DIY $10 Aquaponics swirl filter

[@jamieholland8951]

Nothing better than DIY projects for such an eco-friendly system.

[@GreenDesertTV]

Hi Jason, my second pump is 390 gph with a maximum pressure of.4bar. None of that matters for my setup. I just use my second pump to run the swirl filter, so all it has to do is pump enough solids to settle out by the swirling motion. Hope that helps and good luck.

[@backyardfarmer12950]

Very ingenious! I especially liked how you cut a radius into the 5 gallon bucket lid and made your cone so the solids would fall to the center.

[@GreenDesertTV]

The solids are kept in the swirl filter, giving chance for the right bacteria to form, which in turn is pumped up to the grow bed. Some of the solids make it up to the grow bed for the plants and the worms. More importantly, solids are limited to prevent clogging of the grow beds. It's really all about obtaining that perfect balance.

[@GreenDesertTV]

Chris this does run on a separate pump. The pump takes the water to the swirl filter, then if flows back into the fish tank.

[@jonunderwood4662]

Every once in a while with patience, you come across a gem of an idea like this one! I have seen dozens of ideas in my research on ways to filter out solids but this is the best yet. Well done my man. Thankyou.

[@TheJWolfProductions]

Nice job. Got my liner installed this morning. My question... From your pump to the input looks like maybe 3/4" set up and pipe. From bucket output....to grow bed......1 1/2" out put to prevent overflow? Went to a big box retailer and guy said this system would not work because the bucket does not have flat sides....Told him I had seen numerous videos...he looked at me like I was crazy. You said you use to "o" rings.....one inside and the other outside? Thanks in advance for any help or ideas given. Btw the guy said I should use bulk head adapters........they are only 14 bucks each....

[@TheJWolfProductions]

Thank you for the response. Obliviously, I am new to this, doing my research and getting ready. My initial thoughts are I will pump to the swirl, the flow out to a bio filter, from there to grow beds.. In my mind from swirl down will be gravity fed. Thanks again for the info.

[@Trendsetic]

Very informative. I've never seen a swirl filter quite this good. I will try this. It would be great if you had links to the specific parts you are using.

[@714ERIC661]

I like your idea. Was wondering where the water is pumped from. Does it come from the grow bed itself or a speedster pump? Thanks!

[@Workaholic318]

Just a heads up, PVC glue is designed for use with potable water and is totally safe for fish. great design on the filter!

[@Skeptic100100]

Thanks for the Vid...where/how is the pipe feeding the swirl positioned ? In other words, is it positioned in one spot or does it move around the bottom of the tank for maximum cleaning ? Thanks again

[@tycho11]

Great video! Using the lids to create a cone is ingenious! I had a quick suggestion, you may consider instead of using a pot to slow your swirling install a valve to back off flow and move your dual intakes closer to your overflow pointed down. In my experience the slower you get your swirl the better chance your fish poop falls out of suspension! You can also divert your pump volume in to a simple PVC tube splash aerator.

[@GreenDesertTV]

If I'm reading your question right, you should be fine going from your grow bed to your swirl filter if the filter is lower than your grow bed, but you will need some type of pump to get the water back into your grow bed once its cleaned.

[@GreenDesertTV]

yes two pumps. Pump1 =Tank>swirl> back into tank. Pump2 = to grow bed>back into tank. Slow is generally good, gives enough time to drop solids out. So do you have your going from swirl>grow bed> back to tank?

[@jpollard117]

Solid video, pun intended. That is a great design and I will make for the system I am building, thanks again.

[@Edwardtonnn]

Fantastic video. Love how you tested the filter design at the end. I subscribed to your channel.

[@GreenDesertTV]

Glad you liked it and thanks for subscribing!

[@GreenDesertTV]

For my system water levels is not an issue. My system is about 150-200 gallons. So even though I have two pumps it's not an issue. If you have a much smaller tank that could be an issue, so just use much smaller pumps or adjust your flows to maintain the balance you want.

[@stoutmtc]

Very nice swirl filter instruction video. I would note that you can still get clogged/anaerobic zones simply due to the root balls of the plants. But I've found that to be easy enough to deal with (my aquaponics system has been running for nearly three years now). Also, recommend that you add the fish effluent/irrigation water to the soil of your garden rather than splashing it on the leaves. The risk of pathogens is lower in fish effluent than in mammal feces, but it isn't zero.

[@MrJoyholland]

thank you for the quick respons, but i am not planning on going from growbed to filter, i am planning to go from aquarium straight to the filter wich stands in a sump tank, and from there one motor wil push filtered water back up above to growbed, hoping that i only need one pump to push the water back up. and i should be happy avoiding a second pump, but i am still not sure if an over flow or syphon will work because it cannot suck air from anywhere.. thanks again, keep it growing

[@GreenDesertTV]

Thx Jwolf! There is a pump that goes directly to the swirl filter. Once the level in the swirl filter rises to a certain level it flows out the pvc pipes back into the fish tank. Hope that helps.

[@sneakinup1]

Super clear,to the point , easy to understand.Then test comparison at the end caps it off.Thank You

[@GreenDesertTV]

Yea, it is really one of the 3 you mentioned. It's difficult at first to reach that balance. I think my system is just reaching a balance. I found a ton of baby red wigglers in the grow bed. Don't know how they got there but nature makes it happen.

[@ds755]

Well done video. Clean sound, clear step by step instructions and results shown at the end of the video.

[@aquaponic85]

and as for glue, aquarium sealant is made for fish and would work for pvc if you wish to make things a tighter more secure fit

[@GreenDesertTV]

We plan on putting some in this winter (summer might be too hot for them). But I've often wondered if the worm poo will clog the system up over time.

[@ناسررهیمی]

Thanks for the cone concept I was going to use it differently, Your idea is easier.

[@shawndaley5907]

great video! do you rely on your pump to move the solids from the fish tank to the swirl filter? I will do the same since I don't have the space for a SLO tube.

[@jasonfedelem]

What specs do you use for your secondary pump in terms of flow rate and head pressure? I'm guessing head pressure isn't a big deal, and hoping I don't need as much gph as I do on my main system pump. Getting ready to build my first system and just working everything out. Thanks for the great vid!

[@thomasboyle3569]

Thank you for the video. I do have a question. Do you have the pump sending the water out of the fish tank into the swirl filter, and THEN into the grow bed, or is this a second pump sending water into the swirl filter independent of the grow bed pump?

[@wildoxidizer]

from the swirl tank does it go to another holding tank or back to the fish tank? I would put the holding tank from the swirl then pump to the grow beds and use gravity to siphon the fish tank... nice vids man great work!!!

[@RobertPuckett4]

Thanks for this video. I'm making one today. A question for you: have you had trouble with the hydroton pulling down plants or seeds in a fill and drain system. Do you have any recommendations?

[@GreenDesertTV]

Yea I saw that on a few vids as well. I just didn't think I needed it, my plants have experienced amazing growth so I just never bothered. As far as catching the solids I used the painters bags, but as more and more worms appeared in my grow bed I stopped using them. The worms would now break down any large solids the swirl filter didn't catch. Hope that helps

[@chewilockhart538]

Well done! I've used red wiggler worms in my clay grow beds to eat away at fish poop solids and decaying roots from earlier plants.

[@TheBobyetti]

I have been told to let solids go into grow beds unless your using a raft system? I would think you would want more of the fish waste in beds to breakdown to create more nitrates.I currently have 3 24'x4' grow beds and have let the all water go into grow beds for over a year no problems with plant growth. I like your filter though very effective and I think a must for raft system. I have media hydroton which you have. If you could explain why important for your system.

[@RealKungFu]

Hanif, this video is awesome! I'm getting ready to start my pond and aquaponics system!

[@GreenDesertTV]

Hi Skeptic100100. Thx for watching. My pumps are stationary, they don't move around. The fish keep the water moving around enough that most of the solids get pumped out into the swirl filter or get pumped into the grow bed.

[@stoutmtc]

Love the idea of turning the lid into a cone. If I didn't already have all the parts to make a swirl filter out of a re-used 5-gallon water bottle, I'd be interested in implementing this design instead. Cool!

[@janicefreedom8665]

you added worms to the table? They have enough to live on with just those stones in there? and so you have removed that painter bags or the coconut?

[@sangek8795]

i like your simple style ,and cheaper then a lot of the others, thanks a lot .

[@GreenDesertTV]

We have worms in the grow bed now. Finding that perfect balance of the right amount of food, combined with the right amount of fish, in combination with the right amount of worms breaking down the solids perfectly in time to avoid oxygen lockout or blockage ...has been tuff. Easier to add a filter for us. Plus we want the fish solids on our other gardens as fertilizer. It's much easier to pull the solids out of the swirl filter and put it directly in the garden or container for later use.

[@GreenDesertTV]

Yea I like having the two pumps so that I can better control the system in case one pump fails. Don't forget to buy some red wigglers for the grow bed. They are the clean up crew and in my opinion just as important as the fish.

[@jordomaj1]

Nice job. I start building my swirl filter this week

[@chogg611]

Great filter, great back ground music.

[@MrTroutguy]

Question for you: When you are at your grow bed and are talking about the panters bags...What is the big sponge looking thing? Whats the name? Ive been looking for something similar and apparently have not been using the correct nomenclature. thanks in advance!

[@GreenDesertTV]

Glad you liked it, It is still very useful for my system.

[@ilookafterthewater601]

Clever. Question though: how about a simple gravel filter? Basically, water loaded with sediment is gravity fed to the top of a bucket full of fine gravel which bleeds out at the bottom in to a clear-water container. As the water percolates down through the gravel, both mechanical AND biological filtration takes place. It's a take on the undergravel filtration process used in fish tanks, but it's powered by gravity instead of bubbles or powerheads. Any thoughts about this?

[@aquaponiclogic7837]

Great description on the in rock bed filter PRO!

[@GreenDesertTV]

Thx for watching, If you have any specific ideas on how we can make them more simpler we are open to hear about your ideas. Thx again for watching.

[@wildoxidizer]

I think I improved on your design i took the flower pot and turned it upside down and then put the cone in side it with the swirl in that pretty much the way you have it except pot upside down then I dropped pea gravel on top of the pot and covered it then 2 inches of sand. All the solid stay at the bottom under the gravel and sand. You can open the value to clean it. water stays clean on top....Thinking on getting lids for the bucket so I can pressurize with the air and then I wont need a pump

[@TheJWolfProductions]

Awesome job. Would like to see how you hooked up the pump to the swirl. From the swirl to the bio filter is gravity or did I miss something? Great Video.....keep doing what you are doing.;

[@ChrisWarWalker]

i love you swirl filter idea. but one question i have is do you still have worms in your grow bed even though you filter out most of the large particles in your system?

[@sandertel]

In any case, taking the fishpoo from the system may cause you to run out of nutrients at some point. Poo does contain nutrients (in unprocessed from that is) and need be intriduced at some point. I have heard (from Dr Murray) that he uses some sort of external digestion tank/system for fish solids to free up the nutrients which can be introduced when needed...

[@Clicklc1500]

Always a pleasure to hear an intelligent black man speak. Thanks for sharing!

[@GreenDesertTV]

If fish solids get into the bed they can clog the system up and cause blockage of oxygen and nutrients. Then u have to clean the bed out and its a major problem. So it's best to filter the solids out unless u have the right amount of worms to break it down. Finding that balance is tricky though.

[@shetip6269]

Have you thought about going to the dollar store and using cheap panty hose as a socks as a filter for the grow beds.

[@vr6isfaster]

Really nice design and easy to understand video. Question: Are you concerned about PVC cement toxicity after it has cured or did you just want immediate deployment?

[@GreenDesertTV]

I didn't use any cement, I just pressed fit the parts together since it was very little pressure.

[@GreenDesertTV]

Sweet! I've been using more of the painter's strainers to further filter my beds. Every couple of days I clean them and throw the poo in the garden. Also, a bunch of red wigglers showed up in my bed, but I'm going to add at least a couple thousand.

[@porkzirrazz]

Are you using two pumps though? Tank > swirl > back into tank. Where does the "into grow bed" happen? I'm having some issues with my swirl being way to slow and it is feeding into the grow bed and not back into the tank.

[@GreenDesertTV]

Glad you like, I have a video of how to make an aquaponics system using a IBC tote. I'm working on putting up a video of a simple vermiponics/hydroponics system. I like the basement idea, as long as you have light you can have any kind of food you want year around...not to mention the fish :)

[@asizaquidel6397]

Hey, that was really clean! I'm impressed with the results. My ducks and I thanks you.

[@GreenDesertTV]

That's a good question. We raise our fish in food grade IBC totes, but the water does come in contact with plastic. I haven't heard of any problems thus far, nor have I had any problems with my fish by them being in contact with plastics. However, in the back of my mind I wonder if some of the plastics leach into the water over time. So in short I don't know 100%, I haven't been able to find a definitive study on the issues.

[@MrJoyholland]

someone has asked the same question below me, if you are running a second pump for your filter and you anwser yess.. you use a 390 gph pump for the swirl filter, thats bad news because now i have to set 2 pumps in my small system.. so how do you keep water levels balanced do i need 2 exact the same pumps with the same power that run both at the same time i guess so can you reply once again how you balanced it out for the system to run properly..

[@HappyHeathen-JD]

Excellent video - works great! I have just today learned about aquaponics and am very interested in finding some plans for building a small set-up... something EASY... will check your website - any other tips? My husband loves gardening and I think he'd really like this - but we live in MINNESOTA, capital of WINTER and blizzards! Haha! I think if he did this, he'd have to do it in our basement...

[@GreenDesertTV]

The worms just showed up :)! Nature finds its way. The worms live off of fish poo and other organic matter they find. It is amazing how fast they break everything down. They also help keep the system form clogging up. I've noticed that they do raise the PH however.

[@VikingMan44]

Wouldn't using worms in your grow bed accomplish the same thing... and leave the nutrients locked up in the solids IN the system? Instead of filtering them out?

[@fr3ak1221]

good info. love how you show the difference it does at the end

[@GreenDesertTV]

thx for the share :)

[@RichardClaessens]

have you consitered a simple sand filter or fine gravel after your swirl filter ? ez to clean about once a month [like some pool filters]

[@SuperXrunner]

Good job man

[@GreenDesertTV]

That is awesome Jake, I can't wait to see how it turns out. When you are ready we can check out one of my buddies that has a bigger system than I have. Perhaps you can get more tips.

[@jetajockey0]

It's all good, nitrifiers are growing on hospitable surfaces anywhere that they are getting ammonia/nitrite and oxygen, they don't need solid wastes to operate. As far as keeping worms in the system and their need of solids, I have no experience. I do agree, keeping the system clean and controlled is the primary concern.

[@jetajockey0]

There's still plenty of nutrients in dissolved form. Nitrogenous waste (nh4 and no3) is primarily in a liquid form because it's primary source is through respiration. Keeping the system clear of solids for functionality and control is a bigger concern (IMO) than maximizing the amount of waste (fertilizer) in the system.

[@GreenDesertTV]

Thx Marthale glad you like. Someday I will have to get a bigger filter like yours as I get more fish.

[@TheBobyetti]

Thanks for the response, I will continue to watch for dead spots. I will keep in touch.

[@GreenDesertTV]

Theoretically it could. But only if u can reach a perfect balance of fish, water, fish feeding, plants and worms. Can be tough but not impossible. I have worms in the grow bed to assist with the breaking down of solids. So for us backyard/garage enthusiast, I would do both.,

[@heckyes]

Nice! Red Wrigglers too! The best!

[@GreenDesertTV]

I originally thought i could pump as much fish poo into my grow bed. Within about 6 months the beds started to have dead zones and blockage. It was a mess to clean. Eventually some of the plants started to die. The worms didn't break it down fast enough. So to prevent this from happening again I built the simple filter. I wanted to make sure I took the big solids out and let the worms handle the smaller stuff. Plus I wanted to produce my own fertilizer for my other garden beds.

[@GreenDesertTV]

You know those are great ideas. That may be a great video for one of us to do a small vermiponics system. Do you have any videos of you feeding the worms rice etc?

[@calebproductions5970]

Thank you for the video. I am building one now you have very good practical ideas thanks for keeping it simple

[@MrJoyholland]

i am planning on having a system which will not run 24/7 but do cycles of 15 min each hour and i was wondering if an simple overflow from aquarium to swirl filter has not got the power it will takes to let the water fill the bucket or does it because the pressure of my fish tank is bigger and set higher as the bucket am i right?? and will the overflow work because it needs air to start but cannot suck its bell away because outlet heads are hanging in the always full swirl filter?? please help

[@1stWorldofFreedom]

your totally right. I find a little bit of H2O2 hydrogen peroxide will dissolve minerals and solids which it can keep your fish alive in case of power outage or cleaning photon-Fenton reagent is sweet for aquaponics/hydroponics....Worm juice works wonders and chicken poo also but I run it through my methane digester first taking the liquids out and then using the solids for my garden...Great work and keep on going we need to feed our-self in the future :)

[@GreenDesertTV]

Not complicated at all, i find its the best way to get my own fertilizer for my other garden beds. Also, I do have worms in the grow beds. They definitely help but don't completely solve the problems in the grow beds.

[@kliesenb]

The natural aerobic bacteria in the grow bed helps break all of this down, you just have to pay attention to your system and ensure its balanced either by adding more plants or decreasing the number of fish. Sylvia Bernstein's book "Aquaponic Gardening" explains a lot of this. Hope this helps and good luck!

[@TeamHJ06]

On other videos I've watched making a filter like this, people add sponges or scouring pads to aid in the capture of solids and give the good bacteria a place to grow. Is there a reason you didn't?

[@RichardClaessens]

also a simple ell and 3" of pipe pointed down at about 30 degrees swirls it nicely i like the funnel at the bottom and the disgharge valve ..... smart !!

[@danhle1032]

so for the test comparison at the end: was the whole filtering system $10 or just the cost of the swirl filter. if just swirl, how much was the other filtering system

[@RossPotts]

Nice! That's cleaner than some springs!

[@samyish]

Would adding red worms to the bed eliminate the need for a swirl filter?

[@TheBluePepper]

Awesome vid. I appreciate it as a new aquaponics grower.

[@txdurk]

I'm not clear on why you need the plant pot in the 5gallon bucket. why not just use the funnel alone? TIA Love the vids. keep 'em coming.

[@cathyrunnels1964]

Great Job! I love the different stages. But the swirl filter is a Great Design!

[@GreenDesertTV]

thanks!

[@grayhand9676]

Nice redundancy in the filtration.One thing I've considered is doing a post filter after the grow bed before it heads back into the fish tank of charcoal. It would remove the last of the fish waste so the water would be much cleaner and once it needs to be changed the charcoal can go into the garden as inoculated bio-char.

[@pershop4950]

Nice but I think if you have that much "filtration" then isn't it possible to just drop the water into some kind of padding/filter mats and catch the water that way? The solids get caught, the water returns to the tank. In other words, existing filtration systems and padding material are already available for this purpose.

[@sandertel]

Hear hear, the proof is in the moonshine jars... very nicely done... THOUGH: from what I am experiencing fishpoo isn't so much a problem if it is in the growbed as long as you add red wigglers to it... wigglers eat the poo and break it down to a bacteria manageble form. The only effect the swirl filte can have is to keep the water clear (cosmetic) to enable you to view the fish in your tank and maybe help keep the pump from clogging up too much too fast...

[@GreenDesertTV]

Thx Larry glad you liked.

[@edwatt4506]

It has been a few years sense I visited the Aquaponic videos, however I do not understand your wanting to filter the water before it gets to the grow bed. EG the grow bed is the filter for the fish tank and the basic Aquaponic design. When did you decide the fish poop was bad for the grow bed and why ?

[@GreenDesertTV]

We didn't decide we trusted other larger aquaponic experts. Glad we did. Had we not, we would of got larger solids in the grow bed that would of clogged the bed up, also dead zones of oxygen can appear. Putting worms in the bed can help break this down and prevent this.....but trust...put a sump tank in or swirl filter ...and don't forget the worms...you will save yourself tons of work down the line. Great question Ed!

[@scorpiofl1]

dam good filter, good price, good thinking GREAT MUSIC...i'll be subscribing...you are a thinker...ty

[@arieln4526]

I know I'm extremely late to this party, but would this size system work for a 120 gallon tank? The tank contains one messy turtle.

[@DieAlphaEnte]

What exactly does the swirl do? It looks like the filter mainly works through gravity.

[@JerseyTom]

PVC glue isn't toxic to fish (or humans) once it's cured. It's used on all sorts of drinking water supplies.