Most amazing DIY filter idea ever!!!!

rob0521

Feeder Fish
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Apr 5, 2007
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Heres my DIY pond filter idea. I would place it on of some pavers above my pond. It's kind of like a HOB Wet/dry. So theres no risk of overflowing! Whats your thoughts? I was going to house it in some kind of plastic container.

DIY filter idea.JPG
 

Dr Joe

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Mar 8, 2006
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It's called a gravity return W/D... Congrats on reinventing the wheel ;).

But a hundred points for thinking!

If your going to run two pumps, put one on the bottom with a strainer and the other one high as a skimmer (with a strainer also) and on separate spay bars so the pumps aren't working against each other.

Keep the water level at least half way up the scrubbies.

Dr Joe

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---XR---

Jack Dempsey
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Nov 11, 2006
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pwnd!!1
 

Wolf3101

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Apr 26, 2007
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Very similar to the ones I build out of plastic laundry sinks from the home improvement places but your going to discover that the spray bars are a HUGE mistake and that they clog constantly. Use the tub portion as a mechanical only filterwith two 3/4" outlets from each pump onto an upolstery foam pad raised above the bottom by eggcrate material placed on a slant...
As the pad starts to clog the water level moves up slowly giving you more time clean it. You can put a secound..finer pad under the first but make a pvc frame/eggcrate platform so it dosnt block the outlet in the bottom.

Under the sink...between the legs you put a cut down plactic barrel full of bio-media...I like a mixture of standard bio-balls and scrubbies. This prevents the scrubies from compacting over time. Run a short outlet pipe to the pond from the bottom of the tub and your all done...These work GREAT and can even keep free algae out of the water in the desert....

I have two ponds with these filters running in AZ that are as clear as home aquariums and only need servaced every other day once they are established.
 

rob0521

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Apr 5, 2007
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Guess this has been done before lmao. Thanks for the info everybody. Any other ideas for a third layer of filtration?
 

Wolf3101

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Apr 26, 2007
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I use a smaller heavilly planted pond just before the main pond as the final stage of the filtration system I described....It seems to work out great and you can drop in baskets of whatever additives you choose to.
 

Finmore

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Sep 6, 2007
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Dr Joe;1127209; said:
Keep the water level at least half way up the scrubbies.
Along these lines, I think you will need to figure out a way to keep water in the filter during an extended power outage, lest all the bacterial colonies die.
 

frasertheking

Fire Eel
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Feb 17, 2007
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i use this same design on my pond but its an upflow instead and uses a water butt . only problem is if pump stops water drains out . but i cant find a one way valve big enough
 

Dr Joe

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Finmore;1141207; said:
Along these lines, I think you will need to figure out a way to keep water in the filter during an extended power outage, lest all the bacterial colonies die.
Not just in the filter, but also circulating from the tank too.

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frasertheking;1141210; said:
i use this same design on my pond but its an upflow instead and uses a water butt . only problem is if pump stops water drains out . but i cant find a one way valve big enough
How big is 'big enough'? If you what cheap and can re-design a little you can use the flapper valve from a water closet in reverse.

Dr Joe

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