Mesh Bag Question

[Ang12071988]

Hi! My pond has a fairly large pump. When we bought it, it came with the mesh bag. I’ve just always used it mainly to avoid injured or smaller fish getting sucked in. Well, my fish are getting bigger, so more waste and I’m cleaning this mesh bag every single day. What could I do to keep the fish from getting sucked in?

Do you all use these mesh bags with your pumps?

 

[Mgessert]

I have a small filter attached to my pump inlet, and I rinse it out once a week. How many gallons is your pond?

 

[Ang12071988]

I’m not sure about the size. I’ll go with a rough guess. It’s kind of l shaped next to my house. 20 x 6 x 6 foot deep. I am not good with measurements. I’m the corner there are three large waterfalls.

 

[Ang12071988]

Husband just said my pond is about 1300 gallons

 

[j.w]

Husband just said my pond is about 1300 gallons

@Ang12071988

Here is a pond calculator: https://www.pondvolumecalculator.com/
If your pond is 20'x6'x6' it is more like 5400 gallons.

My Laguna pump has a hard plastic screen around it. It has way larger holes than a mesh bag. No fish get sucked up that I know of as I see the same number of fish all the time.

You could tho raise it up off the bottom of the pond some and use a larger weaved netting. If a pump sits on the bottom it will clog faster and fish don't mind some mulm on the bottom to root and stir up.

 

[Jhn]

What type of pump is it or what does the intake look like?

If it is an open inlet, and the suction is powerful enough to grab the fish, try a dark colored bucket with holes drilled in it, to place over it. If it is covered by some type of screen cover, unless the fish is sick, very unlikely a fish will get sucked into it, Ime.

 

[Ang12071988]

First off, Thank you for your responses. I’m not good at measurements and things as my husband built this whole thing for me about ten years ago. I’ll add pictures for better reference. I use two pumps to ensure circulation during the winters here in nepa. Both do sit directly on the floor of the pond, so that is something I can work on. My pond measurements aren’t exact, so that’s why my gallons weren’t accurate. The pond has a step down effect where it’s like two foot then four then six if that makes sense. The deepest part is to the right in the photos. Hopefully this helps. You’ll see in the photo of the larger pump that the intake plastic part is distorted. This is from years of using that filter bag and it clogging so quick and trying to suck. I’m excited to ditch the bag and get an alternate solution.

 

[Laaf]

What a lovely pond and waterfall!

I have a mesh bag plus filter material around my pump so that the entire thing would have to be covered/clogged to block the pump's flow. The filter material holds the net more away from the pump intake.

I have no connection to this company, I just found the closest image I could online.

EasyPro 12" Pump Pro-Tector

EasyPro Pump Pro-Tector Features: Protect against plugging by creating a large surface area around the pump. Designed to fit all brands of small pumps. Has a polyester filter media pad inside of a nylon mesh bag. Drawstring top with push button release keep the top closed around the pump yet...

webbsonline.com

You put your pump inside of it and draw the drawstring so your pump is completely inside the bag, and submerge the whole thing.

I have not yet needed to clean mine in 9 months.

If you just use the mesh bag, it clogs, because it gets pulled up against the pump intake.

 

[GBBUDD]

place your pump in the center of a bunch of rocks stacked around it, no bag ,