okay, I am being cheap - need some ideas LOL

[capewind]

So over the course of time, hubby has built a few things for me (or to cover for me LOL) and he is just about out of all spare parts, and *I* dont want to spend any money...

He gave up his last two spare pumps, 1000 gph. and 500 gph when I wanted to put baby fish into the plant pond (and his other spare pumps got added to the QT when I added 100 or so babies there) ... I wanted the 1000 gph pump to throw outside to deal with algae before it becomes an issue, and of course the plant pond babies cant afford to lose it .... SO, we went to Harbor Freight since others have spoken reasonably of their pumps, and got another, that is 2150 gph for short money ($90)... which brings me to my current issue...

Did I mention I dont want to spend any money???

The existing tote filter runs just fine with a 1000 gph pump, but it isnt going to work with a 2150 gph pump (dont want to turn it down) ...

I know a lot of folks here are thrifty What are some good options to replace the tote with???

I know hubby will just say for xxx$ he can go buy xyz and I want to avoid that LOL. My position is in another month, he'll be putting in another pond outside, meaning babies will be moved outside, and they wont be in need inside ... the new 2150 gph pump will later get moved to run the new waterfall in the coming pond ...

SO I am just looking for a cheap/safe option to get through a month or two ... No 55 gallon barrels on hand ... have a water trough that may be about 50 gallons or so outside that we could steal, and a couple of 35 gallon trash barrels that have only ever held water ...

He does have a lot of various fittings on hand, and I suppose I can handle spending a little bit, but trying to keep it cheap. Really hoping you all can put me into a position of telling him that he can do this or that with things laying around LOL.

 

[koiguy1969]

just about any carwash will sell 55 gal poly barrels for 5 - 10 bucks...some will give them away. thats where i get mine.

 

[capewind]

Never even thought of the car wash places. Will check them out tomorrow. How do you clean them though??? I am assuming they had soap or wax in them???

 

[Waterbug]

I cruise Criag's List. Never know what you're find that works.

My fav cheap tank is a hole in the ground and liner. PVC liner for a temp deal. Or a free waterbed off CL, or swimming pool liner.

 

[capewind]

Been watching CL for months ... I found someone who said free delivery if we took 4 or more barrels... $30 each for the ones with the removable lids (food grade) ... Emailed him a few days ago, now he wants $1 mile to deliver them ... he is almost an hour away .. the prior understanding was no rush, whenever he next had deliveries to our area ...

Moved daughter back in yesterday and spotted an air mattress that she didnt want anymore ... just mentioned it to hubby ... says he'd have to build a frame for it ...

I'm wondering about the 35 gallon trash barrels that he holds water in ... he has told me repeatedly that they are too weak to drill into for bulkhead fittings, but I am wondering about just using pvc schedule 40 to have an intake and return just coming out out the top/no drilling??? He isnt thrilled with that, wants something bigger ... the plant pond has 50ish (no more than 60) fish in it ... Maybe 75% of them are into the 6-7" range.

I'm wondering if he set it up skippy filter style, if it would be big enough for the short term. He can move the existing filter media, so no loss on the current bacteria load ... and of course all the plants are still in the pond too, so they are also "working"...

 

[DrCase]

You could keep the tote you have and just split the new pump water, some to the filter the rest for ciculation

 

[capewind]

You could keep the tote you have and just split the new pump water, some to the filter the rest for ciculation

That is exactly what hubby wants to do, but me being the worry type wants to utilize the pump's gph more. The babies are growing faster than I thought they would, so I am starting to get nervous with how many there are. The outside pond is only 50*F so really cant move, or even place anyone yet. At present, the tote is running with a 1000 gph pump, and he has a 500 gph just circulating water ... The tote is really a cheesy slap together eye sore. One small tote, filter media, irrigation tubing and elbows, a cheese ball container filled with cut up pex tubing, and a food bucket LOL... It IS working, so I cant complain ... The plant pond is only 600 gallons.

 

[capewind]

Came up with a solution that both hubby and I can agree on

He agreed to use the old rubber water trough (before I have him put it someplace he doesnt want it, because it is too small LOL) ... I checked the measurements, and it's about 45 gallons (30"x36"x13") ... He is planning to build it like a skipping filter, with the exception he wants to put a valve down the bottom (on the side) to remove any sludge build up ... but FOR ME trying to learn more about the filter, I have a question about construction ...

On the skippy filter site, this picture ... http://www.skippysstuff.com/biofil12.jpg it shows the pvc on the bottom of the tub ... if we want an area down the bottom for stuff to settle, how high up would you raise it above the bottom??? I saw in someone's pictures, maybe Koiguy??? had raised it up, but cant find it ...

 

[shakaho]

Is this the thread you want?

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/topic/3510-koiguys-70-gal-skippy-style-filter/

 

[capewind]

YES!!! Thank you!!!

 

[sissy]

here they sell those barrels on craigslist for 22 dollars and i have the harbor freight pump for over 3 years now and still works great
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[capewind]

same pump ... glad to hear youve had it for 3 yrs ... I was too cheap to spend $20 on the warranty...

 

[koiguy1969]

capewind...the reason for elevating the swirl bars is simple. it gives a greater chance for settling of debris. also larger diameter pipe helps in this. because theres less pressure in the flow. slowing it down, making it gentler. lower swirl bars and /or smaller pipe size create more turbulance at the floor of filter. this keeps debris suspended. so they dont settle and get uo into the media, making it dirty and less efficient. its like the pressure out of your garden hose, now put that garden hose in the end of a length of 2" pipe. comes out the other end of the pipe alot slower and gentler. and your hubby is right...put the flush valve on the filter. 2" pipe is great, but 1&1/2" allows for a good flush, and the ball valves are easier to open! and the whole idea of a skippy style is to have the better portion of the gunk, muck and debris to collect on the bottom.


**those pacific hydro pumps are cheap in price but expensive to run tho...not very energy efficient. a 4200 gph laguna uses less power.

 

[capewind]

ohhh ok, got that ... what size pipe would you use? Have everything from half inch up to FOUR inch on hand ... obviously you dont mean four inch, just saying LOL.

on the pump, for $90, I figured I couldnt have it all ... was offered a $260 4200 gph pump today for 50% off .. Laguna ... just didnt want to spend that kind of money ... thinking baby pond construction costs coming, so want to watch the budget.

 

[koiguy1969]

on both my 70 gal stocktank filter outside, and my 55gal poly barrel filter in the basement, i used 1&1/2" pipe for my filter plumbing (swirl bars and downpipe). and i used 2" for the flush assemblies.