- Joined
- Sep 25, 2018
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- 111
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- Fort Worth / Dallas
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Just stumbled onto this web site. Owner of a small 650 gallon fiberglass pond for the past 16 years. Currently building a new filter using a 64 gallon trash can to replace my old 30 gallon can that was leaking a bit around the fittings. Figured it would be a nice time to enlarge the capacity and stuff it with all new filter media. (Plus, changing from a round can to a square can will help the fittings stay tighter, longer.)
My old filter is an up-flow design. A PVC pipe takes the water from the pump straight to the bottom of the can, then splits it out into two openings designed to give the water a little bit of a swirl as it enters the filter. (These outlets are protected by an inverted milk crate.) On top of the milk crate is a floor-buffer pad (the hole in the middle was perfect for the PVC pipe to pass through). Then a layer of coarse bridal veil (about 7 yards) folded back and forth across the pad. Then a layer of fine bridal veil (again about 7 yards) folded the same. Then a final buffer pad on top to sandwich the bridal veils in between. I kept a half-dozen small rocks on top of this material to keep it in place. The water would flow up through this material then flow out a fitting at the top of the filter, out to a waterfall and back into the pond. When the filter would begin to get to the point of needing to be cleaned, the sludge would cover the bottom of the bottom pad to an extent that the resulting water pressure would begin to raise the "sandwich" up to the top of the can, getting my attention. Cleaning usually was required 3-4 times per year. The filter was installed inside my garage (the pond is just outside) with a couple of holes bored through the brick wall to bring the water into and out of the garage. This made it very easy to keep an eye on the filter and how it was operating. I could tell just from the pitch of the gurgling sound if all was well.
I'm hoping the larger capacity of the new filter will keep cleanings down to just a couple times per year. I'm changing the filter media a bit: 3M Polishing Pad material (cut in rectangles of 20" by 14") layered for about 3 inches on top of the milk crate, then the double layer of coarse / fine bridal veil, then another layer of the Polishing Pad material to hold the veil material in place. Then I'm going to place a large bag of Bio-Balls up against the water outlet before the water returns to the pond. Filter should be ready to install in a couple of weeks.
Hoping to learn more on this site. I used to lurk in an old Newsgroup site for pond people many years ago - lots of good ideas there. This site looks amazing.
Jay
My old filter is an up-flow design. A PVC pipe takes the water from the pump straight to the bottom of the can, then splits it out into two openings designed to give the water a little bit of a swirl as it enters the filter. (These outlets are protected by an inverted milk crate.) On top of the milk crate is a floor-buffer pad (the hole in the middle was perfect for the PVC pipe to pass through). Then a layer of coarse bridal veil (about 7 yards) folded back and forth across the pad. Then a layer of fine bridal veil (again about 7 yards) folded the same. Then a final buffer pad on top to sandwich the bridal veils in between. I kept a half-dozen small rocks on top of this material to keep it in place. The water would flow up through this material then flow out a fitting at the top of the filter, out to a waterfall and back into the pond. When the filter would begin to get to the point of needing to be cleaned, the sludge would cover the bottom of the bottom pad to an extent that the resulting water pressure would begin to raise the "sandwich" up to the top of the can, getting my attention. Cleaning usually was required 3-4 times per year. The filter was installed inside my garage (the pond is just outside) with a couple of holes bored through the brick wall to bring the water into and out of the garage. This made it very easy to keep an eye on the filter and how it was operating. I could tell just from the pitch of the gurgling sound if all was well.
I'm hoping the larger capacity of the new filter will keep cleanings down to just a couple times per year. I'm changing the filter media a bit: 3M Polishing Pad material (cut in rectangles of 20" by 14") layered for about 3 inches on top of the milk crate, then the double layer of coarse / fine bridal veil, then another layer of the Polishing Pad material to hold the veil material in place. Then I'm going to place a large bag of Bio-Balls up against the water outlet before the water returns to the pond. Filter should be ready to install in a couple of weeks.
Hoping to learn more on this site. I used to lurk in an old Newsgroup site for pond people many years ago - lots of good ideas there. This site looks amazing.
Jay
