kiefer asked if I post some TT pics

[dick benbow]

here is a basic trickle tower design. Nothing fancy but serviceable. Made of plexiglass and i have been running with 1 inch drip rod style bioballs. The first picture illustrates where the water enters from the top thru the PVC pipe. You can see the opening for the drip tray that slides in and out for easy cleaning. The egg crate on the bottom ( which normally lies flat) holds the media in place.The second photo shows the catch basin with exit pipe.if you look closely you can see the lip along the left and right sides for the tower to rest on.The third photo shows how the drip trays slides in and the holes drilled in the bottom of it . It also shows the sliding access door to load the bio media in from. the last photo shows the drip holes 1/4 inch in diameter spaced an inch and a half apart. The PVC going into the tower has a slide valve to control the exact amount of water into the tray so it doesn't over run. There are times when I need to scrape the algea off the drip tray that collects there. I do cover up the length of the TT with plastic garbage bag to keep the sunlight/UV light out of my outside ones.

[HEADACHE6]

Dick , A couple questions : 1) How large is this unit ? , 2) What size pump (GPH) ? , 3) Do you have any pics. of the unit in use ? , 4) Some units that I see , have holes in the side (I guess for cross ventalation) has this been found not so important or am I looking at a different type unit altogether ?

Thank's

[Lam Nguyen]

Hi Dick since you are going to be getting a cluster headache from answering Headache6's questions, mind as well get a full-blown headache and answer some of mine, too.

1. For the sake of getting my concepts right, the only difference between a TT and a Bakki shower is the rate at which water passes through the filter media. Other than that they could technically use the same types of media; lava rocks, BH, lithaqua, JMs, Matala mats, bio-balls, or anything that has a lot of surface area. In fact, your TT could be converted to a Bakki shower by simply making the holes in the trays bigger and increasing flow rate.

2. If finance wasn't a factor and you had to add another type of filtration to your current filter setup of JMs and matala mats, which one would you choose? Bakki type shower with BH or TT with bio-balls? Or would you go with both?

Anyways, just some questions to pick your brain.

[dick benbow]

He and i are big fans of Nisei Koi farm, so we have a lot in common....


My unit is 5 foot tall to allow for a 4 foot drop for the water which I feel is a good rule of thumb to gage minimum exposure to filtration. Technically I can't answer how much water is going over the media as i split the flow from a single 60 gph pump between it and the bakki shower. If I had to quess I'd say it's a quarter of the flow. I guage it by the way the water fills up the drip tray. I valve it off at about half full so if any of the holes eventually plug and the water backs up I have some time and space to correct the problem. A trickle tower should be more of a trickle than cascade. This unit works best when air is blown in from the bottom to flow up against the downward flow of the water. I have vent holes just below the drip tray. I do think it's very important to have good access to ventilation as this unit degasses as well as bio filters and you need the ability of the unit to breath properly.

Lam....Flow rate and void space are the two elements that figure into making these types of filters effective. A drip rod style bioball is the poster child for modern technology and the proper use of void space. The way you stack BH can also have a simialr effect. I placed mine in layers at 90 degrees from each other to make a cross hatch type pattern.
there are pros and cons for both methods. If I could choose one over the other I would have. But I honestly run both in addition to my j-mat heavily aireated from below. I quess I subscribe to the mentality of not having all my eggs in one basket. I even go so far as to have the j-mat and TT in the dark
and the BH exposed to sunlight as I'm convinced it makes a difference as to what form of bacteria settles in and prospers.

I think what we learn is that pond turn over rate and a filter with maximum exposure to air seems to be the key. If I had to say something negative about either one it would be that in outside use in any other season but summer they become a chilling tower and work against those trying to maintain proper warmth in winter. hence both my units are in doors for my indoor pond. My outside pond utilizes a moving bed of k-i

[HEADACHE6]

Sorry , Do you have any pics. of the unit in use ? In your last post Dick , you say 60 GPH and only 25% goes to this filter , can that be right ?

[dick benbow]

should be 60 gallons per minute.......not hr, that would be a lot closer to right Not sure how to photo as the unit is covered in black plastic I could remove the sliding trap door but you couldn't see much.....

[Lam Nguyen]

Quote: Originally Posted by dick benbow He and i are big fans of Nisei Koi farm, so we have a lot in common.... My unit is 5 foot tall to allow for a 4 foot drop for the water which I feel is a good rule of thumb to gage minimum exposure to filtration. Technically I can't answer how much water is going over the media as i split the flow from a single 60 gph pump between it and the bakki shower. If I had to quess I'd say it's a quarter of the flow. I guage it by the way the water fills up the drip tray. I valve it off at about half full so if any of the holes eventually plug and the water backs up I have some time and space to correct the problem. A trickle tower should be more of a trickle than cascade. This unit works best when air is blown in from the bottom to flow up against the downward flow of the water. I have vent holes just below the drip tray. I do think it's very important to have good access to ventilation as this unit degasses as well as bio filters and you need the ability of the unit to breath properly. Lam....Flow rate and void space are the two elements that figure into making these types of filters effective. A drip rod style bioball is the poster child for modern technology and the proper use of void space. The way you stack BH can also have a simialr effect. I placed mine in layers at 90 degrees from each other to make a cross hatch type pattern. there are pros and cons for both methods. If I could choose one over the other I would have. But I honestly run both in addition to my j-mat heavily aireated from below. I quess I subscribe to the mentality of not having all my eggs in one basket. I even go so far as to have the j-mat and TT in the dark and the BH exposed to sunlight as I'm convinced it makes a difference as to what form of bacteria settles in and prospers. I think what we learn is that pond turn over rate and a filter with maximum exposure to air seems to be the key. If I had to say something negative about either one it would be that in outside use in any other season but summer they become a chilling tower and work against those trying to maintain proper warmth in winter. hence both my units are in doors for my indoor pond. My outside pond utilizes a moving bed of k-i

Thank you Dick for your insight. You are right in the eggs in one basket concept. One thing I have learned from other serious hobbyists is that they have many types of filtration. While I realize that my matala & J-mats are not enough I am trying very hard to hold back from adding more filtration as I would like to gather as much info as possible before redesigning and rebuilding my filtration. It's a blessing for people like you in this forum as you guys have been unselfish and diligent in educating those who are new to the hobby. Thank you.

[MCA]

Be sure to ready Steve C's series of artilcles in the last few KOIUSA. Also you should read the articles in KOINATIONS. Support both our domestic koi mags...you will be glad you did!