Carbon Filter Revisited

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:41 pm

I'm going to try something shroty, and like the old Abbot and Costello skit goes, "please try and talk me out of it!". An in-line carbon filter will remove chloramines if the flow is reduce to about .75 GPH (gallons per hour) but will leave about 1 ppm ammonia.

I plan to direct this small drip flow rate into my bio filter which I expect will eat the ammonia with no issues. Anyone see a fatal flaw in this idea?

The carbon filter I'm looking at is good for 20,000 gallon for around $30. With a flow-through drip system this would seem like the best & least expensive way to go. I would keep Amquel+ on hand for periodic vacuuming & rapid make-up, but this could be the way to go for systems as small as 10 gallons. The math makes sense, I just don't know about the practice.

Newjohn · Post by **Newjohn** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 6:01 pm

Hi badflash
Could you add another filter cartridge housing after the carbon filter. and use a re-fillible deionizer cartridge and fill it will the Amonia lock granules.
Like used in HOB filters.

Here is a picture of the start of my 9 stage filter

Is the Carbon Filter you are looking to use a 10inch ?

John

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 7:02 pm

badflash, it sounds like a good plan especially the problem you had earlier with the water treatment plant in your area. Is the .75 GPH going to cut it for you

?

Newjohn, nice system

. Is there another rack of tanks on the other side of those pictured?

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 6:07 am

Ammo-lock removes such a tiny amount it isn't worth considering. I contacted the people who make it and they refused to give me details on how much ammonia it actually removes, but I found another place that did independant tests and they showed a full charge only is good for about 20 gallons at 1 ppm.

With a flow through system low flow rates work great. Just a slow contant drip. .75 gph =126 gallons per week, so is actually a lot of water. The filter I'm looking at is supposed to be good for 20,000 gallons at the EPA limit of chloramine for $30.

Newjohn- do you have chloramine?

Newjohn · Post by **Newjohn** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 12:05 pm

No, I am lucky for now.
The City Water System still uses Chlorine.

John

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 7:22 pm

Hook into them and demand they tell you if the swtich. Put it in writing so they know you can bring legal action. Let them know they can cause thousands in damages by depraved indifference.

Newjohn · Post by **Newjohn** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 4:51 pm

Neoshrimp
I am in the process of adding more tanks. Time is limited lately.
So it may take me awhile.

I will be setting up the new tanks with a Water Change Drip System.
Similar to what badflash explained in another thread.

badflash
If you are going to use the .75 GPH Carbon Filter with a Drip System.
Is the system going to be pressurized by your tape water ? Or is it going into a holding tank, then pressurized by a pump ?

If you pan on doing a 10% water change per day per tank.
Your water flow would probably be less than .75 GPH. If your are going to run the filter 24/7.
So the 1 ppm of ammonia would be devided by the # of tanks you are supplying.

And with the water being constantly changed. There should not be a build-up. Like when only doing weekly water changes.
So your filters should be able to handle it.

And if you are only planning on doing a 20-30% water change weekly with the drip system. Your flow rate will be alot less.

Just my Thoughts
John

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:14 pm

.75 gph=126 gallons per week. This is enough to do 100% per week water changes on all but my 300 gallon pond. I'm only doing 30 gallons a week with it, so this will be more for it too.

I'm sure with this small flow rate the bios filters will keep up with it. I'm going right off the tap, no holding tank.

At this rate I would only need to change the filters 3 times a year.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:28 pm

Great job for so much convenience, hope everything works out for you in the longrun

zapisto · Post by **zapisto** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:15 am

which pump are you using to pressurize the drip system.
i want to use the waste of my RO , but i dont know wich pump use , because i will have to pour the water in a holding tank and then pressurize the sytem with a pump.
thanks

PS: nice install by the way

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 1:00 pm

No pump. I am running off line pressure.

If you can install a tank above aquarium level you can drip feed from there. That is what I started doing, but that was too much trouble.

Newjohn · Post by **Newjohn** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:26 pm

I have found that some of my tanks do not do so well with to clean of water.
It must hinder the growth of Micro-organisms.

Just my observations
John

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:07 pm

True, microorganisms need micronutrients justs as all plants and animals do.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 7:56 am

I find that in a drip system that changes only about 10% a day there is little effect on the micro organisms. Less of a shock than 50% a week.

zapisto · Post by **zapisto** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:09 pm

badflash
how things going with your system ?