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    Thread: [DIY] Combo TT/Shower and Aerated Moving Bed

    1. #1
      Ryan S.'s Avatar
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      [DIY] Combo TT/Shower and Aerated Moving Bed

      Maybe some of you will find this interesting. Its simply a combination of my two favorate methods of Bio Filtration, IMHO, they are the only methods that I consider good practice in the Koi hobby. The only reason for the combination here is that I needed space for my Sacramento Koi Bead filter, and for my former aerated moving bed in 55 gal drum, which will this season I will use to continue my tests of static K1 (which is not working to well for me so far). Some people that need a powerfull filter in a small footprint may find this interesting. I built a little frame around the whole thing, waiting for some vines to grow around it. These types of filters are not only superior in performance, but also in maintenance. Depending on the media, a TT/Shower can go years between any maintenance. In theory, a aerated K1 moving bed should never need any media cleaning maintenance, but needs a partial tank flush anywhere from once a week to once a month.

      I've been running TTs or Showers since I started with ponds 2 years ago with a 220gal goldfish pond, and was introduced to the technology by a fellow ponder (Griff). Griff has had tremendous results from this types of filters in water quality, water clarity, and Koi growth. On my small goldfish pond I run a 1cuft cylinder type TT. It has a Lava Rock frame but is filled with K1 that has been in place for a little over a year now. My Koi pond has ran 2 large TTs, roughly 4.5cuft each. Cylinder type, Egg Rock shell (for looks) filled with Lava Rock first year, 2nd year with K1 and Bio balls. The crate system, although more expensive, is better from a maintenance perspective. I choose the small "donut trays", they give me plenty of gaps, good air exchange, and are small enough that Lava Rock is easy to handle in them. I appear to get better performance from Lava Rock, so wanted to go back to this in a way that is easy to maintain.

      The Combo: Most of this was build last year, now that time and weather is comming around I cut everything on this weekend. The moving bed part has been running for a month now. As I said earlier the reason for the combo is footprint of the filter. The idea started looking for a base for the TT/Shower, I was going to have to use a stock tank (70gal) for this anyways, so that is how the project started into using a larger tank and moving bed here.

      Rough diagram from last year for illustration:
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    2. #2
      Ryan S.'s Avatar
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      Finished Product:
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      emmalou is offline Inactivated
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      That is a pretty neat setup..I have printed it out..thanks C5. I see you have the lattice around the workings..that what I was looking for..and how easy is that to clean..it looks pretty comfortable there?

    4. #4
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      Built in Foam Fractionator, have not ran this yet. Some other pics before shower part was added earlier in the year.
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      And I am assuming that those crates are PVC protected? C5..how much area does your setup require..as far as a fliter bay..

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      mike is offline previously known as Aragorn..
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      yummm, donuts
      If you know how something 'works' ... you WILL know how to fix it.

    7. #7
      Ryan S.'s Avatar
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      Another. This is one of those cheapo $69 2.3cfm air pumps with a cheap manifold I put together.
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    8. #8
      Ryan S.'s Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by emmalou
      And I am assuming that those crates are PVC protected? C5..how much area does your setup require..as far as a fliter bay..
      NO, they are not. I don't think its a big deal, I've had others not PVC protected (file crates) out for a long time. Area is that for this filter, or total setup? I have a ~300gal settlement, 2 55gal drums with microstrainers, and 2 pumps under a deck. Then exposed, this filter, the Bead filter, and another 55gal drum. This filter only requires the space a stock tank takes up.

    9. #9
      mike is offline previously known as Aragorn..
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      this is great. more pics please
      If you know how something 'works' ... you WILL know how to fix it.

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      emmalou is offline Inactivated
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      Quote Originally Posted by c5hardtop
      NO, they are not. I don't think its a big deal, I've had others not PVC protected (file crates) out for a long time. Area is that for this filter, or total setup? I have a ~300gal settlement, 2 55gal drums with microstrainers, and 2 pumps under a deck. Then exposed, this filter, the Bead filter, and another 55gal drum. This filter only requires the space a stock tank takes up.
      Sorry...I was talking total setup..I would like to hide as much as possible..

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    11. #11
      Ryan S.'s Avatar
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      Cost for a DIY, I may have missed stuff, this I what I can think of prices from memory

      Rubbermaid tank ~$60
      3" Uniseal for drain ~$8
      3" Farmteck ball for drain ~$10
      2x 4" Uniseal for flow back to pond ~$12 each
      2" Bulkhead for inlet of other pump $4.99
      Various PVC fittings ~$30
      13 Crates $70 total (4.5" when stacked)
      Air pump $69
      Air manifold ~$10
      Air lines and stones (AES silica diffusers) ~$75
      K1 (5cuft) $150
      Bio Balls (5cuft) $150
      Lava Rock (4cuft) $16
      Straps (we have a lot of hurricanes here) $12

      Other random notes:

      Unions allow me to move each pump to each possition, since I often use different setups for Winter, Spring/Fall, and Summer.

      Gravity flow out is drilled pipe, ABS in this case b/c I had the predrilled stuff left over from last year.

    12. #12
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      Excellent stuff C5....I like this alot. Thanks for the post.

    13. #13
      Ryan S.'s Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by emmalou
      Sorry...I was talking total setup..I would like to hide as much as possible..
      Under the deck its 4ft x 10ft. The laticed in area outside is roughly 4ft x 8.5ft. Some people may consider some of it excessive.

    14. #14
      Ryan S.'s Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by emmalou
      That is a pretty neat setup..I have printed it out..thanks C5. I see you have the lattice around the workings..that what I was looking for..and how easy is that to clean..it looks pretty comfortable there?
      The latice is plastic, I assume I will never have to clean it. Or are you talking about the filter. Its peacefull in there.

    15. #15
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      Quote Originally Posted by c5hardtop
      The latice is plastic, I assume I will never have to clean it. Or are you talking about the filter. Its peacefull in there.
      Lol..I was talking about cleaning the crates..or will you have to do that at all?
      Okay..that is alot of bay area you have going...I suppose one could whittle that down?

    16. #16
      mike is offline previously known as Aragorn..
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      is the gravity out and FF out 2" or 3" pipe?
      If you know how something 'works' ... you WILL know how to fix it.

    17. #17
      Ryan S.'s Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by emmalou
      Lol..I was talking about cleaning the crates..or will you have to do that at all?
      Okay..that is alot of bay area you have going...I suppose one could whittle that down?
      This question is difficult to answer and will only reflect my opinion. Some medias could go years between cleanings in a shower setup. Cleaning could be very easy, yearly since they are in small crates. Depends on the case, the water, the flow, the media. On Lava Rock, some have gone upto 7 years between cleanings, others clean several times a year. Like I said this was setup for easy cleaning, small trays. I plan on inspecting yearly and going from there. Things don't always work out how they may appear. Last year with 2 similar TTs, one with K1 and one with Bio balls, at the end of the year the K1 TT was clean, the Bio Ball one was not, I would have tought K1 would trap stuff in a TT, but its been a great media so far in that application for me. The K1 TT on my small pond was clean enough after last year it has not been cleaned yet.

    18. #18
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      Quote Originally Posted by aragorn
      is the gravity out and FF out 2" or 3" pipe?
      The Shower runs off a Sequence 4300 (1000 series) that pumps through a bead on the way to the shower. The bottom (FF inlet) is from a Sequence 3600 (750 series). Both come in on 2" flex PVC. The FF is 4" body. Bottom drain is 3", 2 Gravity flow out is 2x 4".

    19. #19
      Cowiche Ponder's Avatar
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      I am going to a TT in a tub like that for my q-pool, but never thought of adding the moving bed like that. Not sure about for the pool, but I will be looking at that for the pond for sure! Great idea

    20. #20
      mike is offline previously known as Aragorn..
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      thats a lot of flow. net flow of 4000 gph?

      so you think this can filter a 4000 gallon pond?

      (be back in 8 hours ... gotta go to sleep)
      If you know how something 'works' ... you WILL know how to fix it.

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