DIY 30 gal barrel/drum filter

[TAHOE]

Here is the filter I made out of a 30 gal pickle barrel. It is nice as it came with a removeable lid that I can just tightened the metal band if needed, then it could become a low pressurized system.

I started out with just a submersible pump inside a small fileer box with some coarse filter sponge which then made a fountain in the middle of pond and I split it and used a small preform water fall I got free. I was cleaning this thing at least every two weeks, all clogged with muck and algae so the need for a larger system was in order. I did a bunch of searches, I really like both PondGuru and DIY fishkeepers on youtube along with this forum. I basically build a small Skippy fitler with a vortex around bottom for heavies. I had order some 1" bulkheads for another project, I pump water into the top, go down the middle through 1" PVC, split at bottom and used 2 elbows to create the circular vortex on bottom. They are about 3-4" from the bottom, a layer of "egg crate" light diffusers were cut for rock to lie on. Water comes in dumps at bottom then filter up through a thick layer of volcanic rock ,the I also was given some plasic deer fence that I cut down and made into rolls to use for surface area for bacteria. Water exits from a 2" bulkhead I made from the gray PVC electrical fittings as they screw tighter than standard plumbing fittings. I sealed it all up with PL300? roofing sealant and painted drum black. I also added a drain port on the bottom, there is a 22.5* or 45* elbow that points drain pipe down, I cut the edge of the pipe lengthways on an angle so there is a lot of open pipe lying on the bottom of drum. When I open drain valve, it sucks all the muck and stuff off the bottom, works well. I drain in the fall when I take fitler into the house for the winter and hook it up to turtle pond to keep it alive.
This pond was always murky during the summer, fought with algae blooms all the time. I was amazed the first time I started running this filter, noticeable difference in just 24 hours. After 48 hours, almost crystal clear. I have limited algae issues now and I only have to remove pump once every 6-8 weeks to clean versus every 1-2 weeks before and fish are mucho happy now! I also move filter behind the bush in picture, cut drain tube and it rush down the water fall again.

 

[dieselplower]

Very nifty. You could even fill in the spaces between the plastic material with bioballs for additional biofiltration.

 

[koiguy1969]

I have one small suggestion for ya... extend the bottom pipes on your swirl bars so the 90s touch or almost touch the wall. the way you have them reduces the swirl or vortex action.
wait, one more.... add a flush valve to the bottom of filter. to eliminate wastes built up in sump area. elimination of wastes from the system makes it work easier.
just a couple thoughts.

 

[Shakey]

Could you use a swimming pool filter as I have one in my shed that I do not use or possibly adapt it

 

[koiguy1969]

if its a sand filter you can replace the sand with gravel or bio-balls. post a pic and start your own thread. so this guy's thread isn't highjacked.

 

[TAHOE]

I have one small suggestion for ya... extend the bottom pipes on your swirl bars so the 90s touch or almost touch the wall. the way you have them reduces the swirl or vortex action.
wait, one more.... add a flush valve to the bottom of filter. to eliminate wastes built up in sump area. elimination of wastes from the system makes it work easier.
just a couple thoughts.

There was a reason I didn't extend them out, I think I originally had them pretty much on the bottom of drum but it tapers in on the bottom so I had to make them shorter to fit. When I raised them up, I just left the length as when I tested, they gave a pretty good swirling. I also have my pump down in a fileer box surrounded by filter sponge so really, only very small particles even get into the drum.

I'm not good at MS paint, but here is the drain in my drum, can't see it in the pictures. I cut a piece of pipe lengthwise on an angle that pretty much lies on the bottom of drum, it's only up about 1/4-1/2". When I open the drain, it flows black for a few seconds then start to clear. I slosh around some and it does a good job of flushing filter. I do that in the fall before I take inside.

Shakey, I had a line on a pool sand filter I was going to do the same thing, fill it will volcano rock and go for it. Maybe need to adapt the piping though to get proper water flow.

 

[koiguy1969]

no plumbing work needed really to use a sand filter. but you can enlarge the slits in the laterals to decrease flow resistance if your using a high volume pond pump. cuz they just don't have the pressure a pool pump has. of course if you do this you wont be able to use sand in it anymore. I use one on my basement pond..full of virgin polyethelene beads. no slit altering. 865gph thru it. very little if any flow reduction. flow: PUMP > POOL FILTER > BARREL FILTER > back to POND

 

[TAHOE]

. I use one on my basement pond..full of virgin polyethelene beads. .

Where did you get these and exactly what are they?

I have some small moving bed filters using K1 on my fish tanks, I would love to do a moving bed 55 gal drum filter for the pond whenever I make a big one...gotta hit the lottery to buy that much K1.

 

[koiguy1969]

virgin polyethelene beads are the raw stock that's melted down and used in injection molding.... its what your barrel, and stocktanks are made of.

if you know someone who works at a plastics place, see f they can get you some.

 

[TAHOE]

Cool. I don't so

 

[Catfishnut]

virgin polyethelene beads are the raw stock that's melted down and used in injection molding.... its what your barrel, and stocktanks are made of.View attachment 76711
if you know someone who works at a plastics place, see f they can get you some.

Cool. I don't so

We use polyethelene and a number of other types of plastic resin beads at my work in injection molding machines and extruders. We have one extruding machine which can go through as much as 650 pounds of resin beads per hour and we have three extruders and about 30 injection molding machines.

I could tell you of all the different products we make out of these plastics, but [ ]according to company policy, if I told you I would have to terminate [ ] you or else my company would terminate me! [ ]

However, and I am sorry Tahoe, but I don't think that my employer would allow me to take any of this stuff home, not even just a little for my own personal use. Yeah, they would "frown" [ ] on that venture for certain.

There is another really great possibility here, for such a pool filter. Use Zeolite instead of sand or poly beads. Research this if you are interested. Try Bear River Zeolite for a google search. It is not too terribly expensive and will last nearly forever as it just needs to be rejuvenated occasionally with salt water just like a home water softener (then flushed / rinsed with fresh water before using for a fish pond of course). It does something unique, it filters out the ammonia and nitrogen compounds as well as many others.

Catfishnut

 

[koiguy1969]

I use zeolite myself in my skimmer...problem is, in a pressurized system like a sand filter it would be a pain to rejuvenate. you'd have to take the filter offline to soak the zeolite for 24+ hours to release the ammonias. I use zeolite in mesh bags that continuously soak in salt solution until it their turn to get rinsed go back in the skimmer. 3 bags alternated every 2 weeks.... I would likely opt for pea gravel.. rinse it and fill the filter. it should backwash good too.

 

[TAHOE]

I have heard of Zeolite.
I used the volcano rock just cause I got a ton of it, literally. I helped some friends clean out the flower beds of their new home, I hauled it all away for them, it was a small truck load. I just soak/wash it real well and has seemed to work well for me. I know there are better alternatives for filter media, but I got it and I'm a cheapo DIY'er!

I use small river rock in the bottom of my Oscar tank, really would like to go to bare bottom...they have got to be the messiest fish out there.

Whenever I expand, I will up the game with most likely 2-55 gal drum filters and hopefully convert the old claw foot bathtub into a bog filter to fit into my country planned landscape....but that's a while down the road.

 

[morewater]

Not crazy about the use of lava rock. It's heavy and a bit of a pain to clean.

I have one client with a 500 gallon waterfall filter that has bags and bags of the stuff in it. Each Fall, the filter needs to be emptied and the bags humped out for pressure washing prior to putting them back into the filter for the winter. The water passes through an AquaDyne 8.8C bead filter and UV before reaching the waterfall filter.

Lava rock clogs up fairly quickly, in my experience. I've since switched it out for bio-balls as they're lighter to hump around and are easier to clean.

 

[TAHOE]

Yea, there is probably better filtrating media out there than Lava rock. I know there are a couple members that use with great success and it works for me. I just cleaned my filter yesterday and brought it in for the winter, took a hose and washed lava rock, came clean almost instantly as it only had a muck layer on top. I drained drum and carried into basement, it only weighs maybe 50#'s and i only move twice a year so no biggey.
Best part though as a DIY project done on the cheap,bioballs cost $$$$, I got all my lava rock free!!!