Filtration ideas

[Newt]

Just wondered what you have, what works well, and what you would never do if you had it to do over again.

[John S]

We looked at verious (expensive) ready-made filter systems, then decided to build our own from two header tanks. The water from the pump goes into the top (settlement) tank which is loaded with plastic strips - exactly like the stuff you fasten heavy packages up with. The water then goes (by gravity) into the bottom tank where it goes through three foam filters of varying grades before passing through a layer of pea-gravel and then back to the pond.

 

We've never needed ultra-violet gizmos' to take out any single-celled algae, we just have lots of plants in the pond to keep the algal blooms down

[Bradford Angler]

do you have carp in this plant filled pond ??

[Newt]

John S - could you possibly draw a picture of how you have things set up? Sounds like a great solution.

[Elton]

I have a very powerful pump that takes all the water up to one of those filter box things. It then goes past a UV, through three layers of different foam and onto some rock stuff.

 

I have to clean it fairly frequently, though, as the pond is under a big tree and I prefer not to net it. It is alive with larvaae of some sort when I do - the fish must be really well fed!

 

Elton

[John S]

Bradford Angler:

do you have carp in this plant filled pond ??

Yes we do.... Several koi carp up to approx 2lb, the mirror carp is I guess about 3lb, and the golden orfe (5) are about 1lb each. As for the plants, we have the normal oxygenating weed (which also feeds our compost bin), several water lilies and various marginal plants including bullrushes, freshwater mint (edible) and several ornamantal grasses.

 

I should have added that we also have a wildlife pond for newts (the amphibian, not our colonial moderator ) and frogs, though the latter seem to prefer the main pond instead

 

[ 03. January 2003, 03:09 AM: Message edited by: John S ]

[John S]

Newt, I will do a diagram and post it during the weekend

 

[ 03. January 2003, 03:15 AM: Message edited by: John S ]

[Bradford Angler]

John S

 

I have plants in mine too for a couple of seconds then the carp tear them to pieces, only thing I can seem to grow with any success is the white large lillies (but they are well covered in stones, not pebbles ! at the root end) and my carp are not as big as yours

 

what depth do the general plant grow at ??

 

the other thing I get to grow is water millfoil (parrot weed ?) on my water fall cascade, it looks lovely when it grows out of control (lengths around 8 feet long, takes most of summer) and then it eventually touches the pond and the carp drag it in and devour it too . .

 

maybe I better read that the pellet notes say start feeding when the water temp goes above 10'c eh ??

 

it is a nice pond I have, but looks so black and uninviting when there is little or no plant life....

[poledark]

Newt, here is a digram of the filter that i used successfully for more than twenty years,

 

 

Very easy to maintain and clean, I simply shut off the flow to tank, switch off the pump, remove the filters and rinse and bail out the mud/sludge. This was put on the garden.

 

Foams are available from most aquatic centres and I found that the 12" X18" fitted nicely in a 5gallon header tank.

 

My filter was disguised as a seat by the pond.

 

The design is self governing and as the filters clog up the flow reduces, and can be seen.

 

Some designs tell you to put the flow in at the top and let the water drain down thro the filters, but these are prone to overflowing and sometimes fatal results.

 

Den

[Bradford Angler]

as the filter becomes clogged, then does a back pressure not act on the pump . .

 

does this effect the life of the pump ?

 

how long do they run . . are they cheapy nasty pumps or named ??

 

I am on my 3rd in 5 years (two run together and one bust)