DIY pond filter??

[smaug]

I have a 1600 gallon pond filtered by a diy bio filter. The trouble is the lack of mechanical filtration. The pump is a 1/10 HP so flow is good but the biofilter gets filthy so fast. I was thinking of changing the waterfall filter and addining a mech filter to limit the amount of debrie that gets in the filter. My plan is for 100 % of the water to go through the mech filter and 25% of the water to go through the biofilter the remaining 75% will go out the waterfall. So looking for ideas on a mech filter, DIY preffered. Any ideas or links??

thanks in advance
Smaug

[sivic]

Ponds will get filthy very fast. Ours is set up so right before the pump is a net to catch most of the larger debris that we can just detach every so often and wash it off. Then it pumps out to the water falls with a large foam piece and lava rock to filter more of the water. Not sure if that answers your question or helps you out at all. But i can take some pictures if you want.

[*TJ]

Bad idea(no offense) re: 25% going through the bio filter... all or nothing, what's the point otherwise? Mech 1st Bio 2nd, fines filter 3rd - full water turnover volume from your pump then returns to the pond, and UV last somewhere if you have one(which you can divert 25% of the flow to).

1600 gals is a half decent size, check out the barrel filters here at http://www.backyardpuddle.com/diy.html this is very do-able, cost effective for what you want to do... and you could replace the static kaldnes media with nylon kitchen scrubbies or that ribbon media(spirex?) or corse filter matts... but kaldnes kicks butt when it comes to mech filtering and bio filtering, not many media's are multipurpose in a good way ;)

To keep your diy bio filter clean(er) add a 6"/9"/12" airstone or two, this will help create an O2 rich environment for the media as well as keep the crap that "would" settle from doing so making for an even better environment for proper bio-bacteria growth.

Just my thoughts...

[boroughmal]

The settlement chamber is the answer to your problem, though how you pump your water is going to be.
Most settlement chambers are the first filtration on the system.
Get a barrell 45 gall pref.
Put in a bottom drain of at least 2" diameter. 6" up from that put in a pipe from your pond. six inches down from the top put in a pipe to your filter.You could put the pump in between the barrell & the filter if you can.
Every now & then open the bottom drain & flush out the debris. All the water going in has to work its way to the top and debris settles out of the water.
you then pump semi clean water & it does not block up.
Did I mention that the top of the water in the barrell has to be level with the top of the pond,No I didnt, but I am sure you will figure that one out.
Regards
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