Hi Damian,
Ok,my pump is rated at 8500 lph,but with the head it lifts it comes out roughly 5000 lph,the system is now just under 3000 litres and i turn it over the tanks over just under once per hour,the remaining gets pumped back into the sump for that hopefully little extra oxygenation.
I clean during my timed off perod,i run 21/2 hours on 1/2 off,this is how long it takes to drain the beds almost empty,i like to think it takes detritus with it.By night i have three cycles one of one on,this stabilises temps saves money with no detrimental effect. When i clean,opening the drain inter ups the flow anyway because of the standpipe arrangement,plus one stir and its full of poo,this is heading one way,out the drain.
I thought about tilting the barrel but chickened out at the building stage,with the way my swirl filter comes in and out through the bottom with the right cuts and angles on the elbows it should work.
The swirl filter works that well you only need one per feed from your fish tanks,on my tubes now there is an extra barrel full of shade cloth to polish the water of everything,i will post the pics tomorrow,it really works very well,but all credit to Ryan of Chattersons farm for pointing me in the right direction,Oh and Charlie for copying Ryan.The tubes are now a system within the system,having there own pump and filters,these run constant as appose timed flood and drain for the main system.
A 2inch drain really does shift things,i wish i had put that in the side of mine,but with the fittings i have available i was worried it wouldn’t seal.
I like the airlifts in the tanks,with the flow plus the air,it might only be an impression but you can actually see things move to the drain and disappear,in the fry tank i sometimes need to help it along as the cut outs are that much smaller in the guard.
I hope this helps and i have answered some of it,if not just keep asking...
