Pond Filters
Bubble Bead Filters

Bead filters function both as a solids-capture device and a biofilter. They operate very much like a submerged rock bed or undergravel filter except that they are designed to facilitate cleaning.

At only 1/8" in diameter the small, spherical beads are made from food-grade, low-density, polyethylene plastic. Extremely durable, the beads never have to be replaced, thus they are a lasting filtration solution for your aquatic environment, no matter how large or small. The floating beads work very well as a physical filter and provide a large surface area for biofilm development and bacterial growth--about 400 square feet of surface area for every cubic foot of beads.

 

The cleaning process for bubble bead filters is designed to remove captured solids without damaging the sensitive biofilms responsible for nitrification. Approximately fifty percent of the sludge produced by the fish is decomposed within the bead filter. The sludge produced from bead filters is well stabilized and generally causes no odor or disposal problems. It is commonly drained directly onto the grass or gardens where it is a welcome fertilizer rich in both nitrogen and phosphorus.

Bubble Bead 12-P	Bubble Bead 14-AP

 

Bubble Bead Compact Filtration Systems

Model	Description	Filtration Rate	Size of Environment	Price	Purchase
BBF-XS2000	Holds 1 cubic foot of polyethylene beads.	15gpm	<2,000 gallons	$639.50
BBF-XS4000	Holds 2 cubic feet of polyethylene beads.	35gpm	<4,000 gallons	$965
BBF-XS6000	Holds 3 cubic feet of polyethylene beads.	50gpm	<6,000 gallons	$1065
BBF-XS8000	Holds 4 cubic feet of polyethylene beads.	65gpm	<8,000 gallons	$1395
BBF-XS10000	Holds 5 cubic feet of polyethylene beads.	85gpm	<10,000 gallons	$1565
BBF-XS12000	Holds 6 cubic feet of polyethylene beads.	100gpm	<12,000 gallons	$2195
BBF-XS20000	Holds 10 cubic feet of polyethylene beads.	165gpm	<20,000 gallons	$2949

 

Specifications and Flow Rates Bead filters are sized by the maximum amount of feed (dry pellets) that is put in the pond on a daily basis. One cubic foot of beads can provide complete solids capture and nitrification for a feeding rate of about 1 pound of dry pellets per day (35% protein). For high quality koi, a value of 0.5 pounds of feed per day per cubic feet of beads provides a wide safety factor. At a 2 percent (of body weight) feeding rate, one cubic feet of beads will support 25 to 50 pounds of koi, depending on the desired safety factor. Commercial food fish production facilities normally support 75-100 pounds of fish per cubic foot of beads, but this demands close daily management of the production system. Domestic koi are frequently housed in these systems and are of high value because they scavenge the bottom, keeping the systems clean. Flow rates to the bead filters are selected to assure total ammonia-nitrogen (TAN) and oxygen transport. TAN rates and oxygen demand for the biofilters are controlled by the feed rate and weight (in pounds) of fish. A minimum value of about 5-10 gallons per minute per 100 pounds of fish (or per 2 pounds of feed per day) is normally used to assure proper biofilter operation. However, high flow rates may be demanded for large pools with few fish particularly when a UV light is being used for algae control. This does not present a problem for the filter since performance of the filters always improves when the flow rates are raised above the minimum.

Note: Bead filters have been studied by researchers in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Louisiana State University, continuously since 1989. Research funded by the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program and the National Coastal Resources Research Institute has focused on the development of cost-effective water treatment approaches for use with high-density aquaculture production facilities. The filters have been tested on systems holding food fish species (such as tilapia, catfish, striped bass, trout) along with a wide variety of specialized applications (including tropical fish, alligators, crayfish, crabs, oysters).