Will a skippy replace the need for a lot of plant filtration?

[pecan]

Due to the size of my pond the proper amount of plant filtration is costly so I am going to install a couple skippies this year. 150 gallon is the biggest stock tank and I need about 170 gallons of skippy for my volume so I am planning on putting in a 100 gallon stock tank skippy and a 70 gallon stock tank skippy in my 5000 gallon pond.

The 100 gallon will be fed with my 6000 GPH pump and two inch hose reduced to two 1 1/2 inch outlets pulling from one side of the pond.

The 70 gallon will be fed with a new (haven't purchased yet) 2000 GPH (I think) pump and 1 1/2 inch hose with one outlet pulling from the other side of the pond.

I didn't have that big of a problem last year, a couple weeks of green water then it was pretty clear. I could see to the bottom but still a little murky. I am hoping this set up will be low maintenance and keep the water crystal clear.

Please let me know your thoughts.

 

[addy1]

The skippy, doc type, fishin's filter all work well. I built a fishin type filter to get rid of some of the fine dirt in my pond. Within a few days it was clear, I pulled the filter and it stayed clear. Just now, after no filtering for the winter, it is getting a slight cloudiness very slight.

Check out the diy section there are great ideas for building your own filter, media to use etc.
My lotus pond is just water, plants and a few fish, it has stayed nice and clear, but only 4 fish lol. The heron ate the goldfish in there, the rosey minnows survived.

 

[ididntdoit99]

[sup]I noticed in your introduction thread, the pictures of your liner layed out, that you had quite a bit of extra liner. have you ever though of a bog filter? I, myself, dont have one, but i know people on here do, and there are some good write ups on them. [/sup]

 

[koiguy1969]

6000 gph is a pretty high flow of water, even for a 150 gal filter...maybe put 3000 thru the filter and the rest direct into the falls. you wanna give that 'hangtime' in the filter so the beneficial bacteria can do its thing.
ON YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION.... NO THERES NO BIOLOGICAL FILTER THAT WILL REMOVE NITRATES. NITRATES ARE THE FINAL PRODUCT OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE. BUT PLANTS USE NITRATES, SO INSUFFICIENT PLANTS TO USE UP THE NITRATES LEAVES NATURES PLANT REMEDY...ALGEAS, BOTH GREEN WATER AND FILAMENTOUS ALGEAS.

 

[pecan]

Great thought koiguy, it hadn't crossed my mind. Since the 2 inch hose T's into two 1 1/2 inchers, I could easily run one to the fall directly and the other through filter.

Ididn'tdoit99, I have thought about a bog, but don't want to loose that much space since the bog would need to be pretty large to filter the pond.

 

[pecan]

6000 gph is a pretty high flow of water, even for a 150 gal filter...maybe put 3000 thru the filter and the rest direct into the falls. you wanna give that 'hangtime' in the filter so the beneficial bacteria can do its thing.
ON YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION.... NO THERES NO BIOLOGICAL FILTER THAT WILL REMOVE NITRATES. NITRATES ARE THE FINAL PRODUCT OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE. BUT PLANTS USE NITRATES, SO INSUFFICIENT PLANTS TO USE UP THE NITRATES LEAVES NATURES PLANT REMEDY...ALGEAS, BOTH GREEN WATER AND FILAMENTOUS ALGEAS.

Thank you. I think I will create a small bog at the top of the falls when I install the skippies and still go pretty heavy on the plants in the pond.

 

[DrCase]

Just to add to KoiGuys post
You got enough water flow to split it between the 2 filters , and the water fall with your existing pump

 

[pecan]

Just to add to KoiGuys post
You got enough water flow to split it between the 2 filters , and the water fall with your existing pump

I wanted to get another pump this year (2000 GPH) for a couple reasons. One so I can pull water from the other side of the pond and two in case I have a pump problem I always have a back up. My 6000 GPH is already split from 1, 2 inch hose into 2, 1 1/2 inch outlets. So I think I'll run one of the hoses from the 6000 into the 100 gallon stock tank and the other straight into the falls. Then I will run the 2000 into the 70 gallon stock tank. That way if one pump shuts off I still have a working skippy and can harvest some media from it to help get the other one going again :razz:

 

[sissy]

I have told everyone here 2 pumps better than one ,the you never know .I got the one lowes sells now that turns itself off in low water conditions .I had aggie knock a pump over and it was spitting water out of the pond until it burned out .The other ones I bought at harbor freight for 22 dollars .The one I bought at lowes I bought the extended warranty for 8 dollars so no matter what they replace it for 3 years .