Cheap pond filter media?

[Waterbug]

Love them.

Not too fond of the text you found describing them...

Trickle towers do control nitrates and do work at keeping a pond clear of both pea green algae and string algae. String algae can still be a problem when water temps are below 60 degrees.

Trickle towers convert ammonia and nitrites and do a great job. But they don't really clear a pond or have an effect on string algae. They may, but it's unproven by a long shot. The problem I have is when people start making up benefits. People believe that, add the filter and are then unhappy it didn't clear a pond or control string algae. They tell anyone who'll listen that trickle towers don't work. It's the senseless cycle of misinformation that defines the internet. It helps no one.​

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Basic theory is that by trickling water over a large surface area that has contact with air, the nitrates will disapate at a much faster rate than through a submerged biofilter media.​

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True, except this implies nitrates are dissipating into the air, which for the most part isn't true. Trouble is people read that and think "I'll add a fountain and do the same thing". It's bacteria that convert the ammonia and nitrite. They consume O2 which is why trickle tower works better than fixed submerged media.​

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I am using a sprinkler fountain head to disperse water and to add oxygen. I also have a tee attached to pump pipes and have a venturi exiting to the side of the trickle tower.​

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Unnecessary "improvements". The entire premise of a trickle tower is a thin sheet of water flowing over media has maximum gas exchange, max O2. Adding a fountain and Venturi only serves to turn a simple filter into a more complex filter that will turn off some people.​

Now, if this person had done some actual tests with ammonia conversion and posted the data showing these improvements then we'd have something to discuss and learn from. But this is the typical DIY thing of "O2 is good", "fountain and Venturi add O2" therefore "adding these to the filter improves the filter". Before long you have people saying you have to add these, or an air pump up the middle, or an oxygen tank, or a jet engine...it just doesn't end until the concept of the trickle tower is completely destroyed. Junk science.​

Trickle towers are great...probably the best for water gardens that need bio filtering. But please...keep it simple. Not every good thing should be attributed to them.​

 

[HARO]

Wouldn't any real or immagined benefit of a venturi involve placing it on the inlet pipe? I always thought that a venturi worked on water pressure/flow sucking air into a small opening. The one in the picture is nothing more than a drain, IMO.
John

 

[j.w]

Ok then Waterbug I understand your feelings. I don't have the algae problem and would think about making one of the simple set ups using a strawberry pot w/ just a pipe running up the middle over rocks just for converting ammonia and nitrates. Darn I gave my old strawberry pot away to the neighbor and she gave it away to someone else.............oh well, I see them at garage sales and in stores at times. I could always use something similar like stacking pots etc.

 

[HARO]

Just figured something out... my homemade rock fountains are the simplest form of trickle filter! Couldn't be easier to make if you have an impact drill. Just drill a 5/8" or 3/4" hole top to bottom, slide an appropriately sized hose up the hole, connect it to a small pump and turn it on. Instead of a reservoir, place it on a shallow shelf in the pond, and voila! (Notice correct French spelling!) And as a bonus, birds love to bathe in the water flow.
John

 

[addy1]

My deck pond waterfall rock has a hole in it to let the water from the big pond flow into the deck pond. It was scooped out a little, makes a nice bowl for some water retention. The scooped out area is actually under the little rocks...lol just noticed that.

 

[j.w]

Just figured something out... my homemade rock fountains are the simplest form of trickle filter! Couldn't be easier to make if you have an impact drill. Just drill a 5/8" or 3/4" hole top to bottom, slide an appropriately sized hose up the hole, connect it to a small pump and turn it on. Instead of a reservoir, place it on a shallow shelf in the pond, and voila! (Notice correct French spelling!) And as a bonus, birds love to bathe in the water flow.
John

John,do you have the rock fountains photo's posted anywhere here. I looked a bit on DIY forum but could not find them.