Bead filter - Looking to purchase

[LDWII]

I am looking to purchase a new or used bead filter, to replace a few year old pressure filter. Main objective is to lower maintenance (ir pad cleaning). Any insights/suggestions on brands, or folks who may have used one to sell. I have an approximately 1,000 pond, with waterfall. Like to keep clear water and have appr 3 Koi and 30 + Shebunkins. Live in SE Wi, so pond freezes over in winter, and will store in garage/basement.

 

[Mmathis]

First of all, and I know this wasn’t your question, but you have 3 koi and 30+ Shubunkins in 1000 gallons. You have too many fish for this size. Generally, you need 1000 gallons for the first koi, and about 250-300 additional gallons for each koi. Add to that, the 30+ goldfish.

Clear water is an OK goal as long as you don’t try to equate clear water with healthy water. They aren’t the same thing. Assuming this is why you are wanting to upgrade your filtration. When they are small, koi aren’t much of a problem, but they grow fast and as they grow, their waste can quickly lead to poor water quality.

Have you considered a bog filter (AKA eco-filter, wetlands filter)? That’s what most of us here either have or are converting to. You mentioned lower maintenance. Bogs can be add-ons or incorporated into the pond. I won’t go into details here — if it’s something you might want to consider, take your time and do your research. Many here have the best ever instructions for creating a bog filter, and the possibilities are endless!

 

[Tula]

@CometKeith has a bead filter.....hopefully he'll pop in with some advice

 

[LDWII]

@Mmathis thanks for the reply. I realize 30+ fishies is not ideal. FWIW, I only started with 6-9, however they have multiplied over the years and I can't cull them quickly enough. Regarding water quality, I am actually quite happy with it. Between water lillies, a few marginals and some barley straw, I have been able to keep algae under control with no chemicals. I also use a uv light. But I am getting tired of the twice weekly scraping of filter pads, so am thinking of upgrading.

 

[poconojoe]

The absolute best thing I have ever done was to add a gravel bog filter to my pond.
After over a decade of trying various filters and constant cleaning of filter pads, I built the bog and I'm so glad I did. My water has never been this clear and with zero maintenance. No cleaning of filter pads, just sit back and enjoy the pond.
If you are interested in how to build a bog filter, just ask and we can point you to a couple threads explaining it.

 

[LDWII]

Thanks. Yes, I'd be interested in learning more about building a bog. Concern is tight space. Thanks.

 

[CometKeith]

I am looking to purchase a new or used bead filter, to replace a few year old pressure filter. Main objective is to lower maintenance (ir pad cleaning). Any insights/suggestions on brands, or folks who may have used one to sell. I have an approximately 1,000 pond, with waterfall. Like to keep clear water and have appr 3 Koi and 30 + Shebunkins. Live in SE Wi, so pond freezes over in winter, and will store in garage/basement.View attachment 133430

Thanks Tula for letting me know about this question. Hopefully I can give some worth while advice! Hi. You have a really pretty pond. I’m in Chicago so not too far away. Also I have a lot of goldfish that have multiplied over the years and some Koi. Last year I switched from a pressurized filter to a bead filter. Here are a few thoughts. First off beads are known as excellent biofilters but not as great on mechanical filtration. I have added a bog this year and drastically increased the clarity of the water. 2nd when you look at beads dont try to match the size of your pond to the rating of the bead filter. At the minimum you should go at least double or more. For 1000 gallons I would recommend either a 3000 or 4000 gallon rated bead filter. If you don’t mind backflushing your filter out more than once a week you can go smaller. The one I bought comes with a blower for mixing up the media. From everything I have read the biggest problem people have with bead filters is when the beads stick together so that is why I bought the blower. Also you need to install a check valve unless you have a self priming motor. The first one I used created a lot of problems because the intake size wasn’t sufficient. I recently bought one from aquascape and the water flow greatly improved. It was a good $50 investment.Oh also make sure your intake and outflow pipes are not in the same spot! Overall I’m happy with it but there was definitely a learning curve. One thing is when you connect the pvc from the pump to the filter make sure you have a valve you can open to fill that pipe with water. The pump won’t work if either side of it is dry. My pond is about 2500 gallons and I bought one rated for 4000 gallons. At first I thought mine was totally inadequate but since I bought the new check valve it is working a lot better. Also something to consider is buying a whole kit that includes valves you may need and the external pump all in one purchase. It was a lot of work to figure out which pump to match up and it was nice to have them paired together by the seller. The two places I compared prices were Webb’s and AZ ponds. I actually can’t remember which one I went with but they were comparable. Someone at Webb’s suggested I get a leaf basket but I didn’t see the need for it. Also I tried a prefilter for a while but didn’t like having to clean that all the time so I took it off. Good luck with the conversion but also consider another way to mechanically filter your pond as the bead filter may not do everything you want if you have a high fish load.

 

[LDWII]

Tula - Thanks for all the insights! It makes sense to me that bead filters would be better at bio filtration (which I equate to water quality) vs mechanical filtration (which I equate to impacting clarity) due to the sheer volume of media for the good bacteria to grow in. Do I have that right?

If so, I do not think I have an issue with water quality, as the results from testing at a local pond store a few times each year come out fine, and the fish and plants all seem very healthy.

Therefore, my main objective is to maintain clarity while minimizing the need for filter maintenance - specifically eliminating the need to scrape the pads every other day or remove and rinse the pads weekly (ie mechanical filtration media). I realize my maintenance needs are driven in small part by the 30+ fish in a smallish pond (1,000), but still I'd like to find ways to minimize the cleaning needs.

From what I have read, back-flushing a bead filter sure seems easier than keeping the filter pads clean. But if bead filters are not known for mechanical filtration, will I have clarity issues?

I am intrigued by the suggestion of @poconojoe regarding bog filtration. Per some research, that sure does seem to be the way to go as it address both bio and mechanical filtration. Given space/landscaping limitation I have been playing with the idea of adding a bog filter within the exiting pond. My vision is to add 2 or 3 large containers placed in the shallow area of my pond so they are just below the surface. The containers would be connected to the pump INTAKE and to each other (via hose). I'd place pvc piping with 1/4 dill holes (facing up) at the bottom of each container, and fill each container with 3/8" pea gravel. Of course, I'd add proper plant as well . My thought process is that the pump would suck the 'dirty' water through these mini bog filters (from top to bottom), while the outflow would remain directed to the waterfall.

Assuming my logic makes sense, and the concerns below are not show stoppers, I could get really industrious and expand the hose/pvc piping to include the containers housing the water lilies or Cana, but I think the pumps ability to pull water through all those areas would be limited. FWIW, I use a Laguna Max Flo PT8248, rated at 4,800 gallons per hour. Then again, if this idea has merit, I could invest in 1 or 2 smaller pumps devoted specifically to creating mini bogs for those other plants. Or, I am just 'over-thinking' this whole thing ?

Two concerns come to mind:

1) Will the bog filter get clogged b/c I am pulling water down, vs pushing water up? If so, will a clean-out valve solve that issue?
2) If the Bog filtration works as well as advertised, will the plants that are not housed in the bog (water lilies in middle and Cana near water fall) be starved of nutrients? If so, I imagine I could add slow release fertilizer tabs to solve that problem

Thoughts would be very welcome.

 

[CometKeith]

Tula - Thanks for all the insights! It makes sense to me that bead filters would be better at bio filtration (which I equate to water quality) vs mechanical filtration (which I equate to impacting clarity) due to the sheer volume of media for the good bacteria to grow in. Do I have that right?

If so, I do not think I have an issue with water quality, as the results from testing at a local pond store a few times each year come out fine, and the fish and plants all seem very healthy.

Therefore, my main objective is to maintain clarity while minimizing the need for filter maintenance - specifically eliminating the need to scrape the pads every other day or remove and rinse the pads weekly (ie mechanical filtration media). I realize my maintenance needs are driven in small part by the 30+ fish in a smallish pond (1,000), but still I'd like to find ways to minimize the cleaning needs.

From what I have read, back-flushing a bead filter sure seems easier than keeping the filter pads clean. But if bead filters are not known for mechanical filtration, will I have clarity issues?

I am intrigued by the suggestion of @poconojoe regarding bog filtration. Per some research, that sure does seem to be the way to go as it address both bio and mechanical filtration. Given space/landscaping limitation I have been playing with the idea of adding a bog filter within the exiting pond. My vision is to add 2 or 3 large containers placed in the shallow area of my pond so they are just below the surface. The containers would be connected to the pump INTAKE and to each other (via hose). I'd place pvc piping with 1/4 dill holes (facing up) at the bottom of each container, and fill each container with 3/8" pea gravel. Of course, I'd add proper plant as well . My thought process is that the pump would suck the 'dirty' water through these mini bog filters (from top to bottom), while the outflow would remain directed to the waterfall.

Assuming my logic makes sense, and the concerns below are not show stoppers, I could get really industrious and expand the hose/pvc piping to include the containers housing the water lilies or Cana, but I think the pumps ability to pull water through all those areas would be limited. FWIW, I use a Laguna Max Flo PT8248, rated at 4,800 gallons per hour. Then again, if this idea has merit, I could invest in 1 or 2 smaller pumps devoted specifically to creating mini bogs for those other plants. Or, I am just 'over-thinking' this whole thing ?

Two concerns come to mind:

1) Will the bog filter get clogged b/c I am pulling water down, vs pushing water up? If so, will a clean-out valve solve that issue?
2) If the Bog filtration works as well as advertised, will the plants that are not housed in the bog (water lilies in middle and Cana near water fall) be starved of nutrients? If so, I imagine I could add slow release fertilizer tabs to solve that problem

Thoughts would be very welcome.

Hi. So I know you are new here so basically it was me (cometkeith) that answered your question about the bead filters not Tula. She just told me to check your thread out. Also best practices is to either “like” or reply to a previous post so people know there is activity. I’m not just singling you out because this is the biggest problem new people have on gpf. A conversation starts but no one knows there have been replies to the initial comments unless they check back like I just did. Btw. If you have a big bio load you will be cleaning your filters a lot no matter what kind you have. Less fish equals less work and fewer problems. That’s why experienced ponders always say to start off with less until you get very confident both you and your pond will be able to handle more fish!

 

[Jhn]

@LDWII addressing your concerns pulling water down through the gravel will definitely clog the bog, clean out pipes won’t help as debris will clog at the top layer of gravel. Best to go with an upflow bog.

No bogs will not starve your other plants of nutrients. Lilies in pots usually need to be fertilized to keep doing well either way.

 

[LDWII]

Hi. So I know you are new here so basically it was me (cometkeith) that answered your question about the bead filters not Tula. She just told me to check your thread out. Also best practices is to either “like” or reply to a previous post so people know there is activity. I’m not just singling you out because this is the biggest problem new people have on gpf. A conversation starts but no one knows there have been replies to the initial comments unless they check back like I just did. Btw. If you have a big bio load you will be cleaning your filters a lot no matter what kind you have. Less fish equals less work and fewer problems. That’s why experienced ponders always say to start off with less until you get very confident both you and your pond will be able to handle more fish!

CometKeith - Sorry I mistakenly referred to you as Tula. Thanks for the best practice suggestions. Although I realize a bog filter is probably the best approach, I will likely stick with the existing set-up this year and re-assess in fall (especially since I didn't do anything last fall or over the winter).

 

[poconojoe]

I realize this thread is from this past Fall, but I'm guessing you revitalized it since it's now Springtime, so here we go...

I believe you will be happy with adding a bog since it seems you are looking for a less maintanance option.

If your bog is sized correctly, you won't need any other filtration and no UV lights, just the bog.
The bog's surface area should be 30% of the pond's surface area as a rule of thumb. It should have at least 12 inches of pea gravel covering your pvc manifold.

The water has to flow up from the bottom. The solids are sifted out down there and that's where the beneficial bacteria takes over.
If the water was pouring on top, all the solids would just accumulate on top of the gravel and clog things up.

Most of us prefer cutting slits in the PVC pipe manifold rather than drill holes. Holes might get stopped up by the gravel. I cut my slits 1/3 through the pipe and spaced them 1-1/2 inches apart. Some of us face the slits down and some face them up. It seems to be one of those opinion things. I faced mine up.

Your bog can be made from anything that will hold water and support the weight of the gravel. Some use Rubbermaid stock tanks, some build them out of wood and install a liner, some build them in the ground or half in and half out of the ground.

They can be any shape. If you are limited by space, perhaps it can be built long and narrow around the edges of your pond. The ideas are almost unlimited.

Here's my add-on bog build:

My add-on bog build

I finally did it! I joined the bog club! The bog is approximately 14 feet by 5 feet and about 12 inches deep. I know my 1600+ gallon pond has been overpopulated due to my fish reproductive rates! Last year the water never cleared up to my liking. I figured my two pressure filters and my...

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