13 replies to this topic

[tonyb]

Hi Guys...and gals,
Thought I'd finally register since I have been lurking for a few years now. About 3 years ago I started my first 250 gal pond,pre-fab plastic thingy, and have learned tons since. I have about 12 comets,about half a dozen trapdoor snails,a few frogs,lots of plants and currently have no issue's with my pond except for the one issue that most newbs discover rather quickly...it's not big enough. This spring I will embark on the task of a 12 ft by 7 ft by 30 in deep pond half in the ground and half above. This would be located off the patio as this is pretty much the only level spot that gets about 5 hours of sun. I have a very scenic yard that slops down hill away from the house with many,many trees,and forest that borders. Well, that forest is really about 50 ft from the house,but having a fish pond where it would be most scenic,would also mean most hazerdous to the fish. Racoons,cayote,Fox,muskrats,deer, even a bobcat or 2 have been seen. No fences either and deer and fox pretty much come up to the patio in the winter when food is scarce. Lucky for me I have 2 dogs which pretty much keep predators at bay and right now the small pond is located on one side of the patio under trees, so those big bad herons pretty much stay away. I have been following many of you,Koiguy,Oldmarine,DrCase,DrDave,and many others. Of coarse I plan on a 45 mil firestone liner,skippy filter, no ledges, but I do have a question. Alot of you use the skippy, thats cool and I see much success with it,but, are you using it in conjunction with another filter? Some kind of mechanical before the skippy? Or is the skippy doing both by keeping the heavy settlement on the bottom? I plan a 100 gal skippy with a 1 and a quater inch going in and a 2 inch out. I also will make use of a filter falls I have that is doing wonders on my small pond.I also see lots of simply stunning ponds here,but also notice rocks on the bottom, dead area's for circulation,but clear water. I realize everything is not apples and apples,and maybe it's just finding that right balance,but some pics fly in the face of what you would think to be logical. Just an outsiders observance,but if those who have rocks,ledges,and clear water,please share your secrets. Enough dribble from me for now,looking forward to sharing and learning more from you guys, this is truely one of the most informative,no B.S. forums out there,I love it.

[DrDave]

Welcome to the forum!
I only use my "Doc Filter" and the water comes out like spring water, crystal clear. I do net out leaves and keep a lot of floating plants in my ponds. They are always clear and free of the algae that causes the pea soup look.

[koiguy1969]

HELLO and wecome... its true,by design the wastes and debris settle on the bottom of our upflow design filters (skippy style) but we include a flush valve on the bottom 2" oulet pipe and ballvalve. when the valve is opened the speed and power of the water draining pulls the greater amount of the crud out with it.. once a week you open the valve and toss the hose in the pond to replace the water. you can see the water clarity in my pond pix and videos in the photography section.

[tonyb]

DrDave said:

Welcome to the forum!
I only use my "Doc Filter" and the water comes out like spring water, crystal clear. I do net out leaves and keep a lot of floating plants in my ponds. They are always clear and free of the algae that causes the pea soup look.

If I recall, the doc filter is the one with all the plastic tubes,but if I also recall,you stated somewhere your pond was 90% covered with plants. I personally think that has alot to do with your clarity,not to take anything away from the doc filter, different strokes for different folks if ya know what I mean. I do find your design very interesting though and may incorporate it somehow with the skippy. Can never have too much filtration as they say. Can't wait for this darn winter to be over to get started. Some of you guys in the warmer area's that can pond year round are lucky. Thanks for the welcome gents.

[koiguy1969]

i notice you plan on the 100gal skippy...great choice..but add the flush valve like we all did on ours...i forgot to take pics of the flush valve install on my 70 gal skippy build thread but all the 55 gal designs show one.
the stocktank style filters are definately easier to hide, and virtually disappear into the landscape, fill the top with hiacynths for a final touch of veggy filtration, and to help them vanish.
http://www.gardenpon...40&d=1248366981
http://www.gardenpon...41&d=1248366981
these were taken with the top stone off the filters waterfall weir to show it better and before the hiacynths grew to gargantuan size. there is also some horn wort in the top of the filter.

Edited by koiguy1969, 22 February 2010 - 05:40 AM.

[DrCase]

Welcome to the forum tonyb
The doc and the Skippy function the same way
its what ever fits best with your situation
A 100 gal stock tank is a good choice

[DrDave]

tonyb said:

If I recall, the doc filter is the one with all the plastic tubes,but if I also recall,you stated somewhere your pond was 90% covered with plants. I personally think that has alot to do with your clarity,not to take anything away from the doc filter, different strokes for different folks if ya know what I mean. I do find your design very interesting though and may incorporate it somehow with the skippy. Can never have too much filtration as they say. Can't wait for this darn winter to be over to get started. Some of you guys in the warmer area's that can pond year round are lucky. Thanks for the welcome gents.

Don't jump to conclusions.
My pond didn't always have all these plants. My water was clear before I started growing/selling them. I allowed them to propagate to support the sales. Last year, I did better selling pond plants than Koi.

[koikeepr]

Welcome to Pond Owners Anonymous, where we immediately confess that our ponds aren't big enough. Hi, I'm KoiKeepr and I have a 2,000 gallon pond and it's just not big enough, so I'm building another one this spring... LOL!

I use both a skippy/barrel filter and a mechanical/pressure filter. I will be doing the same on my new pond. It's really up to you and there is no wrong or right way to do things. It's all dependant on what works for you.

[tonyb]

Didn't mean any offense Dr. Dave, AND yes,everyone's situation is different. I ask about other filters in conjunction with the skippy mainly because of the winter months where I live and thats when all the beneficial bacteria dies. Seems to make sense to have some sort of mechanical in place. I leave my pond running all year. I use a stock tank heater I picked up at farm and fleet and have never had ice on my small pond. Algae grows a bit in the winter as can be expected but zero in the warmer months. This is definately a hobby of experimentation,and that makes it so much fun.
Koiguy,are you still useing the venturi on your barrel filter ? I want to incorporate that style into the skippy and noticed a few diy versions along with web pages of suppliers.
Want to have the filter built and supplies on hand for plumbing before digging. Ya know,that whole planning ahead thing,have to do it.

[koiguy1969]

thats absolutely right Koikeepr.. whats right for me may not be right for others exspecially those in a far different climate.but some things ring true for all..too much filtration is seldom if ever a problem. but not enough can be the real concern. rocks on the bottom of a pond require at least yearly draining of the pond, power washing etc.. but if the extra work isnt a problem for you..they do look nice. the time period between cleanings can be lengthened by keeping your pond larger & fish numbers low..but if your like most, thats a hard thing to do. i have talked with many on youtube and alot of them who have rock bottoms and such pay a pond maintainence company to take care of their ponds right down to weekly maintainence. thats expensive..i cant afford that. but a clean black liner will get its natural colors soon enough. and ledges arent a problem for pond cleanliness as much as a place for preditors to wade into the water as they hunt your fish... good luck with everything !!
tonyb... i use an air pump and stones in my barrel filter... well actually my stocktank too!! ive aerated my filters from the start..your aerobic bacteria will love you for it.

Edited by koiguy1969, 22 February 2010 - 03:12 PM.

[koikeepr]

you know koiguy, i haven't tried aerating my barrel yet. Do you just drop your air line in from the top? Do you put the air in over or under your media?

[koiguy1969]

i run my airline down the down fill tube drilled a hole in the the tee puilled it thru and mounted the airstones in the oil pan so they are pumping air up thru the media...there are pictures in the building thread. in the stocktank the volcano air discs sit down on two little plastic platforms i made in the bottom of the tank i ran it down insde the pipe strictly for cosmetics, but i considered just drilling into the side of the barrel just up from the bottom, pulling the hose in, and sealing around it
and tonyb...heres how the barrel looks with the top rock on over the weir
http://www.gardenpon...index.php?n=143

[tonyb]

Looks very nice. How big of a pump are you useing ? I'm looking at the diy venturies and possibly trying to design one that works either off a water wheel or windmill. Don't think the water wheel will provide the oomph for proper air flow though. I ve seen some windmill designs for larger farm ponds but nothing for your average ponder yet.

[koiguy1969]

the pump is 1200 gph...tetrapond