Bottom Drain Piped to Sieve Filter

[malatu]

Here is a link to a product that can be used as a pre filter for water coming from bottom drains. Any thoughts on it's effectiveness on removing solids before they are pumped up to the biofiter? This would be used instead of a large settling tank. We've sort of put the project on hold for the time being until we get this thing engineered properly. My contractor has never built a pond this large and is open to whatever is appropriate. It's part of a watergarden, so most everything needs to be hidden. If this product peaked my interest!

http://www.russellwatergardens.com/Filters/Pond-Sieve.php

 

[hewhoisatpeace]

Looks like an expensive leaf basket, with a screen so fine you'd be cleaning it all the time. I'd still suggest the same pump I have in the past, with a built in leaf basket that doubles as a priming pot. You'd save a lot of electricity with an external for a pump that large, too. Your biofilter can easily handle larger particles than would pass through that sieve, if you just backwash with pond water once a week. IMHO, anyway.

 

[malatu]

Looks like an expensive leaf basket, with a screen so fine you'd be cleaning it all the time. I'd still suggest the same pump I have in the past, with a built in leaf basket that doubles as a priming pot. You'd save a lot of electricity with an external for a pump that large, too. Your biofilter can easily handle larger particles than would pass through that sieve, if you just backwash with pond water once a week. IMHO, anyway.

I was concerned as well about the number of times I'd be cleaning it. I'm trying to incorporate a gravity system as part of the bottom drains along with some type of settling chamber or in this case a sieve to avoid sending solids (primarily fish poo) in the form of a fish poo smoothie to the bio filter. Was going to place the pump after the settling chamber.

I checked out the website regarding the pumps you suggested. I'm not sure how the pump with a leaf basket helps me out in this situation. Wouldn't I be cleaning it all the time as well? Maybe I'm missing something.

 

[DoDad]

Not true! Maybe with that one but the real sieve is great. I wish they would have made them when I first built my smaller pond..

Looks like an expensive leaf basket, with a screen so fine you'd be cleaning it all the time.
QUOTE]

 

[malatu]

Not true! Maybe with that one but the real sieve is great. I wish they would have made them when I first built my smaller pond..

Looks like an expensive leaf basket, with a screen so fine you'd be cleaning it all the time.
QUOTE]

Dodad... what do you mean by "the real sieve"?

 

[hewhoisatpeace]

I guess I just like sending my biofilter a fish poop smoothie. I had the crazy idea that is what they are for. That's also why I backflush with pond water once a week.

The real sieve DoDad speaks of likely works great. I think that the expensive leaf basket that the link was posted to would just be too fine a mesh in that small area to do anything near as well as clog water supply by trapping too much crap on too small a screen. Again, IMHO, or even less than humble opinion. Yes, I could be proven wrong, but I doubt it. :lol:

 

[malatu]

I guess I just like sending my biofilter a fish poop smoothie. I had the crazy idea that is what they are for. That's also why I backflush with pond water once a week.

The real sieve DoDad speaks of likely works great. I think that the expensive leaf basket that the link was posted to would just be too fine a mesh in that small area to do anything near as well as clog water supply by trapping too much crap on too small a screen. Again, IMHO, or even less than humble opinion. Yes, I could be proven wrong, but I doubt it. :lol:

I have no practical experience so I can only interpret what I've read. Removing solids from the water column before it gets to your biofilter will simply allow your bio-filter to be more efficient.

Based on what I've seen (read), 300 microns for a sieve filter is standard. And some of the other sieves I've seen are well over $1,200. Dodad and Koikeeper both have Ultrasieves.... check them out. Here is a link. One is close to 2 grand and has an optional screen for 200 microns.

http://www.saltlakekoi.com/UltraSieve-Pond-Filtration-Systems-sc-651.html

As I do research, it appears the pre filtering water from the bottoms drains is the latest and greatest technology. Again, it's only what I've read.

I've recalculated my pond quantity. I'm estimating with stream and pond, It will be approximately 6500 gal. I won't know until I fill it (I'll meter it). But if I'm on the edge of capacity regarding my biofilter, pre-filtering my bottom drain water only makes sense. Of course there is an initial cost to incur. I've put my pond construction on hold until I conquer this engineering challenge! Thanks for the feedback ... it makes me "ponder"!

 

[malatu]

I guess I just like sending my biofilter a fish poop smoothie. I had the crazy idea that is what they are for. That's also why I backflush with pond water once a week.

The real sieve DoDad speaks of likely works great. I think that the expensive leaf basket that the link was posted to would just be too fine a mesh in that small area to do anything near as well as clog water supply by trapping too much crap on too small a screen. Again, IMHO, or even less than humble opinion. Yes, I could be proven wrong, but I doubt it. :lol:

To further explain why a pre filter is beneficial the following is a cut n paste from another forum. It is just a small portion of the entire post.

........There is a critical line when a biological filter no longer functions as such and becomes a mechanical filter instead, when it becomes overloaded with debris. Waterfall filters are notorious for becoming impacted with heavy solids and particulates, turning a well meaning biological filter into a mechanical filter. When this occurs the fragile colonies of beneficial bacteria are easily suffocated and the effectiveness of the filter for the nitrification process begins to decline. ........

 

[hewhoisatpeace]

That's why I use a vortex biofilter, and wash out the crap weekly. Makes my plants do really well.

 

[malatu]

That's why I use a vortex biofilter, and wash out the crap weekly. Makes my plants do really well.

Not real familiar with vortex filters. This may be a dumb question but can they be used at the top of a stream as the "falls"?

 

[hewhoisatpeace]

Sure, man. Mine is built in a 100g Rubbermaid tank and is the falls at the top of my pond. With your greater pond capaity, you would likely have to use a 150g or 300g stock tank. But, the plans are in the DIY section. I have made a few improvements that make for easier backwashing the filter about once a week in summer, and I run two venturis in my filter, too.

The Skippy style filter is what I run with, I just made a few modifications that seem to make it work a lot better.