Noob filter/pond questions

[Waterbug]

So essential I will ave it sitting on blocks in the water to bring to to the top of the water.

That's good.

Put a pipe up through the center and have it spill out onto rocks where it will trickle down through each layer via holes I added.

That's best imo, but the pipe or hose can be run up the outside if easier.

Do lava rocks sound like a good idea?

They're fine. Originally, when TTs were first used lava rock was considered a requirement because they have more surface area for bacteria. Back in those days (15-20 years ago) surface area was all we ever talked about. But over time people realized that tiny pores became clogged with dirt so really the net result was less surface area. So imo if you're at the store looking at a bag of lava rock and a bag of river rock I'd pick the river rock. 1/4 to 1/2" rock is probably best for these small strawberry pot type deals. But all rock works.

You will still read web pages saying lava rock must be used in a TT. These are just old or written by people who just copied the idea from another web site without knowing anything beyond how to cut, copy and paste.

 

[Faultless]

ok great! I will be ordering the parts over the next week. I will take pictures of the build and post them when I am done. Thanks for all the great solutions and advice everyone!

 

[Faultless]

I have one more question about these large UV Filters. The max GPH is really low : for example a UV filter for a 3k gallon pond has a max GPH of 985?
If I were to purchase one and incorporate it into this filter project and my pump did 4200 GPH, A UV filter that work with 4200 GPH is meant for a 8k gallon pond. So I guess the question is if I added one to this filter system with a 4200GPH pump would I use the smaller or the bigger one? Or is 4200 GPH way to much for this project?

On a side note I'm not completely sold on UV filters, when making my first reef tank I was told by many people "you have to incorporate a UV filter into your system". I've never purchased or installed one because I've never had a algae problem.

 

[Waterbug]

Most ponds have an initial green water problem that sometimes clears, sometimes seems to go on forever. Some people add plants and in a week or so the pond clears and the plants gets the credit and their next question is how do I get rid of string algae. But the process isn't 100% for sure, or even understood. Some people with green water want it clear ASAP and that's where UV comes in. It's purely the choice of each owner.

You can always buy a larger UV than you need, but it wouldn't really work better. Kind of a Catch-22, a UV has to kill almost all the algae in a short period or the algae would just keep reproducing and the pond would never clear. I suggest buying a UV for your size pond, or next size up if really close to the limit. IMO UV should always be connected to a pump with a bypass and ball valves so the amount of water going thru the pump can be controlled. In your case something like 500-900 GPH going thru the UV and the rest goes around it. This is also important because the max GPH rating is for a certain algae load. The heavier the algae the more UV is blocked inside the filter and the more algae can get thru. Basically you try a flow and if the pond doesn't clear in 3-7 days you turn down the flow and give it another 3-7 days. That's why the bypass is important imo.

If you do consider a UV I can recommend AquaUV. They're built well but what I like best is they give good numbers for their units. However, like pumps all UVs work about the same imo.

I don't know if you have these terms in aquariums, but in ponds you'll see UV Clarifier and UV Sterilizer. I think in the aquarium trade it's strictly sterilizer. If you lower the flow rate a clarifier becomes a sterilizer. So all units are both a clarifier and sterilizer depending on what flow they're used at. That confuses some people. If you want a sterilizer you would have to size for that function, but few people want a sterilizer. Like I said about the Catch-22, clarifier mode is fine. Most of the algae in the pond is actually killed in a few hours in either case. The 3-7 days is how long it takes that green algae to decompose even to settle out or break into smaller pieces that can't be seen as well and the pond starts to look clear.

If you do have green water keep in mind that algae uses ammonia directly, not sure that's commonly known with aquariums. So it's extra important to test ammonia and nitrite any time you do anything to clear a green pond.

 

[addy1]

to our group!

Stick with goldfish / shubunkins, a lot less stress than koi that are more demanding and way larger fish. If down the road you want koi you could add them. I love my goldfish and shubunkins, easy to care for a very pretty. (They leave my pond plants alone too)

 

[capewind]

I know you werent responding to me waterbug, but your last response was really helpful. Hubby has tried explaining this to me multli times, and I just couldnt get it. Well, I still had a couple of questions from your response here, and hubby was finally able to connect the dots for me.

I wasnt "getting" how our "baby" 25 watt UV was of ANY help in our close to 9000 gallons of water, and what he has been trying to explain is the difference between clarifyer and sterilizer.

 

[Faultless]

With Aquariums they mostly refer to them as UV filters or UV sterilizers. This is way my biggest problem with them, The term sterilize means to remove bacteria and micro organisms, I always wondered why would I want to do that to my fish tank? I always felt a UV sterilizer was more of a step backwards then a benefit to my tank. Generally in aquariums to the algae isn't harmful to fish, there are a few types but its really rare. But it comes at a high cost, copepods are one of the most valuable organisms in a reef aquarium, they feed on ugly algea and almost every single fish and invert you can add to your tank eat them. It has always been argued about what UV sterilizers effects on them are. Except for herbs for my tangs I have not given store bought food to either tank in about a year(except a few times after I moved).
/done with aquarium rant.

But this is why I was hesitant to toss one in a ecosystem that I really do not know much about. With the clarification of clarifier vs sterilizer it seems like something I might consider. I will put the filter in place, beef up the aquatic plant life and allow the system to mature for a month or two. If the green is still a issue I will look into added a UV clarifier.

 

[sissy]

I put lava rocks in my filters and one is a tote and took me all of 10 minutes to build and install and built retaining wall block around the front and stacked rock in the front .Tank adapters I got from pet mountain .com .You can also buy a filter fall and all you have to do is install it and plumb it .

 

[Craig58]

With Aquariums they mostly refer to them as UV filters or UV sterilizers. This is way my biggest problem with them, The term sterilize means to remove bacteria and micro organisms, I always wondered why would I want to do that to my fish tank? I always felt a UV sterilizer was more of a step backwards then a benefit to my tank. Generally in aquariums to the algae isn't harmful to fish, there are a few types but its really rare. But it comes at a high cost, copepods are one of the most valuable organisms in a reef aquarium, they feed on ugly algea and almost every single fish and invert you can add to your tank eat them. It has always been argued about what UV sterilizers effects on them are. Except for herbs for my tangs I have not given store bought food to either tank in about a year(except a few times after I moved).
/done with aquarium rant.

But this is why I was hesitant to toss one in a ecosystem that I really do not know much about. With the clarification of clarifier vs sterilizer it seems like something I might consider. I will put the filter in place, beef up the aquatic plant life and allow the system to mature for a month or two. If the green is still a issue I will look into added a UV clarifier.

An important point to remember is UV's do nothing for the "stuff" that is attached in the tank/pond. It only affects the material passed through it in the water stream. So it typically only works on the single-celled algae that is the primary cause of green water. It will do nothing for string algae or other type of algae that is attached in the pond. I think people get confused by the term UV filter. A UV has NO filtering capability at all. It only kills what floats by it. What is killed than winds up as debris in your pond or filter.

As multi-celled algae grows, and plants grow, they can squeeze out the single-celled varities and clear the water. Many ponders will only use a UV in the early spring until their plants get started so they don't have green water. As Waterbug said , some of us are impatient and have little tolerance for anything that takes away any viewing time from our fish! We want green water cleared ASAP, or better yet, for it to never appear!

Craig

 

[Waterbug]

I will put the filter in place, beef up the aquatic plant life and allow the system to mature for a month or two. If the green is still a issue I will look into added a UV clarifier.

Sounds like a reasonable plan.

A UV has NO filtering capability at all. It only kills what floats by it. What is killed than winds up as debris in your pond or filter.

I personally have no issue with calling UV a filter, live things go in, dead things comes out, filters out life, good enough for me. You could consider it part of a filter system. Bio filters don't remove anything. Other people call them filters so that's what I call them.

 

[27goldfish]

I have that filter without the uv light. Also have the same pump. The filter is not worthless, as somebody else said. I clean it out about 2 times a week, but it definately is a choke point for that filter. Is cuts the output in half. The way I clean it is to unplug the pump feeding it. Let it empty. Then turn it to "clean". Power the pump back on and shake the filter as it fills up. It clears up a lot of stuff but is not a miracle worker.

 

[Waterbug]

I guess I should be more specific...these types of filters are worthless to me. As in my opinion.

 

[sissy]

I had 2 of them and did try one on my small pond but needed cleaned to much .I had to back flush it 4 or 5 times a day and it had a built iin UV and guessing it would be ok if you did not have many fish and a smaller pond or did not mind the extra work .To me home built is cheaper and easier ,plus you can change it out easier .Like I neede a bigger tote for cleaning and just bought a bigger one and took the tank adapter out of the old one for the new one and even put in a second adapter .I now have another stock tank for the round filter so will be changing that out so I can grow more plants in the filter to help it stay clean .I found plants in the filter catch most all of the gunk before it gets to the bottom .

this is the one that is going to be changed out next and the new tank is oval so I will put in 2 tank adapters and it is a lot bigger .