Aeration in large Bio filter bay

[Bob Hart]

Looking for a bit of advice here, or idea's on aerating a large biological filter bay. The bay in question is 50" x 42" in surface area, although I have another at 56" x 42", both built 10-years ago from concrete blocks, render and fibreglassed.. Both have Jap matting in the the larger one has a cartridge and the smaller one has a cartridge with all the holes filled in. Both are currently aerated, but I'm not overly happy with the air distribution in either of them.

I 'll start with the smaller one, as I've got a couple of pictures of it which I can post. This bay just had a large ceramic stone put in there, working from a Medo 45 and I wasn't expecting too much. I want to get this sorted out properly now, but with a larger surface area it can be difficult to get a good spread of air across it all.

The pictures show views from above and you can see two 4" outlet pipes to the pumps. There is a 10mm ID flexible pipe going down underneath, taking the air to the stone, plus you should see the probe for the ORP meter and two thermometer probes. One of these is for the boiler and another to check that one!

I have positioned two pieces of 15mm plastic central heating pipe, both curved to the shape I want them. My idea (well not exactly mine) is to have 3 ovals of pipe,inside each other, with the two smallest ones being joined. every 2" I will drill a 1mm hole pointing downwards and therefore the air should be distributed across roughly all of the matting. The air pipe will sit directly under the matting with the matting actually holding it down.

OK thoughts on whether this will give me a decent spread of air, or perhaps you have other ideas, or refinements.

The muck you can see has now been removed, but it accumulates over a long period of time due to the low spread of air.

[GazKoi]

Bob go for it as you know i use speed-fit pipe for my air in my vortex units and this does blast through,the only thing i would say is the more pipe you have and holes the bigger air pump you will need,but i think with that size you will be fine.The ones you have seen blasting away in my filters is run off a Hi Blow 80 split between the two.

Gazza

[Bob Hart]

Gazza,

Just dont want to waste a load of time and effort and not have it work out. Approx 8 metres of pipe there, that's a lot of work for an air pump to do and I'd like to still use the medo 45 if at all possible. I've got a medo 80and two 45's in the filters and a medo 80 and a 45 in the pond. Cant afford anymore pumps!!!

[simon]

hi bob
I have just been using for the first time what I think is known as (leaky Pipe ) I brought this in Japan I got 5m of a roll its 3/4 inch diameter. Its a soft rubber with perforations. we have the same product in england but have only seen it at barely 4mm internal diameter, and does not work well.
Momotaro uses it on long airlines in his ponds several meters, and at 3/4 inch internal works really well. Im using 3m line at 6ft of depth fed by 3/4 pressure pipe of an airtech 80 and have very good spread of air all along the length of 3 m.
also since purchasing the product, I have been told by others the leaky pipe is used in irigation in england and is readily available. Hope this helps.

[Bob Hart]

Simon,

I've used the Momotaro aeration pipe in another bay already, see attached pic. Made this simple grid up, but it does gives 3 'lines' of air, not so well spread out as I'd like. This is one of the 2 bays I've got at 56" x 42".

Like you I also used it in my pond, 2.5 metres of it with a Medo 80 powering it. The Koi just love to swim through it and like you I think it looks really good.

But I want a better spread of air in the filter, so will probably try the speedy fit pipe with the 1mm holes.

That leaky pipe, I did buy some from B&Q but wasnt sure exactly what it was made from. I guessed at recycled car tyres, so wasnt sure how 'toxic' it could be. Have you successfully used it at all?

[estanque_koi]

Speedy fit pipe? Could you please explain what is it to a non native speaker of english?
Thanks,
Diego

[GazKoi]

Diego,

Speed fit pipe is a plastc pipe which comes in 15mm (and other sizes) and can be used on water and all the fittings are just push fit so all you have to do is cut the pipe and then push it together and its done.

Very fast and so called speed fit

Gazza

[dick benbow]

Bob, do you think your project would be aided by finding homes for your 40's

so that you could invest in a bigger pump? my 80's blow my vortexes well and since i switched from 40's there is little to clean as the air keeps everything moving in suspention. My j-mat is only 12 inches deep so my pumps only have to push thru less than 30 inches to do the job. In the beginning , I used my 40's to run air on top the matting in an upflow situation to feed highly oygenated air into the next chamber. results so-so. Next project was to get air below the matting with the 80's and that made a huge difference. some of the return water I run thru a 3 layered bakki tower with BH media and I find saturation
air levels everywhere in the system.

I'm thinking about getting a bigger pump myself to see if I can notice any difference. Keep us up with what your learning please.

[Andrew]

Simon/Bob,
That pervious black hose is readily available in England, in various sizes.
I know hozelok do it but use it for the watering of flower beds/borders.
One female KoiChatter actually makes air diffuser rings with it which work well.
Mail me if you want to contact her and can't ID her on KC.

[Mark Cooper]

Guys,

this may be of interest as a possible supplier http://www.leakypipe.co.uk/index.htm