got the little filter going but need help with the bio part

[Steve knight]

I just installed a LAGUNA PRESSURE FLO 700 as my homemade filter was just too ugly and bulky to hide. this is right on the front porch and visible to all.
It was a pain to get the clamps tight enough on the click fit fittings to stop leaking. I just ordered a a couple of the threaded fitting to replace them. anyway I also went by their 1.25" hose size where I did not know the click fittings reduced size. it would have been easier to use smaller hose.
anyway I made the bio filter from 4" abs and filled it with the bio balls from my last filter. I planned on hanging it on the back of the rail with the elbow facing up to make sure all the balls are submerged.
but wouldn't know know it the joint between the pvc and the abs was a loose fit all all the glue did not stop it from leaking.
so spend about 30.00 on a whole new setup so it can dry and I can just drop in the bioballs or change the design.
I have a restaurant container that is two gallons (pictured below) I am thinking of making a bracket to hang it like pictured below drill holes in the bottom a air and tube hole in the lid fill it with the bioballs and make a splash plate that sits on the bioballs.
the container should be just above the water line so all those holes and the bioballs should aerate the water well. right now I am running about 300 gals through the filter.
Silly me I found out the next size up filter is the sable but with the bio media. I was just going by the rating and though it would need a bigger pump.

 

[bsr8129]

if you are using the laguna that is all you should need for filtration.

 

[Steve knight]

the 700 does not include bio filtration. though the foam pads may be enough but who knows.

 

[Steve knight]

here it is somewhat finished. I really need to make a different splash plate .I got carried away with the holes. I will make another one where the pattern of holes radiate out wards with channels to guide the water and only one hole right in the middle. this should get some air in the water with all of the splashing and tumbling.

 

[Steve knight]

 

[FredrikAnderson]

Hey Steve, I see your in Portland, great to have another ponder close to me. I was wondering, how did you make that splash plate?

 

[Steve knight]

I have a cnc router. it's what I make my living with. the scrap from the holder made the plate. but I got carried away with the holes and channels. I was worried about not enough and I would be stuck till I could get back to work. I will make a thin plate that sits on top and spreads the water out more.
the container only sits about 1/2" above the water when it is full so no real noise from it. I kind of miss that.
I am bad sometimes I need to try something see how it works. so I make it at work bring it home go to work make a better version and so on.
this filter can't really bee seen from the street but the container is a bit ugly when looking at the pond.

 

[FredrikAnderson]

I know your kind of invested now with the filter but one thing I would look at if your are still trying to get more ideas is: If you were to go to a recycling place like we have here in eugene called "bring". You could find some large diameter pipe there. 12" or even larger. Getting the end cap for it may be a little harder but with the cnc router you could fab something if you didn't get lucky and find something. You could make a tall very narrow DYI filter the same as you see on here. Just make the settleing section a little taller and point your inflow pipes down ever so slightly. you could go almost all the way down to the porch and have the top at about the same height as the filter you have there in the picture. You wouldn't need the bio section anymore. It would look nice with a few plants in the top. You still wouldn't see it from the street if your not seeing the one you have there now. Just a thought. The urn filter I set up is a very tall not so wide filter works great. Only differance would be yours would flow out a outlet pipe near the top and make a little falls into your pond where the urn just over flows and spills all around the outside of it.

 

[Steve knight]

I was hunting for such pipe but I did not have much time to find anything. Plus I kept spending money playing with the filter and it was getting where I would have saved money buying the filter I have now in the first place.
it gets expensive buying fitting and such. I may hide the bio part again next year I Liked the pipe setup but I did not want to have to spend another 30.00 to replace it cause I used a bad fitting I messed up.
it is also nice to have a uv as as soon as I removed the hyacinths I got green water.

 

[DrDave]

So add some water lettuce and the green water will go away. It may die back in the winter there but if you save the ones that have some green, they will come back in the spring.

 

[Steve knight]

I had some in there they were turning yellow so I tossed them. but it could have been root nibblers that caused it.
Have about 10 underwater plants but it is getting late to add more. next year I will make a protective ring for the floaters.
I do want to have enough enough plants to control green water. I did not buy the filter because of the uv but because it was compact and easy to clean.
but my wife is blind and the slightly green water made it hard for her to see them.

 

[DrDave]

When they get nibbled on and lose the long stringy roots, they definetly are not long for this world and no longer can do their job. I removed all my large Koi from my upper pond so the water lettuce can grow back. Here it is not only a key element in my clean water but also a cash crop.

 

[Steve knight]

When I had a pond on the back porch (poorly built had to remove it) the koi never touched the floaters but the duckweed.
I could get some more but it is so late it would have been pointless. got a bunch of duckweed off ebay it all turned white in 4 days I think it was not used to full sun. so had to scoop it all out and the fairy moss.