Moving bed filter in aquarium - Week 3

[cummins881996]

hey how does the water get cycled through the media does it just sorta flow through or do u need a water pump

[pondguru]

As air is pumped in, water is drawn in and mixed with the air. This drived the media as it moves through the filter. Air pump is all that is needed and the filter is more efficient if driven by air, not water as it creates an oxygen rich environment for bacteria to thrive.

[hoaryhoary]

Is this considered a complete replacement for other filter solutions? Seems that for larger sizes of this filter, and another thinner piece of foam to isolate it from the bio media, you could even add some carbon for some water polishing.

[pondguru]

With foam added, as in later filters, it replaces standard filtration, yes. Check the video 'Excellent moving bed filter at Tyne Valley Aquatics' to see the best looking model - it works the best too.

[adamXatomic]

I was wondering when someone was going to try to market them. I like them for the looks as well as the functionality. (Almost like a lava lamp in my aquarium.)

I really liked the design you did with the PVC pipe, elbow, and sponge. That's some innovation right there. I have a 20G long tank so I'm limited to what size bottle I can use.

Do you think 1/2 liter of K1 is enough for 20gal? Also, once the media has matured, can you take it out of the water, or will the bacteria die?

[pondguru]

The 'Excellent moving bed filter at Tyne Valley Aquatics' video has a much better one which will be going into production (with any luck) in spring 2012. I would use 1 litre of K1 coupled with foam as a primary filter media for 20 gallon tank as I always like to go bigger than is necesssary to cut out ammonia spikes. As with any filter, if you take the media out of water and starve the bacteria living on it, it will die after a few hours.

[adamXatomic]

@pondguru

Ok thanks! Any idea on how much your filters will go for? And will there be different sizes for different sized aquariums?

The reason I asked about taking the media out of the water is that I already have some that has matured that I was going to take to my friends house for his aquarium. Would you suggest adding a bit at a time, or all the media at once?

[pondguru]

If the media is mature, I would add it all at once. No idea how much the filters will go for but there will be different sizes, yes.

[adamXatomic]

Looks great Richard! I'm using straws in mine. They work, but take a lot of air to move them around. And it took about 6 weeks to notice any bacteria growth on them. Looks like the K1 is a way better choice. I plan on buying some from your E-Bay store. Thanks again for posing all the moving bed filter videos. They really helped me in making mine.

[pondguru]

Thanks for watching and appreciating. I am hoping to get a ready made filter into production this year to sell as I have a design finalised and am working with designers / manufacturers on a new filter for a range of aquariums they are producing but won't have any details or videos of that one until after May when it is shown (hopefully) at the Nuramburg aquatic show in Germany.

[zipperhead53]

Awesome! This is really helpful. I'll have to try this for my tank to improve the water quality.

[AkiraMifuneBrooks46]

i could get lost watching moving beads

[ben191209]

I have a Aqua Tech 5-15 filter. The "Bio-Fiber" is redish, Is that the bio film? And another question IF i am getting a new tank soon could i put a rinsed container with some of the aqarium gravel and holes in the bottle to "farm" The benifical bacteria and then dump those rocks and some water from the first tank into the new one to cycle it? PLEASE RESPOND IMMEADIETLY!

[pondguru]

To set a new tank up quickly, I always use as much water from an old tank as possible. Biofilm can be a variety of colours but most likely shades of yellow / orange / brown / black. Using mature water and mature media in a new tank will speed up the maturation process.

[henkejulch]

its ugly in the tank, and very annoying to look at..

[pondguru]

...And you have been a member since 2009 and haven't posted any videos.

Instead you see fit to cuss other people's work without having any life of your own.

Very productive.

Have a nice day.

[IntegraGSR5]

how was the nitrate level in that tank ? i wonder if the k1 could remove some nitrates in the water ?

[pondguru]

Since the end product of filtration is the production of nitrates, no filter will really reduce the level although the bubbling of water with this filter will allow the easier exchange of nitrates into the atmosphere. Or something like that.

lol

The nitrate level usually reads into orange which I think is around 20ppm from memory s not too bad. A mature tank will nearly always have higher level of nitrate than a newer tank.

[SuperAaaaa123456]

@pondguru HOW MUCH TIME WILL IT TAKE TO GET MATURE ??

[pondguru]

If it is set up in a mature tank, the filter will take a matter of weeks but if it is in a new tank it will mature much more slowly. The bacteria does take a while to build up so exact timescale is impossible to give. I would imagine the quickest it would mature would be 5-6 weeks? so would be used in conjunction with existing filter until the media had become coloured up and coated with visible biofilm to indicate it was mature / maturing.

[JUNAID187]

will 1litre of k1 fill a bottle like that up like yours is filled ?

[pondguru]

That bottle is a funny size - about 1.25 litre, so 1 x litre of K1 would be about right with a bit spare maybe.

[juanjesuschong]

I have planted tanks , instead air bubbles can i use a power  head and connect the co2 line ? any expirience? thanks

[pondguru]

The CO2 wouldn't produce enough bubbles to drive this sort of filter and driving it with water kinda defeats the objective of having an oxygen rich environment for the bacteria to thrive which wouldbe provided by a standard air pump.

[juanjesuschong]

@pondguru ok , thanks

[dbtest117]

@juanjesuschong

If you have a CO2 line that bubbles that much your really wasting CO2 a lot. Build a system for your CO2 to be taken up better by the water and then also transmitted to the plants, rather than bubble up to the atmosphere.

Simply attach a bottle to your filter outlet, make it water tight in top, cut the bottom away. Pump the water from the filter down trough the bottle and let it exit at the bottom. Drill a small hole for a air hose to transport co2 into the bottle.

[boomerangfreak]

is this good as the only filter or will you still need an regular filter

[pondguru]

The ideal set up would be a sponge filter before the K1 media. Check out the 'best moving bed filter ever' video on the related videos.

[BusaFalconer]

Very nice @pondguru

[shorteeayy]

ohh i only thought it removes nitrite and ammonia

[pondguru]

Oh, sorry, I meant it removes ammonia and NITRITE, not nitrate. In a similar fashion to other filters, it will produce nitrate as the end product of filtration.

I should learn to read.

[shorteeayy]

@pondguru haha yea ill just keep doing water changes weekly thens =]

[shorteeayy]

@shorteeayy hmm alright ive got one of them air stone seen in this video, my Air pump goes 240 litres per hour, is that too much? i turned it down to the lowest btw, and there are to out-tank tubes ive joined them together, so just wonder two out-take tubes together on the lower of 240 liters per hour is that too strong or is it all good? and how big is that bottle you are using in this video? thanks

[shorteeayy]

for a 1litre bottle what is the maximum amount of K1 media Or Straw can i put in? 3/4? 1/2? or full?

[pondguru]

When operating properly (after a couple of weeks) about 70% depending on air pump power.

[shorteeayy]

@pondguru if only this filter removes nitrate aswell ^_^ still great though hoping to get the media soon in 2 or 3 days, ive got everything set up, using a 600ml water botel intead or 1.25liter coke, its too big for my tank.

[pondguru]

It should remove ammonia and nitrate. Ours always reads zero and thats in shop tanks.

[pondguru]

I meant it will remove ammonia and NITRITE, sorry about that.

[wisejames615]

Too cool!!

[mjayson2]

So, the moving bed filter only removes the ammonia and nitrite. Would you recommend me also using static media to also filter the out the debris? My questio is whether or not for a 50 gallon tank, if I can only use the moving bed filter.

Thanks!

[pondguru]

I answered this on 'week 1' video.Thanks for watching.

[iamnub672]

there isnt any of the k1 media availible in my area =[

might there be another way? online buying and local stores do not have any.

or maybe i should travel to Uk one day lol

[pondguru]

It may be under a different trade name. Try searching for 'Kaldness moving bed media'.

To my knowledge there isn't another type of media that behaves in the same way but no doubt someone will correct me.

Thanks for watching.

[pondguru]

If you still haven't got any K1, you can click the description on my video to order some - I now ship worldwide.

[RAmenFSM]

Why bother with swirling it around?

[pondguru]

If you watch 'how to make a moving bed filter' I explain why the media needs to move.