Pond filter options

Originally posted by jpaner
I'm trying to decide on the best filter setup for my pond. The pond is about 8-10,0000 gallons. It will be have a heavy fish load so I would like to run the filter all year round.

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first thing when deciding what kind of filter you will need, is determine what kind of pump you will be using, inline or submersible. with a pond that size, I'd consider nothing but an inline setup. with an inline setup you can use just about any type of filter you like as long as it's after the pump (meaning not on the intake). I use a modified sand filter from Aqua Ultraviolet, it's filled with bio material instead of sand which gives much more surface area for benificial bacteria to colonize. in addition to that filter (which I really only use for mechanical filtration) I also use a UVS (ultraviolet steralizer) to help with free floating algae and parasites/disease and my waterfall for the majority of my biological filtration. it's basically a few chambers filled with plants, bioballs and lavarock. I run my pump/filter year round, but I find that my pond recycles (mini-cycle) after the winter months when the temperature gets back to 50*F.

Originally posted by jpaner
Since the pond is only about 60' away from the house I can easily run 1.5" pipe and put the filter in the basement. This would look the best as there is no good place to hide the filter. My only conern is the pipes freezing in the winter months.

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The farther you run the pipes, the less head and flow you will get from your pump. also, with a pond that size, the appropriate pump will probably want to use 2" or 3" pipe as well as the filter and return lines. a nice side effect in that situation though, would be that if the temperature never drops below 50*f, you will likely not experience the mini cycle I go through every spring, as your BB would not die off as much, if any.

Originally posted by jpaner
I was planning on using a 200lbs pool sand filter as this will be very easy to keep clean by backwashing. I could add a FBF for additional bio filtration.

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got to love being able to backwash, never getting a submersible filter/pump again.

Originally posted by jpaner
My pond is also near a pine tree so I'm planning on a skimmer. I'm thinking of using a dolphin amp master pump. This pump moves about 3,000gph at zero head.

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I'm next to a cotton wood tree, drops leaves in the fall, seeds in the spring and branches in the winter. I hate that tree.... unfortunately, I don't have a skimmer, and wish I had one installed. one day I suppose.

be weary of the pine tree, the sap isn't the most friendly substance for fish.

I would agree with an inline pump and "closed system" approach. There are many gravity systems that achieve excellent results but their size, limitations on location, and increased maintenance are a downer.

Have you considered a bead filter? It is less prone to channeling and clogging than a sand filter. Bead filters can be backflushed and many incorporate air injection to improve cleaning when backflushing. Take a look at the link below for additional info.

Koivet.com Information about Aquadyne Bead Filters

Good luck with your pond project! At 8-10K gallons it should be awsome.