DIY Pump Container Idea, Good or Bad?

[pecan]

Let me know what you think.

Last year my 6000 GPH took the lives of many baby fish. So I have been thinking about a good container to keep it in.

Last year it was sitting in a large black plastic pot (the ones small trees come in from the nursery) with hundreds of small holes drilled in the side and mesh bags of lava rocks on top. But I was still finding dead baby fish when I removed the pump to clean it.

So this year I am thinking about sitting the pump in a plastic egg crate, something like this:

And putting the whole thing in a mesh laundry bag with the draw string tightened around the outlet hose that comes off the top of the pump. Something like this:

I was thinking the egg crate would provide structure so the laundry bag doesn't get sucked up against the pump and the mesh would prevent babies from getting too close...

What do you think?

 

[mrsclem]

I use that exact setup for my pumps. Really keeps the intakes clean but not sure if it would keep babies from getting pulled in unless the bag has a really fine mesh. Window screen material is good but does clog easily.

 

[DrCase]

That realy looks like a lot of work
The Egg crate should be all you need
Some fry are going to be lost from natural causes no matter what you do
and they will end up sticking to or going through the pump.

 

[sissy]

I use a crate like that and it works to some degree but this I am going to cut one to make a top for it and just cut small openings for the hose and zip tie the top to the bottom crate .Last year I lost a baby that still managed to get in there and got sucked into the filter

 

[j.w]

Where do you all find those egg crates? I LIKE that idea!
I think putting it in that bag w/the netting and stuff around it is going to stop the flow of the pump. I've tried putting just netting small holed netting around mine and it clogs too fast. Some sacrifice is going to happen, just the way it goes :sad:

 

[pecan]

Not sure where to find it yet other than online, but I think Target or Walmart nay have them in the storage area where they keep plastic bins and such, I am going to look. Probably right about the netting, so fine that baby fish can't get through would probably clog too easy. I am going to look and see at the store as they should have the laundry bags as well.

 

[sissy]

I found something similar at office max and also at an office supply store .You may want to try them and one says it is a stackable and has a lid .Problem is it does not give the size of the crate but pic looks like it has folders in it

 

[j.w]

Thanks guys,I'll look around locally too and see what I can find.

 

[koiguy1969]

dollar stores carry the mini mesh crates...use 2 and ziptie them together. this creates a full case enclosure that can draw water from all sides

 

[WNCRalph]

I am new to this, would a laundry bag filled with lava rock filter enough to keep the pump from glogging?

 

[sissy]

did that with mine but with a bag of lava rock.Keeps baby fish and taddies from being sucked in

 

[sissy]

I just cut the bottom from a broken crate after this was used and made it into the top I zip tied but took it off easier to just lift the bag of lava rock and put in a fresh bag ,then hose the one I took at and soak it in peroxide

Do this in the winter .

 

[Mmathis]

One thing to keep in mind with the crates is that some of them become brittle & break easily, esp. if left outside. I don't know how long that process would take, so it might not be a factor, but I found a milk crate which seems more durable.

Question about bagged lava rock:
1. do you just place the bag of rock on top of the pump? Or do you make a "nest" to place it in....????
2. where can you buy it?

I found some washable AC filter sheets at HOME DEPOT that were fairly cheap. The material is blue, and looks like a thinner and looser version of the scrubbie pads. The pkg. says it's a "synthetic" material, but nothing else. Anyway, I needed to use my pump to drain all the crud that's been collecting in the deepest part of our pond (not in use yet), but didn't want to "crud" the pump up, so took this filter material and completely lined the inside of the crate, including putting a "lid" over it before I lowered it into the pond. Wondering how this would work as a "pre-filter" for the pump?

 

[j.w]

I did pretty much the same only I used a big black plastic plant pot that had drain holes in the bottom. I cut a circle of some fiber media and placed it in the bottom to plug up the holes and set the pump in there on top of that and then covered the top w/ another piece of the fiber media to make a nice tight fit and ran the pump tubing and electric cord up through a tight fitting hole in the top through the media and mine is working great. I didn't put anything in there w/ the pump like lava rock or etc.

 

[brandonsdad02]

You could try using landscape fabric. It lets water thru but its not mesh. Might try lava rock and then landscape fabric on the outside. Not sure how good it would work, but worth a shot.