266
Size:  55.7 KB
      Last edited by NaturalK; 10-26-2020 at 08:15 PM.

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    2. #2
      cottagefog is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Oct 2011
      Location
      Illinois
      Posts
      770
      Would it work? I would say yes I believe so.

      If I was faced with limited space, and had to go smaller, I would build two S&G out of those two smaller barrels and keep them in tandem. Just shrink everything down including the GPH

      What size barrels are you having to go with?

    3. #3
      icu2's Avatar
      icu2 is offline Administrator ~ WWKC President
      ~ WWKC Treasurer
      is sorry otters exist
       
      Feeling:
      Annoyed
       
      Join Date
      Feb 2007
      Location
      Poulsbo, WA
      Posts
      32,942
      Quote Originally Posted by NaturalK View Post
      Hi,

      Due to reasons, I have very limited space for my filter setup so I thought a S&G is probably the best to serve this function without break the bank. I was thinking of using 2 barrels (not the 55gallon ones, again just keep the space limitation in mind and don't focus on that) in tandem. One will be filled with large rocks and one will be filled with smaller ones for fines. The large one will be airtight and tandem with the small one. My theory was to just put the blower in the large one and blow everything from first barrel to the second, and the air will boil the second as well and just drain the second barrel (multiple times). Will this idea work? Or will it causes to much back pressure and kill my blower? I don't think it'll blow up the barrel.
      I've never tried building a pressure (including vacuum) style DIY filter out of a
      barrel but I don't see many other people do it either and figure there must be a reason.
      I don't think a large rock filter alone will do much other than pass water?

      I'd agree that two smaller s/g filters would be better but I'd plumb them in parallel. Two
      won't work in a series as it takes about 17" of head to gravity feed the second one to make
      it not overflow the first.

      Another option might be to make one s/g filter and have it feed a small shower/trickle tower
      style design.
      --Steve



      Koiphen 2021 Koi Person of the Year!

    4. #4
      Fishmover is offline Supporting Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jul 2020
      Location
      indiana
      Posts
      383
      I imaging the barrels would be able to hold some level of pressure, so you are likely fine from that point.
      YOu are risking creating an airlock with the blower in the sealed container, causing it to fill with air and reducing the flow of water to the second barrel. It would work fine until you blew air into it, then you would have to try and blead that air back out. I honestly do not see how it would get air to the second barrel

      Also, as stated, not seeing much added value in large rocks only. 2 small Sand and gravels would be ideal.


      Been ponding for a while, with lots of successes, and lots of failures.

    5. #5
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      All the rock layers in a S&G filter are only used to contain the final sand layer. Each coarse layer is used to support the next finer layer. When air is used to blow them clean , only the sand moves (fluidizes). If You have room for two smaller barrels , do You have room for a single 55 gal barrel ?

    6. #6
      NaturalK is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2020
      Location
      AZ
      Posts
      586
      Quote Originally Posted by cottagefog View Post
      Would it work? I would say yes I believe so.

      If I was faced with limited space, and had to go smaller, I would build two S&G out of those two smaller barrels and keep them in tandem. Just shrink everything down including the GPH

      What size barrels are you having to go with?
      Thank you for the reply. I was going to go with 14gallons drum from here (I don't mean to say barrel if it doesn't apply here. English is not my first language so I just use terms interchangeably sometimes):
      https://www.walmart.com/ip/EAGLE-161...Blue/134731339

    7. #7
      NaturalK is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2020
      Location
      AZ
      Posts
      586
      Quote Originally Posted by icu2 View Post
      I've never tried building a pressure (including vacuum) style DIY filter out of a
      barrel but I don't see many other people do it either and figure there must be a reason.
      I don't think a large rock filter alone will do much other than pass water?

      I'd agree that two smaller s/g filters would be better but I'd plumb them in parallel. Two
      won't work in a series as it takes about 17" of head to gravity feed the second one to make
      it not overflow the first.

      Another option might be to make one s/g filter and have it feed a small shower/trickle tower
      style design.
      Thanks for the reply, Steve! I will change it to medium rocks and small rocks. Running in parallel is actually a good idea but the out take was going to go into a little shower I made and I feel like it's trouble some to have them separate. I'm doing two because the drums I'm limited to is only 14gallons.
      (https://www.walmart.com/ip/EAGLE-161...Blue/134731339)

    8. #8
      NaturalK is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2020
      Location
      AZ
      Posts
      586
      Quote Originally Posted by catfish whiskers View Post
      All the rock layers in a S&G filter are only used to contain the final sand layer. Each coarse layer is used to support the next finer layer. When air is used to blow them clean , only the sand moves (fluidizes). If You have room for two smaller barrels , do You have room for a single 55 gal barrel ?
      Thanks for the reply.
      I don't mean barrels, only drums. 14 gallons drum, in fact.
      I was wondering how rocks layer work. If that's the case, then when the fine layer fluidized, doesn't it slip down into the cracks of the larger rocks and will overtime go down to the very bottom?

    9. #9
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      Quote Originally Posted by NaturalK View Post
      Thanks for the reply.
      I don't mean barrels, only drums. 14 gallons drum, in fact.
      I was wondering how rocks layer work. If that's the case, then when the fine layer fluidized, doesn't it slip down into the cracks of the larger rocks and will overtime go down to the very bottom?
      No , the sand will stay on top , because the air used to blow/clean it bubbles upwards . I recommend that if You are going to build two smaller filters , that You build two identical mini versions of the S&G filter , and feed them in parallel. Don’t skip on any of the rock layers , use 1 1/2” , 3/4’’ , pea gravel , and finally granite grit such as chicken grit

    10. #10
      Swamped's Avatar
      Swamped is offline Senior Member
      is Is still pretty hot during the
      day
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Nov 2008
      Location
      Sunny SW FLA
      Posts
      181
      Just make 2 regular sand gravel filters as designed parallel flow.
      Click for Cape Coral, Florida Forecast

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •