12 replies to this topic

[Patosyg27]

I am new here and its very cool and helpfull i might add. But I just got approved for my first house and I have been planning on building another pond since my parents moved us away from the pond me and my dad built. I am looking for anyone that might be able to give me an ideas of gallon to fish ratio or even gallon to tadpole/fish/plant ratio. I dont plan to make anything to huge but decent size.SORRY IF THIS SEEMS LIKE TO MUCH FOR ONE POST. But i am also curious on filtration methods and ideas for the decent sized pond. Me and my dad put a pump in pond that pulled water into a trash can we customized to be the primary filter filled with lava rocks and other filtration. The water went from there to a wine bucket we customized to be a waterfall which also had a little filtration in it. Sorry again if it seems like a lot but I am just looking for the best cost efficient good way to set up my first pond. I have been planning it in my head no for a couple years now. I also know i want to use tarp so i can customize its shape and size. Any help on these to isues would be greatly appreciated. I am not new to fish just garden ponds so i have a pretty good knowledge of aquatics.

[y2kdejesus]

Welcome to the forum. Alot of good people here with tons of knowledge. I am building one myself. Some folks here have decades of experience so dont worry they will chime in pretty soon and help u out, they did me alot.

[addy1]

try http://www.btlliners.com/ for your liner
try a bog for your filter
think out of the pond box
i am doing a water garden, not concerned with keeping koi
Natural filtration works great

[phillyofish]

would lava rocks from lowes garden section work for the filter?

[koikeepr]

no no no! lave rock is dreadful to keep clean! No rock in filters please!

[DrDave]

I think what Koikeepr meant to say is, it works, but is a nightmare to clean.

[koikeepr]

Honestly, I really don't think it even works. Lava rock has too many nooks and crannies and allows for poop and crud to get caught in it. Not only that, it can be quite heavy when weighted with water, too. So cleaning it out is a pain.

There are other great forms of filter media such as floor scrubbies, matala, strapping tape used to wrap packed boxes, etc. You can search this site, particularly the DIY section where we filters stickied to the top for examples of media.

But, do yourself a maintenance favor and run from lava rock--or any rock. rocks do not belong in filters or in ponds.

[DrDave]

I don't recommend it either, the easiest media I have ever found for a bio filter is fencing material or cut tubes. I have used both with excellant results and I have never had to do anything but a backflush to clean them.

[koiguy1969]

i use scrubbies myself and their performance has been fantastic...3 rd year of nonstop 24/365 use and never cleaned them except filter flushes.

[3qtkidz]

fencing material??? Do you mean the plastic type like koiguy used in his DIY floating rings.....I have some of that but have not gotten around to getting the strapping yet.

[phillyofish]

Lowes has something called hardware cloth, 3/4" openings plastic. was this it? I was going to use left over bio balls and maybe some scrubbies.

[koiguy1969]

yep... plastic fencing is what he meant.and the stuff (Tenax hardware) i used for planter rings would work very well.

[addy1]

3qtkidz said:

fencing material??? Do you mean the plastic type like koiguy used in his DIY floating rings.....I have some of that but have not gotten around to getting the strapping yet.

I think he is referring to the plastic rabbit fencing, check the diy section. Well I think that is where i found it