What filter for 10,000 litres?

[simon1482]

Hi,

Im in the process of building my pond, 4mtrs long by 2.5mtrs at its widest point and 1.1mtr deep, which calculates to roughly 10,000 litres.

I have purchased a Pisces 13000 filter plus 10,000 pump. I'm planning on stocking a mixed pond, with a half a dozen koi and the remainder goldfish.

The filter has a max turnover rate of 5000 litres an hour, am I right in thinking that this is more than sufficient as I have read that the ideal turnover should be the pond volume every 2 hours?. The filter also comes with an 11wt UV.

Basically the question is this filter sufficient or shall I go bigger i.e something that is more suitable such as 20000 litre max filter? and is the pump to strong for the filter (10,000ltr per hr) ??

On a seperate note i'm planning on building quite a substantial waterfall. Would It be a good idea to use a waterfall filter to help with the distribution of flow or have any of you guys just used the outlet hose from a seperate pond pump/ secondary outlet from exsisting pump and restrict flow with an inline ball valve?

 

[Waterbug]

The turn over rate of 2 hours is completely made up. Pump size is related to what filters can handle, how big a water feature is desired, etc.

Filters are unrelated to pond size with the exception of UV. For UV follower manufacturer instructions.

The amount of food you feed determines bio and mechanical filter needs. To know what size bio you need you measure ammonia. If you have ammonia you need a bio filter or more. For most ponds water clarity determines whether you need a mechanical filter or more.

In the most common case young (small) fish are added and are fed once a day at most. If that was true for you, in that size pond, you would most likely not need any bio filter for maybe 3 or 4 years...testing ammonia is the only way to know for sure. Your pond is a bio filter.

Mechanical filters are a bit complex. The foam pads in the Pisces will indeed get dirty and clog. When you clean them you'll be amazed and happy with all the dirt removed. But the reality is there would be no notable difference in water clarity if you tested with something like a Secchi disk. But the reality is no one does any kind of test. These filters are designed to make you feel better and they do that wonderfully.

The UV does work so it's important to take some effort to get that working correctly. The amount of water going through it is key. Follow the manufacturer instructions. If you still have green water turn down the amount of water. This means when installed you should add a valve and a bypass for extra water. The manufacturer probably won't tell you to do this. Their job is to make you happy when you buy, not a few months later when your pond is still green. I don't fault manufacturers for this practice, buyers force them to.

The cost is all in the UV so if/when you get tired of cleaning the pads you can just remove them and throw them out. There is a danger with these should the pads clog enough the UV could be damaged.

The other problem with these filter (not just Pisces but all targeted at first time owners) is they can split, hoses pop off, etc. Installing it over the pond, in a stream, or anything that directs leaks back into the pond can keep your fish alive. Also, putting the pump near the surface rather on the bottom can save fish. If there's a leak and the pump is on the bottom it can drain in an hour and kill the fish.

On a seperate note i'm planning on building quite a substantial waterfall. Would It be a good idea to use a waterfall filter to help with the distribution of flow or have any of you guys just used the outlet hose from a seperate pond pump/ secondary outlet from exsisting pump and restrict flow with an inline ball valve?

I'm not totally following you. Distribution to where?