Mini Easy
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 12:46 pm
Over the past few weeks in a little spare time, I've been slowly making up a Mini Easy for my 450 gallon growing on pond. The 2" side wall drain from the pond feeds into a 24" diameter vortex, the outlet feeding a pump which feeds the showers.
Not sure I really needed an Easy in this situation, but thought it simple enough to make so experimented. Thought it may interest a few of you with similar quarantine/growing-on set-ups, who may want to do similar.
Having a little available time over the Christmas period I finally finished it this morning. The pictures describe it, but ignore the 'times' on the pictures, I wanst up that early!
14" diameter bucket from B&Q £2.50 if I remember correctly
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
This pic shows the pipework going through the bucket. The outlet from the Vortex is at the top and a side entry. The connecting piece (on the right hand side) is a bit of 2" warmed up and now just pushes over the outlet pipe. Can be removed if required!
The other end was a bit of 1.5" pipe warmed up with a paint stripper gun, flattened, then bent into shape, so it sits on the end of the vortex like a supporting bracket. Not pretty .......
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Top view of the pipe in place. I used a 'T' to join the pipework and then drilled loads of holes in the top and sides.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
This view is looking through the outlet pipe. You can see the holes at the top of the pipe inside and the 1.5" pipe is blancked off to stop any muck going up there.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
The aeration cleaning pipe, the 1.5mm air holes can be seen.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Aeration pipe fitted into place in the Easy bucket
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Showing it all in place.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
The 'bracket' in place
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Another picture of it all in place without any K1 in it
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Aeration pipework connected and K1 from my main pond now in place
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
This is the aeration pipe connections. The pipe coming from the right is from the air pump, into a 'T' with valves on either end. The connections to the air lines can be seen at the bottom and to activate the Easy aeration cleaning pipe all that I have to do is open the black valve, which is shown shut. This just lets the air go the easiest route, which is to the Easy chamber pipe.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
A picture of the unit in place. The K1 is floating above the inlet holes in the bucket.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
K1 bubbling away after the valve is opened.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Water draining away.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Water fully drained.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Be interesting to see how much muck does get taken out by this unit. The growing on pond is heavily fed and at 25 degrees, so I'm hoping for some interesting growth.
Not sure I really needed an Easy in this situation, but thought it simple enough to make so experimented. Thought it may interest a few of you with similar quarantine/growing-on set-ups, who may want to do similar.
Having a little available time over the Christmas period I finally finished it this morning. The pictures describe it, but ignore the 'times' on the pictures, I wanst up that early!
14" diameter bucket from B&Q £2.50 if I remember correctly
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
This pic shows the pipework going through the bucket. The outlet from the Vortex is at the top and a side entry. The connecting piece (on the right hand side) is a bit of 2" warmed up and now just pushes over the outlet pipe. Can be removed if required!
The other end was a bit of 1.5" pipe warmed up with a paint stripper gun, flattened, then bent into shape, so it sits on the end of the vortex like a supporting bracket. Not pretty .......
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Top view of the pipe in place. I used a 'T' to join the pipework and then drilled loads of holes in the top and sides.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
This view is looking through the outlet pipe. You can see the holes at the top of the pipe inside and the 1.5" pipe is blancked off to stop any muck going up there.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
The aeration cleaning pipe, the 1.5mm air holes can be seen.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Aeration pipe fitted into place in the Easy bucket
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Showing it all in place.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
The 'bracket' in place
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Another picture of it all in place without any K1 in it
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Aeration pipework connected and K1 from my main pond now in place
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
This is the aeration pipe connections. The pipe coming from the right is from the air pump, into a 'T' with valves on either end. The connections to the air lines can be seen at the bottom and to activate the Easy aeration cleaning pipe all that I have to do is open the black valve, which is shown shut. This just lets the air go the easiest route, which is to the Easy chamber pipe.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
A picture of the unit in place. The K1 is floating above the inlet holes in the bucket.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
K1 bubbling away after the valve is opened.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Water draining away.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Water fully drained.
[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... al%201.jpg[/img]
Be interesting to see how much muck does get taken out by this unit. The growing on pond is heavily fed and at 25 degrees, so I'm hoping for some interesting growth.