New member and pond and would like a little help please.

[sissy]

looked again at your pics and see what you are talking about and your filters will pass that through better you wait for the batting as that will pick up the fine dirt .I had that in my pond to when I first built it and a heavy dose of bat cleaning got rid of it .I just stirred it up and left the quilt batting take care of it .The quilt batting got really dirty with in a hour of stirring the stuff up

 

[lexusalan]

Great and thanks for your help. I had read that you can buy chemicals that clump the fine dirt together but i really wanted to avoid this route. I will wait until the batting arrives and then probably at the weekend i'll put it it my filters nice and compacted and give everything a good stir up. If i dont try i'll never find out. Thanks again for everybodies help, it is much appreciated.

 

[sissy]

thats why we are here good luck we never want to see a new ponder have problems .We like helping good luck .

 

[lexusalan]

I have a new idea, and it is only a new idea. It may not work but i think it could be worth a shot.
My father in law knows a guy who he delivers to who makes industrial filters, mostly for oil systems on ships and for use in industrial uses.
Below is a picture of the filter that i have recieved today, its brand new and so not contaminated with any substances which may harm the pond.
My question is this, ive ordered the batting to go in one of my existing filters but what about if i set this new filter up to the pond hose on the way into one of my current filters? I would wrap an amount of batting around the blue cylinder in the photo and set up so thee water from the pump passes through this filter before then entering my current system. If that makes sense haha. Do any of you great people with knowledge have any suggestions as to why this wouldnt work as in theory the water should be crystal clear.
Thanks again in advance.

 

[lexusalan]

Or i could attach it to one of the outlets after it leaves a current filter. This way it will hopefully catch all the small particles. If i attached it before my current filters them it would surely clog up really quick with big debris and i will be forever cleaning it.

 

[markd]

My pond is pretty small (~500 gallons) with a submersible pump. When I want to run batting, I just wrap a piece around the cone-shaped intake grill a couple of times, and then change it twice a day (rinsing out for the next cycle). This does it for me, but YMMV.

Your new inline filter would probably work, but looks like you would have to shut everything down to remove and clean it? Unless you also plumb in a bypass...

 

[sissy]

It is so fine it would really clog up fast .Could figure a bypass and some way to self back flush the filter like they do with those pressurized filters .Not sure it could be figured out .

 

[lexusalan]

Yeah i hear your concerns and have had some of my own. I dont think it would be too difficult to clean as i could just shut the pump off, unscrew, clean, replace the batting and put it back together. 5 minute job i think. However i think my biggest concerns are that with it being so fine i would have to put it on an existing outlet to one of my current filters so that all the big dirt doesnt get trapped up in it. I think the possible problem with this would be as my filters are gravity fed i dont think the new filter would cope with the amount coming from the existing one and so could possibly make the current filter back up and overflow. I dont really want to take a gamble with this as it would mean cutting pipes and if it doesnt work then it could create a big headache. Think im just going to leave it out then work somehow with the batting in my existing filters when that arrives.
Thanks for the advice and help though guys

 

[Fishylove]

welcome lexuslan!
I think what the other have said will work best for you with the batting. But no need for the headache of putting it in the fillters you have, (plus you would have to clean it more often and best to leave the bio part of your systems alone if at all possible) I would just do as Sissy has shown you and the others have said, most the time the simple things do the work better and faster..
I use and old small laundry basket, line the sides so the particles do not escape through the holes ( the little stinkers! lol), and put a couple more layers in the center ( dont fill it with too much because the water will not have time to filter through and will spill over). Looking at your waterfall, I believe you would have room for a small-ish crate with holes in the bottom, like the one sissy uses, and just simply place the crate on the waterfall, put the hose to that side of the waterfall into the batting lined crate.. in no time at all you'll have a much clearer pond and no headaches with plumbing. Just rinse and repeat as needed! Lol ! The first time I used batting, I bought a huge teddy bear at a yard sale for 10 cents and used the stuffing out of it... Worked great!! And Cheap Lol !!
Also, maybe i missed it but, do you have a pre-filter after your pump and before your bio filters? If you do Not, this would be a big help in keeping your bio filters cleaner and in turn your pond as well.

sorry, have a tendency to be long winded at times but I'm harmless Good Luck!

 

[lexusalan]

Hello fishy and thankyou for your insight and welcome. I think what everyone is telling me is right and great advice and you couldnt be more correct in saying the simpler the better. Im no skin flint but why spend a fortune and take chances with things when the simple way works just as well ans is more likely to work.
No i dont have a pre filter after my pump and before my bio filters, to be honest im not sure i really need it at the moment as when i did my research just one of the filters was enough for my pond and ive got 2 so there shouldnt be a problem but if you think a pre filter will be easier or better in the long run then im all ears lol, plus however when i stir the pond up to clear the shelves of dirt i think there is going to be a lot of cleaning of the filter media so i would very much like to hear about pre filters please................ Only if some kind person on here doesnt mind telling me. Thanks in advance.