What about PVC lattice? I know the holes are a lot bigger but I found some poultry netting at school and could put few layers over the lattice. So far the kids have brought in curlers, shower scrunchies and soda bottle caps. I found the poultry netting they could roll up and I bought furnace filter the kids can cut up into smaller pieces.
koiguys 70 gal skippy style filter
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fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
It will work and if that's what you got by all means use them. was just saying that the egg crating has been being used for some time and it is one of the best things to use for that purpose, But by all means not the only option. I know your working with the school project and when you got something that will work GO FOR IT!!! got to be better than what they had.
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
i made a ring of irrigation tubing and used plastic hardware fencing on my 55 gal fiter...zip tied to the ring..put four Ts in it and used pvc for legs on those Ts.
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KoiGuy, thanks again for a wonderful thread! Second time reading it, and will be reading it again, I'm sure. Was looking for some of the items today, got my tub and tubing that I have cut up in 1" pieces of bio matter. Wondered if the "blue furnace filter" that you cut to size is possibly the fiberglass rolls of filter that I saw at Menards. I wasn't sure if fiberglass is something that should be used with the fish, but maybe that's just fine and what you were talking about. I'll have to look on E-bay or on-line for scrubbies. Around here, all I found was 3 or 4 for $2.50 or more! Geesh!
Ive been "pondering" on adding some fines filter to my barrel(s), specifically to my vortex which is good to catch heavy solids, but does nothing for the floating ones. But I was concerned about it clogging, and blocking the filter, especially if Id be away for a few weeks. So I came up with this idea:
Might not be a new idea at all, but I thought it might help some of you.
The concept is simple, you make a bulkhead and pipe through the layer of quilt batting or matalata mats or whatever you want to use as fines media. If/when those begin to clog, water pressure in the pipe will rise and eventually, water will flow through that pipe until you rince the fines filter. That way, the filter keeps working, you lose no or nearly no capacity.
You could apply the principle to any upflow barrel filter.
Might not be a new idea at all, but I thought it might help some of you.
The concept is simple, you make a bulkhead and pipe through the layer of quilt batting or matalata mats or whatever you want to use as fines media. If/when those begin to clog, water pressure in the pipe will rise and eventually, water will flow through that pipe until you rince the fines filter. That way, the filter keeps working, you lose no or nearly no capacity.
You could apply the principle to any upflow barrel filter.
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Neat idea vertigo, for those that use them it would be bad to be gone and have your filter plug up.
Can anybody tell me why when I try to use one of those y street fittings at the top of my filter intake the water comes spraying out the top of the Y? I thought the water would just flow down and not come back up the other way. I'm so frustrated, I just put the regular elbow back on for now! I just wanted to put one on just to break the seal if the pump gets cut off, but everytime I cut the pump on water comes shooting up. Is the pressure of the pump too much? Thank you so much!
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
what size pump are you using? how about filter plumbing pipe size? mine will flow out the top for a few seconds when i first turn on my pump but goes down and stops in less than 10 seconds. i run 1200 gph thru 1&1/2" pipe.
koiguy1969 said:
The pump I'm using is a 1/2 HP pump about 3000 GPH. It's 1 inch going in and 2 inches coming out. I think this pump is way big, as my pond is around the same water volume as yours . My husband is out there now and said he thinks he figured it out. He said he needs to move the shut off valve and turn down the pressure. Do you think if he uses a shut off valve he can get it to work? I really don't want to spend money on another pump. Thanks!
Koiguy,
He put the shut off valve on and turned the pressure down and it works!!! I didn't even think about the pump size or pressure being a problem. Thank you so much!!
He put the shut off valve on and turned the pressure down and it works!!! I didn't even think about the pump size or pressure being a problem. Thank you so much!!
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
He might can put a tee and another valve directly back to the pond and use the extra pressure to recirculate the water in the pond.
Also if your still getting water out of the top of the tee when the pump is turned on a small piece of open ended stand pipe will usually solve that issue pretty easily.
Also if your still getting water out of the top of the tee when the pump is turned on a small piece of open ended stand pipe will usually solve that issue pretty easily.
fishin4cars said:
Is having two return pipes better than one? The pipe just bubbles up a little now and goes back down, the water is no longer shooting out the top. I love this Forum You guys are so much help!
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
Two return pipes better than one? That would depend on what and where used. I was simply saying if you need to bleed off some of the pressure having a second feed would not hurt going back to the pond. I know that the rule of thumb for most pond turn over rates is between 1-2 times per hour. Not necessarily all going through the filter but this turn over rate adds oxygen and reduces dead spots in the pond. I run almost 2.5 time turn over rate in total with 1.5 of it going through the bio-filter and the other 1 time going through the bog area. I also have water lilys that do very well and aren't suppose to like a lot of surface movement and I keep koi and goldfish. This constantly sweeps my pond. Extra water circulation isn't going to hurt anything and could and can be used as a benefit is what I'm trying to say.Nakish66 said:
fishin4cars said:
Got it! Thank you so much!
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
converting that 1" pipe that your using for your input plumbing (down pipe ans swirl bars as well) to 1&1/2" will benefit your filter as well. it can handle more flow but will have less pressure and slow the water movement in the bottom of your filter so the debris can settle easier and much quicker. this will make your filter flushes more effeicient and all in all keep a cleaner filter, up in the bio media where it really counts. gunked up media is not a sign of efficiency. its a sign that too much wastes are making it up past the 'sump area' at the bottom of the filter!!