Filtration for stock tank

[Vick21]

I have a 100g stock tank that I have wintered my fish in for 1 winters in my basement. I have a dual filter/ waterfall thing that I used along with the bubblers from my pond. I list my koi at the end of the winter last year and wonder if I need better filtration. I have attached pictures of my equipment.

i don’t think I can bring in my filtration from my outdoor pond as I have a pump in a skimmer and the water then pumps through a waterfall weir with filtration. Any ideas?

 

[mrsclem]

Guessing you meant lost your koi. How big is your pond and how many koi do you have? 100 gallons is not big enough for koi. I use them for sale tanks and 12 hours with a filter running is about as long as I go.

 

[Vick21]

I now have Shubunkins. I have 3 fairly large ones and some babies. I’ll probably keep 3 babies. My pond is about 4x6 and 2 ft deep.

 

[Vick21]

Guessing you meant lost your koi. How big is your pond and how many koi do you have? 100 gallons is not big enough for koi. I use them for sale tanks and 12 hours with a filter running is about as long as I go.

I now have Shubunkins.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Welcome Vick21! If my math is ballpark close, you are going from a cycled pond of roughly 360 gallons down to a 100 gallon, uncycled, stock tank. So you will have slightly less than 1/3 of the water volume in a new tank with a new filter. I am unclear, are you just keeping three babies or 3 large ones and three babies? The difference is huge. The pond filter on your initial post looks like a Pondmaster 190 filter. I have used those (and still have one somewhere in storage) and they perform well for what they are designed to do. There are pros and cons to those filters and I will be happy to share them if that is what you desire to use. Regardless of your choice of filter, I would immediately add whatever you intend to use in the stock tank to your existing pond in order to get the beneficial bacteria kick started. In your climate, time is critical. Please let us help.

 

[Vick21]

Welcome Vick21! If my math is ballpark close, you are going from a cycled pond of roughly 360 gallons down to a 100 gallon, uncycled, stock tank. So you will have slightly less than 1/3 of the water volume in a new tank with a new filter. I am unclear, are you just keeping three babies or 3 large ones and three babies? The difference is huge. The pond filter on your initial post looks like a Pondmaster 190 filter. I have used those (and still have one somewhere in storage) and they perform well for what they are designed to do. There are pros and cons to those filters and I will be happy to share them if that is what you desire to use. Regardless of your choice of filter, I would immediately add whatever you intend to use in the stock tank to your existing pond in order to get the beneficial bacteria kick started. In your climate, time is critical. Please let us help.

I used the Pondmaster 190 but feel it was not enough. I will definitely have my 3 larger Shubunkins and might keep 2-3 of the babies they made this year. I think I might buy the filter I have attached as it say it works for 97 gallons. Or should I buy an external filter. I don’t think I can use the pump I have now as it has no filter abilities.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Right, with your bioload I doubt the Pondmaster 190 will suffice. I have no experience with the Marineland filter you show above. But here is what I would do:
Get two large pond sponge filters like the American Technology Hydro-sponge V filter. https://www.amazon.com/Lustar-Hydro...e+filter&qid=1630367402&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-7
Connect them to a dual outlet pond air pump...something like this: https://www.amazon.com/TetraPond-AP...air+pump&qid=1630367622&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-5
Avoid the cheap airline hose and spend a little extra for silicone air hose such as this:

Amazon.com

Then just do partial water exchanges every week. Only rinse one of the filters per week, that is, alternate cleaning filters on a weekly basis. Only rinse the sponges in water (not tap water) being discarded during your partial water exchanges. Keep it simple. I use sponge filtration in a 150 indoor stock tank and it works.

 

[Vick21]

Ok. Thanks! I will do this! I have never seen these sponges before. I can use my air pump I have now in my picture above as it is dual. Should I put one in my pond before fall to get the bio kickstarted?

 

[HARO]

Should I put one in my pond before fall to get the bio kickstarted?

Definitely!
John

 

[Vick21]

Definitely!
John

Ok! Thanks to Amazon I have the sponge filter and have replaced one of the pond air stones with it now in order to seed the good bacteria.