Pond Filter NIGHTMARE

[j.w]

Pete

 

[Waterbug]

That was state of the art bio filtering in the 80's and 90's. The problem, as you can see, is the material gets covered in muck. Bio filtering bacteria can't grow in that. Instead it becomes home to harmful bacteria. In most cases fish can deal with the harmful bacteria, so it's not really that big a problem, but it's not considered beneficial to most ponds.

There has since been advances in bio filters. These are all self cleaning. So not only do they generally not need cleaning they're also a better home for bio filtering bacteria because of keeping surfaces clean (using the bacteria's definition of clean) and max O2 which the bacteria need. You can Google "trickle tower", "shower filter" and "moving bed" for more info.

Trickle towers are very easy to set up. For example, in your case, you could fill your tank with rock, or build a platform in the tank, and then stack the media you already have in mesh containers above the water line. Then run your pump hose to the top of the pile and you're done.

Lot's of ideas online on what to use as containers, or how to make one easy and cheap. I doubt the whole thing would cost you $10 and you would have to clean it again, plus it works 10-30 times better than submerged media when it's clean...which it rarely is.

 

[Pond_newbie]

Hi I wouldn't be able to set a trickle tower up in my existing filter housing...
I am just wanting to get it bk working as easy as possible as a place to start as I have never done anything like this . I will clear it out today and send some photos

 

[addy1]

Clean it, post some pictures of the inside of your filter, the cleaned media and the ponders here will give you advice. It is easier to help with as much info as possible and love pictures, makes it crystal clear.

 

[Pond_newbie]

Had a afternoon on the filter and now cleaned it out and filled it with water without any media in it.
Waiting to build some baskets to put them in the left hand part

 

[Waterbug]

Hi I wouldn't be able to set a trickle tower up in my existing filter housing...

Yes. Lot's of DIY designs online. Fill the filter with rock up to the water level. Stack some plastic crates on top, fill those with the bags of bio media, run the pump out put to the top of the bio bags. Media will be washed 24/7 and provide max O2 to the bio bacteria.

I'm not sure where the filter out flow is, but hopefully at the surface.

 

[Pond_newbie]

My filter housing is above the pond level at the rear , at the top there is two holes that go to the top of the waterfall and the pipe from the pump that is in the pond goes in at the bottom down a pipe

 

[addy1]

Sounds like an up flow type filter, water coming in at the bottom flow up through the media out into the pond. Do you have a bottom drain? in the filter box. Post some pictures of the filter box now that it is cleaned out

 

[Waterbug]

My filter housing is above the pond level at the rear , at the top there is two holes that go to the top of the waterfall and the pipe from the pump that is in the pond goes in at the bottom down a pipe

Sounds like what I said would work if you wanted a self cleaning filter.