180 build in garage with homemade filter system

[ZX10R]

Hi everyone,

Just thought I would start a thread on my new build here at the house and share with everyone what I am doing. I traded off my 92 corner tank for a 180 gallon drilled tank (Thank You Tracy) and plan on putting it in my garage. I have came up with a homemade filtration system that everyone can see and maybe get there own ideas as I build mine. Here are some pics to start off with

Tank
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Overflows
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Box of things
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Another box
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This will become my filter system a 5 gallon bucket with lid, 7" 100 micron filter bag, 30 gallon drum, and a piece of 12 x 12 x 3/4 Polyethylene
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12" rope light I got from work this will be mounted inside the back lip of the tank for at night
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Hope everyone enjoys and I will keep this updated as much as possible

Sean

[ZX10R]

Forgot some pics

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[random-cichlid]

Nice so it overflowing to a moving bed filter yeah.
I like The idea but i think that ur filter sock cleaning may be a bit of a fun prospect if it clogs up what precautions will u have so it overflows back in to were ur filter is and not all over ur floor
regardless thou keen for some finished pics when you get a chance

[shoveltrash]

I'm always impressed by the diy projects I see here (way beyond my skill level LOL)........'will be following this with interest!
what are the gazillion little plastics caps for???

[joanstone]

That's Kaldness media, it's great stuff.

[CajunAg]

Subscribed! Can't wait to see more

[ZX10R]

Nice so it overflowing to a moving bed filter yeah.
I like The idea but i think that ur filter sock cleaning may be a bit of a fun prospect if it clogs up what precautions will u have so it overflows back in to were ur filter is and not all over ur floor
regardless thou keen for some finished pics when you get a chance

I can't share that info yet so keep watching and you will see

I'm always impressed by the diy projects I see here (way beyond my skill level LOL)........'will be following this with interest!
what are the gazillion little plastics caps for???

That's Kaldness media, it's great stuff.

Subscribed! Can't wait to see more

Thanks everyone this will be a fun project

[ZX10R]

I really need to buy stock in Lowes

Wood and foam insulation for stand and filter housing
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This is where the tank and filter will be sitting
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I will be connecting into the hot water heater for my drip system. Sorry about all the junk[IMG][/IMG]

[T_om]

Just a word about drip systems... from personal experience. Forget it.

IMO, you would be MUCH better off with a project this size just designing in a simple water change system... be it automatic or manually activated.

Tom

[ZX10R]

Just a word about drip systems... from personal experience. Forget it.

IMO, you would be MUCH better off with a project this size just designing in a simple water change system... be it automatic or manually activated.

Tom

What is so bad about a drip system?

[T_om]

Primarily the outrageous waste of water. You have to drip in almost 10 gallons of water to actually "change" one gallon. There is even a "drip calculator" somewhere on the 'net showing this. Do you really want to drip in 100 gallons of water just to change 10? This is an especially egregious waste if you treat your water first or use RO replacement water. A MUCH more efficient (and faster) method is just to automate the change. Take out the old, put in the new.

Also, unless the drip is more of a "flow" than a "drip", the changeover process takes a long, long time.

A drip system appears attractive at first glance but does not work in the long term. And again, this is from personal experience... I tried it.

But then my Grandfather always said "People that need experience get it, one way or another". I usually get mine the hard way and was just trying to save you from the same.

Tom

[ockyra215]

Cleaning the prefikter you chooses wont be easy and it will clog rather quickly.I think you need to rethink that with maybe a piece of poret foam and then you can rinse it out easier. And I noticed you only have one heater gonna need a couple for a tank that size. But I look forward to your build!

[ZX10R]

Cleaning the prefikter you chooses wont be easy and it will clog rather quickly.I think you need to rethink that with maybe a piece of poret foam and then you can rinse it out easier. And I noticed you only have one heater gonna need a couple for a tank that size. But I look forward to your build!

I have been using filter bags for a few years now and they are simple to clean. Just throw them in the wash machine with no soap on heavy duty and they come out crystal clean. There is two heater there the other one is in the box so I am using two 300 watt Jager heaters.

Primarily the outrageous waste of water. You have to drip in almost 10 gallons of water to actually "change" one gallon. There is even a "drip calculator" somewhere on the 'net showing this. Do you really want to drip in 100 gallons of water just to change 10? This is an especially egregious waste if you treat your water first or use RO replacement water. A MUCH more efficient (and faster) method is just to automate the change. Take out the old, put in the new.

Also, unless the drip is more of a "flow" than a "drip", the changeover process takes a long, long time.

A drip system appears attractive at first glance but does not work in the long term. And again, this is from personal experience... I tried it.

But then my Grandfather always said "People that need experience get it, one way or another". I usually get mine the hard way and was just trying to save you from the same.

Tom

I am using a activated carbon filter that removes chlorine and sediment. I know everyones water is different but this filter it rated to remove chlorine from 60,000 gallons of water before needing to be replaced. I am sure it won't do that much but even if it gets 40,000 that is still a lot. So what is the difference between doing one large 100 gallon WC a day or dripping 100 gallons in a 24 hr period? Either way you are still changing 100 gallons

[ZX10R]

Maybe this is what you are refering to

http://www.angelfish.net/DripSystemcalc.php

[DiscusOnly]

Have you consider doing the auto WC with a sprinkler controller system? If you are going with drip system, have you consider just dripping hot water? This may reduce the usage of the tank heater.