"RichToyBox" wrote
The beads in a bead filter are floating polyethylene beads. These same
beads are used in the manufacture of plastic items such as plastic
corrugated pipe, milk jugs, etc. If you can find a plastics manufacturer,
you can probably save a bundle over buying them from a pond outfit like
www.aquaticeco.com. The filter itself is usually a pool sand filter
body. The valve must be changed out or modified to have the water flow up,
rather than down in the filter position. The diatomatious earth filter
heads are designed for upflow. The filter body should be filled about
half full of the beads.

The above is correct in every way. However, if you already own a pool
filter, changing a some PVC plumbing to make the water go in at the bottom
and out at the top is no big deal. (*Make sure you put in some sort of
screen to prevent washing out the beads.)


The commercial filters have added a spa blower 1.5 or 2 HP to blow air in
through the bottom during cleaning to break up the bead pack and get a
good cleaning. This is necessary with the standard low head filter.
Without a blower, a high pressure, high volume pump is required, and even
then periodically the filter must be opened to get all the bead pack
broken up.

The above is accurate, and retrofitting such an air pump would be possible,
but very problematic. Alternatgely, you can just open it and break up the
bead masses more often as he describes.

My favorite bead filter is the Sacremento Koi Advantage bead filters.
They have about the best design going. Their web site is
http://www.sacramentokoi.com/index.php and look at the advantage filter
system. They have pictures with dimensions, backwash instructions, about
bead filters, etc.

These seem to be excellent filters. However, a second mortgage may be
required to buy one. OTOH, if you were a serious breeder you would have to
have one of this quality as a cost of doing business.


Michael
New Orleans, Louisiana USA
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