questions on small ponds

[crazyforponds]

Hi all. We finshed our big pond and its beautiful and the fish are very happy. Started a new project. I dug up a smal flower bed under my deck and decided to put another small pond in. Unlike my large pond there is not room for biofalls or a skimmer and pump. I would like to have a few gold fish in there so I'm wondering how I can get a filtration system in this small area. I was looking on line and found a box that sits on the bottom that has the pump and filtration system in it. Is this okay? What size pump do i need for a 500 gallon pond and waterfall that will probably rise up 2 feet? Thanks

 

[j.w]

I did that for years using that type of a filter box. I made mine out of a big plastic plant pot w/ holes drilled all around it. I put filter media on the bottom side and top of the pump I had centered in the middle of it all. Made sure the top piece of round filter media was tight so it wouldn't float away. Tied some rope around the top so I could pull it out. Oh and made holes w/ slits on the top circle of media so the tube from the pump to the waterfall could fit out of it and the power cord. Worked just fine but I got tired of pulling it out of my 3&1/2 ft deep 2500 gal pond so switched to a different kind easier to pull out.
Here is the kind of filter media I used. I used the green stuff most of the time as it didn't clog as fast but the black collects more stuff so it's just a choice:

Here is a photo of the pot I used but in this photo I'm using it for a fines filter now on top of the water using quilt batting w/ a hose connected to a small pump in the bottom of the pond. It's just a good way to remove lots of floating gunk that collects in a pond.

 

[JohnHuff]

I was looking on line and found a box that sits on the bottom that has the pump and filtration system in it. Is this okay?

Be prepared to pull that up at least once a week for cleaning during the season.

 

[sissy]

you need 1 that you can get that head with .The part of the hose that comes out of the water .So you look at pumps with a rise of 2 ft or more .I would at least go with 900 or a thousand gph .Lots of pumps come with prefilters and that should work .but you may have to clean them often .Clean the prefilter with peroxide and water and maybe order an extra one

 

[j.w]

OH and if it were me I'd get at least a 1000 gph pump. You could do less but I prefer more gph.

 

[sissy]

true you could always divert it to a cute spitter or just leave it aerate the pond

 

[JohnHuff]

OH and if it were me I'd get at least a 1000 gph pump. You could do less but I prefer more gph.

Unlike 99% of other ponders, I prefer less gph. My reasoning is that as a fish, I may not necessarily want to live in a fast flowing stream all my life. I have currently have two pumps with 3 inlets so the current is spread out.

 

[j.w]

My fish have quiet corners where they can go to meditate if they want to or go ride the wild waves and volcano bubbles over near the falls way over on the other end. It's kind of like one of those amusement parks where you go and pay the big bucks for all the choices but they get it all for free. But if you do have a small pond I suppose there would not be those choices and there would only be that one crazy ride all day long.

 

[sissy]

Top of water really needs to be pushed around a little or it will just get stale .i have no skimmer and being 4 ft deep I don't want dead water .Fish do not stay at the top of the water all day long ,when it gets sunny and hot they had down to the cooler water .Water needs oxygen in it to keep it from getting stale and green .