Koi pond advice. New to all this.

[sissy]

I have koi since 2005 and they are now over 2 feet long and I have 2 filters and 2 pumps .I also have an aerator with 12 ports that also has air stones in both filters .What my filters do not take from the pumps goes to the bottom of the pond with a ball valve and pvc pipe drilled out holes in it .It helps keep the fish waste going to the filters

 

[Daemonshi]

Thanks for all the advice. I have some work to do. Another question: Does anybody know what kind of filter that is, with the white pvc pipes coming out? The pipe coming off the outlet valve just snapped off, taking the valve with it. I either need to replace the whole top part or glue the thing back on. I can't find a brand name or model # anywhere...

 

[j.w]

All I know is it's ome kind of pressure filter? Maybe inside somewhere will be a name, under top lid if you unscrew it? Not sure. Maybe look on Ebay for an older used pond pressure filter to find what looks like yours? This one which is a Pondmaster has a white lid kinda like yours: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pondmaster...778264&hash=item58e4bc9e9f:g:k9QAAOSw6RZbo~KY

 

[j.w]

This one even looks closer to yours : https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pondmaster...=333453988850da5c37868c0a4e79bdb91f553687b421

 

[Daemonshi]

Thanks j.w. I contacted the manufacturer for the ClearGuard one to see if they can sell me a top, though now I'm thinking replacing the entire thing would be a better move.

I found this one on ebay. Brand new for $179 with a UV Purifier is not bad.

8000 Gal Pressure Pond Filter W/ 18w UV Sterilizer Koi Fish for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 8000 Gal Pressure Pond Filter W/ 18w UV Sterilizer Koi Fish at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Though, maybe it would be better to sell off the Alpine pump and buy a new pump/filter that are the right size for the pond and get away from this 8000 gallon stuff. The PAL8000 goes for $250 new, so I could prob sell it and get enough for a smaller pump and filter. Is it bad to have two UV purifiers going? I do have 3 bottom feeders in there...

 

[addy1]

I don't use uv filters, just plants. In fact my only filter is plants. They keep the water crystal clear and I never have green water. If you could add a boggish type plant box, filter to your pond it would probably help a lot.

 

[Daemonshi]

Could you please elaborate a bit on “boggish type plant box”? I would totally do that. In fact once I’m done with this pond my next project is to add a bog garden somewhere. I’ve always wanted one of those. But that’s for another topic.

 

[Lisak1]

A "bog" (very loose term we use on the forum) is any filter that uses plants and gravel with an up flow to filter a pond. A bog can be as simple as a planter box that's plumbed for the water to flow into the bottom and get pushed up through gravel and plants where it flows back into the pond. These are designed to mimic what nature does with wetland filtration.

Lots of us here use bog filtration in various forms with great success.

 

[addy1]

If it were mine this is what I would do:

The red box is a bog, water piped to flow into the bottom up through the pea gravel and plants, waterfall back into the pond. Dump the filter! But I have never used a "real" filter, all of my ponds have been filtered with a bog all different sizes.

Bog building, also called upflow filter, eco filter, wetland filter

I was asked to start a thread on how to build a bog. This is my rendition on bog building 101............. Building a bog: Before you decide to build a bog, you need to know what you want its primary purpose to be. Total pond filtration bog filtration combined with another filter. If you...

www.gardenpondforum.com

 

[Daemonshi]

Wow thanks. That looks good, I may have to try that. Shouldn't be too hard since most of the box is there. Would just need to remove the small platform in the middle, add some boards to the back and sides to finish the box and cut out a section for the waterfall. Regarding the plants, this area is screened up on top so it wouldn't get full sun, would that be a problem? How about using some carnivorous plants? I mentioned above I wanted to to a bog garden as well, this could fit that bill. Plants would include things like flytraps and trumpets. Do you only use pea gravel, and no soil?
---

Here are some pics of the back, showing what I have to work with. I think this will be a challenge, but will be well worth it.

 

[poconojoe]

Yep, sounds like a bog filter would fit your needs. Since you want a bog for plants anyway, why not use it to filter your pond?
Basically it's a 12" deep epdm lined area with slotted PVC pipes layed in the bottom. You pump your pond water through the pvc. It's all covered with 3/8" pea gravel. The water rises up through the gravel and returns to you pond via a spillway. You don't use any pots for your plants. The roots get planted directly into the pea gravel. The plants feed on the excess nutrients produced by your fish waste. This also helps prevent the growth of algae since the plants compete for the nutrients.

 

[GBBUDD]

Someone had just posted a similar filter that was used look around.

 

[Daemonshi]

So, I"ve been reading these forums, and am seeing that my pump should be pulling 1.5 - 2 times the pond volume every hour. I initially read that wrong, and was under the impression that the pond should turn over every 1.5 - 2 hours. So, I got a 1056gph pump. Should I be returning it? If my pond is approx. 1500 gallons, I should be using a 3000gph pump at least. Maybe I should just build the bog and run that 8000 pump through it and see how it goes.

Feeling kind'a bad now. The filter I received was damaged, so the company is sending a new one which should be arriving later today. Now I gotta ask them if I can return that one for a refund, and for now I'm running 1000gph through a broken filter just to keep the water moving. And all the while my fish are swimming in pea soup. Also, that big ol' broken filter with the water spewing out of the hole ended up spraying enough water outside the pond so now the water level is wicked low. I have 120 gallons ready to put back in. It's from the hose, so it's been dechlorinating since yesterday evening. I'll be putting at least 60 gallons back in when I get home from work, so it would have been sitting for 24 hours first. Maybe add the other 60 tomorrow morning. After today I am off the next 10 days, so will have plenty of time to get this done. Those fish just need to hang on.

The rest of the family is advising me to "give up, and just get rid of the fish".

"If it wasn't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all..."

 

[addy1]

The rest of the family is advising me to "give up, and just get rid of the fish"

Nah just a bump in the road.

My pond turns over about once every two hours. About! never gives me any issues in water quality, I do filter with a large bog and a ton of plants.

Per your bog, carnivorous plants will help but I would also put in things like water willow, blue forget me not, great root masses that stay shallow and filter great. Also they are small plants that would do well with the others. Carnivorous plants like wet then dry wet then dry.

I had some in my bog that did well for years but then I thing the other plants took over and they disappeared. I have a shallow land bog for them now, peat moss and sand, they are wet dry wet dry since I forget to water them.

 

[sissy]

I have 2 pumps in my pond which is around 5000 gallons ,1 is 2100 gph and the other is 2900 gph 2 home made lava rock filters and one aerator that has 12 air ports and one airstone in each filter .I have koi and they need extra oxygen and produce a lot of fish waste