pond coverage

[koiguy1969]

build a good bio filter...for 300 gallons and your fish load you could easily get by with a 20 or 30 gallon outdoor tash can (plastic)although the larger the better..(you may want to add fish) search "55 gallon bio filers" "skippy filter" or "doc filter" then just down size it to the can or tub or whatever.. but remove the media from your junk filter and drop it on the bottom of your good filter so there is some bacteria to start the new filter..i would buy a small jug of beneficial bacteria also, and add some to boost your filters colonization rate...your poor fish what youve been doing is torturing them.you probably didnt know it...but you have been..build the filter you'll be happy and your fish will be happy..and you'll save the money on all the chemicals that your pond is now dependant on. you may also use your junk filter as a prefilter to assure that your pump wont clog if you like.. maybe buy a $5.00 cut to fit furnace filter and fill it with that.. hard to clog but will keep larger debris out of the pump. you already have it might as well utilize it.

 

[rdk]

Maybe that is why it's not working. I have a 24" square pit for the deep end for wintering the fish. 18" deep main section and a smaller 10" section at the other end for small water plants. I had bundled scub pads used in cleaning .tied together placed in the bottom of the pond to increase the surface area for breeding good bacteria. I would like to know what size home made bi- filter do you think I need for this small pond?

I just checked the water this morning and found the Ammonia went from 1.0 yesterday to .25 today. Nitrite is now 0 I don't understand why the Ammonia is now going down and not going up. I will work on this project this winter. Thank you.

 

[koiguy1969]

myself, and the two doctors (dr dave and dr case)on the site have pretty detailed instructions on buiding your filter.. i utilized a oil drain pan on mine but its by no means necessary.and i used shower drains for mine because of the cost difference in using bulk heads..other than that the design of mine and drdaves is pretty much the same.. dr cases only differs in the way the water leaves the down tube.. go with a 30gal+ filter youll be glad you did.

 

[koikeepr]

That bag of scrubbies needs to be inside the filter you build, as per koiguy. I agree with him on at least a 30 gallon container for sure. Go deep into the construction forum...you'll see a bunch of us have filters posted.

If you don't want to go the route of DIY, your best bet would be to buy the Laguna Pressure Flo filter that is apporopriate for your sized pond. They are great and easy to clean. For a 300 gallon pond, I would go with their smallest model, the Pressure Flo 700. Of course, its way cheaper to build your own, but if you are looking for an out of the box solution, that would be your best bet.

 

[rdk]

Are these bio filters called pressurized bio- filters? Will they work with my present 600 gal pond master pump? Do they have their own pumping system. Do they sit behind the pond and not in the pond so size does not really matter?

 

[koikeepr]

they are not in the pond, they are outside the pond. You can actually bury them all the way up to their covers so they can hardly be seen. Or you can place them right behind the pond if you have the hiding space there. Filters should not be IN the pond as they take up room and they are not easy to service if they are in water. They will also clog easy in a pond.

They are not those chintzy biofilter green plastic-y things that pondmaster makes if that's what you're thinking. Google the Laguna Pressure flo 700 to see exactly what it looks like. They have a great backwash system, where you pump a few levers to clean out the media inside, too. Very easy to maintain. You'll need to google it, to find various price points. Check ebay, too.

These pumps then attach to a water pump, like your current pump to work and push water through them. I don't know how much flow per gallon your present pump provides. Do you know what that flow rate is??

 

[rdk]

My pump rated at 500 gal per min. I would figure the farther I place the filter can from the pond the stronger the water pump I will need. In any case I will look up the plans for building the bio- filter.

 

[koiguy1969]

wow a 30,000 gph pump im sorry i was wrong...you'll need a 10,000 gallon diy filter for that kind of flow!!! what does a pump like that cost to run?LOL

 

[rdk]

It's not 500gals per min. then maybe 500 gal per hour?

 

[koiguy1969]

i figured i'd rib you a bit for that!!............sorry

 

[koikeepr]

lol! yes, you mean 500 gal per hour. that should be the minimum for your pond. You can certainly get by with that pump. Now, what will you do with a filter--buy or build?

 

[rdk]

I think I will be better off if I buy the tetra model 1500 with max flow of 750 gal per hour. I saw a product called a gravity pond filter for half the price which is like your set up. I saw it on the construction section. They have it for 500 gals. 1000gal and a1500 gal unit. From what I have be hearing from you people on the forum I will need the 1500 gal unit for my 300 gal pond for it to work good. Sunday I will be doing my water change up to 50%. Today my Ammonia reading is 0 Nitrite 0. No more ammo-lock today

 

[koikeepr]

are you talking about the Tetra bio filter or the pressure filter?

The green bio filter is junk, but the pressure filter will be fine. Yes, the tetra pressure filters are cheaper because they don't come with a built in UV light (its a separate option), and the Laguna one does. I also prefer the backflush system on the Laguna, but the one on the Tetra will be fine for you.

If you buy the Tetra 1500, you will also need to buy a bigger water pump than the one you have now, as it should have a flow of at least 750 gph, so your 500 gph pump will be undersized to do the job properly with that filter. I would personally buy one that was at least 150 gph to go with that filter if that's the route you take,

Glad to hear that the water changes are helping your ammonia. That's the trick right there. Weekly water changes...

 

[rdk]

If I go with a system like you have in a tank will I need to buy a stronger water pump? Tertra add says They have a flush out system too only I need a pump the size of a 2500 gal per hour to use it. for the model 1500 pressure filter. Is it the same for the laquana? Would I just open it up and clean the pads with pond water like I am doing now?

 

[koikeepr]

The tetra backflush works differently than the Laguna one in that it uses high pressure water. With the Laguna, you pump these levers to squeeze and push the filter media inside--you don't need to open it. It's all done with the thing closed. (see the video for it here.)You do this once every week, and what's great about it is that this also serves as a partial water change as you're cleaning your media and emptying the pond at the same time. I would open the whole thing up once every 2-3 months (depending on your fish load) and clean out the sponges real well (using pond water--NOT water from your hose or you will kill the beneficial bacteria that has built up).

You don't mention if you pond has a waterfall. If it does, I think your pump is too small regardless. You also don't mention your fish load or if your pond is in sun/shade/etc. Personally, I do think your pump is generally a tad small, but you might just about get away with it with the laguna. You should check out their website to see what their specs are to determine the accurate pond-filter-pump sizes needed for your specific situation.

Again, if you're so inclined, you can build yourself a barrel filter as well.