will this work?

[koiguy1969]

o.k heres my thinking..several people say they plant their lillies in gravel, i think this might just kill two birds with one stone. oil change pans are around 2' round and 8" deep, if i was to drill a hole in the side along the bottom, and run a piece of capped off pvc pipe drilled full of small holes across the bottom of the pan. and fill the pan with pea gravel then plant like three lillies around the edges. take this assembly and run hose from the pvc to the inlet of the pump. it would have a constant in flow of pond water thru the gravel, feeding the plants and work as an under water bio/veggy filter. shouldnt even have to ever fertilize the lillies either. i have 12 pots of lillies so i would make 4 of these. that would split and slow the flow up 4 ways so the nutrients would be more accessable. that would give me 4 small clusters of pads.. any thoughts?

 

[DrDave]

What a great idea! and a perfect place to do my 1000th post.
This is a great opportunity for everyone to start building and posting their bio/planter ideas/pictures. What in-line pump do you suggest for this?

 

[koiguy1969]

i dont know.. i have a 450gph pump... split that 4 ways 110 gph thru each planter, thats a slow flow and use the pump to circulate water or my 1000 gph to feed my waterfall. at 2' round even 250gph wouldnt be a terrble flow.

 

[David]

Congratulations on # 1000!

 

[c2c7390]

thats a really good idea koiguy

 

[koiguy1969]

instead of the straight pipe im thinking that a ring of flexible pvc tubing like irrigation tube a lttle smaller than the pan, drlled out with holes too and teed together and to the pump intake hose would pull the water directly over the roots and tuber of the lillies, and more evenly pull the water in.

 

[DrCase]

Its a great idea Koiguy. but the roots will want to get right to the source and cut off the flow,maybe with a pipe with lots of slits with landscape fabric over it to keep the roots at bay

 

[DrDave]

I agree with DrCase. The roots will find that easy path very quickly.