sponge filter

[Denny]

I couldn't decide whether to use a penguin with a bio wheel or a sponge filter so i just used a bit of pvc and now i have both. the air bubbles drive the wheel and it turns on a pvc axle. ;D

[Denny]

this gives a big increase in the total number of beneficial bacteria.

[Jason]

you are the pvc master!

looks good, does the biowheel extend above the water line?

[NTORIUSB]

Very nice...

[Steve0199us]

Hey DJ- How long did you have the heater and how much did it cost you? I think I have the same one it's 250W (EBO Jager?) and mine looks very old, but it's still good. I got it as a gift.

[Smokey]

I like !!!
Great thinking, there DJ.

Smokey

[ronrca]

Great idea!

Smokey,
We could incorporate that into the sumps! Dual purpose instead of airstones in the biotowers! ???

[Smokey]

Ron . reason for air-flow in a bio-tower is to supply oxygen for the bacteria. OPTIONAL!
IMPORTANT - to refresh the oxygen flowing into the tank.
The reason for the seperate de-gassing chamber.

HMMM in the sump .... Lets see ... in the sump we have :
1- heaters
2- water pumps
3- prefitler
4- main filter
5- bio-filter
6- water

room for anything !!!
:fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish:
Smokey

[Denny]

steve

not sure on the age of the heater, a lfs last year switched their tanks to a central system with central heat and sold all of their green ebo's for 5 bucks, so I bought ten of them.

[Bruce]

I couldn't decide whether to use a penguin with a bio wheel or a sponge filter so i just used a bit of pvc and now i have both. the air bubbles drive the wheel and it turns on a pvc axle. ;D


DJ,

I've been using Bio-wheels since they first came out, and have had all of their different models, from the 110 to the Emperor, and the Bio-wheel Pro 60's. Now, Marineland has one that is built-into a sump (Tidepool Bio-Wheel).

You set up is very ingenius. I simply stuff two AquaClear 200 sponge blocks into a Bio-Wheel 125 , the lower one horizontal, and the upper one vertical, to prevent bypass.

The only problem I see with what you've done is that the wheel is most efficient when it is totally out of the water, rotated and oxygenated with the jets of a spray bar. This method is what makes it a wet-dry filter. If 80 or 90% of the wheel is underwater, it wouldn't be much different than using a motor to spin a HydroSponge filter around an axle underwater. I don't believe that spinning a bio-wheel underwater will allow it to work as a wet-dry, which are commonly known to be more efficient than a regular bio-sponge.

Don't mean to rain of your parade, just sharing the facts as I know them. But . . your setup does look fun.

[Denny]

Bruce,

No sweat on the rain, I brought my umbrella ;)

I would agree with you on the points you made about the bio wheels effectiveness.

As far as how far my sponge is under water and it's effectiveness because of that, remember that it is driven by air bubbles, so by adjusting the flow of air you could really get alot of air contact both above the water and also by the stream of bubbles coming from the filter. and in experimenting the sponge rotates best when 50%above water. also consider that a sponge has sooooo much more surface area compared to a biowheel and the fact that this is about 10 bucks to make.lol

anyway i just tinker around with stuff once and a while to keep things fun

[Smokey]

DJ - reguardless off what others may say... critisum is the greatess reward.

I have tried many, many ''IDEAS''!
Some ideas do not work - then I REALIZE why!!

Some ideas do work. - AND this leads to other ideas and ''CREATIONS!''.

One great man once said ''To have an Idea, and follow up, is a sign of intellegance"".

To ignore an idea; is a waste of thinking!

Smokey

[AJB]

That's bloody brilliant.
So.

How about the plans, ehh?
;D

[Smokey]

Plans, plans - foam on a stick.... how much simpler than that ...hahahahahahaha

It is a great way of recyceling the air bubbles!

Go for an Environmental Grant....lol.

Smokey

[Denny]

Plans? who reads them? :o Just follow the picture and have a go at it lol

I'll give everyone a little heads up on this. You either need a canopy for it to work or you have to drop the water level a few inches as it works the best when the water level is about even with the axis of the sponge. that allows it to semi float and therefore spin easier. ;)

AJB- you think that is good, I get depressed every time I look at the things I came up with in my younger days and pissed around until i one day saw them on the shelves :-\


I still have a good one on the shelf but never get around to marketing it. ::)