OT? -Microscopist ISO "portable pond pump"

[c-bee1]

Hi all, I'm one of the occasional lurkers - it helps me maintain my pond
scum aquarium for winter microscopy. Thanks for all the help. =)

Anyway, here's my obligatory wierd question - if I wanted to go to the
local lake, and hang a hose down into the water and pump small quantities
though a filter paper and back into the lake for ten minutes or so... are
there small pumps that could pump water like this up against a filter (high
resistance, should probably be considered 'clogged')?

I guess such a pump would have to somehow avoid building up a lot of
pressure, maybe let water slip back though to avoid popping the filter
paper? Being able to adjust the pressure it produces would be ideal. And
it needs to not "chop up" the water - so obviously I am way out of my league
here.

When I do this in the lab, the filter only lets though about 100ml a
minute. It's a 4" circle of paper, supported on a surface full of holes at
the bottom of a fancy ceramic funnel, and vacuum pulls the water through.
After awhile, the paper turns green, and holds lots of nifty little
microscopic life - of the open-water variety.

I can build the filter bit, but need suggestions as to pump technology.
Are there little fountain pumps like this, for example? Any help
appreciated! -cmb

p.s. - Happy Thanksgiving!

[Derek Broughton]

c-bee1 wrote:

> Anyway, here's my obligatory wierd question - if I wanted to go to the
> local lake, and hang a hose down into the water and pump small quantities
> though a filter paper and back into the lake for ten minutes or so... are
> there small pumps that could pump water like this up against a filter
> (high resistance, should probably be considered 'clogged')?

Google "peristaltic pump". I think they meet your needs. Lousy for regular
pond work, but they handle suspended solids well, and I'm pretty sure they
won't punch through the filter paper.

> When I do this in the lab, the filter only lets though about 100ml a
> minute.

Which leads me to wonder why you don't just take a 1 liter bottle down to
the pond, fill it, and take it back to the lab?

Anyway, this is definitely ON-topic :-)
--
derek

[tim chandler]

Try a battery-operated pump like this, totally portable and pumps about a
pint a minute:
http://scientificsonline.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_3050345

Tim C.

"c-bee1" > wrote in message
news:0fJpd.568111$mD.537657@attbi_s02...
> Hi all, I'm one of the occasional lurkers - it helps me maintain my pond
> scum aquarium for winter microscopy. Thanks for all the help. =)
>
> Anyway, here's my obligatory wierd question - if I wanted to go to the
> local lake, and hang a hose down into the water and pump small quantities
> though a filter paper and back into the lake for ten minutes or so... are
> there small pumps that could pump water like this up against a filter
(high
> resistance, should probably be considered 'clogged')?
>
> I guess such a pump would have to somehow avoid building up a lot of
> pressure, maybe let water slip back though to avoid popping the filter
> paper? Being able to adjust the pressure it produces would be ideal. And
> it needs to not "chop up" the water - so obviously I am way out of my
league
> here.
>
> When I do this in the lab, the filter only lets though about 100ml a
> minute. It's a 4" circle of paper, supported on a surface full of holes
at
> the bottom of a fancy ceramic funnel, and vacuum pulls the water through.
> After awhile, the paper turns green, and holds lots of nifty little
> microscopic life - of the open-water variety.
>
> I can build the filter bit, but need suggestions as to pump technology.
> Are there little fountain pumps like this, for example? Any help
> appreciated! -cmb
>
> p.s. - Happy Thanksgiving!
>
>

[Charles]

On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 16:56:32 GMT, "c-bee1" >
wrote:

> Hi all, I'm one of the occasional lurkers - it helps me maintain my pond
>scum aquarium for winter microscopy. Thanks for all the help. =)
>
> Anyway, here's my obligatory wierd question - if I wanted to go to the
>local lake, and hang a hose down into the water and pump small quantities
>though a filter paper and back into the lake for ten minutes or so... are
>there small pumps that could pump water like this up against a filter (high
>resistance, should probably be considered 'clogged')?
>
> I guess such a pump would have to somehow avoid building up a lot of
>pressure, maybe let water slip back though to avoid popping the filter
>paper? Being able to adjust the pressure it produces would be ideal. And
>it needs to not "chop up" the water - so obviously I am way out of my league
>here.
>
> When I do this in the lab, the filter only lets though about 100ml a
>minute. It's a 4" circle of paper, supported on a surface full of holes at
>the bottom of a fancy ceramic funnel, and vacuum pulls the water through.
>After awhile, the paper turns green, and holds lots of nifty little
>microscopic life - of the open-water variety.
>
> I can build the filter bit, but need suggestions as to pump technology.
>Are there little fountain pumps like this, for example? Any help
>appreciated! -cmb
>
>p.s. - Happy Thanksgiving!
>


Some small aquarium pumps at:

http://petsolutions.com/search.asp?t=ss&ss=pump&x=0&y=0

They are meant for 120VAC, so an inverter would be needed if you are
running it off a boat/car battery.

In the book "Dynamic Aquaria, Building Living Ecosystems" the authors
talk about the problems with running small organisms through pumps,
they get torn up and die. If that's not a problem, then good.

As for the filter pressure what occurs to me is to put a funnel and
the filter paper in the bottom of a bucket, then fill the bucket with
pond water.
--

- Charles
-
-does not play well with others