Vacuum Cleaner

[BARRAMUNDI BRETT'O]

Hi all
I have been sitting back reading a few threads and thought i would share my idea for cleaning my fish tank,as my system is not yet at the cycling stage this method of cleaning has not been trialled by me but cant see why it wouldnt work,i havent seen any similar threads so i hope this isnt old news.My idea is simply to use one of those vaccum type cleaners for wading pools( which i purchased at clark rubber) it normally runs off a garden hose but my idea is to run it off my back up airator(bilge pump)situated in the fish tank,just have to have interchangeable fittings on the venturi connection.the waste is collected by a stocking or a interchangeable hose,the hose could be run back to a grow bed with the waste collected by a bucket filter etc.Here is a pic. HOO ROO

[GaryD]

Hi Brett,

It looks like a great idea. How much do these things cost?

Gary

[BARRAMUNDI BRETT'O]

G'day gary,I bought it with a small pool and to be honest i cant remember how much but probably around 50 or 60 dollars.i have used it in the pool connected to the garden hose and works very well off mains pressure,so should be great connected to the back up airator.
bye Brett

[GaryD]

Hi Brett,

I use a small spring-loaded syphon gadget on the end of a 19mm hose to suck the solids off the bottom of my tanks but it's difficult to catch the sediment so that it can be mineralised and returned to the system.

Your gadget seems like a better idea.

Gary

[BARRAMUNDI BRETT'O]

Hi Gary,you will be able to seperate all solids no problems,can you fill me in about mineralising and returning to the system,by this do you mean drying and using as fertiliser for the grow beds?.
bye Brett

[djs-sa]

i want to get 1 they are 54 bucks from clarks and comes with all the fittings and the filter bag/s

[GaryD]

Hi,

Mineralisation occurs in an anaerobic (the absence of oxygen) environment.

In a grow bed system, the solids are mineralised in the grow beds themselves but in an NFT or floating raft system a mineralisation tank is used.

On a small scale, a mineralisation tank often comprises nothing more complex than a settling tank (drum) filled with nylon bird mesh. The fish water is pumped slowly through the drum so that the solids stick to the bird mesh and are held in an anaerobic state for long enough to release the nutrients that are bound up in the solids.

A small bio-digester is another option for mineralisation. Take a drum with a close-fitting lid (a beer fermenter is good) and an airlock and fill it with water containing fish solids. Place it somewhere warm (but not hot) and about 30 days later the liquid will have been digested. By that stage, the solids will have been converted into plant nutrients.....and they can be returned to the system.

Sometimes, fish wastes and uneaten food will gather on the floor of the tank. As I indicated earlier, I syphon these solids out of the tank but your vacuum arrangement would allow me to collect the solids and put them into a mineralisation tank......or small bio-digester.

Gary

[fishfood]

Interesting the ballarat fish farm has about 30 races and ponds they just circulate the water around the whole system no filtration just a 2 in pipe topping it up from a bore i asked them about filtering they dont.. just clean the race ways once a year this has been running for 40 years Just before the pumps they have a paddlewheel oxegenater [ on a sad note there bore got contaminated and they lost everything]

[Marilyn]

Saw this vacuum cleaner at bunnings today for about $46.

[BARRAMUNDI BRETT'O]

Thanks for explaining that gary,looks like the vaccum could come in handy,if anybody goes for this option just remember not to run it off mains water as chlorine will be re introduced to the system,
Hoo Roo Brett

[Dufflight]

My creepy crawly died but has anyone used this in there system. I was only thinking about it the other day. It does make a clicking sound when running but it automaticly cleans the bottom when the pump is running. I know you have to have a large pump but would it scare the fish.

Also Murry have you looked into auto jets for the bottom of fish tanks. In pools they pop up and push solids on the bottom into a catcher down one end. In a FT all you need is a couple that come on with the pump and push the solids near the inlet to the pump. No more cleaning of the tank.

[Murray]

Also Murry have you looked into auto jets for the bottom of fish tanks.
No I haven't....tell me more please.