Pond filtration improvements?

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Hi folks,

In my introduction I posted some details about my pond (https://www.gardenpondforum.com/thr...-it-came-with-a-pond-now-im-pond-crazy.30797/) and now it’s time for me to make some real progress on improving the situation for my little critters.

I reached out to a few local pond companies and while they’ve all been fairly helpful, their service contracts are crazy, their suggestions for equipment are not wonderful, and I get the feeling with a few of them that they’re focusing on continuing to sell me stuff, over making it the best pond it could be (which is not surprising and admittedly I get why they’d do so). So I’m going to do it myself!!!

First plan is to give it a hardcore clean, add some more aeration and work out what’s going on with the current pumps / etc… so I’ll be emptying it and moving the fish to an intex pool for a few days but during this I have some time to do filtration improvements. I’ve got a big bio load by the look of it and they’ll need the help!

My first question seems to be should I buy a filter (throw money at my problems) or build out a bog filter? I could pick up a nexus automatic easypod, an oase screenmatic, etc… and punt on this problem for a few months / a year or so… until I go off to build the new pond. The bog filter means I’ll have to dig out and do some manual labour but everyone seems to love them here?

Question 1.5… I could also do something like a RDF for pond 2, and then use it for pond 1 in the meanwhile …?

My second question is about the skimmer. My current skimmer is all bent, old looking, and I suspect also needs a replacement (and a larger opening probably). Does this forum have a favourite skimmer? Anything I should be concerned about when replacing a skimmer?
 

TheFishGuy

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Hi folks,

In my introduction I posted some details about my pond (https://www.gardenpondforum.com/thr...-it-came-with-a-pond-now-im-pond-crazy.30797/) and now it’s time for me to make some real progress on improving the situation for my little critters.

I reached out to a few local pond companies and while they’ve all been fairly helpful, their service contracts are crazy, their suggestions for equipment are not wonderful, and I get the feeling with a few of them that they’re focusing on continuing to sell me stuff, over making it the best pond it could be (which is not surprising and admittedly I get why they’d do so). So I’m going to do it myself!!!

First plan is to give it a hardcore clean, add some more aeration and work out what’s going on with the current pumps / etc… so I’ll be emptying it and moving the fish to an intex pool for a few days but during this I have some time to do filtration improvements. I’ve got a big bio load by the look of it and they’ll need the help!

My first question seems to be should I buy a filter (throw money at my problems) or build out a bog filter? I could pick up a nexus automatic easypod, an oase screenmatic, etc… and punt on this problem for a few months / a year or so… until I go off to build the new pond. The bog filter means I’ll have to dig out and do some manual labour but everyone seems to love them here?

Question 1.5… I could also do something like a RDF for pond 2, and then use it for pond 1 in the meanwhile …?

My second question is about the skimmer. My current skimmer is all bent, old looking, and I suspect also needs a replacement (and a larger opening probably). Does this forum have a favourite skimmer? Anything I should be concerned about when replacing a skimmer?
As much as I would love to say don't do a hardcore drain an clean, if you can house the fish properly, it might be good just to see what is going on below the surface and sort everything out. How soon do you think you will build the new pond? If it is sometime this upcoming summer, then I would skip on the bog filter, and just stick with aeration and whatever the pond has currently until you get the new one built, but if it will be a couple years then I would deffinitly go for the bog filter. Aquascape products are my personal favorite, but the skimmer is so overpriced, I don't know if I can recommend it.
 
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As much as I would love to say don't do a hardcore drain an clean, if you can house the fish properly, it might be good just to see what is going on below the surface and sort everything out. How soon do you think you will build the new pond? If it is sometime this upcoming summer, then I would skip on the bog filter, and just stick with aeration and whatever the pond has currently until you get the new one built, but if it will be a couple years then I would deffinitly go for the bog filter. Aquascape products are my personal favorite, but the skimmer is so overpriced, I don't know if I can recommend it.

Drain and Clean: That's the main reason I was thinking about doing that is so I could do things like check out the liner, confirm where the pumps and piping were going, etc... I can't see further down than like maybe an inch or so, so it's impossible to see what's going on. I'd go off and buy myself a pool, aeration, and netting to make a short term home for them (a few days at worst), so I could get it deeply cleaned.

Filtration: What about adding a short term additional mechanical filter?

New Pond: I want to say around a year or so but it's not like there's a set timeframe, it's more "after the other stuff" which we're plotting to take about another year or so.

Equipment: The Aquascape stuff did look great, but it very much looks overpriced... ergh.
 

TheFishGuy

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Drain and Clean: That's the main reason I was thinking about doing that is so I could do things like check out the liner, confirm where the pumps and piping were going, etc... I can't see further down than like maybe an inch or so, so it's impossible to see what's going on. I'd go off and buy myself a pool, aeration, and netting to make a short term home for them (a few days at worst), so I could get it deeply cleaned.

Filtration: What about adding a short term additional mechanical filter?

New Pond: I want to say around a year or so but it's not like there's a set timeframe, it's more "after the other stuff" which we're plotting to take about another year or so.

Equipment: The Aquascape stuff did look great, but it very much looks overpriced... ergh.
Being budget conscious I wouldn't put any money into a short term filter, but some sort of mechanical filter may be a good idea. That is my issue with the Aquascape stuff, just so darn expensive.
 
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Is this pond getting shut down after you dig the new one? If so, I'd probably skip the bog filter for now unless you know for sure that the new liner and plumbing you'd need for it can be reused without a lot of fuss.

And RDF's are great, but they are really only mechanical filters.

I think the way I'd go would be to drain/clean just to figure out what's going on below the surface, and then see if there would be any opportunity to build a small, active bog inside the existing liner.
 
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First plan is to give it a hardcore clean, add
First question is how old is the pond. By a hard-core cleaning that's about the worst thing you can do. The heavy deposits of muck ok getting that out can help. But to polish the rocks removing the bio film of algae and bacteria is putting your right back to square one.

Starting over is not the first path
Does this forum have a favourite skimmer? Anything I should be concerned about when replacing a skimmer
Helix or a intake bay with a negative edge .
 

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