Oyster Shell Fines Filter

[Birdman]

I wanted to build a cheap easy filter to take out fines on my 600 gal QT tank. I tried matting but diddn't like that. Tried sand but it fluidized, so I went with oyster shell. All in all it has worked exceptionaly well, keeping my water gin clear, maintaining GH and KH at 107, and easy to clean.

I started with one of my free fiberglass well tanks, the smallest size, just a little bigger than a 5 gal bucket. I just ran the flow from my pump into the bottom and put a 2" 90 out the top for the water to flow out to the tank. The top I cut out of the figesglass tank I drilled a bunch of fine holes in and layed it in the bottom of the tank for a diffuser plate.

Then I put a 2nd 2" outlet in it a few inches below the return to the tank to use for flushing. Fitted it with a removable stand pipe I can pull for flushing. I then filled it with 40 lbs of rinsed oyster shell chicken grit. It's been up and running for a couple of weeks now and I am very pleased with the results. It's keeping my water gin clear, and brought the KH and GH up to 107 ppm where it has stablized.

[Birdman]

I just washed out my oyster shell filter for the 1st time and I couldn't be happier. I hooked a hose up to my AV 150 air pump with a piece of pvc on the end to use as a probe/stir stick. I pulled the stand pipe so the water was going to waste and started stiring the oyster shell with the air probe. More than enough air. In fact, if I wasn't carefull I could blow water and oyster shell right out of the top of the filter. As you can see from the last picture the water turned pretty mucky. I just kept probing and stiring untill it started clearing up. I think I went through about 50 gal. doing this. After the water going to waste cleared up I just put my stand pipe back in and away it went. I am very pleased with the way this filter is working.

Now it will be interesting to see if I start getting a KH/GH rise with the rinsed oyster shell.