Suggestions

[ashirley]

Hello all,

I am looking for suggestions for a replacement for my biological filter. The one I have currently has filter pads in the bottom and I have bags of scrucnchies and lava rocks on top. It is a pain to clean and the older I get, the more I dread doing it .

 

[poconojoe]

There are members here that have bog filters. I'm seriously thinking of building one myself this spring. With a bog filter, all the nutrients are deposited underneath and feed the plants that are living in the bog. It's a nice natural cycle and does a very thorough job of keeping your water clean. And the big plus is that there's no rinsing of filter pads or backwashing any filters.
Our pond is 1500 gallons with two pressure filters, a bucket filter (filled with lava rock) and we can't seem to keep the water clear. I know we're a bit guilty of fish overload. We do have a good amount of plant life, so that's a good thing. But I think the bog would be key to cleaning things up.
We have a perfect spot on one end of the pond where several plants are currently residing. I figure we can temporarily remove those plants, build the bog and replant them into the bog.
Do a search on this site and you will find a lot of information on bogs and how to build one.

 

[ashirley]

I wonder if I could turn my existing filter into a bog by using pea gravel and just planting it. It would be small but would prevent the cleaning.

 

[Lisak1]

Is this going to act as a biological filter? Or a mechanical filter? A bog works well as a biological filter, but you need a mechanical filter as well. You don't want to pump debris through a bog filter or you'll really have a cleaning headache. And it will quickly clog and lose all effectiveness.

 

[JohnHuff]

Looks like you have both a bio and mechanical filter in one. Is it pressurized? If not, just make a frame and put the filter pads on top. Once the filter pads get dirty, take them out and rinse them. Then there will be no need to move the lava rocks and scrunchies.

 

[Big Red Comet]

What is your pond size - I really like the Biosteps 10 which is both a mechanical and bio filter ( I hope I dont get too repititious in my recommending them! ) What I like about them is the Matala pads provide a LOT of filtration + surface for the beneficial bacteria to live. And its pretty easy to clean. Just pull the pads out and beat them overa rock and/or rinse with a bucket of pond water to dislodge the debris. very adaptable - works with or without a uv, can add charcoal or very fine filter pads at the end.

The down side is the matala pads can be expensive to replace but they do last for 2-3 yrs and then start falling apart and getting clogged with too much debris thats hard to remove

 

[Jack B. Nimble]

Love my bog always clear and clean.

 

[ashirley]

I have a skimmer with filter mats. The water flows through those mats and is pumped to the top of the pond to the bio box where there are more mats and the rocks. The bio box is what is hard to clean.

 

[JohnHuff]

What is your pond size - I really like the Biosteps 10 which is both a mechanical and bio filter ( I hope I dont get too repititious in my recommending them! ) What I like about them is the Matala pads provide a LOT of filtration + surface for the beneficial bacteria to live. And its pretty easy to clean. Just pull the pads out and beat them overa rock and/or rinse with a bucket of pond water to dislodge the debris. very adaptable - works with or without a uv, can add charcoal or very fine filter pads at the end.

The down side is the matala pads can be expensive to replace but they do last for 2-3 yrs and then start falling apart and getting clogged with too much debris thats hard to remove

How often do you have to clean your filter?

 

[ashirley]

How often do you have to clean your filter?

In the summer I clean the skimmer pads at least once a week and the bio box once a month bc it's such a pain. Probably could use more though.

 

[ashirley]

Looks like you have both a bio and mechanical filter in one. Is it pressurized? If not, just make a frame and put the filter pads on top. Once the filter pads get dirty, take them out and rinse them. Then there will be no need to move the lava rocks and scrunchies.

The water enters from the bottom. Wouldn't the rocks get dirtier if the pads are on the top?

 

[JohnHuff]

The water enters from the bottom. Wouldn't the rocks get dirtier if the pads are on the top?

Never mind! I thought the water was coming in from the top.

The way your setup is is not good because you have to remove the scrunchies and lava rock before you can get to the mechanical filter, and the scrunchies will also pick up detritus. The best way to have such a filter is to have water coming from top and the mechanical filter (pads) on top. Then when the pads get saturated with stuff, you can just pull them out and rinse them without moving the rocks.