DIY biofilter

[koiguy1969]

Mrshkoiluver,...there are several different filter designs here...shower drains work well in place of bulk heads and are far cheaper.. to see what i mean you can reference pix here:https://www.gardenpondforum.com/koiguys-55-gallon-bio-filter-skippy-style-t4339.html

 

[Mrshkoiluver]

Mrshkoiluver,...there are several different filter designs here...shower drains work well in place of bulk heads and are far cheaper.. to see what i mean you can reference pix here:https://www.gardenpondforum.com/koiguys-55-gallon-bio-filter-skippy-style-t4339.html

I have been reading a lot of the threads. I really like your design. We have two years to plan our updated pond. My hubby has dug twice and said this will be the last time he will dig so I have to think about what I want to end up with. My fish are okay with the filters we have for next year but I know I will need more filtration as they get bigger. I do know that each barrel will have it's own pump.

 

[Schroeder1959]

Mrshkoiluver,...there are several different filter designs here...shower drains work well in place of bulk heads and are far cheaper.. to see what i mean you can reference pix here:https://www.gardenpondforum.com/koiguys-55-gallon-bio-filter-skippy-style-t4339.html

I purchased my bulkheads here... http://www.atlantarainbarrels.com/bulkheadfittings.htm Ask for Jean-Paul and tell him I (Mike from Illinois) sent you. He helped me a lot. For a 2" bulkhead, it was only $6.50. I ordered 7 of them. I may add a second coming out to my falls from the last barrel. Not sure yet. They were GREAT! I told him I would spread the word.

 

[Schroeder1959]

Here is another site of Jean-Pauls where you can buy those bulkheads!
http://bulkheadfittingsusa.com/bulkhead-fittings-polypropylene

I would recommend that you use both teflon tape and pipe putty when installing your 2" threaded adaptor to insure you have no leaks!!! This was my first filter build, and I did enjoy the work!! Can't wait until spring to get it working!

 

[koiguy1969]

i still think i trust the shower drains more... more contact (gasket) area and same price and no shipping fees or wait.

 

[koikeepr]

In regard to check valves, you simply use the flapper style ones as they pose no resistance on the flow of water. What you want to avoid is spring check valves, as it requires substantial water force to keep them open.

Koiguy is absolutely right and you do neet a checkvalve right after those barrels so that you don't have all that water backsliding into the pond. If you can afford it, buy a clear check valve with two unions on the ends, as if you ever get anything stuck in the valve, you can clearly see it and then unscrew one of the unions to separate the pipe so you can get at the clog without havine to saw through your pipe.

It's very important to incorporate a few unions or rubber connectors in a few spots in your system so you can easily remove sections of it in case of a problem.

 

[Meekaboo]

Why wait for the hubby???

I built mine myself. I had no prior experience with plumbing of any kind. I relied on this site and the guys in the plumbing department of my local hardware store to help me along the way. It was a LOT easier than I thought it would be. The sense of accomplishment I felt after I completed this project was great!

I put a small preformed pond in my basement for the winter. I'm guessing it's about 60 gallons. I had no filter of any kind for it and only 2 tiny pumps used for tabletop fountains. I use the first pump to circulate the water around the pond and the second pump goes to a one gallon container that I made a filter out of. I just adapted the design of the big skippy style filter down to the size I needed. I made do with plumbing supplies that I already had left over from a previous project. It may not be 'exactly' the size needed or filter the water at the 'premium' rate of flow, but my water is clear my fish appear healthy and I'm happy with it (for now). lol

 

[koiguy1969]

hey Meekaboo.... if you dont want to build a bigger filter for your little 60 gal pond you might consider putting your circulation pump in a container of zeolite for alot more ammonia absorbtion....you can soak it it in a strong salt water solution over night every 2 or 3 weeks to rejuvinate it. zeolite does one thing and does it well it absorbs ammonia.

 

[PS3]

lollyfrog is that pic of the media under the grate at the bottom of the filter
or is that the top grate