Biological Filters

[jameskoi]

I built mine using a 55 gallon drum (I know Skippy sez 55 gallon drums don't work, but he is wrong). Both DrCase and I use them and they work fine.

I used 7000 cut pieces from 1/2" ABS irrigation tubing in mine and they work fine. The secret to success lies in a lot of surface area and these provide a lot while allowing a fast back flush. I have a 2" ball valve near the bottom that allows the sludge to be dumped in 25 seconds. Cleaning has never been easier.

Hello DrDave,

I have a question about your tubing for your 55G drum bio filter.

Does it function good as those scrubbing pads bought from dollar stores?

I'm used to seeing the garden hoses from Home Depot and the ones that are burried for lawn sprinklers. I think you said you cut them up 1.5" long. That's almost 400ft of this stuff. Where did you buy your tubing?

Thanks!

 

[DrDave]

I just posted this a few minutes ago.
My 55 gallon drum bio filter is also my waterfall head. At about 1000 GPH flow, my 1400 gallon pond cycles through every 1.5 hours. Since my bio filter flows from the bottom up to an overflow, it has plenty of time to strip the solids and nitrates from the water. The result is crystal clear water returning to the pond.
If I had a faster flow, the filter would not work as well, it takes time and gravity to do the filtration. I do not have sponges, only cut 1/2" dia tubes 1.5" long and they work fantastic.
__________________

To answer your other question, there is an abandoned orchard next door where the trees were cut down and the irrigation tubing left to rot. I cleaned up the orchard and salvaged the tubing.

I think they are better than the sponges because I will never have to remove an clean them. They are self cleaning during the flush. Even with flushing, the sponges will eventually have to be removed and cleaned.

 

[leeannecastro]

Dr Case,
I noticed that your tube at the bottom of the barrel goes straight out and not in a T with elbows to "swirl" the water around the bottom as I have seen on many postings/sites about the Bio Filter. Are there any good arguments for or against making a swirl in the barrel?
Dr Dave does your water run straight down like that?
Thanks guys.

 

[DrCase]

With the round barrel the water will flow down and spread out thru the slits on the bottom evenly, and the heavy stuff will settle on the out side rim..
If i made one out of a stock tank i would use the swirl pipe to spread the water evenly around the bottom,because of its shape ,
Both styles work well .

 

[DrDave]

I have fittings arranged to swirl mine.

 

[jameskoi]

I just posted this a few minutes ago.
My 55 gallon drum bio filter is also my waterfall head. At about 1000 GPH flow, my 1400 gallon pond cycles through every 1.5 hours. Since my bio filter flows from the bottom up to an overflow, it has plenty of time to strip the solids and nitrates from the water. The result is crystal clear water returning to the pond.
If I had a faster flow, the filter would not work as well, it takes time and gravity to do the filtration. I do not have sponges, only cut 1/2" dia tubes 1.5" long and they work fantastic.
__________________

To answer your other question, there is an abandoned orchard next door where the trees were cut down and the irrigation tubing left to rot. I cleaned up the orchard and salvaged the tubing.

I think they are better than the sponges because I will never have to remove an clean them. They are self cleaning during the flush. Even with flushing, the sponges will eventually have to be removed and cleaned.

Thanks for the info DrDave. Do you think I should even bother buying a TetraPond 4000 and hooking it up to a 55GAL drum or is just that poor way to spend $200 (I found one on sale). I was thinking to use one of these pressurized filters to suck up larger debris and then feed it to the DIY bio filter and then back flush it straight down the drain and keep the bio filter cleaner. I plan to buy an above ground swimming pool (10 or 12 ft, 30" deep) for this purpose whole set up will be in the basement. I just posted a message about locating one of these metal framed ones in the Toronto area.

 

[DrDave]

jameskoi
This reply will cause a few to re-evaluate their systems, others to defend it.

Having a debries filter for periodic use is not a bad idea. That said, I would not put it inline with the bio filter. We know the bio filter will take care of most of the stuff in solution, but there is always heavier debries that won't get drawn in and putting that extra filter in-line will only cause a reduction in flow over time. That reduction in flow will interrupt the bio process. By not having it in-line and using a non clogging media like the small tubes, the flow will always be the same.

Now back to the Tetra Pond 4000 or similar filter. First of all it is a Bio filter in of itself. You might want to invest in a good pump and build a particle filter to cature debries.

I would set that up as a circulation pump that stirs up the stuff that settles on the bottom. Arrange the intake and outflow so that it can be moved to best capture the particles and provide a current the Koi will love. :goldfish: You want this system to move a lot of water. The Bio filter needs to be a little less violent to do it's job.

I hope this helps you.

 

[jameskoi]

jameskoi
This reply will cause a few to re-evaluate their systems, others to defend it.

Having a debries filter for periodic use is not a bad idea. That said, I would not put it inline with the bio filter. We know the bio filter will take care of most of the stuff in solution, but there is always heavier debries that won't get drawn in and putting that extra filter in-line will only cause a reduction in flow over time. That reduction in flow will interrupt the bio process. By not having it in-line and using a non clogging media like the small tubes, the flow will always be the same.

Now back to the Tetra Pond 4000 or similar filter. First of all it is a Bio filter in of itself. You might want to invest in a good pump and build a particle filter to cature debries.

I would set that up as a circulation pump that stirs up the stuff that settles on the bottom. Arrange the intake and outflow so that it can be moved to best capture the particles and provide a current the Koi will love. :goldfish: You want this system to move a lot of water. The Bio filter needs to be a little less violent to do it's job.

I hope this helps you.

Thanks for the info!

I'm more of a DIY'fer and I don't like spending lots of $$$ on commercial filters unless they really are that good, especially if I can build one myself.

These type of pressurized canister filters don't appear to me that it can do a better job compared to a DIY 55G barrel. Even if the barrel will probably cost me $200 all said and done, it probably has at least 5x more capacity for bio media!

So the basic question here (and others can chime in). Can that tetrapond 4000 (rated 4000G with 2000G pump i think) beat a 55G barrel? If it can, then I'll go for the tetrapond, but it looks like I can stuff 5 Tetraponds into a 55G barrel therefore, I wouldn't buy it even if it'll cost me $200 to build my 55G barrel filter.

I bought a Bioforce 1000 for my 130G tank (rated 1000G for pond - probably good for 1 or 2 big Koi - LOL!). I wanted convenience (no need to drill holes in tank, overflow box, etc), so I paid the price. After hooking it up, it looks so small. It has 3 stage sponge filter and a few big cups of bio balls. Somewhat looks like a tease to me. So I made an add on for the filter. I had an extra 3G water bottle from Costco and stuffed it with bio balls and submerged it into one corner of the tank, turned it upside down, cut a hole at the top and stuck the return pipe into it. A little bit of water exists from the top, but the rest just flows out from the mouth of the water bottle.

 

[luvmyasagis]

Posting this one also for ease of reference .

 

[mister2driver]

In the process of building a 3500-3700 gallon pond. Two questions I have right now is how many of these 55 gallon drums would I need? Does each drum require elements for the bio media???


Peace-

 

[DrCase]

In my system of 4500 gal , I have 4 drums , 3 with media, and 1 drum with pillow stuffing just to take out the fines... i have in the past had my drums tied together, now i run them independently ,,,so i can filter all the water that go's out the pump... I was happy with 1 drum..but my standards keep going up..

 

[DrDave]

Mine only has 1 bio filter and I like DrCases idea about keeping his seperate. If you ever have to shut one down, or lose a pump, the other will maintain the health of the pond until you can get it running again.

 

[mister2driver]

DrCase, with your set up you pretty much have each drum at @ 1500. When you say "independently" are you running 3 separate pumps or one nicely powered pump?