Home made Biological filter

[Autumnsky]

What is the opinion of this...
I have a plastic 55 gal trash can with a cover on it. Remove cover and replace with a basket (if its a basket could you use landscape fabric to hold in the gravel or do the roots need to go into the center of the can) or pot with holes drilled into the sides and bottom fill with gravel and plant with perennial marginal plants?

 

[MacDracor]

It could work, I suppose. But for under 20 bucks, you can get a big ole rubbermaid bin that is the right depth. Run your water from the pump into the bottom of it, through a length of pipe with holes drilled all along the sides (disperses the water evenly through the gravel).
Also, caught an earlier comment suggesting adding Bio-Spira or another bacterial culture. That's a great way to start a cycle in a brand new pond or aquarium. But if the aquarium is already cycled, it's a total waste of money.

 

[Autumnsky]

My trash can filter has already been up and running for over 1.5 years. I was wanting to increase its bb power as I have 4 Koi and a couple growing feeders 4-6 inches, looking for deal on larger preformed pond or will build one bigger, but for now just want my babies in very good water.

 

[MacDracor]

If that is all you are looking for, just add more surface area. Or you could even put some plants in it, supported by a wire mesh to keep them from sinking.

 

[ashleynicole]

So if you run a line from a water pump into a rubbermaid tub or trash can or whatever, how do you get the water back into the pond if you have say an above ground pond like this:



Would you need a second pump to pump water back into the pond? And how would you hide the big trash can or rubbermade container? Also how would you seal the part where you run the hose from the pump in the pond into the homemade filter?
I am reading how everyone does their filters and it seems like if you have an inground pond you just pump the water up to the filter and it trickles back down into the pond.

 

[Autumnsky]

Mine has an over flow spout, water fills, reaches hole and flows back into pond via vinyl tubing, you could as easily use an additional pump on an in- ground box. I covered the trash can with lattice, it was a semi-permanent experiment.

It will be moving to underneath the deck soon, unless I put a planted basket top in it. Which sounds tempting!

Figuring plants that will survive the winter is the question.

 

[ashleynicole]

Mine has an over flow spout, water fills, reaches hole and flows back into pond via vinyl tubing, you could as easily use an additional pump on an in- ground box. I covered the trash can with lattice, it was a semi-permanent experiment.

It will be moving to underneath the deck soon, unless I put a planted basket top in it. Which sounds tempting!

Figuring plants that will survive the winter is the question.

So if I make a trash can filter and pump the water into the bottom of the trash can with wire racks of media, then I just need the top of the trash can to be a little bit higher so that I can run water back into the pond like a waterfall or something. I think I am getting the picture. Then I can find a way to hide the trash can like you said with lattice or something and maybe put some pretty plants on it. Thanks for the ideas

I live in florida so I can just throw a tarp over mine with a light under it the whole 3 or 4 nights it freezes during the winter, lol.

 

[Autumnsky]

In post #4 of this thread (page 1) in case you didn't read the whole thing, I gave a description of how I did mine. I would have used more coils of tubing in the bottom, but it works really well.

***make a platform with cement blocks if you need it higher, just need maybe 8" higher. Mine is an above ground pond too, but a pre-formed black one.

BTW if anyone else uses one of these pre-formed ponds, make sure to support the ledges with block and wood or what ever you need to or it can crack and leak!!! Especially when kids sit on the edges!!!

Too cold for me for pretty plants you can have lol

So if I make a trash can filter and pump the water into the bottom of the trash can with wire racks of media, then I just need the top of the trash can to be a little bit higher so that I can run water back into the pond like a waterfall or something. I think I am getting the picture. Then I can find a way to hide the trash can like you said with lattice or something and maybe put some pretty plants on it. Thanks for the ideas

I live in florida so I can just throw a tarp over mine with a light under it the whole 3 or 4 nights it freezes during the winter, lol.

 

[ashleynicole]

In post #4 of this thread (page 1) in case you didn't read the whole thing, I gave a description of how I did mine. I would have used more coils of tubing in the bottom, but it works really well.

***make a platform with cement blocks if you need it higher, just need maybe 8" higher. Mine is an above ground pond too, but a pre-formed black one.

I did read it and it confused the heck out of me. I just couldnt picture what you were saying and didn't know half of the hardware you were speaking of. I also had trouble following your writing style and I have no idea what you mean by coils...

I have looked at a lot of DIY articles that seem to make things a lot more complicated than it needs to be. I don't have the patience to watch diy videos. I can read and look at pictures a lot faster than it takes to sit through those videos...


What I would like to know is what do you use to seal the area where the tube from the pump goes into the trash can?

 

[Autumnsky]

I used JB Weld Marine on the inside and plummer's putty on the outside.

Plastic tubing from pump to trash can. Coil - Same plastic tubing where it goes around in circles in the bottom of the trash can is to increase surface area and keep the water in with the bb for a longer period of time so it has more time to break down and convert.

 

[ashleynicole]

I used JB Weld Marine on the inside and plummer's putty on the outside.

Plastic tubing from pump to trash can. Coil - Same plastic tubing where it goes around in circles in the bottom of the trash can is to increase surface area and keep the water in with the bb for a longer period of time so it has more time to break down and convert.

Ok if the water is going through coiled tubing how is that keeping it in contact with the filter media? I just don't understand if the water is inside the coiled up tubing how does that help with filtration?

In my mind I see a hose going into the bottom if a bucket and the the water needs to flow out of that hose and up through baskets of media. So if it is in a coiled up hose, how is it contacting the media?

Also about the media, I was reading people use kitchen sponge and stuff, but I thought kitchen sponges are bas for aquariums especially since many are impregnated with antimicrobial chemicals like triclosan.

 

[Autumnsky]

Picture coiled garden hose in bottom of can then lots of media which it goes through the hose comes out and fills can with water, you have more breaking down of bad stuff. fills to top of can and spills into pond. Providing lots of time come into contact with BB.

I used filter media bulk pads. Never use chemical impregnated stuff, of course. Some of the sponges are plain, no additives.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

I'm with ashleynicole. I dont get it. Does the water flow through the hose or around it? How does the coil of hose help with bb and denitrifacation?

 

[Natetrix]

The coil of hose would only help evenly distribute the input of water into the filter media itself...like a diffuser.

 

[Natetrix]

All you need is the pump input on the bottom portion of the bucket/trash can, and the output spout at the top, with filtration media in between for it to flow through.easy as pie

 

[Cichlid Kid]

Ok. So the coil of hose has holes throughout it?

 

[Natetrix]

I believe that's the idea that was described...

 

[Cichlid Kid]

Ok. Well then that makes more sense to me. I missed that in the post.
Imo a trickle down filter does more than a filter type that has the water flowing up through media. With a trickle or bacci shower the bb is constantly being fed the maximum amount of oxygen, and being aerobic bacteria this is extremely beneficial.

 

[jlk]

I am not sure if I get the coils either but this is how we did ours. Water is pumped through a pvc pipe to the bottom of a 55g rain barrel, swirls up the rain barrel through different levels of media and flows out through 3 outflow pipes on the top side of the rain barrel. Pretty basic and seems functional so far but we may additional filtration in the future. Dont know if this helps...

 

[Natetrix]

Ok. Well then that makes more sense to me. I missed that in the post.
Imo a trickle down filter does more than a filter type that has the water flowing up through media. With a trickle or bacci shower the bb is constantly being fed the maximum amount of oxygen, and being aerobic bacteria this is extremely beneficial.

I think it's best used in conjunction with one another. I have a flow from the bottom filter, and I'm thinking of adding the trickle filter as well. That way the first one will be a mechanical filter that filters out the crud, and the trickle will take care of the bb and chem filtration