Filter/pump help!

[fishin4cars]

the 2" drain serves a very important part of the system, This is what allows for a quick flush of water, this is what removes the buildup in the bottom of the filter out and flushes the media in the filter. there is really virtually no pressure there for the most part. If you want to use the water for watering plants during a water change yes it can be done, I would put a 2" sleeve on the end of the pipe and not glue it. make up the fittings needed to reduce it down to a water hose connection that can just be slipped on and off as needed. it's a great idea but you don't want it glued so that you can remove it for back flushing. When back flushing a filter you want to completely dump one full filter volume for sure, maybe two depending on the size pond and how high the filter is. On my filter falls I do two complete flushes, 2500 gallon pond, filter holds about 25 gallons so two back flushes is only 50 gallons in my 2500 gallon pond, any additional water i would like to change i could change out the way you suggested. On the Trash master, it holds 33 gallons of water on a 300 gallon pond, one full back flush is a 10% water change, 30 seconds of back flush and I'm done for the week, the wettest my hands get is going to pick dying lily leaves and turning on the refill hose.

 

[Kulukan]

thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know I bet my boyfriend can rig together a hose attachment. I got some pretty funny looks at Lowe's explaining that I needed something to fit a 2" pipe into a 3"-4" flange (and that that flange was going to be installed onto a trash can). I have no knowledge of pipes and fittings and plumbing stuff so I was the token blond in the hardware store asking silly questions.

I'm pretty used to getting soaked the goldies in my 55g tank love to pull the plants up, so I am constantly replanting and dripping water all over the floor Its funny that I might get less soaked maintaining the pond.

 

[fishin4cars]

Be sure and look over my thread in the DYI section, The trash can didn't work for me, I would try and find a plastic barrel if at all possible. KoiGuy1969 suggested I try a car wash to find one, not only did they have them they gave me all I could haul off for free. and I have to say, they are far easier to work with and are about twice as thick of plastic which I think will be very important come winter.

 

[Kulukan]

strangely enough I heard my phone beep because I received an email that you posted this as I was picking up a 30 gallon drum this morning. I had called around to all the car washes yesterday and someone called me back this morning.

This drum had rain-x in it and I had someone tell me that it would be impossible to make it fish safe. I don't think this person realized that we are going to cut the top off and will be able to scrub the barrel. Do you think that it will be ok? We are going to open it up and scrub it hella good and rinse it tomorrow and then fill it up and let it soak for few days. Do you think bleach will help break down the rain-x?

 

[addy1]

I would think so, I also read somewhere, maybe in here, put in a few guppies after you have done the above, they will let you know if something in the water will hurt them.

 

[fishin4cars]

that should help, can't hurt, just be sure and rinse to the point you for sure don't smell any chlorine smell afterwards before filling and letting soak. 24 hour soak time is probably going to get about the most your going to get, You would be better dumping and refilling after 24 hours 2-3 times than soaking with the same water for two or three days in my opinion. I use mosquito fish Addy, Guppies I have to buy, mosquito fish I can catch in the ditch or little pond right down the road for free. but guppies would do the same thing. mollies will work too.

 

[addy1]

laughing must have been you fishin............no mosquito fish here.

 

[Kulukan]

I can get mosquito fish for free, but will they take over? I hear they breed like crazy. Maybe my watonai will be big enough to eat them.

 

[addy1]

I can get mosquito fish for free, but will they take over? I hear they breed like crazy. Maybe my watonai will be big enough to eat them.

I have them in my arizona pond, they and the goldfish have balanced out, been there for years. They like to swim up the stream.

 

[Kulukan]

you know the funny thing about rain-x? Its waterproof...I used comet to break the silicone bond and managed to scrub all the visible residue out. Its soaking now, will scrub again later...

 

[fishin4cars]

I can get mosquito fish for free, but will they take over? I hear they breed like crazy. Maybe my watonai will be big enough to eat them.

Use them and if they live return them buggers where they came from! They ccan multiply and really put a strain on a filtration system that can be used for far better fish!

I was thinking about rain-x and wondered if it would bond to the plastic, I wouldn't use any other chemical based product except bleach from this point on, But a good scrub down with a light bleack and water mix with a plain scrub pad sue couldn't hurt, even scrubbing with plain water wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[Kulukan]

scrubbing with plain water at first is exactly what I did and it just moved the rain-x around. The Comet water soak and scrub removed all residue, and then I rinsed it out like 50 times and scrubbed with plain water. Its soaking with plain water now and there is hardly any smell from the Comet or Rain-X left (and the smell might be from the bits of residue on the outside of the barrel). I resorted to the Comet in the first place because it has a bit of grittyness to it that helped get the stuff off. I know that they refurbish rain-x barrels so I doubt that it bonds to the plastic.

Depending on the smell of the barrel tomorrow I might do some bleaching. I have bleached out HOB filters before with a 10:1 ratio of water to bleach with no problem, I just don't know if its necessary, but it couldn't hurt.

Do you think that a water treatment place would test my water for dangerous things?

I totally agree about the mosquito fish. I talked to the mosquito and vector control people and they said the same thing. I would rather same room for more pretty fish.

Thanks again for all your help. We dug part of our hole today, about 6 inches down is solid adobe >.< but it will get done

 

[fishin4cars]

The water co. might test it for you, problem is they test for specific things just as we do for the ponds and they may not pick up chemical residue either, But worth asking, worse thing they can say is no. then back to the skeeter eaters. I can tell you, if there is a chemical they will react fast. I lost a whole tub of skeeter fish from some light mist of weed killer and another batch from chlorine, both times they were very close to the ponds and the same thing got in the goldfish and koi ponds as did the skeeter eater containers. Didn't lose a gold fish or koi, Showed me how hardy carp are and good of water testers skeeter eaters are.

 

[addy1]

kulukan
dawn dish soap removes oil, wax from your car when detailing it, so you might want to use some in your barrel as a one more wash. I have some really nice car wax, they recommend before using on any car wash with dawn to remove the old wax.

We keep a large jug of it around for oil spills and any washing that involves a mess.

 

[Kulukan]

hello again :regular_waving_emot

I just wanted to share my "finished" pond. Everything is functional but not pretty yet. I picked up my first fish, a sarassa comet, today and she is chilling in a QT tank until I am sure she doesn't have anything nasty.

thank you everyone for all your help I ended up spending $15 on a food grade barrel from a junk shop, the rain-x barrel is going to sit outside for a while and I'll see if I can make use of it later.