55 Gal Fines Filter

[DrCase]

If you run your1400gph pump into the fines filter you wont be sorry...
Just like you are thinking , pump it in and just send it back to the pond ,
It wont stop up it just keeps on collecting fines...its cheap

 

[JohnR]

Have any of you tried uniseals instead of bulkheads? the uniseals are designed for a curved surface. I have read about bulkheads failing on curved surfaces.

 

[D&RW]

Well, two things.

First, after reading a few other threads last night I realized why my filter was so foul. It's overloaded, insufficient. Hadn't affected the ammonia, nitrites etc, but gad what a mess when I cleaned it out. So, as I suspected for some time now, it's not enough for the fish load which isn't too high for the pond size, but I certainly can't get any more fish and plan to give a couple of them up.

Second, my cleaning of the bio filter did disturb the beneficials. You're so right doc. Morning ammonia was 0.25. S- - -. So, did a 30% water change. Added appropriate amount of ChlorAm-X and 16 oz of Microbelift. Suspended feedings.

Evenings readings: pH-8, Amm 0, nitrites 0, DO 6, GH 6, KH-4. Added CaCl to bring the GH up to about 7 or 8 (X 17.6 = ppm), and 8 oz of bicarbonate of soda to bring the KH up to 6, I hope. I'll add more tomorrow if needed, want the KH up a bit more. Also added two bottles of H2O2 to bring up the DO, I hope. I'll measure again in an hour or so.

If the morning reading of amm is back up, I'll do the same again, but may order some zeolite to cover until the beneficials can reseed. I'm hoping I just knocked them back a bit, but time will tell.

Doc, I love your fines idea, but I need more than that, I think. I need more filtration so I ordered an Ultima II for a 2000 gallon pond. When it comes, I'll plumb it in so I can run it independently of the water fall or together. Once in and working, I'll pull that foam out of the other filter and then leave them alone.

You know, I'd give myself a good kick in the pants, but I have to remember this is only my first year of doing this. Built and started the pond last summer, finishing kind of late in the summer. It's a steep learning curve and I've just begun, but you guys are sure helping.

 

[DrCase]

This time of year i drain out my filters each week, to flush out the muck...
that is all i do ..

 

[DrCase]

Its been a few weeks ,,got to send my wife back to walmart for more stuffing.

 

[jameskoi]

What kind of walmart stuffing are you using?

 

[DrCase]

I dont remember the brand..it was like $2.98 pillow stuffing

 

[D&RW]

Pulled the foam matting out of the EasyPro AquaFalls. It was slowing down the flow too much and I planned to take it out eventually anyway. I was very gentle and didn't disturb things much at all.

Water parameters holding their own. Had to use Amquel+ once so far for very low AMM. I'm a little concerned because the DO dropped from 8 to 6 the last few days. Holding there. Have an OASE 450 running full blast--BTW, I've heard that aerators don't really add much oxygen to the water--is that true?

Too many fish, notwithstanding in fish inches measured I'm ok. The five Koi are going to grow and while there's no babies yet, there probably will be. I think there's too many now and that's part of the reason for the lower DO, I think. My neighbor wants a few more goldfish so I'm going to sell him a 3-4 of mine.

As for the fines issue, please see my new thread on secondary filtration.

 

[aviator79]

I got my 100 gal stock feed bucket to do my biofiler. Have to determine the actual size the bold will be but lets say 1200gal so I am thinking a 1200 tetra for that. Then to do something like this I was going to use a smaller bucket or something and want to consume as little additional electricity as possible. I have a pool pump, but I am thinking another tetra submersable. What GPH should I Go for? I am thinking the 325 will work for that.

 

[koiguy1969]

i run a 1200gph tetra for my 70 gal stock tank filter.. should work very nice with a 100gal. how big is your pond? mines 1100gals

 

[aviator79]

mine is 1000-1200-1500. I dont know yet. I figured I would find out when I filled it. Is there a cheep flow meter or just do it by timing it?
Im set on that for the 100gal filter, and I think a 325 for a finesse filter (whatever that meens) would work good to get the fine particulates.

 

[koiguy1969]

thats a fines, not finese, and it does just what the name implies... filters out fine floating particles, that you regular filter may have missed, or not had pumped thru.

 

[aviator79]

So Got everything I need now except a bucket for my second smaller fines filter. Haven’t decided, but thinking of going with a Rubbermaid slim jim can that they have a home depot for $31.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...26&marketID=10
And doing a bottom feed to it and have it stuffed with the pillow material that the water has to peculate thru and then the overflow drain at the top to a second waterfall/stream. I want to do it this way to get the height for the second waterfall and so long as the material is stuffed in there good it should work just as well as going from the top down thru it to a bottom drain. I guess I should get another 2" ball and shower drain for this as well. I already bought the 3-1/4" hole saw for nearly $30 so might as well use it more than once.
Comments?

 

[DrCase]

If you do go thru the bottom , you will need to drain it more ,no problem
and you would want to hold the stuffing down to keep it from floating and blocking the outlet,
but it should work .

 

[aviator79]

Ya, I was thinking I would have to hold it down and I am going to put a bottom drain on it and a ball valve to make it easy to drain. I will put a grate a little bit above the bottom and stuff the filter material on top of that and hold it down with someting. Just wanted somone to confirim it would work sense I am new to all this.
Thanks.