Have any of you ever built your own pond filter? I have seen it described in books and magazines but I wonder if any of y'all have had any success with it.
Build your own filter?
I have two mechanical filters that I made from 55 gallon barrels I got from the local Coca Cola plant for $5 each. I also have a biological filter that I made from a 150 gallon stock tank, basically following Skippy's design (google skippy filter). I have had this setup for two seasons now and everything in my pond is thriving. The water is always clear and maintenance is very minimal.
We made ours. Upflow thru mechanical, then drip over biological in 55 gal barrels. 2 sets of these for our 7k gal pond. If the thing weren't overstocked and with so many plants it would be perfectly clean :( Gotta get rid of some stuff!
Thanks! I think that's what were're going to do. It seems like it would be a lot cheaper.
While I love my Savio filter and skimmer system, and after using it for 7 years with no problems and good results, I can honestly say that building your own filter is definitely do-able. It would save money. Just make sure you get any bulkhead fittings or other connections leak free. Also take a look at ready made systems just to use them as a guide to guage capacity.