How to Build a Pond Filter

[MyMPPM]

good work

[jindark12]

@pondsandkoi hey if i visit your country i surely swim in your pond lol

[pondsandkoi]

bummer...yes, I'm in Utah, long enough summers to enjot it.

[wuscli]

Cool. Where you from. I'm canadian and 40 below and wind doesn't work well for Koi ponds in my area. Some millionare have done it but won't give up secrets and I can just imagine the energy bill to keep a pond that size warm enough for the fish to survive. We barely get enough warm weather to get the biofilters working properly before freeze up again.

[tmaretzki]

@wuscli I built one in my backyard in Winnipeg years ago when I lived there. Not sure if the koi can handle it, but the gold fish can if you throw a heater probe to melt a permanent hole in the ice on top. Also, you will have to make it deeper than your average pond, like 4-6 ft. Problem is after you go past like 3 ft. deep, you have to fence it I think. I wouldn't, but nosy neighbors can rat you out sometimes. Mine had a pebble 'beach' that was great for birds and butterflies.

[ShotaAzZareback]

is there a way without electricity?i mean for the filter?coz im gonna make a pond also..and im tryin to be on the energy conservation side..

[pondsandkoi]

@ShotaAzZareback

The skimmer isw to take out the big stuff b4 the rest of the water goes to the filters. Saves a lot of filter cleaning!

The media I use is found at any lowes or homedepot, its padding for swamp coolers (the blue kind that won't fall apart)

And last, I know of no way to filtrate a pond without a pump.

[ShotaAzZareback]

@pondsandkoi thanks man!=D im gonna try to build one soon!

[seattenber]

@ShotaAzZareback If you are serious about consuming zero energy, skip the filtration completely. Use plenty of oxygenator plants and a nice big pond with not too many fish. Just let nature set up a self-sustaining ecology. Cover the bottom with light colored rocks to make it easier to see your fish through a little bit of murkiness. I did this once, but had a pump for a little waterfall and additional oxygenation. Worked fine for years!

[cooperDG123]

@ShotaAzZareback hey may u prob could make a syfon filter

[jzxiong]

where do you get those filter media at? i've looking all over for those.

[ninjavince467]

what is the skimmer for?

[letsbeefriendsok]

I like your pond the skimmer Was interesting do you get fish in the skimmer much. I think I would cover the filer area with a top but I must say that was fun to watch you have one with your pond all finished that I would like to see.

[pondsandkoi]

@letsbeefriendsok

Surprisingly, no, all my small hang out at the inlet side.

[PR0CRASTINAT0R]

It would be great to have an experienced ponder like you on our site!

I like your pond videos and want to invite you to join a pond site to share your stuff!

Please join the new OldGardenPond,com group today! I learned a ton of stuff and it gave me the motivation to finish up my own pond. POST EVERY DOG-GONE POND PICTURE AND VIDEO YOU GOT! Sign the Guest Book and let us hear you on the message board. This site will be rocking, because you will make it happen!

[TimmyGal]

Kewl pond dude!! Thumbs up! I've always wanted to make my own tropical fish pond.

[pondsandkoi]

Thanks!

Watch the temperature, tropical fish can't handle the extremes and won't survive below 68 or so...

[guthaninfested]

dude, how do you get the water to come through the pipes anyway? mines wont work.

[pondsandkoi]

Ummm.. A pump?

[guthaninfested]

i meant is there a way without electricity.

[pondsandkoi]

Tou've asked the best Qs so far. I didn't make the outlest of the filters quite low enough, so yes, a majority of the water runs right over the filter.

And I do have a pre skimmer filter but it needs work, it's very difficult because if it clogs, then the pump runs dry. The problem is how to catch the junk but not the water!

[NOmeansnoFAN]

won't the water by-pass the boxes as the media gets dirty? Wouldn't it have been simpler to put the filter boxes at the entrance to the skimmer/sump? I am designing a pond for our new house right now, how has this layout worked for you over the last year?

[bingo686]

Question, I'm really new to this and my first project will be smaller in scale compared to yours. I wanna try this filter idea but I was wondering can you build a Bio bog and a filter into one system? Maybe by adding plant life to the filter? But ether way i'll be trying this when I get home from Iraq.

[pondsandkoi]

I did add plants right into the filter, check out my update video. I did it mainly to make the filters a bit more attractive. Just make sure they dont fill up with plants and run over!

[pondsandkoi]

small roofing nails (the kind with little plastic heads)

[095340002]

what did you attach the liner with

[solarpondsupplycom]

I'd like to see an updated video of how this project has evolved.

[pondsandkoi]

Getting close.

[xrayfeeney]

Looks awful.

[pondsandkoi]

I actually cleaned the filters a few weeks ago and made a few slight modifactions. I hope to update with a new video soon. I don't plan on cleaning the filter much anymore, i expect it to be self sufficient and break down everything by itself. I only clened it because of all the dirt I'd knocked in last year building the pond!

This year it's all biologically balanced, I don't expect it to get dirty at all.

[Y0un3smArk1995]

how long does it take for the water to go dirty and murkey after you clean it ?

[flowerpotproductions]

How do you maintain a pond when its winter?? Do you take the fish out?? Wouldnt the water like be frozen?

[pondsandkoi]

Not yet, been a long winter and I hope to do a bit more with it when it warms up.

[makavelishaman]

is there an update video? hope to see it retouched kinda rough good luck

[pondsandkoi]

I have one station of my sprinkler system that puts a bit of water in every day or so. It's winter now, so the level doesn't drop with the snow and cold.

[pondguru]

With the pump being in the smaller body of water (behind the skimmer) have you noticed any problems when the level in the pond drops and prevents water from reaching the pump? If so, you could install an auto top up system to ensure that the water retains its level. Also, If you put in a slide valve on the lowest rigid pipe after the split you could regulate the flow precisely. Coming along well.

[psychodelicdragon]

does the sides of your buckets need to fit tighter so water will flow threw the buckt and not around the sides? :)

[pondsandkoi]

i actually took the baskets out and just filled it with media. it holds a lot more media that way.

[pondsandkoi]

Yeah, that sounds about right.  Just remember, the bigger the filter, the better. The biggert the pond, the more it takes care of itself, too.

[rowerbg]

Do you have some new video of your pond?

How does it looks now? Have you finished the stream and waterfall? Wath about plants,do you have a lot of plants in your pond?

[InfernoDrag0n]

u think a 15gal garbage can used as a filter will be enough for a 1000gal pond?

[buddyclubs]

it would work but its a little too small and you probably have to clean it out often mabe every 3-5 days or something depending how much fish you have, because they poop a lot during the summer.

[pondsandkoi]

No! that's what totally cool about it.  It's a bio filter that should break everything down to practically nothing. I suspect it may not keep up at times and if it clogs up, I may have to clean it some, but I haven't yet and it's working beautifully.

[InfernoDrag0n]

do u have to clean the filter?

[pondsandkoi]

I bought the pump online for 288.00.

[fisher11man]

how much did the pump cost???

[yahwii]

How would you prevent flooding, i.e when it rains?

[landscapejoe]

its not going to flood anymore than if the pond wasn't there

[epanopio]

thank you 4 posting this its really educational