Hello All and Happy 4th!
I'm in a bind and need to solve a problem quickly without my usual research. I have about 1000 gallon pond and waterfall. They are in mainly sun. I had a tetra filter with UV light and it's died. I need suggestions for the best pressurized filter with UV light. I'd rather have effective than inexpensive since I've got another acre of gardens to maintain and I think I'm finally at my max LOL Hubby has electrical engineering experience so set up should not be a problem.
Have also considered setting up a filter like we have for our swimming pool. Is this overkill ? LOL It just seems like the pool filter is easy to clean.
BTW no fish in pond, just plants and now algae too :(
HELP! Need opinions on filters
I wish I had advice for you on filter selection but I don't, I've never used either :(
The question of pool equipment on a pond comes up often though! Pool filters are not made to handle solids that you need to filter out of a pond (even without fish). Pond filters are made these days that operate like the pool filters but the parts are different to account for how you need to filter a pond. Coming from experience.........don't use a pool filter, you'll regret it. Because of the solids it got clogged (even with gravel inside) VERY quickly which led to TONS of backflushing which led to demise of the valve :( We did use a pond pump on the setup (pool pumps are not meant to run 24/7 and are very expensive to run) and it's life was greatly reduced by this experience because it was constantly under so much pressure as the filter clogged.
I understand the ones made for ponds are great! But I haven't used one. Based on the size of you pond and that you don't have fish I think a "skippy" filter would be perfect for you and you shouldn't need to replace the UV. Good luck! I hope you find what you need quickly.
You actually can get a pretty good deal on Ebay from quite a few vendors. Sunterra, Jabaeo, and others all make good filters with UV lighting that can handle a 1,000 pond. The filters can be buried or in my case, I just stick it back in the bushes out of sight. You can open them and rinse the filter sponges when they collect enough debri. Some of them come with a backwash, so you don't have to clean them as often. Mostly, you will want the underwater PUMP to be the correct one, so it can handle some solids, and also make enough water flow through the filter to make it worth your while.
Bead filters are much more expensive and a little harder to deal with, but people who have them like them very much.
There are also above ground gravity filters that look like a big box with filter sponges inside. The water is pumped over the top, draining through the sponges and falling back into the pond. Likewise, you can do the same set up, but using plants (their roots) to strain the water and make a biological filter to clean the water.
:)
Thanks for input. Does anyone have experience with reliability? We had a single unit, pressurized filter with UV. The UV never seemed really effective, though my feeling was we needed to keep titrating the flow rate till it was slow enough for the light to be more effective. Seems like it would be easier to keep the UV and filter seperate so we could have max filtration and slow water down just through UV to be more effective.
Please tell me if my reasoning is flawed LOL
I don't have experience with that set up but I think your reasoning has merit. In fact, I'm surprised that a pressurized filter would be sold with a UV as part of the unit and not separate. UV's are generally rated for a much smaller water flow than any filter would be. And trying to slow down the flow to get the effectiveness from the UV is hard on whatever pump it is that's pushing the water thru anyways. If you need a UV (and I really think you can do with out), you should look for an independent unit and set it up appropriately and get the filter you want.
I had a pond that was 1600 gallons (it is gone waiting for me and the crew to dig out a bigger one!)
Here is what I did for a filter and my water was always clear and I never needed or had a UV light.
I took a large lily pot with no holes in it.
Put your pump at the bottom.
Add as many old hair curlers loosely around the pump. (These are the pink or yellow ones that are hard plastic and one clamps over the other) These act as your bioballs in a biofilter. I picked up many of them at yard sales for next to nothing.
Place a thin square of filter...sometimes I even used the charcoal ones.
Over this, cut a slightly larger circle of 1 1/2 to 2 inch thick filter media. You will need to cut a slit from the outer edge into the center...just enough to let your hose and power cord to come through at the side.
Push/tuck the thicker pad onto the top of the whole thing and then place into the water.
The water will be pulled through the thicker pad, then the finer one, into the pot with the bio media and then through your pump. If you keep the principle of more plants and less fish, you will never have cloudy water (only with your spring bloom).
I also added beneficial bacteria into the pot to seed it, and occaisionally through the season. Rinse off the pads as needed, or every 7-14 days. You can dump out some water, but the darker water in the bottom contain all the beneficial bacteria, so don't over clean the curlers or you wash off the bacteria that do all the work to keep it clear.
Hope this helps and it is way cheaper, easier to take care of, and keeps it clear. I cannot take all the credit, as my neighbor taught me this. I couldn't believe it until I tried it. The only problem is now a bigger pond I will have to get the bigger filters. But I will be adding my curlers!
Rather be digging...I'm sitting here giggling over the thought of you buying HUNDREDS of curlers. Now I need to know what the cashier says to you as they scan your head...and I really want to see you explaining that you use them to filter your POND! Or do you sneak to 25 different stores to avoid explaining?
An option for biomedia (if you need quite a lot for a large pond, we did!) is shipping strapping, you can get large rolls from shipping suppliers for a good price and shipping isn't bad at all.
http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_2751.asp?desc=Uline+Poly+Strapping
We used the golfball wiffle balls in a big box filter we made....the kind you use in the backyard so they don't go far....
Howdy all,
I just joined DG and am learning a lot. The posts on filtration are very helpful.
I just filled in our pool to make it about 2 ft. deep. Will be close to 2000 gal.
I have 2 main concerns at this point. #1: Since the pool will not drain, the water content in the fill is high. Should I use a pond liner before filling or not. Will the (underground) water seep up and cause problems.
#2: I have a high quality sand filter with 2 skimmers and inlets. Can I use the techniques like the hair curler set up and place them before the inlets to pre filter the solids, and then run it through the sand filter like a pool set up. I believe by running the pool filter I'll help maintain oxy. content. Oh ya! Does the filter have to run 24/7? I plan to have plants over 50 % of the surface. I'll have comets, some catfish from the local river and an island with a fountain, supplied by the circulating water. Maybe a waterfall?????
Any ideas are welcome.
onthedryside
Wow, I do believe you need your own thread with a better explaination of what you're doing because I'm pretty confused. Did you partially fill a pool with dirt and are planning to make a pond on top of that?
Onthedryside:
You will get more help if you start your own thread under this Watergarden forum...others may not see your question further down this one.
I do not have any experience with what you are doing, but it sure is facinating!
As for the hair curlers...I picked them up a different yard sales, so no one cashier saw me. If it was a bad hair day, the seller probably thought I could use them! I have about 3-4 doz. in my lily pot/filter.
I would be curious if others with smaller ponds try my method and if they get as great of a result as I. Again, I thank my neighbor for this. When she first taught me this, I could not fathum how this would work! As you can all see, anything that provides a lot of surface area for the benefical bacteria to grow on will be most helpful. You do not have to necessarily have to purchase the 'bioballs' that they sell in the stores! It is the same principle. And of course, there is mechanical filtration with the different thicknesses of filter pads prior to the water going to the pump and into the pot with the hair curlers- so you get mechanical and biological filtration with this setup.
And of course, stick to more plants and less fish and it will decrease the nitrogen from the fish poop. If you have to much fish poop, it can be too much for the beneficial bacteria to change into the form that is used up by your plants. That leftover fish poop nitrogen will result in the green algae making your water cloudy. Some is normal, as that is part of normal biology of a pond. But pea-soup green is not!
(Hope the word 'fish poop' is acceptable words to use on DG!) LOL
RatherB
RatherBD...I think you have to say DGfishpoop to make it acceptable! :)
Oops! Make that 'DGfishpoop'...I want to be a member of good standing here! Thanks, MerryMary. I owe you a hair curler for that advice...
:o)
RatherB