8 replies to this topic

[zman640]

I have a newly installed 16/10' oval pond approx. 2.5' deep. I was wondering if I could use my old pool d.e.filter canister for my pond filter. I have a tetra pond 4000 submersible pump in the deep end. I'm on a limited budget and am trying to use hoses and such from my above ground pool.

Any advice on my situation would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Walt K.

[j.w]

zman640
I've heard that the pool canisters get quite dirty pretty fast and don't know how energy efficient one would be either.

[sissy]

welcome and that not sure of as it may clog up faster .You could try it and if it does not work no harm as long as it uses no big amount of electricity

[sissy]

2 for one lol

[zman640]

I would not be using the motor as it is a 1.5 hp. I do have a good size pump with approx. the same size hookup. What would you put in the cannister and in what order. I've heard lava rock, hair curlers can be used instead of materials purchased at a pond shop. Any cost cutting advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Walt.K

[sissy]

anything you can get hold of .You just have to find out what works for you .I'm the crazy lava rock lover ,only use it and have had luck with it so i won't change unless it does not work anymore for me .

[j.w]

Tons of stuff can be used. Addy suggested wadding up that fiberglass screen door replacement screen that you can buy in rolls at Lowes or H-depot. You can cut up plastic pipes, garden hoses etc. Anything plastic pretty much. Not sure about the order. I just throw one kind of thing in my filter but it's just a simple waterfall filter w/ water pumped from bottom to top and then over the top to the pond below. I then just pull out the stuff when dirty and rinse off and back in it goes.

[Waterbug]

When I converted my swimming pool to pond I thought cool, I'll use my DE filter and have crystal clear...it clogged in just a few seconds. After a few cycles of back washing and adding DE with the same results I figured the DE isn't useable in a pond.

Unfortunately that was many years ago before fluidized bed filters (also called moving bed) were popular, so I removed and tossed the filter. Today I would remove the mesh from the filter and add a media like Kaldnes Media, made for fluidized beds. You would need to make a mesh strainer for the out flow inside the tank and I'd put one on the in flow too just in case. It's expensive but it something you can add to. Even though your filter is large (I assume) it's not like you have to fill it with media. And later, if you ever did start measuring ammonia you could add more.

You never even have to back wash. It stays clean indefinitely. The non moving stuff can cog and channel.

The media is a bit expensive but you're getting everything else for free. So for $60 you could have a state of the art bio filter. You might be able to find other positively buoyant plastic things that could work. Army men? Curlers? Small slices of PVC, ABS or other pipe would work great. Not sure they would be any cheaper.

In my case I never did need any bio filter, most water gardens don't need a filter. But I still would have converted the DE to a fluidized bed filters just because it would be so cool.

You have me thinking now for my next pond.

[zman640]

Hey Waterbug,

when you say mesh, do you mean the long fingerlike mesh hanging from the top lid of the cannister? Eliminate them and don't use any de powder? Is that correct?