Bio Filter?

[cedarswamp]

I just noticed you keep saying flower bed. Are you growing flowers in your grow bed; hence, you are saying flower bed? Just curious

Don't all plants eventually flower?

[badflash]

No. Flowering plants are just one side shoot of the plant kingdom. Ferns never flower as an example. Algae fission, many reproduce vegetatively.

[cedarswamp]

I know, I was just messing with UF. But algae does "bloom".

[rfeiller]

besides fish poop, you have left over fish food and plant parts expecially roots, that eventually die and break down in the system. these form a risidual muck. i have, besides having sumps, used the gravel as a filter now i will tear these down and do a complete sump prior to entering the grow bed. i'll keep the worms in just the sump where it can be controlled. i believe the organics breaking down are a nutritional benefit to the plants, but i want cleaner grow beds.

[wh33t]

besides fish poop, you have left over fish food and plant parts expecially roots, that eventually die and break down in the system. these form a risidual muck. i have, besides having sumps, used the gravel as a filter now i will tear these down and do a complete sump prior to entering the grow bed. i'll keep the worms in just the sump where it can be controlled. i believe the organics breaking down are a nutritional benefit to the plants, but i want cleaner grow beds.

Makes sense. I like simple things. A sump and a bio filter makes sense to me as well.

Do Bio Filters have to be powered by an air pump?

[swamp creek farms]

check into a swirl filter. i have pictures posted on how i made one from next to nothing. It worked for a while, but then it gets clogged up with gunk and has to be cleaned as well. I found out for myself that it is a hassle to have a bio filter. There is no sure way to do AP. Some ideas work for others and not work for me. I have no sump in my system either. Some worms in the GB but not alot.


http://aquaponicscommunity.com/photo/ph ... ew35o033wi

the pics are some where in my photo album. the bio filter was made out of a 5gal bucket, a pot for plants, and dish scrubbies. I think i had less than 10 bucks in the whole thing. But i made it with the plant pot so i can clean it easier. All i had to do was pull the pot out of the bucket, and wash the scrubbies out, without having to disassemble the whole thing.

I am still considering on putting one on the new system i am building now. I just remember it being a hassle. (clogging pipes)

[wh33t]

check into a swirl filter. i have pictures posted on how i made one from next to nothing. It worked for a while, but then it gets clogged up with gunk and has to be cleaned as well. I found out for myself that it is a hassle to have a bio filter. There is no sure way to do AP. Some ideas work for others and not work for me. I have no sump in my system either. Some worms in the GB but not alot.


http://aquaponicscommunity.com/photo/ph ... ew35o033wi

the pics are some where in my photo album. the bio filter was made out of a 5gal bucket, a pot for plants, and dish scrubbies. I think i had less than 10 bucks in the whole thing. But i made it with the plant pot so i can clean it easier. All i had to do was pull the pot out of the bucket, and wash the scrubbies out, without having to disassemble the whole thing.

I am still considering on putting one on the new system i am building now. I just remember it being a hassle. (clogging pipes)

Darn, those pictures look pretty cool. But are so small. Would you mind uploading some photos of them to the forum and putting some captions on them. I'm interested in the swirl filter.

[swamp creek farms]

http://www.ecofilms.com.au/2010/08/20/d ... quaponics/

that is a basic idea of how one works, or you can always look it up on youtube. I just came up with a way to make one with stuff i found laying around the farm. All i had to buy was the filter medium, i used plastic brillo pads - a package for a buck. I ended up using seashells also.

I am thinking about making another one out of a 30 gallon drum. Just need to figure a way to back wash the solids out into the wicking bed or some dirt beds. Any easier way to clean it.

[wh33t]

http://www.ecofilms.com.au/2010/08/20/diy-swirl-filter-for-aquaponics/

that is a basic idea of how one works, or you can always look it up on youtube. I just came up with a way to make one with stuff i found laying around the farm. All i had to buy was the filter medium, i used plastic brillo pads - a package for a buck. I ended up using seashells also.

I am thinking about making another one out of a 30 gallon drum. Just need to figure a way to back wash the solids out into the wicking bed or some dirt beds. Any easier way to clean it.

Wow that is great. I will build one of those.

[aquaarche]

I found the need for bio-filters because in both the gravel or float beds the roots get covered in a brown gunk that limit their growth and take up of nutrients.

I found using a pre-pump filter and a post-pump filter helps remove a lot of material small and large solids from the water.