new tank setup. ideas on filter components

[dtd7899]

hi im looking into a 5000ltre to 10000ltr fish only ras,ive been into saltwater aquariums for years and want to build a freshwater system to grow out some barramundi and murray cod or sleepy cod.ive been scratching my head as to what filter components to use that will address all the associated issues so any ideas on the following would be appreciated.i want a low maintance set up with low power comsumption but with over kill on the capacities of the system like being able to possibly add 1 more tank to the system should the need arise as it always does.the system would likly be 2 round centre drain poly tanks of 2500 ltres being the minimum size of the system and another 2 1000 ltre tanks for fingerlings or excess stock.the pumps im looking at for the right hydraulic pressure to run the following would be a brand called sequence pumps they go up to around 20000 ltr per hour flow rates but only chew 200 to 300 watts which is super efficient compared to standard pool pumps.id be looking at the 15000 lph or 18000 lph pump to support all with the purchase of 2 so a back up is on hand.the filter at this stage would consist of 1 of the multicyclone waterco swirl filter/claifier then 2 of the bag filters that also come from waterco look likes the cartridge type but houses the bag, capable of 1 micron filtering but id be using 50 to 80micron bags in the first filter and 25 or even the 1 micron in the second,hopfully taking care of the mechanical side of filtration.then to a trickle filter containing bioballs ,most likly 3 or 4 of the 200ltr blue poly drums plumbed together allowing degassing and airation then to a uv sterilizer then to a protein skimmer then back to the tank.my concern is nitrates,i wanted to incorporate a filter to deal with nitrates but so far im planning on water changes to address this.the uv may need to go after the skimmer but thats the system im looking into building in the next few weeks.my airation will also be supplied by 2 or 3 pumps as im still looking into oxygen generators/concentrators for down the track when fish are bigger.any ideas or improvments would be great.

[Crusty]

ive been scratching my head as to what filter components to use that will address all the associated issues so any ideas on the following would be appreciated.i want a low maintance set up with low power comsumption but with over kill on the capacities of the system like being able to possibly add 1 more tank to the system should the need arise as it always does.

Quite a few things come to mind but it sounds like you have it sorted.

I would be sourcing stock and appropriate feed first.

Sounds like a fun time. Good luck mate.

[dtd7899]

hi thanks im probably not going to stock anything for another 2 months to get the system up and going and run in properly and summer to kick in but ive got 1 or 2 sources lined up for when i do need them,as for feed im looking into it at the moment ,only want the best nutrition for them.im also going to try some peeled prawns in the mix for feed i catch bay/greasy prawns during summer which can actually live for awhile in freshwater so live feeders are a possibility and bannana prawns in winter so that may be of some benefit but a few issues with quarentine of wild prawns like any disease ,viruses or even bacteria which may pose problems,possibly freezing the prawn meat may over come that or cooking which id rather not do as the iodine content drops once cooked.does anyone have a similar setup to my proposed system above? and more importantly how does the fish taste? any odors or off flavours? im going to be feeding my whole family and any extras will be going to elderly people that are in need of a feed so i want a top product.i know quiet a few people that just cant afford to eat fresh australian fish.

[Crusty]

Cool, what sort of building do you plan to put this set up in? Any thoughts on temperature control for your three preferred species?

[dtd7899]

this system will be setup under my house so i can keep it locked up and away from someone drowning in it as i would assume the concile would want a fence around it otherwise.im planning on using polyurathane insulation to wrap the tanks and have lids made up also wrap the biofilter and skimmer ,i built my icebox on my trawler with the polyurathane in the 2inch thickness and im really happy with it.in the event that next years winter drops the temp too much i will use a gas heater same as what most houses run as i have a gas line under the house .just have to look into the copper plumbing ,i may needd to change them to 316 ss or titanium so it doesnt affect the fish.im excited in my new project and if all goes good over the next year i will be pouring a slab of concrete and building an insulated shed to take it to another level with the approval from dpi.

[Crusty]

Awesome.

Looking over the general layout, it looks good. Permit me a few questions.

Not sure about he cyclone from waterco, are they not more suited to swimming pools where the load is smaller? I have a feeling if you want a relatively low maintenance system, the addition of one of those cyclones will create quite a bit of work cleaning it every day.
Do you know the specific surface area of the bio balls you intend to use? Not sure the biofilter has been designed for the system.
What is the intented purpose of the protein skimmer?
The bag filters may be ok on a by pass but will not be much use on full flow and they will also create more work.

[dtd7899]

i was a bit sceptical about the multicyclone but after a bit of research they seem good for the job,flow rates are min 50 l per min up to 500 l per min,waterco supply these to the aquacultre industry who use them in bigger setups theres a few pics of them in use around on the web.they filter down to 40 to 50 micron super efficient and leave the traditional swirl filters for dead ,in there design they have the single swirl as well as 16 mini cyclones that surround the main swirl making them effective.my friend owns a swimart shop and they are a distributor for waterco who spent quiet a few million in testing and building these units.obviously instead of a traditional gravity fed swirl filter you will need a pump to run it but i think its worth a trial,ive seen a few in use on pools and due to the light load of a fishless pool they only require flushing once every month or 2 so im anticipating in my setup maybe twice a week for a flush or even once a solenoid could be put on the waste and with a timer it could do this cleaning itself,2 solenoids would give security.ive looked into a drum filter but dont like the cost of both the initial unit and the screens which cost a packet and feel its only for the bigger setups so thats why ive opted for the bag filters .the model im looking at is the c75 waterco bag filter which has a flow rate of up to around 250 to 300 l per minute i think and bags vary from 1 micron up so the idea was to pass the fish water through the multicyclone bringing the initial waste down to around 50 microns then to the bag filters which there will be 2 to allow better flow less back pressure and less cleaning.ther would be a 20 to 30 micron bag in the first bag filter then a 5 to 10 micron in the next,the bags may need to be trialed in there sizes to get it right.the bag filters are also sold and used in th aquaculture industry thers a website called emperor aquatics that are selling the same thing just without the waterco label they have a good example of how to plumb it up and suggest polishing the water with just bag filters.i could always add a third bag filter to spread it out more.the skimmer is for both doc's and airation/saturation and the final polish of the water ,ive always used skimmers in my coral grow out tanks and they do a good job so even though they dont work as good in freshwater i think it is still esential to have 1.the bio filter is still in my head as to which biofilter to use ,im leaning towards 3 or maybe 4 blue 200ltre poly drums filled with the smaller bioballs (20 to 25mm dia) and trikle the water evenly through them theres an aquasonic model bn200d biofilter that holds around 400 ltres of bio media and a fish capacity of 440kg and feed rate up to 5 or 6 kgs per day so there should be enough biomedia per poly drum to do my setup another poly drum could always be added with a buffer as well like oyster shell.the other idea is to use a food grade biodiesel conical bottom container on a stand in place of 3 or even 4 poly drums.all ideas are welcome nothing is certain yet so research is continuing on the pros and cons of all components and there suitability.

[Crusty]

Cool, looks like you have your mind set and it sorted out.
I am building a 10k barramundi nursery next month in Logan so, really looking forward to hearing how it all goes for you.

[dtd7899]

sounds good what type of system are you going to be running? and what sort of output will you be expecting ?

[Crusty]

Oh it's not mine, I only design and install them. It has: 6 x 2000L aquaculture tanks, 3000L sump, 10,000L bio with 3m3 of kaldness, Drum filter, The other usual suspects, pumps, air etc. I don't remember what out put was going to be (designed about 6 months ago). Given the volume of media though it will handle 30kg+ of feed per day.