QUIKSAND DELTA ADVANCED FLUIDIZED BED FILTER

In development for more than 15 years, this is the most advanced fluidized bed filter available on the market today. It features a tapered
column design (3 U.S. Patents granted, 2 pending) and a media by-pass line that ensures years of trouble-free service.
The new column design greatly reduces the chance of an accidental media “wash out.” As the chamber widens at the top, the greater
cross-section of the cylinder slows the water’s velocity and contains the media. The filter can also be plumbed (if desired) with a media
by-pass line that allows the operator to feed water into the filter media both internally and externally, virtually eliminating the chance of
accidentally clogging the center supply tube.

ABOUT FLUIDIZED BED FILTERS

Fluidized bed filters are rapidly becoming the primary source of biological filtration in many modern aquaculture systems, replacing the
less efficient "trickle" filters now in service. While trickle filters and fluidized beds both rely upon the same species of bacteria for
ammonia and nitrite removal, it's how the two filters operate that sets them apart. It's very helpful to remember that in biological
filtration, it's actually the bacteria that do the work; the filter itself only provides a suitable "home" for the bacteria to colonize.

Trickle filters can best be described as open containers filled with various forms of solid media. As water enters the top of the filter, it
drains down through this media in a random, cascading fashion. Since the media is stationary, it relies upon the changing water
currents to keep the bacterial surface area moist.

Fluidized bed filters, on the other hand, are flooded cylinders or tanks, partially filled with a granular media, such as white quartz. Water
upflows through this media bed, causing it to expand and fluidize. The large number of bacteria that colonize this expanded media
serve to remove the nutrients that are present in the flowing water. What results is a highly efficient filter bed that is no longer solidly
packed, but is in dynamic motion. It is this combination that is the key to our QuikSand Filter's success.

While trickle filters may have relatively large amounts of surface area (up to 200 square feet per cubic foot of media), it is virtually
impossible for bacteria to colonize all of it. This is because water will take the path of least resistance as it moves down through the
media, often leaving dry areas and low flow, anaerobic pockets. Another serious problem with these filters is called "bio-fouling." This
occurs as particles of organic material lodge within the filter bed. Once clogged, you have no choice but to tear the system down and
clean it. This is not a pleasant job; but if left unattended, your water quality will rapidly degrade.

Fluidized bed filters, by design, do away with the trickle filter's shortcomings. The most obvious benefit is that all of the filter's large
 surface area is available for bacterial growth. With more than 6,200 square feet of surface area per cubic foot of media, you can quickly
understand why fluidized bed filters don't need to be nearly as large as comparable trickle filters. Since the water is evenly distributed
as it flows through the cylinder, there are also no anaerobic pockets of bacteria developing. The water that reaches the media is oxygen
rich and very conducive to rapid bacterial growth. Also, these filters are almost impossible to clog due to the constant motion of the
media. The filter bed is a mildly abrasive environment that is constantly cleaning and renewing itself as it moves quietly around inside
the cylinder.

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Dissolved Oxygen for Fish Production 1

Ruth Francis-Floyd 2

WHAT IS DISSOLVED OXYGEN?

Dissolved oxygen (DO) refers to oxygen gas that is dissolved in water. Fish "breathe" oxygen just as land animals do. However, fish
are able to absorb oxygen directly from the water into their bloodstream using gills, whereas land animals use lungs to absorb oxygen
from the atmosphere.

WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF OXYGEN IN AN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT?

There are three main sources of oxygen in the aquatic environment: 1) direct diffusion from the atmosphere; 2) wind and wave action;
and

3) photosynthesis. Of these, photosynthesis by aquatic plants and phytoplankton is the most important.

Oxygen, derived from photosynthesis, is produced during the day when sunlight shines on the plants in the water. Oxygen levels drop at night because of respiration by plants and
animals, including fish. These predictable changes in DO that occur every 24 hours are called the diurnal oxygen cycle ( Figure 1 ).

Figure 1. Dissolved oxygen concentration in ponds fluctuates on a 24-hour basis. This fluctuation is called a diurnal oxygen cycle.
Dissolved oxygen increases during daylight hours when photosynthesis is occurring and decreases at night when respiration continues
but photosynthesis does not.
WHAT IS OXYGEN DEPLETION?

Oxygen depletion refers to low levels of DO and may result in fish mortality. A concentration of 5 mg/L DO is recommended for
optimum fish health. Sensitivity to low levels of dissolved oxygen is species specific, however, most species of fish are distressed
when DO falls to 2-4 mg/L. Mortality usually occurs at concentrations less than 2 mg/L. The number of fish that die during an oxygen
depletion event is determined by how low the DO gets and how long it stays down. Usually larger fish are affected by low DO before
smaller fish are.

WHAT CAUSES OXYGEN DEPLETION?

Oxygen depletion occurs when oxygen consumption exceeds oxygen production. Increases in oxygen consumption can be caused by
an over-abundance of aquatic plants or algae in the ecosystem, "turnover" of a body of water (see Stratification/Pond Turnover
section), increased organic waste entering the water (i.e., manure from feedlots, septic tank waste water, and excess fish feed), death
and decay of organic matter (i.e., plant or algae die-offs), or by certain chemicals (i.e., formalin) that remove oxygen directly from the
water column.

WHY ARE OXYGEN DEPLETION EVENTS MOST TROUBLESOME IN THE SUMMER?

In outdoor ponds, oxygen depletion events can occur at anytime, however, they are most likely to cause fish kills during hot summer
weather. A decrease in oxygen production is caused by incidents such as cloudy weather and plant or algae die-offs that shut down
photosynthesis. Heavy populations of plants or algae are the most important producers of oxygen in the system. However, they are
also the most important users of oxygen. There are several reasons why oxygen depletion events are more common in the summer and
they are discussed below.

High Water Temperature

Warm water is much less capable of holding oxygen gas in solution than cool water. For example, water that is 90° F can only hold 7.4
mg/L DO at saturation, whereas water that is 45° F can hold 11.9 mg/L DO at saturation. This physical phenomenon puts the fish in
double jeopardy because at high water temperatures their metabolic rates increase, hence their physiologic demand for oxygen
increases.
Cloudy, Still Weather
Muggy, overcast summer days often precipitate oxygen depletions. During cloudy weather, the intensity of light reaching surface
waters is greatly diminished, resulting in a marked decrease in oxygen production from photosynthesis. Oxygen consumption,
however, remains unchanged. This results in a net loss of oxygen over each 24-hour period. This loss of oxygen from decreased
production is confounded by still, muggy, humid weather common on overcast summer days. Oxygen transfer (from the atmosphere
into the water) is minimal because there is little or no wind/wave action. The net result over a period of several days is oxygen
depletion and, often, fish kills.

Stratification/Pond Turnover
During hot weather, surface waters warm up more rapidly than deeper waters. As the difference in temperature increases between
warm surface water and cool bottom water, a thermocline develops. A thermocline is an area of rapid temperature change that acts as a
physical barrier between warm water at the surface (epilimnion) and cold water at the bottom (hypolimnion). When a thermocline is
present there is no mixing of surface and deep layers of water. Because photosynthesis and oxygen production only occur near the
surface, water in the deep layer becomes devoid of oxygen and develops an oxygen demand. The thermocline can be broken by heavy
wind and cold rain, common during summer thunderstorms. When the thermocline breaks down, the oxygen-rich surface waters mix
with oxygen-deficient bottom waters. If the oxygen demand is sufficient, all DO present will rapidly be removed from the water
column, resulting in severe oxygen depletion and a fish kill.

HOW TO DETERMINE IF LOW DO IS THE CAUSE OF A FISH KILL

 All fish die at approximately the same time (often during the night or in the pre-dawn hours).
 Large fish may be affected more than small fish.
 Moribund fish may be seen at the surface "gasping" for oxygen (this is called "piping").
 Some species may die with their back arched, gills flared and mouth open. This is most commonly seen in hybrid striped bass
and, occasionally, in catfish.
 The weather immediately prior to the fish kill may have been hot, still and overcast. A severe thunderstorm may have occurred
immediately prior to the fish kill.
 An oxygen depletion event severe enough to result in significant fish mortality is often observed in water with heavy
populations of algae or aquatic plants.

WHAT TO DO IF LOW DO IS SUSPECTED AS THE CAUSE OF A FISH KILL

The most important thing to do if fish are dying from low DO is to turn on an aerator. If emergency aeration is not available, little can
be done to help the fish. To confirm the problem, oxygen levels should be tested while the fish kill is in progress. Some county
extension agents are equipped with water testing equipment. In addition, biologists with the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish
Commission or an IFAS Aquaculture Extension Specialist may be available to assist.

PREVENTING OXYGEN DEPLETION

An oxygen depletion event can be predicted and, therefore, prevented by monitoring dissolved oxygen levels in a pond. The most
efficient tool for measuring DO is an electronic oxygen meter. These instruments are available through most aquaculture supply
companies at a variety of prices. Chemical test kits are also available. These are more troublesome to run, but are accurate and do not
require as great an investment by pond owners.

Commercial catfish farms often hire night oxygen crews to monitor the DO concentration in each pond at two-hour intervals through the night. This is the surest way of avoiding a fish
kill caused by low DO. Aeration systems can be turned on if oxygen levels drop below a certain concentration (usually 2-4 mg/L) depending on the fish species.

Monitoring oxygen throughout the night is impractical for recreational pond owners and part-time fish farmers. For these people it is easier to "predict" an oxygen depletion by
measuring DO levels in the late afternoon (5-6 p.m.) and late evening (8-10 p.m.). The decline in DO during the night can be predicted by graphing DO concentration against time on
standard graph paper ( Figure 2 ). If the projected concentration of DO is below 4 mg/L before 7 a.m. emergency aeration is recommended.

Figure 2. Estimation of potential for dissolved oxygen depletion.

If equipment to test DO concentration (meter or test kit) is not available, the following observations and conditions can be used to anticipate oxygen depletion:
  Fish swim at or near the surface gulping air (piping).
 Fish suddenly stop feeding.
 There is a rapid change in water color to brown, black or gray, signifying loss of an algal bloom.
 A putrid odor arises from the water.
 There has been an extended period of hot cloudy weather.
 There is a heavy summer wind and a rainstorm.

Emergency aeration should be applied whenever fish show signs of oxygen depletion or when dissolved oxygen drops below 4 mg/L.

Many recreational pond owners purchase aerators and place them on electric timers. Proper use of the timer should have the aerator turn on during the late evening (10 p.m. to
midnight) and turn off after daylight (7-8 a.m.). Using an aerator is not a complete substitute for monitoring DO concentrations and an oxygen depletion event resulting in a fish kill may
still occur. However, use of an aerator is recommended and will prevent many problems.

SUMMARY

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is oxygen gas (O2) that is dissolved in water. Most DO in ponds is produced during photosynthesis by aquatic
plants and algae. For this reason DO increases during daylight hours, declines during the night, and is lowest just before daybreak.
Dissolved oxygen concentrations below 5 mg/L may be harmful to fish and piping (gulping air at the surface) may be observed when
DO falls below 2 mg/L. Low levels of DO are most frequently associated with hot, cloudy weather, algae die-offs, or heavy
thunderstorms. Dissolved oxygen can be monitored using an electronic oxygen meter or chemical test kit. Emergency aeration should
be supplied whenever DO falls below 4 mg/L or environmental conditions favor an oxygen depletion event.

Footnotes
1. This document is Fact Sheet FA 27, one of a series of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Florida
Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. First published:
September 1992. Reviewed: May 1997, February 2003. Please visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. Ruth Francis-Floyd, Professor, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (College of Veterinary Medicine) and Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Florida
Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational
information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed,
color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more
information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative
Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.

Copyright Information
This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the
State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the
Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or
in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of
publication.

At the beginning of the pond's second season, I had a total of about 25 3"-7" koi and 100 goldfish, most of which
were under 4". Up to that time, I had relied on my water plants and stream bed to provide filtration and conversion of fish wastes. This
had worked well and the water quality had remained satisfactory, but I was not sure how much longer I could expect the plants to keep
pace with the increasing fish load. The koi were growing fast, and I didn't want to wait for a crisis before doing something. I also have
discovered that I enjoy plumbing projects and building in general.

I therefore decided to research and build a biological filteration system for the existing pond. The most common biofilter uses various sizes of gravel as the filter media in an out-of-
pond box. Many include a prefilter to trap large particles before they reach the biofilter media, extending the time between cleanings of the biofilter. A bottom drain is a common feature
for flushing sediment and muck out of the filter. Most filters also provide some means for aerating the water to create an oxygen-rich environment for the bacteria that colonize the
media.

I decided against using gravel because I didn't want to deal with such a massive filter. It seemed to me that lighter weight materials would be easier to deal with and would not require
the same strength in a container. I toyed with the idea of using cone-bottom cylindrical tanks to hold the media, since it helps concentrate the muck in a smaller volume and makes
cleaning more water efficient, but I never found an economical source for these tanks. The best source I found wanted $178 for one small cone-bottom tank, and that was direct from
the manufacturer.
 I ended up buying two 100-gallon Rubbermaid
stock watering tanks from a local feed store, Half
Moon Bay Feed & Fuel. They cost me $94 per tank.
I've since learned that they are available for
substantially less in other parts of the country. I
arranged the tanks side by side, with the second
tank about 8" lower than the first to allow the
second tank to be gravity fed from the top of the
first. The return from the filter to the pond
would rely on gravity also, and I therefore chose
to use 4" ABS to plumb the connection between
the two tanks and the return to the pond. I
wanted a large pipe to ensure that I could
acheive an adequate flow rate.
Relying on gravity also required that the tanks
themselves be placed above the level of the
return to the pond. I built two simple raised
supports from concrete blocks and redwood
2"x6" lumber.

For media, I chose medium-coarse fiber mats,

available from Aquatic Eco-Systems. I cut the 24"
wide, 40' roll of fiber mat into 8 pads, each
trimmed to fit snugly into the tank.
I purchased eggcrate lighting material from a
local home center to serve as a shelf to support
the fiber mats above the tank bottom.
For aeration, I decided to try an aeration tower,
since it seemed simple to build and compatible
with my plans for an upflow filter. The 2"
flexible PVC supply line fits loosely into the 4"
ABS aeration tower, allowing air to mix with
the water as it splashes down.
I drilled many 1/4" holes near the bottom to
allow the water to enter the first tank. I attached
the tower to the tank using an ABS flange and
silicone adhesive. To the right of this picture
you can see the tank's bottom drain opening.
To get the water from the top of the first tank to
the bottom of the second, I used 4" ABS pipe
attached to the side of the first tank, running
horizontally over the side of the second tank,
and finally dropping vertically to within an inch
of the bottom of the second tank.
 I again used an ABS flange to attach the pipe to
the side of the tank.
Unlike the aeration tower, I used stainless steel
bolts in addition to the silicone adhesive to
attach the pipe, and had to cut through the side
of the tank with a jigsaw. On the inside of the
tank, I used both rubber and stainless steel
washers on each bolt to prevent leaks.
I was then ready to install the shelves in both
tanks. Both shelves required a hole to accept the
4" supply pipe.
The fiber mats were installed on the shelves. I'm
currently using 4, 1" thick mats in each tank as
my only media.
To allow for cleaning the filter, I installed a ball
valve on each bottom drain, and connected the
two drain lines with 1" flexible PVC.
With the filter finished, my next decision was
what pump to use. I had a 1/3 HP Teel circulating pump
installed in my pump house already, but it
wasn't the most efficient pump and the filter
would require that I run the pump continuously,
so efficiency was important.
 I decided to replace the Teel pump with a
Sequence 1000 1/6 HP pump from Multi-Duti. This
pump had higher flow rates than the 1/3 HP Teel
while using about half the electricity. It is also
considerably quieter than the Teel pump in part
because it pumps at half the RPMs. Here you
can see the new pump installed in the pump
house, with a new 2" PVC pipe heading toward
the biofilter. To retrofit my plumbing for the
new pump, I used flexible PVC between the
basket strainer and the pump inlet.

I installed a ball valve on the 2" pipe to allow me to control the

flow of water to the filter.

Finally, I had to decide how to return the filtered water to the pond. I could run the return line directly into the pond, run it into the pool at the top of the stream, or any number of other
possibilities. I had wanted to add a waterfall to my pond, so I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity: I would build a waterfall at the top of the stream and supply it with water
from the filter.
With the plumbing changes, my new plumbing
system was a bit more complex than the original..
Here's a picture of the completed filter. Don't worry if you can't find it, that's the idea afterall. You can just make out the
brown 2" flexible PVC pipe rising from behind the short fence to the left of the garden gate. The filter itself is behind the
short fence near where it meets the back fence.

As I write this, the biofilter has been in operation for about two months. After about one week, the water in the pond became dramatically clearer. I can now see the bottom, three feet
down, almost as if the pond were empty. Prior to building the filter, I could barely make out the pond's white bottom drain on a good day, and not see it at all on many days. The filter
needed cleaning after the first week, but went 6 weeks before the next cleaning.

I'm very satisfied with the filter so far, but will probably make a variety of subtle changes in the future, more for the fun of tinkering than for the need to improve it.
From here, you can move on to any of the other pond pages: