DIY carbon chamber idea

[Liam]

I have been thinking how to improve the effeciency of carbon in our systems.Carbon seems to do a geat job but a bag of it dropped in the sump or wherever is only filtering a small percentage of our system.Even chambers holding carbon with their own pump have such slow flow rates they are still only capturing a small percentage of flow through the sump.
So here's my thought,if i were to use one of the spherical carbons now available would it be possible to build a compartment to hold carbon that is only 1/2 inch wide but is the full width of my sump and deep enough to extend above the water level.It would be removable for recharging.
Do you think this is feasable and any ideas on the material for the screens in the chamber(would have to be some kind of fine meshed rigid plastic product)

All ideas and thoughts gladly accepted!

 

[Pat H.]

Do you know the average size of the spherical carbon?

I was actually thinking of a similiar idea lately. I was thinking of making an acrylic box approx. 2x2x12 to hang inbetween the baffles in my homemade sump, and maybe using fiberglass window screen on the top and bottom of the box. Maybe even nylon stocking material.

Make sense?

I'm just not sure if the carbon will fit thru the screen. My system is like 400 gl so i'd like to hold around a liter of carbon.

Just curious, why does it have to extend above the surface? In my minds eye,
if you cover the space inbetwwen the baffles then the water has to go thru the carbon box. Of course my DIY sump is probably alot different than yours.
Thanks, Patrick

 

[Liam]

We are on the same line of thought.I said to extend above the waters surface only to describe that there was no other way for the water to flow than through the carbon.In reality it could be done exactly as you describe.
As regards the particle size,i have the Seachem stuff and it is around 1/4" so screening it shoud not be a problem.I think you would need to use the spherical to prevent clumping and hence obstructing flow.I think the screen needs to rigid to be durable and to hold the carbon uniformly.
-Liam.

 

[wrassefan]

Do a search on a thread by Syris....he did a carbon chamber project. Looked great!!

 

[Liam]

Do a search on a thread by Syris....he did a carbon chamber project. Looked great!!

Thanks Andy found the thread he did a great job.My idea is slightly different though,i am thinking of making the chamber the width and depth of my sump,kind of like a slide in deal.I am thinking this will be filtering more water per pass through the sump.The flow rate will still be slow due to the large surface area .

 

[wrassefan]

keep us all posted...will be interested in your results

 

[Pat H.]

wrassefan- Thanks from me too! I'll check it out when i get a chance.

ltelus- I just drew up my idea in Acad and saved it as a bitmap file. I'm not sure how to post it here (plus it's 319kb). If you like, i'd email it to you so you can check it out. PM me if your interested. Drawing the idea is easier than explaning it verbaly I think.

Thanks, Patrick

 

[Pat H.]

wrassefan, you are right that's a great idea from Syris. I'm not sure which idea is better. But i think if each were to get clogged i'd rather it be Syris's setup because the box covering the sump flow could be a huge problem.
With Syris's setup, the flow would just decrease thru the carbon until it stopped.

I guess i'll keep thinking about it for now.
Thanks, Patrick

 

[Liam]

wrassefan- Thanks from me too! I'll check it out when i get a chance.

ltelus- I just drew up my idea in Acad and saved it as a bitmap file. I'm not sure how to post it here (plus it's 319kb). If you like, i'd email it to you so you can check it out. PM me if your interested. Drawing the idea is easier than explaning it verbaly I think.

Thanks, Patrick

Sure,that would be great.If you are worried about blockage in the sump,i don't think we need to because the chamber would be built to the height of your normal sump water level,not right to the top of the sump,if the carbon became clogged enough to impede flow then the water level would rise and flow over the top of the chamber as if it were a baffle

 

[Pat H.]

Yeah, I see what your saying. But possibly in my case the end section of my sump could run low killing my pump. Although the backflow would probably just go over the baffle like your saying. You might be able to tell from my bitmap. It's part of the actual drawing i used to build my sump.I'll try sending it.
Patrick

 

[Liam]

Yeah, I see what your saying. But possibly in my case the end section of my sump could run low killing my pump. Although the backflow would probably just go over the baffle like your saying. You might be able to tell from my bitmap. It's part of the actual drawing i used to build my sump.I'll try sending it.
Patrick

My email is ltelus at yahoo dot com
thanks,Liam.

 

[marco67]

I'm running a fluidized carbon 'reactor' at home that I made from a STD water filter housing. It works great! It's a little hard to explain with out looking at it but it's simple.
The nipple or ring that recieves the filter cartrige will also fit a 3/4" pvc coupling, using a short section of 3/4" pvc with a coupling on one end and a cross on the other, insert the the cross down into the canister over the botom nipple (it will stand on it's own) slide a sponge over it (cut round so it fits tight) fill the canister with carbon then another sponge. Make the PCV height so that it fits tight onto the top nipple when you screw the canister on.
Now if any of that made sense....it should be easy to see how this guy works
Just make sure you pump into the port marked 'out' this will send water down the center>out each side of the cross (under sponge) then up through the media (carbon, Rowa-Phos..etc) and out.

 

[smcnally]

Why not just set up a closed loop witha carbon chamber inline? That way if it clogs up (which it shouldn't if cleaned regularly) you wouldn't have to worry about it. It wouldn't affect your water levels at all.

 

[NateHanson]

I'm running a fluidized carbon 'reactor' at home that I made from a STD water filter housing.

Marco, that's what I've been wanting to do, but I'd like to find a housing that's smaller than the standard RODI size. Is the housing you used the typical ~12"x4" size found on most RODI systems? Do you have a source for smaller ones (about half that size would be good for me). What sort of sponge did you use for barriers above/below the media?

Thanks,
Nate

 

[marco67]

Using the standard size, It's really not that big by the time all is said and done it holds about 3/4 Lb.
and fluval sponge, I'll have to check but I think it's the 204 that fits with little waste.