DIY Bead Filter for Skimmer

Bead filters are the easiest filters to clean, which is what makes them
popular. There are better filters, but none that you can clean in a tux,
like the bead filters. I started out with just a skimmer with a bottom
drain feeding into the front of it and a bubble bead filter for my larger
pond. Due to fish load, the frequency of cleaning increased, due to more
solids, so I added a vortex separator, and then increased the size of the
bead filter.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"Drew Cutter" wrote in message
...
Would a bead filter be the best bet for Oasis biosys ip-200 skimmer ?

The vortex separator is a drum that the water enters at the side, and due to
the slowing velocity, the solids fall out to the bottom, while the water
goes around in a slow circle and exits from the center near the top. Most
of the manufactured ones have a conical bottom, which allows the sediment to
accumulate in a nice low area for easy discharge by opening a bottom drain.
If the flow rate gets too high it will tend to mix the solids back into the
water and do nothing.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"Drew Cutter" wrote in message
...
Could you go more in detail about vortex separator ?

The vortex separator is a drum that the water enters at the side, and due to
the slowing velocity, the solids fall out to the bottom, while the water
goes around in a slow circle and exits from the center near the top. Most
of the manufactured ones have a conical bottom, which allows the sediment to
accumulate in a nice low area for easy discharge by opening a bottom drain.
If the flow rate gets too high it will tend to mix the solids back into the
water and do nothing.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"Drew Cutter" wrote in message
...
Could you go more in detail about vortex separator ?

Drew Cutter wrote:

Could you go more in detail about vortex separator ?

The system I have has an 18 gal [vortex container], a 12 gal [Pump
Chamber/Bio-Media Oxygenator Container].

[vortex container}
water flows into vortex via 2- 2" siphons 1 as a bottom drain and the
other 1' under in surface. The outflow of the siphons enters the vortex
at the bottom of the container through 2-90 degree elbows causing a CW
rotation of the water. The water leaves the vortex just below the
surface, and flows down to the bottom of the pumpchamber.

[PC/BMOC]
water is piped down to the middle of the container. the pump is sitting
6" off the bottom of the container (to allow for additional debree
settling) 3 air stones attached to a dual output aquarium air pump are
placed 120 degrees apart, slightly below the water inlet. Water is
returned to the pond via a 1500 GPM pump.

I started the system, once everything was running satisfactorly I turned
on the air pump and began adding the bio-media until just before it
stops "boiling" freely.

Chagoi

Drew Cutter wrote:

Could you go more in detail about vortex separator ?

The system I have has an 18 gal [vortex container], a 12 gal [Pump
Chamber/Bio-Media Oxygenator Container].

[vortex container}
water flows into vortex via 2- 2" siphons 1 as a bottom drain and the
other 1' under in surface. The outflow of the siphons enters the vortex
at the bottom of the container through 2-90 degree elbows causing a CW
rotation of the water. The water leaves the vortex just below the
surface, and flows down to the bottom of the pumpchamber.

[PC/BMOC]
water is piped down to the middle of the container. the pump is sitting
6" off the bottom of the container (to allow for additional debree
settling) 3 air stones attached to a dual output aquarium air pump are
placed 120 degrees apart, slightly below the water inlet. Water is
returned to the pond via a 1500 GPM pump.

I started the system, once everything was running satisfactorly I turned
on the air pump and began adding the bio-media until just before it
stops "boiling" freely.

Chagoi