Pond Mistake?

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So here is the latest update.

Out of 5 fish, I lost 2 before I could get the problem in hand. As you recall the pond collapsed and caved in on itself due to the texas clay being rained on for a day straight.

In the middle of the night, I dragged the remains of the pre formed pond out of the sink hole, and up to my back porch. Tuned on the hose and filled it half way, and then released the other three fish in it, and babysat them all night through the storm to make sure that nothing fell, and the pump was working and didnt get tipped over.

From then on its been an above ground pond, sitting on my slab. Its not pretty but the fish are alive.

Now, I need to tell you I spent 3-4 days researching every type of homemade filter to build for the pond, and I have to say that well meaning as the videos and claims are, they are all outdated, and they don't address some important issues.

Number one, scrubby pads as filter media - the days of getting packs of 30 are long gone. The best I could do is 5 to a pack for 2.00 at all of the major stores, Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Dollar King. Total cost therefore for the media about 40-50 dollars.

The parts for the pvc that I'd need amounted to another 20 dollars, and that is before the bulkheads and reducers and the grate. It all adds up greatly.

Speaking of bulheads, neither Lowes nor Home Depot know what they were or where to find them. So no, it cannot be built easily with parts from your local hardware supply store.

The cost of the Rubbermaid stock tank, for example also pushed the cost over the 100.00 mark, so now we are approaching the 200.00 range, which also pushed the overall cost for this "cheap" filter. But what they dont warn you about is the chances of overflow, and that if it does overflow after all that work you will not be watersealed, which means you can drain your pond without meaning to. Usually while you are out of town for the weekend, making it too late. Great idea in concept but far too risky in execution. They also don't warn you for the need of a UV light.

My solution for this cheap pond filter was simple - eat the 40.00 and start researching. I found a Pressurized Laguna 700 with UV for just over 100.00 on clearance, presumably because its off season. Fine, I bought it, set in in my 171 gal pond, with a 500 gph pump and a 700 gal filter and my filtrations been fine for 2 weeks. Microbelift was no where to be found at any supply store locally so I bought Little Green Bugs and seeded the pond with that. No doubt it hasnt kicked in and the pond is an eyesore, but for now the three koi are alive and seem to be okay (3 inch fish) and my plans now are to build a pond for housing 10 koi - apx 2500 gallons. Ive been all over the internet and youtube researching, studying and have determined that the best prescription for this is, time and save my money, being patient as I go, giving myself till hopefully April or May to have it done. I know I will need another filter and the possibility of running the one I have now with the soon to be bigger one is a very strong one. I know I will also need a bigger pump, and those items will have to be bought and stored as the pond is built, one piece of the puzzle at a time. My considerations now are the bottom drain for the filter, the aeration and circulation, and the depth and shape. At this point I'm tending towards a half in and half out of the ground rectangle shape with a net formed and attached to a PVC frame, and tall enough to place a bench or two so one can sit and peer over the ledge at the fish. I think 10 would be plenty for me, and Ive been around koi and appreciate them, and how fun they are to feed, but 10 is plenty for me.


Another consideration for me will be pond maintenence - I welcome the beneficial green on the sides of the liner, but I wanna minimize the cleaning, to some backwashing and maybe some leaf skimming, so that will go into the consideration for my design as well.

For anyone new reading this, I encourage you to do your research and homework before trying to do a koi pond, things like waste, biological filtration, ammonia, water care, pH, Nitrites and Nitrates, all are vital to the care of these creatures. The more you can do to inform yourself, the better off you will be. Places like this are invaluable in that search.
 

koiguy1969

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scrubbies are available in 20 packs at Sams Club(twice the size of the dollar store ones).... stocktanks start at $30.00 at TSC (tractor supply company) the 110 gallon is $60.00... the 55 gallon drums can be free at carwashs...instead of bulkheads.. shower drains you can build a 55 gallon drum filter complete for $100.00 and either of these filters will out perform what you bought by a longshot.. and a u.v light is not mandatory. weve even supplied links for the bulkheads here on this site.. but as long as your happy..
i have a 70 gallon stock tank filter and a 55gallon drum filter, and i guarentee your filter will not come close to their performance or ease of flushing.
 
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Oof! Sorry about the mess!

The Laguna pressure filter you bought is actually a very good one. I have the 2100, that I used before I DIY'ed filtration. Now I still use it alongside my upgraded homemade filtration. So, the good news is that you'll be able to keep it as an addition to whatever additional filtration you'll need for a 2,400 gallon pond. I' ve had mine for years and it is very trusty.

What happened to your pump is precisely why I detest underwater pumps and it happened to me once, too. That sorta thing would not happen with an out of water pump. Anyway, if you keep your pump on a brick or small cinder block, it will only pump down as far as where it is sitting, therefore, in case the pump tips over or gets clogged, the water will only get pumped out as far as the height of the pump instead of nearly all the way down the floor. You also have to keep your return pipes/hoses a little higher up than directly on your pond floor for the same reason. The water may still pump put the way it did again, but at least it will leave you with a bunch of inches of height of water so the fish can survive until you spot the problem.

You really can't expect the bacteria to work this time of year. It's too cold. It doesn't really kick in until water temps are at least 65 degrees. Not sure where you are in Texas or what your water temps are. If you do some water changes, the water should clear a bit, but really since you have no solid bacteria colony, your water will likely stay murky til spring.

Building a pond filter really doesn't have to be as expensive as you think. For one, you can go to a car wash and get a barrel for free. They get their soap in them, and are always desperate to get rid of 'em. You are right about the bulkheads, and that they are not sold at HD or Lowes. I don't have a single bulkhead on my barrel, what you do is go to the conduit section of your lowes (it's the grey stuff instead of white PVC), and you buy a female and male connecting piece there. I think they are about $1.50 each. You can't use PVC fittings in place of conduit because it doesn't screw together all the way down due to the larger threading. But conduit goes down tightly. I bought matala mats for the inside of mine. They are expensive in comparison to other filter media ($25 each/free ship on ebay), but they will last a decade or more since they are made out of a soft plastic. So, no pads that ultimately break down. That's just my personal choice, but you can use pretty much anything you want inside a DIY filter you want, including pads.

Don't discount a DIY filter just yet. It really can be inexpensive to produce. You certainly could have made one for the $100 bucks you bought the Laguna for. But, DIY'ing is certainly not for everyone--and it's perfectly a-ok to just buy off the shelf.

Just in case, here's the link to my DIY filter: https://www.gardenpondforum.com/my-fitler-pit-and-55-gal-barrel-photos-t4088.html. Koiguy, the docs and a few others also have their plans for DIY filters here you can search.
 

koiguy1969

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scrubby pads are also made from plastic..2 years of non stop use and mine have yet to clog or show the slightest sign of breakdown they are as rigid and sturdy as the day they went in. just wondering where this idea of breaking down came from..whos used them and had them break down? i know of someone whos had them for 7 years no problem.
seriously, if someone whos honestly used scrubby pads and had clogging and break down problems let me know.. how long did they last.?. was your filter actually large enough for its pond and bioload? if you see mine the only clogged ones are the ones that my hiacynths roots grew thru.
 
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I think we might be talking about two different kinds of scrubby pads. What I've seen people use are basically oversized floor scrub sponge pads, and after two years they are one gloppy mess. Plus extremely heavy to pull out of the barrel when filled with water. You might be using something entirely different.

Please show us a photo of your pads, Koiguy. It would be helpful for everyone to be clear on what they look like. Would be helpful to show a particular brand if you have that available and perhaps a general size of each one, etc.
 

koiguy1969

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i use the ones like in the filter video you posted here plus the corser cut to fit furnace filters, plus some store bought media thats similar. but i use 1&1/2 " filter plumbing inside the filter... this seriously slows the swirl factor and allows a good portion of the solids to settle before hitting the media...its true they get heavy because they hold water. but as long as the filters full of water they remain fairly bouiant, and i only pull it out to move it to the other filter every 6 months ..honestly ive never cleaned them (just filter flushes)and they still performs for me.. i might also add that I DO USE A LARGE PREFILTER. i dont about anyone elses experience with them thats why i asked..mine has been good..i do need to replace the ones i threw out because of the hiacynth roots.. p.s i took them out of the media bags and that helped alot, plus opened up room for more media.
 
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koikeepr said:
Oof! Sorry about the mess!

The Laguna pressure filter you bought is actually a very good one. I have the 2100, that I used before I DIY'ed filtration. Now I still use it alongside my upgraded homemade filtration. So, the good news is that you'll be able to keep it as an addition to whatever additional filtration you'll need for a 2,400 gallon pond. I' ve had mine for years and it is very trusty.

What happened to your pump is precisely why I detest underwater pumps and it happened to me once, too. That sorta thing would not happen with an out of water pump. Anyway, if you keep your pump on a brick or small cinder block, it will only pump down as far as where it is sitting, therefore, in case the pump tips over or gets clogged, the water will only get pumped out as far as the height of the pump instead of nearly all the way down the floor. You also have to keep your return pipes/hoses a little higher up than directly on your pond floor for the same reason. The water may still pump put the way it did again, but at least it will leave you with a bunch of inches of height of water so the fish can survive until you spot the problem.

You really can't expect the bacteria to work this time of year. It's too cold. It doesn't really kick in until water temps are at least 65 degrees. Not sure where you are in Texas or what your water temps are. If you do some water changes, the water should clear a bit, but really since you have no solid bacteria colony, your water will likely stay murky til spring.

Building a pond filter really doesn't have to be as expensive as you think. For one, you can go to a car wash and get a barrel for free. They get their soap in them, and are always desperate to get rid of 'em. You are right about the bulkheads, and that they are not sold at HD or Lowes. I don't have a single bulkhead on my barrel, what you do is go to the conduit section of your lowes (it's the grey stuff instead of white PVC), and you buy a female and male connecting piece there. I think they are about $1.50 each. You can't use PVC fittings in place of conduit because it doesn't screw together all the way down due to the larger threading. But conduit goes down tightly. I bought matala mats for the inside of mine. They are expensive in comparison to other filter media ($25 each/free ship on ebay), but they will last a decade or more since they are made out of a soft plastic. So, no pads that ultimately break down. That's just my personal choice, but you can use pretty much anything you want inside a DIY filter you want, including pads.

Don't discount a DIY filter just yet. It really can be inexpensive to produce. You certainly could have made one for the $100 bucks you bought the Laguna for. But, DIY'ing is certainly not for everyone--and it's perfectly a-ok to just buy off the shelf.

Just in case, here's the link to my DIY filter: https://www.gardenpondforum.com/my-fitler-pit-and-55-gal-barrel-photos-t4088.html. Koiguy, the docs and a few others also have their plans for DIY filters here you can search.


Well thank you for the feedback. I know I drove all over town expecting everyone at every store to know exactly what I am talking about, and its clear to see now, that didnt happen. So I went to the best I could find and at a little over 100 I have a pressurized filter, at 700 gph and a UV, for now I am very happy.

So I have decided upon two possible configs for my soon to be first pond project:

10 x 8 x 3 which is supposed to be 1800 gallons all in ground, plus whatever volume is in the filtration system

OR

7 x 7 x 5 - This would be 2 feet in the ground and 3 feet would be a wood enclosure out of the ground, and this would be 1838.

So, if this is the case, would a Laguna Clearflow 2100 Kit be a good fit for this pond? It has the UV inside it and seems to have the gph that Id need and the filtration to boot.

I am also concerned/thinking about getting an external pump instead, and keep the pond as clear as possible. In either case I am considering a tetra bottom drain, theres one that goes through the liner, and one that sits at the bottom, no holes needed.

Liner requirements for the 7x7 would be a 20x20 and thats not much different from the inground which would require a 15x20

I'm leaning for the 7x7 because of the added depth, the minimal digging and therefore there's no landscaping stone expense. I would either integrate a Net "dome" as done by this user

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/leaf-netting-idea-t4507.html

Or just make a PVC Frame and attach the net and drape it over the pond. What I'd like to do is stand next to the pond, or sit at a bench near the edge and commune with the koi, hand feeding them etc. I'd make a 1x6 "edge" which overhangs the pond.

So, how am I doing so far in my planning? I think Ive addressed: filtration, pond size for koi, pump, UV, leaves cover, and heron protection.

I'm looking for April or May to be done with it. And will purchase/build whatever I need along the way in steps. i.e. Might get a filter one month, pump the next and put it all together from there.

One last thing, I might make the return to the pond some sort of falls feature for aeration purposes, so the falls might be a foot higher. Haven't considered a waterfall weir at this time, might just house the return pipe in some sort of enclosure to the outlet, where it spills over into the pond.
 
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very interesting...i want to make a biofilter, does it have to been near the pond, seems awfully large for my little pond
 

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