New to Ponds, Pump and Filter Questions

[rickpref]

Hi Everyone,

I just moved to a new townhouse which has a 300 gallon pond in the front entrance courtyard. I'm totally new to all of this and have been doing research, but can't find specific problems to the pump and filter that connects to the fountain.

It definitely seems that there is not enough water flow going from the pump and filter to the fountain. The water at the opposite end of the pond looks still.

Before messing with anything I got familiar with testing the water and checking for problems. High Range pH is at 7.4, Ammonia is at .25ppm, and Nitrate is at a little under 40ppm. It has been pretty steady at those levels for a few weeks and the fish seem to be fine.

The pump and filter are in a box setup and is a pain in the butt to take out without spilling junk into the water while taking it out to clean.

What I am trying to do is increase the water flow through the fountain as well as find out if there are other setups besides this big cumbersome box setup I can use. I don't mind buying a new one if it isn't too much.

The current pump is a Beckett M450GPH and there are several filters on top of it inside the box. Also, there are a lot of connecting points between the pump and the fountain pipe. I would like to know the cleanest way to connect them.

I've attached some pictures, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Rick

 

[Lisak1]

I'm not a pump expert, so I'll leave that to others to reply. Just wanted to say welcome to the GPF! We hear from lots of people like you who bought a house and got a pond as a bonus!

 

[MitchM]

I really don't like that design of a pond pump/filter.
As you are finding out, unplugging and cleaning them just releases most of the detritus back into the pond.
Have a look at a design like this Laguna external canister filter.
http://www.lagunaponds.com/en_us/filtration-uvc/pressurized/?limit=9

 

[sissy]

I have the filter box and bought it at lowes and 2 filter pads in it and it is heavy .They were end of season sale at 10 dollars .They are worthless .

 

[sissy]

I have the external also and needs flushing 3 times a day and had a u.v .Used them in my old pond but not this one

 

[rickpref]

I really don't like that design of a pond pump/filter.
As you are finding out, unplugging and cleaning them just releases most of the detritus back into the pond.
Have a look at a design like this Laguna external canister filter.
http://www.lagunaponds.com/en_us/filtration-uvc/pressurized/?limit=9

That looks a lot simpler and cleaner. I took apart and cleaned mine last week for the first time. I took it apart last night to see the make/model of the pump and all the debris spread out all over the place...I hate it. Any advice on how to connect the external pumps to the plumbing I have in there? Thanks!

 

[rickpref]

I have the external also and needs flushing 3 times a day and had a u.v .Used them in my old pond but not this one View attachment 115520

What do you mean by flushing 3 times a day? What does that entail? Thanks!

 

[rickpref]

I really don't like that design of a pond pump/filter.
As you are finding out, unplugging and cleaning them just releases most of the detritus back into the pond.
Have a look at a design like this Laguna external canister filter.
http://www.lagunaponds.com/en_us/filtration-uvc/pressurized/?limit=9

Hi Mitch, thanks for the info on this type of filter setup. This is all new to me so I have to research every little thing that probably comes quick to most of the users of this forum.

I really like this setup you linked to, but since I'm renting, I'm trying to keep the cost down. I'm trying to figure out what other equipment I need to work with this pump/filter. The brand that you recommended is nowhere in stock. Do you know of any others?

In the meantime I purchased a Whisper 100 and connected it to 2 air rocks which I situated on opposite ends of the pond. The fish are definitely more active and there is more water movement, but I need to change the filter/pump setup in here. The waterfall is definitely not producing enough movement.

Thanks for any info!

Rick

 

[sissy]

The external ones have a back flush on them .You turn the handle to back flush and it is supposed to clean the filter ,nut it never cleaned it very good and it smelled bad when I opened it .IU guess it is good but I really think it should be used with a regular filter

 

[MitchM]

Hi Mitch, thanks for the info on this type of filter setup. This is all new to me so I have to research every little thing that probably comes quick to most of the users of this forum.

I really like this setup you linked to, but since I'm renting, I'm trying to keep the cost down. I'm trying to figure out what other equipment I need to work with this pump/filter. The brand that you recommended is nowhere in stock. Do you know of any others?

...

Rick

For that size of pond, you could even find a smaller canister or pressure filter at a local pet store.

 

[j.w]

@rickpref Pretty pond!