Thanks Mucky, I think I'm getting a better picture. So basically what I'm planning on building is a mechanical filter, and other than collecting the muck, won't have any effect on the water quality? and if I'm understanding correctly, with a 450 gallon pond, with 7 small goldfish (and some babies, lOL) I really don't need anything more?
Probably not.
But keep in mind if your fish population increases in size at some point you will probably need some sort of specific added bio-filtration anyway, so it doesn't hurt to add that now especially if you could add it in some sort of simple yet decorative way, like a flower pot trickle tower. But if you focus on mechanical filtration the bio-filtration part comes easier, IMHO. It's different for heavily populated fish ponds, where you may need that bio-filtration in place the same day you add your fish or ammonia levels could become toxic in just a day or two.
Waterbug mentions the importance of TRPs (Tangential Pond Returns). Basically they are used with bottom drains to help push the fish poop and debris around in a way that helps force it towards the bottom drain which "vacuums" it up and brings it to the filtration system. If you don't have a bottom drain you likely have a submersible pump or some sort of water intake located on, or near, the bottom of your pond. In either case you should have some sort of filterer or screen that stops you from sucking up large debris (or fish) that could plug your pump. This is effectively the first stage of your mechanical filter system and often need periodic cleaning just like any other stage of mechanical filtering. If you don't have a lot of plants or algae in your pond and you don't get many leaves in your pond you may not have to clean it (or the rest of your mechanical filter system) very often. With just a few fish it would take a long time to plug up any mechanical filter on fish poop alone. Anyway, if you find that some muck is not getting sucked into the pre-filter you could do a number of things. Net it up like Waterbug suggests, or you could use a vacuum as he also suggest. What I have found that also often worked for me in the past, when I didn't have a bottom drain, was to net and swirl. When netting I would also stir up my pond water and much of what I couldn't net out would get picked up by the intake and get filtered out. After the water settled down that would be the time I would clean my pre-filter and other mechanical filters. It wasn't perfect, as there would always be a certain amount that would settle back down again, but that is true of any filtration system you have, especially in a water garden type pond. However if done periodically it works well enough to keep dangerous or unsightly levels of muck from developing. Another thing I would often do is use a garden hose to blow debris out from had to clean places when it was hard to net out. It's all pretty simple, but I really feel in most garden ponds with few fish as long as you take care of the muck the bio-filtration will take care of itself. Which is what I think Waterbug believes also??? Does anybody not agree??? Sissy?
I wanted to reply to Waterbug's comments about TRPs, but I think I'll save that for another thread.
I appreciate everyone responding, and trying their best to teach me the correct way. But I get overwelmed with trying to understand it all and really just want to have a clean pond for the fish and be able to see them.
