I'm guessing...the water comming to Badflashes filter, is gravity fed, from the drain(s) on his fish tank(s)
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - President Ronald Reagan
This is the back side of a series of 20 gallon tanks. They all have drilled backs and 1" PVC pipe is connected to drain water back to the sump. I have small pond pumps that lift the water from the sump up to the tanks. When the water level gets to the overflow, it dumps back to the sump.
Water goes into the bead filter, and over the biological filter before it goes to the sump.
Is that a slo drain in the bottom right side of the pic? From the photo it looks like the siphon pipe and poly tube is above the water level?
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.-- Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
Simplicity of character is the natural result of profound thought~fortune cookie
I use a small pool pump with a sand filter in this system along with an aquacube for bio filtration.
So where would be a good place to get a pool pump and the sand filter?
Can you post pictures of them and where they are located?
Also where is the filter located and is this the only biofilter you have and would this work for different types of setups or would a larger one need setup for stock tanks or pool systems?
Sand filters are pressure filters. If you have an aquaponic system you don't need them, or my bead filters. Those and strictly needed for recirculating systems with no gravel beds. The gravel beds are the filter.
Pressure filters go in the system immediately after the pump, just like in a swimming pool. They must be backflushed routinely to keep the water clear.
Bead filters are non-pressurized. These are placed in a sump and catch the overflow before it gets to the pump that is submerged in the sump. When the beads become clogged, the filter overflows into the sump and no longer filters. It is removed and cleaned.
The scrubby pads unter the bead filter is the bio-filter. In the sand filter system, the aquacube is the primary bio-filter, but the sand filter does have some bacteria and does some bio-filtration.
Sand filters are pressure filters. If you have an aquaponic system you don't need them, or my bead filters. Those and strictly needed for recirculating systems with no gravel beds. The gravel beds are the filter.
Pressure filters go in the system immediately after the pump, just like in a swimming pool. They must be backflushed routinely to keep the water clear.
Bead filters are non-pressurized. These are placed in a sump and catch the overflow before it gets to the pump that is submerged in the sump. When the beads become clogged, the filter overflows into the sump and no longer filters. It is removed and cleaned.
The scrubby pads unter the bead filter is the bio-filter. In the sand filter system, the aquacube is the primary bio-filter, but the sand filter does have some bacteria and does some bio-filtration.
I am just wanting to build an "RAS" without grow beds to raise Tilapia. I do not have the room for grow beds and trying to stay as simple as possible.
Want to get an idea as to how much i am looking at spending to get this thing up and running.
I think it will be similar to your 700 gallon system but on a smaller scale, maybe a 1/2 to 1/3. How many fish do you think that could handle?
For a 300 gallon system, I'd go with am 8' snap set kiddie pool, a submersible pond pump, and my bead/scrubbie filter. $50 for the filter, $50 for the pool base, $60 for the pump, $15 for the pool, and another $100 for plumbing. You can add a waterbed heater for about $15 off ebay to keep it from freezing.
Density depends on the fish and how big they are. I only deal with tilapia. You could probably do 50 tilapia in a system like that.