mogsies bio/veggie filter

[mogsie]

today i had to do a repair to my filter so decided to photograph the design i have used and incorporate a few upgrades (that i picked up on here) whilst i was at it, so here is the photo's and the story :
i have used a 30 gallon domestic expansion tank ( had this left over from when i upgraded my house heating system) first i fitted a shower trap as a bottom drain,
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then i incorporated a washout system using 21mm overflow pipe for when i want to wash out the bottom of the tank,
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then i fixed inplace the intake pipe which will hold my inlet pipe from the pump and take the water to the bottom of the tank, for this i used 40mm pipe,
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i then added a 40mm return pipe that goes to the waterfall, and two 21mm overflow outlet fittings (which i will explain later in thread). i then first placed in the media which comprises of the bottom layer of 50 sponge scourers,
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(see next post for next stage)

 

[mogsie]

on top of these i layered 100 green scourer pads, and placed in the carbon fibre support bars for the next layer,
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i then used a heavy duty planting tray and cut some slots out of the bottom of it, this tray sits nicely into the filter tank supported by the bars,
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this i lined with some hessian cloth and filled with limestone chippings ( as i had acidity problems) and pea gravel, into this gravel i have planted common reeds, irises and bullrushes,
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please now see next post.

 

[mogsie]

now the inlet pipe from the pump just sits into the top of the 40mm down pipe so the incoming water traps air and pumps it down into the filter and up through the media,
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so my filter tank is oxygenated, hard to get photo but you can see air bubbles rising,
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now in this next photo you will see that on each side of the 40mm outlet for the water fall there is two 21mm outlets,
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to these i have attached 18mm hoses, the one on the right takes water down to the shallow side of the pond opposite the waterfall, and the one on the left takes water in through a upward pointed 21mm 90 elbow so it gurgles and sucks air in also and carry's the air down the hose and pumps it out (along with water) into the middle of my pond,
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concludes in next post,

 

[mogsie]

so hope this works well as i will see in time, once the plants grow thefilter tank wont stand out so much as they will hide it,
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thanks for reading and i am open to opinions, comments and questions, thankyou

 

[addy1]

Wow nice posting there mogsie. I bet that will work great for you.
So to clean you just lift off the plant tray and wash out the pads etc.

 

[mogsie]

yes addy, or if i just want to rinse the bottom out i connect pump hose to my 21mm washout pipe system and open the bottom drain,

 

[addy1]

Good thinking mogsie, the kiss principle..............keep it simple