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Diy above tank cannister trickle filter.



Hello folks,
I just wanted to let you know about my 'new' filtration
setup that replaced my conventional diy trickle filter
-overflow, bio-tower and sump- setup.

My conventional trickle filter wasn't very air tight
so I was losing Co2 and also water through
evaporation and I was also constantly cleaning
the overflow sponge. I'd been eyeing off the
disused plastic brewing barrel in the shed for some
time when I came across:

DIY: Bucket Trickle Filter
http://www.sydneycichlid.com/diybtf.html

Over Tank Trickle filter
http://www.sydneycichlid.com/diy/diytrickle.html

and decided to combine the two ideas.

Basically there is a pump in the tank (a Rio 2100) with
a sponge prefilter that pumps the water up to the
top of the barrel (sitting on a shelf above the tank)
where it activates a spinner which distributes the water
evenly on the media (with a layer of filter wool on top).

It trickles down through the bioballs and lava rock
to the bottom of the barrel out the tap back down
into the tank.

I used garden hose fittings pushed through a drilled hole
in the barrel lid which allows me to disconnect the uplift
tubing so that I can unscrew the lid if needed to clean the
filter wool. The barrel is completely airtight so there is
no Co2 loss or water evaporation compared to my
previous system and best of all it's large so I was
able to keep most of my media from the bio-tower.

The only thing 'wrong' with this design is that a fairly small
amount of air bubbles return with the water flow
back into the tank- I don't think it agitates and out gasses
the Co2 that much though.

I've actually been wondering what exactly the air
bubbles are composed of as the barrel is completely
airtight, and there is no where else for air to enter into
the system- yet there is only about 8 cm of water
at the bottom of the barrel so there is 'air' in there-
but is it the original air or could it be nitrogen?

Anyway I just wanted to let people know that there
*is* an alternative to the overflow/bio-tower/sump setup
which is just as easy to diy, has similar if not more
filter media capacity, probably costs the
same, and which also saves on Co2 and water loss.

Hope this helps someone,
Regards
Damian.