Filter.

[bikepainter]

I moved into a new house that had a green pond without any filtration . I added a pump 2000lts per hour it's only a small pond 8ft x8ftx x18 inch. I made a filter from a 50gal bucket with lid. The filter inlet is a 1inch pipe and the outlet to the pond waterfall is 2inch dia. My problem is the filter is higher than the pond and only half fills, shouldn't it be full of do I just need a more powerful pump.

 

[j.w]

@bikepainter
I'm not sure but I suppose power of pump could be the problem. 2000 lts is equal to about 500 + gals per hour. Maybe photo's would help?

 

[bikepainter]

I'm going to give it a month or so then I may change the pump as I think that's my prob .thanks for your reply.

 

[mrsclem]

Pictures would definitely help. Most filters are above pond types.

 

[bikepainter]

My filter is a 50gsl bin with lid. It's set higher than the pond by about 3foot

 

[bikepainter]

This is my filter ,home made , inlet at the top bigger outlet at the bottom so gravity fed out of filter ,but the filter is not even half full, is it just that it's having to lift water about 8foot and is not powerful enough . It's all I could afford at the time but am hoping to replace with a 8000lt. Pump.

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum.

Your pump is probably fine, more of a design issue. With a top flow filter, if you get too much flow, it will go over the top. Air space is not necessarily bad if the water is distributed evenly so it can trickle/spray down throughout the media.

One version of a bottom flow filter, think L-shaped PVC manifold pipe, water enters at top but exits at the bottom of the pipe, flowing upward, filling the container, until it enters the overflow which returns back to the pond. I use this type and have lava rock in bags as the media. Nice feature is it helps solids to settle out at the bottom of the barrel as the water velocity decreases which can be removed easily if you have a bottom drain.

Unfortunately, a bio filter of this type will do little to eliminate the green water algae. Setting up the return as part of or a completely separate bog filter is what you need as the most trouble free long term solution without using UV.

 

[bikepainter]

Welcome to the forum.

Your pump is probably fine, more of a design issue. With a top flow filter, if you get too much flow, it will go over the top. Air space is not necessarily bad if the water is distributed evenly so it can trickle/spray down throughout the media.

One version of a bottom flow filter, think L-shaped PVC manifold pipe, water enters at top but exits at the bottom of the pipe, flowing upward, filling the container, until it enters the overflow which returns back to the pond. I use this type and have lava rock in bags as the media. Nice feature is it helps solids to settle out at the bottom of the barrel as the water velocity decreases which can be removed easily if you have a bottom drain.

Unfortunately, a bio filter of this type will do little to eliminate the green water algae. Setting up the return as part of or a completely separate bog filter is what you need as the most trouble free long term solution without using UV.

Thanks for that, so does my filter need to be higher? It's not even half full, I also have the same filter media on a net sack below the matting. And it has only been running for a week. But I may look into the idea of a bog, it's just the previous owner didn't leave much overlapping liner to put a bog onto. So the water would leak out. I'll have to have a think of how I can incorporate one. Ta

 

[GBBUDD]

My filter is a 50gsl bin with lid. It's set higher than the pond by about 3foot

Picture of the pond please.

It's not the barrel or the pump that is the problem as they will both work with the right media it's which media are you using in the barrel.

Go to you tube and watch oz pond . Then once you start getting the idea you can then try out sites like modern design aquascaping. Watch a good 20 ro e0 videos . Then come on back and we can ask you questions you will know what we are talking about and what you'd like to see as a end product.

 

[bikepainter]

Ok, this ain't my first pond, I'm just having problems getting it right, I use alfagrog as I have always done with matting on top. It's worked on ponds I've done before but they were ponds I built from scratch. This is more s green puddle I've inherited. I don't want to drain the pond as there is fish and other wildlife already in the pond. All my other ponds were way bigger than this 12ft x 15x 4ft was the smallest. It was crystal clear all the years I had it . I don't need to see videos on how to make a 30ft pond clear by digging a 6ft pit for a bog garden. Yes I know the benefits of them but I really don't have the space in the garden to fit one the 5kl bag of ceramics will give plenty of room for growth of good bacteria,but as we both know this takes time . I was hoping for some help with what I have set up and still think it's a power thing,( bigger pump needed). Thanks for all the replys, I take them on board and hope I get it right with my forward steps. Bikepainter.

 

[GBBUDD]

Have to realize we only have what you offer. Try a trash barrel or even milk crates where they are lined with quilt batting with no fireproofing and pump the water into the center of the batting and let it drain through

 

[mrsclem]

As long as you have a larger outflow than the supply, your filter will not fill. You can add more media but then you risk the chance of it overflowing when the media gets clogged. The quilt batting in your filter will work well but it needs to be cleaned often!

 

[RMaynard]

If I understand your filter design correctly, the barrel is only going to fill to the level of where the outflow pipe is in the side of the barrel. Only by overloading the outflow pipe with a larger pump is it going to fill more, and that's not a reliable way to run a filter.

What I think you can do is put an elbow on the outflow pipe on the inside of the barrel, pointing up. Then put a pipe on the elbow that's the right length to set the level you want in the barrel. The water will have to fill the barrel until it gets over the level of that pipe. Combined with what JRS said (use a pipe to make the inflowing water start at the bottom of the barrel and flow up through the media) and you've got a filter with exactly as much water as you want in it.

ETA: Or, just put your inflow where your outflow is now, and your outflow where your inflow is, with the media in between.

TBS, I'm not sure there's anything wrong with having the water flow through media that's exposed to the air. Isn't that the principle of some kinds of filters?

 

[bikepainter]

Thank you ,some that understood my problem, I will put a u bend in the filter barrel with uplift, lifting my water level. The barrel is plenty large enough not for it to over flow and the outlet is larger than the inlet so cheers pal I'm on it.
Bike painter

 

[GBBUDD]

The intake being half the size of the outflow if fine when nothing is blocking the pipe but eventually it will get blocked if you have a pump with a 1 inch I'd have 2 two inch for the out flow if by gravity