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Permalink Reply by Peter on August 8, 2012 at 4:16pm

i had a in tank 1 for a 10g with great results pretty easy to diy. i think they actually sell some. yup a quick google search came up with alot of them and diffent sizes . http://www.google.com/#q=fluidized+bed+filter&hl=en&prmd=im...  also people dont try to market new models of that type of filter cus u can also google diy fluidize bed filter and u get the instructions to make 1 yourself and whatever size u want. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzY7PZycmc4&list=PLC9A3D200D43C7...

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Permalink Reply by Chad Meyer on August 8, 2012 at 4:49pm

yea i'd just buy a phosban reactor(modify it of course) add some XBSC yadda yadda pellets to do the same thing

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Permalink Reply by LED on August 8, 2012 at 4:41pm

I assume you mean liquid fluidized beds for the use of nitrification?

I can see the use of it but since the technology isnt ground breaking I dont see why people would change to something that will be more expensive.  I can see the advantage of downsizing filters for the use of huge tanks.  but Since its not very popular and not in the minds of enthusiasts i dont think it will become big.  

Once its commercialized on a larger scale i can see people maybe wanting them.  But for small applications I dont believe it will EVER take off.  Think of some parent getting their child a 10 gallon tank.  They wont have an option to have a fludized bed bio reactor for nitrification.  it would be easier to get a HOB filter sytem since one can get it for 10 dollars at walmart.

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Permalink Reply by Chad Meyer on August 8, 2012 at 5:22pm

I am only fluidizing with glass blasting media that way plants still get all the nutrients they want

 

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Permalink Reply by Mr Puffer on August 8, 2012 at 5:57pm

Who really cares as long as it gets the job done? It doesn't need to be fancy. Nature isn't fancy. As long as it is reliable, quiet, and keeps the fish healthy, does it matter if it's brand new tech or not? Canister filters have been around for a long time BECAUSE THEY WORK. Who really cares if it's clunky. It's not like you are moving it every day. Big tanks require clunky filters like the Fluval FX5. This isn't the cell phone industry where the smallest is the best.

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Permalink Reply by Chad Meyer on August 8, 2012 at 8:17pm

My goal when i first started planted tanks was to have a tank that looked good took care of itself and i never had to clean (unless i wanted to)  seriously i have an invention where i dont even need to feed the fish at all ever and they are getting fat.  So fat i had to downscale my invention and the color on these fish is like what you would find in nature.  this isnt my first or last breakthrough in fish tank tek.  im striving to make nature better fludization is one aspect. 

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Permalink Reply by Chad Meyer on August 8, 2012 at 9:14pm

o i should clarify the fish get fed but by more natural means

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Permalink Reply by Robert Jango on August 9, 2012 at 3:41am

I guess we'll have to wait for the patent to go through. But in the meantime may I suggest a female guppy and maybe some blackworms that are allowed to establish themselves in the substrate and reproduce so fish can dig them out at their leisure. I know worms in the soil sounds disgusting but its really not and they help keep the gravel clean.

And in the summertime a rain barrel or container of water will provide endless supplies of mosquito larvae, bloodworms, and other types of insect larvae with just a swoop of your baby brine shrimp net.

And don't forget the lowly earthworm - God's gift to fish breeders. 

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Permalink Reply by Robert Jango on August 9, 2012 at 3:31am

Sorry. I've never used a fluidized bed. In fact I don't even use filters. I think the next big thing is plants - and in this respect Dustin is way ahead of the curve. Diana Walstad's "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium" provides the scientific basis. I'm sure you've heard of municipal sewage systems that use swamp plants like Water Lettuce and Water Hyacinths (Kudzu) to clean water. Incredibly, toilet water enters these man-made swamps and leaves ready to drink.

I have nothing against filtration systems - in fact they're beneficial. But there are plenty of natural and creative ways of increasing surface area without being ripped off with some expensive, hyped-up piece of Communist Chinese junk.  My outdoor pond has no filter and the bottom is caked with leaves (and God knows what else) but the ammonia and nitrates measure 0. Hearing all this talk about filters makes you wonder how tropical fish actually survive in the wild with little canister filters by their side.

Sorry about the rant...

I must admit I do like your entrepreneurial spirit and scientific approach though. Your post is refreshing and your enthusiasm is infectious. I'm actually going to google "fluidized bed filtration" just to see what I can learn - and for an anti-filter advocate like me that's a huge accomplishment. Keep the faith and see if you can come up with an easy way to change aquarium water - something besides the "Python". That would be ground-breaking. 

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Permalink Reply by LED on August 9, 2012 at 5:04am

heres a way to do water changes without having to do work once its installed 

http://youtu.be/NrJ3eAE4qQE

as for filtration systems, if one has say a hardscape, then its PARAMOUNT importance to have a filtration system with some sort of nitrification system

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Permalink Reply by Robert Jango on August 12, 2012 at 1:14am

Regarding the water change system - the key phrase here is "once its installed." And the guy in the video is talking about drilling a hole in the top of the tank to handle overflow. I don't doubt its a good idea for the dedicated fishkeeper (and thanks for the video) but it would never be popular.

If one has a hardscape (no substrate) floating plants are a great way to filter the water. In fact they do a better job than submerged plants like Anacharis and Hornwart.

Everybody has some sort of nitrification system. Its just a fancy name for the amount of (hard) surface area in your tank - the sides, rocks etc. And there's no doubt surface plays a key role in the aquarium. But a thicket of hanging roots from Water Lettuce or Water Hyacinths not only cleans the water but creates an incredible amount of surface area for bacteria. And in a tank with substrate a reverse flow undergravel filter is an aesthetically more pleasing and less obtrusive nitrification system than a fluidized bed filter.

Again, filters do a fine job, but there is more than one way to skin a cat. I just don't like paying any amount of money for a system. 

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy I on August 13, 2012 at 6:57pm

I find the best filter to be no filter. Él naturál, self-sustaining ecosystem. The main components you need are a shitton of plants, a couple of powerheads and a substrate with a high CEC. the rest should take care of itsself.

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