Trickle media Revisited

[Vogata]

Hello all out searching, as some of you might know we have been mighty close to some development on the trickle tower principals’. It ended with the use of a media called.
At this point some might be content, but the more stubborn ones always out looking for an angel (like me). As a the test unit still is around and I never was convinced that we got the best one I will this season go on with some other tempting medias that we didn’t get round to earlier.

Due to lack of systems it not many I can go through in on season her in the cold. Its either type A or B any thoughts from the mighty forum? Have also a picture that gives type tested and functioning at the moment.

[luke frisbee]

the current one is so close to being as good as those other two....... from where you live I figure you'd "experiment" with how to warm your water?

personally lava rock does a bang up job

[Vogata]

No that is a really easy one:
- Stainless steel electric heaters with thermostatic control
- 100% control of air exchange
- Dehydrating of exhaust air and using the heat gain to reheating inlet air
- Keeping controlled air +1-2°C above water at water temperature
- Insulate all and it’s never thick enough.

When we are talking media and trickling it a whole other story. We experienced very different results even with the same design just switching sizes and smallest with biggest surface was infect not best. Bridging and thin film action is the trick (we guess). We test water parameters and foam building at outlet as always. Problem is another angel of what you are implying. Realistic testing her is unfortunately only late May to September. This period gives natural outdoor conditions with sun from 06:30-11:30 and at its peak even later with light returning after ~2 hours. As we speak our Nishikigoi ponds are at 26°C and the dimmer is almost down to nighttime modus (its 22:51 her local time).
So even if I agree that the different between A and B may be marginal so was it in the size quest on the first one that took us from somewhat functioning standard unit to a good unit that we hope will get better this year. So pleas feel free to comment.
By the way misses your sharp “pen” in our light thread, welcome it would be even if you have to look a bit back in the pages

[luke frisbee]

thanks Vogata,
Now let me add that the surface area stays the same if the shape stays the same...so if you get different results it might be due to the airflow improvement within th elarger material, and perhaps the speed it accelerates(falling) before it hits more media.

[luke frisbee]

As to the light issue...
My vortex chamber for lake luke probably holds 2000+ gallons and is kept in the dark (or at the least so dim you'd question the health of koi that were in it...yet they are there.
"They" being ones that were spawned in the pond and eventually came to "rest" under the Island. they are a little bleached out, but do color up when-if they make it into the light.

[bekko]

Why don't you try Bacteria House media and tell us if it works better than the current bio-barrels.

-s t e v

[JasPR]

As a 'User' of the media that the Swedes ( sorry , couldn't resist) are using in their TTs, and also as one who has experimented with Bacteria House in my towers for the past four years, I can tell you----- the media used by the clarity unit ( a sequencial biotower and foam fractionator) is FAR superior for TT/foam fractionation action than bacteria house.

I have used the same plastic media in biofilter activity since 1985. It is IDEAL for TT application. Not so good as a submerged media by the way.
But has two idea characteristics that BH and lava rocket definitely do not, and that is, viod space and non packing properties. This is KEY when it comes to non trapping nature of the media and also the creation of 'crashing and colliding zones within the overall media mass. This is what makes for foam as air and DOCs are mixed with one another binding the organic molecule to the bubble surface created by the turbulence. It is a physical way of thinng water sheets and having them impact the media as the water trickles over the media network. You simply can't get that from dense packed media.
JR

[Vogata]

Yes, fully agree with you, don’t know if this is new to you but we did test out K1 and it worked well but PP barrel type worked better. We tested and discarded similar media types in 2001 and 2002. They gave good nitrification, but did not for fill our needs and hopes in our test configuration.
It’s just a mechanical reproduction off and ordinary Norwegian rapid flowing water system. Hence this last station is a turbid high-speed waterfall and the slow moving back creak that normally follows.

Noticed that you did not reply on the two types I would like to test out in my mind their both superior to the current, but that still needs to be proven as many other thoughts out there.

[Vogata]

“Well I up and Crying again” – Old Norwegian saying.

Well Luke the answers is in our way of thinking and mostly we are looking for better foam building than we currently are getting due to the way the media pack and tracks/distort the water streams. It is just fun to test out and see what gives optimal configuration.
This according to Dick the kind of “nerds” we are, not quit sure if we are going the right way but the speed is impeccable.

[Vogata]

Have no doubt that and it concur with own beliefs that this will be the situation in an outdoor system.
We are purely discussing indoor systems, due to the heating issue this is for some of us a real issue. We are talking about from an average of six months (happy days give just four) of indoor (water) confinement. In your setting I assume that most of the water is in natural sun for extended periods before travelling through “the darkness” in a limited time aspect.

We are looking in a Nishikigoi Kichi way to make the most out off our “summer” season (yes inside). There are slim chances of reaching 28-30°C outdoors here even in peaks. Indoors we are now on the way down for the summer season and are as pointed out at 26°C at the moment. Before moving them outdoors we need to be at ~18°C.
We do fantasize that there are more than Nishikigois in a water system that needs/appreciate the sunlight.