New filtration setup help

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Im in the process of building my first Koi/Garden pond. Its gonna be about 1500 gallons. I like the pressurized filters for there ease of maintenance and was planning on getting the aqua ultima 2 filtration system but I didnt like the fact you have to run an external pump due to the noise factor and i figured i also had to add a skimmer which means i need to run a second pump. While researching i saw a lot of other low pressure pressurized filters for half the price of the ultima that can use a submersible pump and wanted your guys opinion on which one you recommend. My plan is to go from the pond to the skimmer than from the submersible pump in the skimmer to the pressurized filter than from the filter to my waterfall and back to the pond. Please let me know what filters you guys use/recommend and if this setup will be sufficient for a koi/garden pond. I was planning to spend around $1000 for the filtration setup(not including fittings, pipe etc.) Thank you for your help in advanced.
 

koiguy1969

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if i was gonna use a buriable pressurized i think i would go with Laguna as first choice. but over pressurized i would look into building your own filter ... stock tank style for a lower profile pondside filter that will make a real nice waterfall. or the 55 gallon drum filters. you can find build threads stickied at the top of the list in the DIY forum.. and a video on the skippy filters and a 70 gallon build in the same forum. Laguna would definately my first choice for the submersable pump,
 
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Forgot to mention i plan on running a uv light because my pond is in direct sunlight for most of the day and im not planning on putting gravel in my pond. Also i was searching for a filter with backwash capabilities for easy cleaning. I may be wrong but that DIY skippy looks like you have to clean it yourself, i think. The lagunas pretty good, i also like the pondmaster one cause it has less sponge media and more of the bio balls.
 
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Most skippy style filters (using the stock tank) have an outlet at the bottom. Put a valve there open the valve and you get a backwash of the sytem. Takes 2 minutes to drain all the yuck out and you are back up and running. I ran my skippy style filter all summer last year and all winter. Never had to clean the filter media. Just open the valve and drain the muck out. This spring I did drain the filter and clean the media with pond water. Put media back in and started it back up. Took about an hour. I have approximately $300 in the whole system including the pump. Keeps my water clean and keeps all the water test perfect.
 

koiguy1969

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the original skippy doesnt have a flush feature, but our plans do.. take a look ! its as easy as a shower drain and a 2" ball valve mounted at or on the bottom of stock tank or drum... in our designs the bottom of the container acts as a sump area and a simple twist of the ballvalve handle opens a 2" flush system.... i built both a 55 gal drum on my basement pond and a 70 gallon stocktank on my pond outside.. i dont clean either i just open the ballvalves to flush them.
 
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Is this the only Filtration your running? Just pump to the skippy to waterfall and back to pond? Or are you also running a skimmer to get the surface debris off? I was checking some of the threads on DIY and this does look like a good setup. Guess ill have to investigate and see if I can make my own setup. Is there a certain size i need to make for my 1500gal pond or will a 55g drum suffice? thanks
 
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It is the only filtration I use. I skim the surface of my pond with a net when I am out feeding the fish or pruning the plants or just enjoying the pond.
 

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If you dont have a heavy fish load 1 drum will be fine ,
 

koiguy1969

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my outside pond is alittle over 1200 gals i use a tetrapond 1200gph pump and one 70 gal skippy outside.. one 55 gal drum and a 1000gph tetrapond pump in the basement..once aweek in the basement,it urn off the pump, i open the valve, drain the filter, close the valve, restart the pump and retop off the pond. ( the 50 gallons or so i drained)...i might add.. because i winter my fish in basement pond , i transfer my filter media between two filters and have never rinsed, let alone cleaned mine, going into 3rd season of use.
 

koiguy1969

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Quantum673 said:
Most skippy style filters (using the stock tank) have an outlet at the bottom. Put a valve there open the valve and you get a backwash of the sytem.

the manufacturers drain hole is way to small to get a good flush. tighten it seal it up and forget about it....go to the otherside or bottom of tank and go 2" or bigger.
 
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Where is the best place to get those 70 gal rubbermaid stock tanks? I tried searching the internet and cant find anything local. Are there any major chains that sell them or at least can order them so i dont have to pay crazy shipping charges? thanks
 
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It looks like my ace hardware can order one but they can only get the 50 gal and 100gal for some reason. I guess ill just get the 100gal since they said it was only 5 bux more than the 70 gal. Have extra filtration
 
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k got my 100 gal tank and laguna max flo 1500gph pump on order. I got a question on dump valve placement. I was planning on putting i at the very bottom in the center cause i figure thats where all the gunk is going to settle but if i do that i will have to put a pvc 90 right out of it to get the water over to my garden. Will this cause too much restriction for the backwash? Would i be better off putting it on the bottom side like docs 55gal? I plan on using 2" for the dump valve. thanks
 

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