Waterco Limited ABN 62 0 02 070 733
(W23421 ) 07/2008
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Notice to Ins taller
This manual c ontains impo rtant inform ation about t he installat ion, operatio n
and safe use of this produc t. Once the product has be en installed this manual
must be given to the owne r/ operator of this equip ment.
This equipmen t must be in stalled and serviced by a qualified t echnician.
Improper insta llation can c reate electric al hazards whi ch could resul t in property
damage, serio us injury or death. Improp er installati on will void the warrant y.
WARNING
!
AQUABIOME
Installation &
Instruction Manual
Table of
Wate rco Aq uabiom e
AQUABIOME ------------------------------------------------- 01
Filtering Pond Water ------------------------------------ 01
A Typical Pond Filter System --------------------------- 02
The Benets Of Using An Aquabiome ---------------- 03
How Does The Aquabiome Filter Work? --------------- 04
Choosing The Correct Aquabiome For Your Pond ---- 05
Installation Instructions --------------------------------- 06
Starting Up the Aquabiome ----------------------------- 07
Backwashing Procedure for the Aquabiome ---------- 08
IMPORTANT NOTES ---------------------------------------- 09
AQUABIOME
Aquabiome ha s been engin eered specic ally for pon ds and wate r gardens. Aqu abiome provid es
mechanical a nd biologica l ltration in a single housing.
Its ability to sup port d ense p opulations of nitrifying bacteria, its reliability and easy mai ntenance,
makes Aquabi ome especial ly suitable for high de nsity recircula tion systems .
Effective
Excellent Ni trication a nd Mechanic al ltration
Efcient
Hydraulicall y efcient lter design , balanced s lotted laterals to maxi mize water ow and ltration.
Durable
Corrosion resist ant and UV stabilised f or outdoor installation .
Air-Backwash
Air assisted hydraulic b ackwash, sa ving time an d water.
Superior Qua lity
Aquabiome b reglass lters embody the latest in breglass wind ing technolo gy.
Filtering Pond Water
To maintain good water clarity and a safe environment for sh, the pond water requires a combination
of the follo wing features:
1. Mechanic al Filtratio n
2. Biologic al ltration
3. U.V. Sterilisation
4. Good circu lation
5. Aeration
In simple terms, the ‘mechanical ltration’ is basically straining the water, se parating the s olids
from the liquid. The solid matter in a po nd is usually mad e up from different form s of debris, whic h
maybe f ound at any level in th e water. The presence of these solids and suspended particles will
make the p ond w ater appear murky or cloudy, mak ing i t dif cult for visual inspectio n of the sh.
The water clar ity may not ne cessarily be a problem to the sh, provided th e debris and s uspended
solids are of a non-harmful nature.
I pg 01
Wate rco Aq uabiom e
I pg 03
However, some of the debris in a pond can create problem s for the sh, often caused by Ammonia,
which is produced by fa ecal, mucus, and other decaying matter. To overcome the buil d up of harmful
Ammonia in the pond water, it is necessar y install a ‘Biological lte r’. Most often, a Biological lter
is a la rge chamber full of media, which bree ds and cultures ‘g ood bacte ria’. Within th e Biologi cal
lter, the good bacte ria consume and convert the harmful Ammonia int o harmless Nitrate.
Conventional pond ltration systems generally keep the mechanical and Biological ltration aspects
separate, and as such the equipment involv ed can be rather large and bulky. In addition to the size
consideratio ns, most conventional lter systems may require a high degree o f maintenance a nd
cleaning. Th is can prove t o be very time consuming particularl y during the summer month s, when
the frequency of cleaning can be so o ften, it bec omes imprac tical.
Combined with the Mechanical and Biologic al ltration, i t is essential t hat the pond water is recirculated (tu rnover tim e) at a rat e of every: 2 – 3 hours.
A Typical Pond Filter System
Most basi c conven tional Po nd lter systems employ a stag e process, which may com prise of the
following pa rts.
(i) First st age - Sedimentation cham ber or Vortex
(ii) Second stage - Aera tion for Bi ological lt ers
(iii) Third st age - Biological chambe r lter
(iv) Fourth stage - Hi R ate sand l ter
(v) Fifth st age - U.V. Sterilisation
(vi) Sixth s tage - Venturi or waterfall
In a lter s ystem o f the above type, t he rst stage can b e a simple chamber with bafe plat es, or
a more sophisticated Vortex chamber, which will rem ove between 50 – 70% of the solid waste
matter.
The second stage would be air supplied by a simple air pump and air stone, injecting the air directly
into the w ater owin g through t he Biologic al lters. The Oxygen provided will enhan ce the life and
growth of the bacteria colonies assis ting with th e removal of Ammonia.
The third s tage can comprise of several media types and may assist in clearing another 15 – 20%
of the debri s, though th ese lters can be very difcult to clean.
Whilst the Fourth stage – The Hi Rate sand lter, will work efcien tly in removing the remaining
solids do wn to 7 - 10 microns in si ze & maintaining water clarity. However a downside in using a
‘pressure sand lter’ is, that it may clog very rapidly (perh aps on a daily bas is) which would cau se
the need for regular cleaning or back washing.
The fth stage – Uses Ultra Violet light to sterilise and for i nhibiting the growth of Algae and other
undesired organic matter.
The sixth stage – Aeration for the pond supplied either via a Venturi (and or) a waterfall. A waterfall
can make a very attractive feature in the pond, though it may cool the water, which could inhibit
sh growth.
Any pond lt er system mu st run 24 h ours a day – seven days a week!
This is essential to ensure that all aspects of the system work on a continuous basis to ensure a
safe and hea lthy environment for the sh to live.
Therefore, a major cons ideration for the pond owner is the power and water consumption used to
maintain the pond ltration. Usually, Hi Rate sand lters need a fairl y powerful pu mp to force the
water through the ne sand, and this can prove expensive wh en running on a continuou s basis.
Likewise, the frequency of backwashing will lea d to a large vo lume of wa ter b eing required. This
too can prove costly in the long run.
The Benets Of Using An Aquabiome
The principal of using an Aquabiome is to combine the Biological ltration aspect with the
mechanical ltration (wa ter polishi ng).
By combining these two ltration aspects (mechanical & Biological), using an Aquabiome, the
whole system can be more compact than a traditional - conventional pond lter system. Or, the
Aquabiome can also be used to enh ance an existi ng system. In addition, the Aq uabiome requires
far less pressure than a convention al Hi Rate sand lter, therefore the type of pump needed will
require far less power. Possibly redu cing power u se by 50%!
Perhaps mos t important of all, an Aquabio me will requ ire far less maintenance – clean ing or bac k
washing than a typical Hi Rat e pressure sand lter. This wi ll mean you could save a consid erable
amount of wa sted water a nd time, wh ilst keeping your pond in ‘tip top condition!
Wate rco Aq uabiom e
I pg 05
Choosing The Correct Aquabiome For Your Pond
* Maximum fish stocking weight depends on the percentage of body weight fed daily.
• Ornamental fish weight based on feeding rate of 3% of body weight.
• Aquaculture fish we ight based on feeding r ate of 1% of body wei ght.
Aquabiome ASM400 ASM500 ASM600 ASM750 ASM900
Nominal Diameter
mm / inch
400 / 16 500 / 20 600 / 24 750 / 30 900 / 35
Filter Surface Area
m2 / ft2
0.13 / 1.4 0.2 / 2.1 0.3 / 3.2 0.44 / 4.9 0.64 / 7.15
Media Volume litres /
gallons
43 / 11.3 68 / 18 117 / 30.9 199 / 52.6 303 / 80
Media Weight kg / lbs
21.5 / 5.7 34 / 9 58.5 / 15.45 99.5 / 26.3 151.5 / 40
Biolter Surface Area
m2 / ft2
47.3 / 509 74.8 / 805 128.7 / 1385 218.9 / 2356 333.3 / 3588
Inlet / Outlet
Connections
40mm/ 50mm
[EU] / 11/2”
40mm/ 50mm
[EU] / 11/2”
40mm/ 50mm
[EU] / 11/2”
50mm / 63mm
[EU] / 2”
50mm / 63mm
[EU] / 2”
Min - Max Flow Rate
lpm
52 - 101 80 - 157 120 - 226 180 – 353 255 - 509
m3/hr
3.1 – 6.1 4.8 – 9.4 7.2 – 13.5 10.8 – 21.2 15.3 – 30.5
gpm
13.7 – 26.7 21.1 – 41.5 31.7 – 59.7 47.6 – 93.3 67.4 – 134.5
Max Pond Size litres /
gallons
13,000 / 3,434 20,000 / 5,300 36,000 / 9,500 60,000 / 15,900 90,000 / 24000
Feed Rate kg / lbs
per day
0.32 / 0.71 0.5 / 1.1 0.9 / 1.98 1.5 / 3.31 2.4 / 5.29
Total Ornamental Fish
weight* kg / lbs
10.7 / 23.6 16.7 / 36.8 30 / 66.1 50 / 110.2 80 / 176.4
Total Aquaculture
Fish weight* kg / lbs
32 / 70.5 50 / 110.2 90 / 198 150 / 330.7 240 / 529
Tank Diameter mm /
inch
421 / 16.5” 520 / 20.5” 622 / 24.5” 772 / 30.4” 923 / 36.3”
Overall Height mm
/ inch
856 / 33.7” 815 / 32.1” 880 / 34.6” 993 / 39.1” 1115 / 43.9”
Valve Size mm / inch
40 / 11/2” 40 / 11/2” 40 / 11/2” 50 / 2” 50 / 2”
Bed Depth mm / inch
290 / 11.4” 290 / 11.4” 360 / 14.2” 400 / 15.7” 440 / 17.3”
How Does The Aquabiome Filter Work?
The Aquabiome should be installed after your strainer/Vortex and main biological lter system.
A suitably sized pump must be selected to ensure the correct water ow is delivered to the
Aquabiome. Once installed , the Aquabiome will remove suspe nded soli ds down to 10 microns in
size, mainta ining your w ater clarit y to a very high standard.
The pumped water is fed to t he Multi-port valve and divert ed to the lower lter inlet. The inow ing
water is evenly dispersed throu gh the special slotted pipes (Laterals) within the lower section of
the lter. The contaminate d water ows upw ards through the lt er vessel depositin g waste matter
between the crevices of the Biomedia.
To assist the growth of Bacteria for remov al of the Amm onia present in the contami nated inowi ng
water, you will need to charge the system with: ‘Filter Start’. Once add ed t o the inowing water,
good bacteri a will begin to colonis e on the lt er media enhancing the biological a ction.
The Aquabiome is designed to reduce the amount of maintenance (and waste water) required
and ideally if the equipment has been correctly sized, backwashing will only be required on a
weekly basis. The backwashing process is assisted by the use of a ver y powerful blower (air
compressor) and the whole procedure will take less than 5 minutes to perform. (See general running
instructions ).
The Aquabiome is des igned to ensure servicing simplicity. The main lter body has a large 8”
diameter lid for ea sy access to the interna ls of t he lter. Both t he top collector assembly and
laterals can be easily u nscrewed and removed for cleaning.
Wate rco Aq uabiom e
I pg 07
13. Once all glued pipe connec tions have been completed, ensure ad equate time for the adhesive
to dry. Most likely this will b e at least 1 2 hours.
14. IMPORTANT! Ensure th e pipe-work and glued j oints have h ad adequate time to ven t any
toxic (or ammabl e) fumes, before star ting the air blower. Ideally, run the water pump for
at least an hour before t esting the b lower on the system.
15. IMP ORTAN T! T he el ec tri ca l c on nec ti on of th e blo wer m ust b e m ad e b y a q ua lif ie d
electrician, and in acco rdance with l ocal regulations. The blo wer unit mus t be protecte d
by an RCD - residual curren t device.
16. Remov e the main lter li d, the n, unsc rew the top co llecto r assem bly. Check to ens ure all the
Laterals are s ecurely in pl ace in the b ottom of the lter.
17. Ens ure yo u h ave th e c orr ect am oun t o f m edia as sta ted in th e t abl e a bov e in sec tio n 5 –
Specication s. Carefully pour in the media into the lter avoiding any spill ages. Once the whole
amount is in the lter, re t the c ollector un it and then, the main lter lid.
Starting Up The Aquabiome
1. Re-check a ll threaded connections to ensu re they are waterti ght and select ‘Filter’ mode on the
Multi-port v alve.
2. Sele ct th e ope n pos ition of t he is olator va lve, this will be wh en th e whi te arrow i s poi nting to
12pm positio n and the ha ndle is acros s the pipe-w ork.
3. Ensu re s yste m wa ter leve l is to correct leve l an d st art the mai n ci rcula ting pump. Water wil l
begin to ow through the lter, which should be observed at the top of the vessel wit hin a few
moments. With the lter and valves in t his position, the lte r is working in it’s normal – Filter
mode.
4. Once the un it ha s been run f or a w hile, check all j oints to ens ure there are no lea ks. To chec k
that the blo wer is funct ioning correc tly, follow the bac kwash procedure as stated b elow.
5. Onc e al l p art s o f th e s yst em have be en tes ted, ad d s ome ‘filte r s tar t’ to p rim e t he filt er for
biological g rowth. (Consult your deal er).
Installation Instructions:
1. Prior to i nstallation: Prepare an area large e nough to stan d all the equipment allowin g adequate
space for c onnecting pipe-work and routine ser vicing. Once you have decided on the optimum
position, prep are a at and level concret e base to a ccommodate t he unit.
2. Remove lt er – Air blowe r and pipe-wo rk from packagin g. Check to en sure all parts are present
and are in goo d condition.
3. Place the ma in lte r unit on the pre-pre pared co ncrete base ma king su re that both t he blower
and the lte r vessel are secure.
4. Connect the Multi-port valve ont o the top and botto m bulkheads, ensuring that the ‘O’ ring s are
in place. T ighten the c onnecting u nions by han d only.
5. Conne ct the Non Return Valve uni t betw een th e Mult i-port Valve and the b lower unit e nsurin g
that all ‘O’ rings are in position. T ighten the c onnecting u nions by han d only.
6. Connect the waste - water sight glass ass embly to the wa ste connection of the Multi-po rt valve
(on LHS) ens uring that t he ‘O’ ring s are in place . Tighten t he connectin g unions by hand only.
7. Connec t the isolator va lve unit to the main Mult i-port v alve (RH S) ensuring that ‘O’ ring s are in
place. Tight en the conne ctions by h and only.
8. Screw on the return union to t he remaining positi on (on the lower - RHS) of the Multi-port valve.
Tighten the connection b y hand only.
9. Use PT FE tape around t he threa ds of the pressu re gauge and scre w into the threaded hol e on
the side of the Mul ti-port valve. There are two positio ns for this, so ins tall the gauge to the most
easy to see position a nd use the screw cap i n the oppos ite hole. B e sure NOT to over tig hten
the pressure gau ge as this will damage the threads!
10. Cut and glue pipe -work from you r pum p di scharge to the smal l isolato r va lve a lread y fitted
as described in item 7 above. Be sure not to stress any pipe-work by providing suitable
supports, wh ere required.
NOTE: All p ipe-work con nections are BSP – ABS Pi pe-work.
Ensure you use compatible adhesive an d pipe!
11. Cut and glue pipe-wor k betwee n the wa ste line sight glass un it and t he drain , again ensuring
that all pip e-work is we ll supporte d.
12. Cut and glue pi pe-wo rk between the re turn union on t he Multi-po rt va lve and the pipe -work
back to the pond. This ret urn l ine may includ e a U.V. light sys tem, bu t again ensure all pipe-
work is supp orted.
Wate rco Aq uabiom e
I pg 09
Backwashing Procedure For The Aquabiome
1. Turn the circulat ing pump off.
2. Select 3 pm position on the isol ator valve ( handle in line with pip e).
3. Select R inse positio n on the Mu lti-port Valve.
4. Ensur e wast e line is u nobstr ucted and t he ci rculati on pu mp is NOT s witche d on! Switc h
blower unit on and run for 2.5 – 3 minutes. This will agi tate the media causing the entrapped
debris to d isperse int o the avail able water within the lter. Some of the contaminated water wi ll
discharge to wa ste. Switch blower off.
5. Keep t he Mult i-port valve in rinse mode, but alter the position of the isolator va lve bac k to th e
12pm positio n.
6. Swi tch th e circ ul ati on pum p on and ru n for 2 – 3 minu tes , d uri ng th is tim e dir ty wat er wi ll
discharge event ually clearing. Switch pump off.
7. Select backwash mode on the Mul ti-port valve. Ru n the ci rculation pump for 30 – 40 seconds.
This will remo ve any remain ing debris. Switch pump off.
8. Select lter mode on the Multi- port valve a nd continue to lter as normal.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Never try to run the Blo wer and the circulating p ump at the same time!
(Fig 1) (Fig 2)
Regularly check the 3mm vent ho le on the Blow er pipe ‘T’ t o ensure it is unobstructed allowing
moisture to dr ain from the unit. (Fig 1 )
Regularly check the Non return valve to ensure water is not by passing, which could cause
the blower t o ood. (Fi g 2)
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