carbon tube

[jetchanic]

Re: carbon tube

Man i think this is getting a little too complicated to be practical.  just my opinion.

[peterp63]

Re: carbon tube

Nah... Get a length of 6 or 8 inch PVC.  Cap both ends and install fittings... throw some floss in, some sand, more floss, carbon, more floss.  Done.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: carbon tube

Nah... Get a length of 6 or 8 inch PVC.  Cap both ends and install fittings... throw some floss in, some sand, more floss, carbon, more floss.  Done.

Something like this should be mounted vertically with inlet at the bottom.

[peterp63]

Re: carbon tube

Oh.  Well that kinda messes up my plan.  Why not horizontal again??

[eklikewhoa]

Re: carbon tube

The water will not be forced to go through all the carbon thus being less efficient......that's why the bought carbon filters work so well...water has to work it's way upwards through the carbon.

[jetchanic]

Re: carbon tube

ek. is def. right the water will come into contact with the carbon much more in the vertical position.

[PhishPhreek]

Re: carbon tube

Just thought I’d pass on what the industrial water treatment plant in Bayport does for their plant water. (I was part of the design team that automated it in the 90’s)

They pump in water from the canal and add lime to it,
Run it through an inline mixer and dump it in a big round tank with stir paddles.
The lime makes the suspended particles coagulate and sink to the bottom.
The the mud is then pumped to a settlement pond.
The clear water is skimmed off the top and sent to a group of sand filters.
The filters cycle and one is always being backwashed to the settlement pond.
The water that passes through the bottom of the sand filter goes to a holding pond
Where they add chloramines (and/or other chemicals) to keep the algae down.
Then the water is pumped to all of their customers.

There are still some suspended particles and the best way to remove them is with a 5-micron paper filter cartridge. (These will plug the carbon over time).  Filter Foss, foam or angel hair can be used to do a fair job.

You still have the chemicals to deal with – forcing the water through carbon works because the carbon has tiny pores that trap the chemicals.   Eventually the carbon will plug and need to be replaced.  Or, you can use a venturi to inject some de-chlorinator.

And still after that, you have hardness from minerals (lime) that the water has picked up.
Good for rift lake cichlids (Africans) but not good for rain forest fish. (SA or Asian)
A RO systems works by having such tiny pores that only the water molecules can get through and the water w/ minerals goes down the drain.  Expensive RO filters can be backwashed, inexpensive ones will need to be replaced.  This takes out the hardness but it also takes out the essentials minerals that your fish need so you will need to add back some hard water or some expensive mineral supplements.

[peterp63]

Re: carbon tube

GREAT POST!!

[peterp63]

Re: carbon tube

Any ideas where I could buy a 30 gallon plastic drum??  55 gallon seems a bit too big.

[PhishPhreek]

Re: carbon tube

There is a place over here, South of Dickinson, on the east side of Hwy 146

[peterp63]

Re: carbon tube

Do you know how much $$?

[PhishPhreek]

Re: carbon tube