DIY Fluid Bed

Taggy · Post by **Taggy** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:21 pm

Well im not renowned for my DIY skills,but i had some fittings knocking around and a odd piece of 4 inch pipe.

After some advice from Sushi (Mark) i made myseld a Fluid Bed.

My only outlay was a ceramic ramikin 60P,and a non return valve Ã‚Â£15,and coral sand a Ã‚Â£5.00.Now wether this will all work well watch this space.

Graham

[img]http://www.koivista.com/files/Taggy/32837_DSCF1165.JPG[/img]

[img]http://www.koivista.com/files/Taggy/32839_DSCF1166.JPG[/img]

macaws fly · Post by **macaws fly** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 3:43 pm

graham, how will you see when the sand is bubbling around?
maybe you should have spent an extra tennor on a piece of 4"dia clear tube...

GERRY5 · Post by **GERRY5** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 8:45 pm

graham ....it would be nice to see the fluidisation but you can get away with one of these if you look down it with a torch to see the sand bubbling level , although its a bit hit and miss and when i tried it i ended up losing most of the sand , there is a site on ebay that does 1 metre lenghts for twenty quid.......clearplasticssupplies ....dont forget though you want the 110 mm o\d pipe if you go down that road.

jason-m · Post by **jason-m** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 9:48 pm

Graham, have a look here..

[url]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?View ... Track=true[/url]

Taggy · Post by **Taggy** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 9:52 pm

Thanks for that,im guessing i am looking for 110 mm??

Graham

Gazza · Post by **Gazza** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 10:08 pm

Nice one Taggy i must admit when i was building the QT i did think about building one for the QT just to see if i could and how they work perhaps one day i will

So what type of pump will you be using ???

sharpy30 · Post by **sharpy30** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 9:01 am

looks good graham.

for pipe try this.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-110mm-ACRYLIC-PIPE- ... dZViewItem

cheers dave

Taggy · Post by **Taggy** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 9:42 am

Good ideas guy's looks like good old E bay the Ã‚Â£20 clear jobby for me,lucky i havent glued together

Im hoping to run this off a Aquamax 10000 to Fluid bed,through my Trickle Tower,then return to pond gravity return.

Graham

andyb · Post by **andyb** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 12:10 pm

Hi Graham

Please do not think I am riding buckshot over your plans, but :

If you are thinking of using a 10,000 aquamax, then you will have to make a couple of additions to your fluid filter design.

Due to the size of the pump, you will need to install a secondary pipe to act a diverter so all flow does not rise up through the filter, or you will just empty the sand straight into the pond.

The idea of using the filter before your trickle towers is also not great, as again the pump pressure needed to rise up to the head of the tower would be too powerful to keep the sand within the filter tube.

Best way ( if you intend to keep to your existing design ) would be to use a much smaller pump and have the water pass through the filter at a pace that keeps the coral sand suspended in the middle of the tube, then straight into the pond.

If you was adamant that you wanted to feed the trickle tower, then you would need a non-return valve and a couple of ball valves so you could regulate the flow running through the sand and combine that with the flow running through your by-pass.

Hope this helps

Regards

Andy

PS wouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t want you to fill your pond with a load of sand ( been there

)

PPS I took mine off as I thought it was c**p

PPPS, check out Rainbow Koi in Wiltshire, thats where I got my 110mm clear plastic, nice guy, he will pop it in the post.

PPPPS. Good luck

Taggy · Post by **Taggy** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 12:50 pm

Cheers Andy,was hoping for a PM of off you also

Graham

Ps All good Points

PPS all noted

PPPs thanx again Buddy

andyb · Post by **andyb** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 7:33 am

Taggs

You have PM

Taggy · Post by **Taggy** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 8:17 am

So do u now young man

Graham