SKIPPY vs. BARREL

[Mmathis]

OK, here we go -- I'm down to deciding my filter type. I've posted about this before, as have others. But now it's time to process all that information. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference -- yours, based on your own experience, and mine once I "filter" through all your comments ( yes, pun intended ).

Except for the obvious [shape and size ], what makes one better than the other?

STATS: pond size around 3200 gal / will have goldfish (no koi) / my box turtles will have access to a section for their "business" / looking at an Aquascapes pump that moves somewhere around 5200 gph (solids-handling) / will have plants

Please stay on topic as all I really want to know about are the pro's & con's of the SKIPPY vs. BARREL (or drum).

 

[27goldfish]

If I have ready correctly, they both work about the same way. Thats what I gathered

 

[sissy]

A skippy you can hide easier and a barrel takes a little more to hide it .But the really work the same ,only thing is a barrel will give you more area to build a bio load .But find a skippy is smaller and can be a lot easier to hide .I have 2 and use them as my waterfall outlets and can just tuck them into the area they need to be.The size is much easier to work with than a giant barrel and being a women size matters .lol men keep the peanut gallery clean . :razz: :razz:

 

[ididntdoit99]

I hear size doesnt matter, and its all in how you use it right? We ARE talking about filters here correct?

I half buried my barrel, which makes it much easier to hide, just an idea if you want to go with a barrel. You do have to leave the hole bigger to reach down and open a flush valve or figure out a way to clean the thing if you bury it though.

 

[sissy]

HMMMMMM is all I can say ---------you can use a dirty water pump also to clean the filter as long as you have well water you can flush it out with the hose after you plug in the dirty water pump and just pump the gunk out .I did that with 1 of my filters

 

[HARO]

The difference? Around here, a 150 g. Rubbermaid stocktank costs $280. I found a source for olive barrels for $5. I plan to use two side-by-side, so the difference is $270. :wink:
John

 

[sissy]

gosh 150 gallon stock tanks here are cheaper but I got mine at a house auction and got it even cheaper .I always check auction zip for local auctions and usually they list stuff or show pics .You can always check the newspaper also ,even a damaged one can be repaired .

 

[Mmathis]

A skippy you can hide easier and a barrel takes a little more to hide it .But the really work the same ,only thing is a barrel will give you more area to build a bio load .But find a skippy is smaller and can be a lot easier to hide .I have 2 and use them as my waterfall outlets and can just tuck them into the area they need to be.The size is much easier to work with than a giant barrel and being a women size matters .lol men keep the peanut gallery clean . :razz: :razz:

Not sure what you mean about the SKIPPY being easier to hide. Don't have dimensions at hand, but the Rubbermaid stock tanks I looked at were HUGE! I am looking at the 100 gal. tank. Of course, I haven't started on the waterfall yet, so don't have a reference point.

 

[koiguy1969]

first of all...the container isnt what makes a skippy.. the swirl bar plumbing assembly does.
Haro, where are you looking at stocktanks? $280 for a 150 gal is a bit much. more than twice the cost as they are here. $120 will get a 150 gal 300 gals arent even $280. you can get a tuff stuff brand 110 gal for $60. http://tsc.tractorsu...archButton.y=10
sissy, how is it that a 55 gal poly barrel will hold more media, and allow a bigger bioload, than a 70, 100, 110, 150 gal stocktank. using square bottom totes for a filter isnt even making a skippy. just an upflow filter. a square or rectangular enclosure doesnt allow a swirling or whirlpool action in the sump area of the filter. you need a round, or oval container with the plumbing smoothly releasing the water onto the wall of the container. so it can follow the wall of the container.
*stock tanks are by far easier to hide they only stand 2' feet tall and are easily buried in a mound right at ponds edge... i have both a 55 gal barrel skippy style on my basement pond and a 70 gal stocktank skippy style on my outdoor pond. both perform very well. but i wouldnt want to have to try to hide the barrel pondside. barrels are better located remotely.with the stock tank, . mound dirt around it and landscape. the larger area at the top looks great filled with lettuce, hyacinths, or other floating plants...the filter basically dissappears.

 

[sissy]

,I was talking about a skippy just being easier in some cases to hide .I have 2 stock tanks 1 is 150 gallons and the other is 300 gallons I use my stock tanks for plants because koi destroy them to fast and this is the only way i can grow enough plants for the pond .I really meant in cleaning the pond they work the same .It would just depend on how or if you have the space to conceal them .I really don't have a spot to conceal it unless I put it under my front porch and then i would have to run a pipe to the pond My filter that is a tote has the tank adapter come in the side and then I have a T connector the one part is open on the top for aerator hose and then the pipe part goes down in the tank,the water comes out the hose on the top of the filter media through a pvc pipe with holes drilled in the bottom of it and a cap on the end .I saw something similar on you tube ..I made my tanks so they have liner under them so that if they ever overflow it would run back into the pond and not empty the pond ,I had one overflow because of taddies blocking the opening and filter media

 

[HARO]

Mark; Tractor Supply no longer sells Rubbermaid in our area (Ontario), and the only place that does is a farmer's Co-op. I can get a polyetylene version for about half the cost, but I've seen several of these that cracked over the winter, even empty. I got my 300 g. Rubbermaid from a riding stable that was getting out of the business, for $100. A new one (if you can find one) is close to five times that!!! And to make matters worse, we pay 13% in taxes on top of that. Maybe I should move to the States!?
John

 

[Mmathis]

LARKIN & SISSY: thanks for clearning that up. Interesting, in that all I've seen regarding filters, esp., SKIPPY, I guess it was implied [that the difference had to do with the spray bar].

 

[sissy]

come on over Haro There is a house not far from me that has a nice pond they built and stream and water 78 thousand and little over 5 acres of land taxes 496 dollars a year .I think the spray bar adds a lot of air to the water .i have the air hose in the top of the T connector and drilled a hole also in the elbow coming out of the tank adapter .I like the spray arm .I was thinking of putting aT connector where the pipe goes into the pond and a pvc pipe come out each side of it with end caps and larger holes drilled in the bottom of it but not sure it would add anything except spread the water out over the falls .

 

[fishin4cars]

HMMM, Im getting a thank you and haven't posted my thoughts yet. LOL think that was koiguy. But be sure and look at the posts I liked, good information in those posts. IMO, it's more how you want to hide. barrels aren't as easy to hide behind unless you have a retaining wall, or tall water fall, skippy can be hiden easier along the ponds edge. Skippy in many case can be a better filter for your size pond, To get adaquete filtration for that size pond with a decent load you may need a few 55 gallon drums. I have to wonder though why your not considering bog. For what your planning I would think that would be a serious choice as they are easy to hide, they look good, many of us have had real good luck and with no koi it could be part of more filtration and still be a seperate system in case the primary goes down. And without spending big $$ Plus the turtles love to walk in the bog.

 

[Mmathis]

HMMM, Im getting a thank you and haven't posted my thoughts yet. LOL think that was koiguy. But be sure and look at the posts I liked, good information in those posts. I have to wonder though why your not considering bog. For what your planning I would think that would be a serious choice as they are easy to hide, they look good, many of us have had real good luck and with no koi it could be part of more filtration and still be a seperate system in case the primary goes down. And without spending big $$ Plus the turtles love to walk in the bog.

OK, Larkin, you guys gotta stop changing your profile pics! I get confused easily

Back to the bog.... I'm about 1/2 way into construction of my false floor. The area I have designated is approx. 4' x 10', and 12" to 2' deep (sloping) and is already lined. If I converted this to a bog, besides the fact that Hubby would have a cow, what would I need to do with this space? I know I would have to enclose the "bog" and elevate it......

ADDY, if you're reading this, please chime in!

Think I'll post this over in the CONSTRUCTION forum, too.