What Type Filter Do You Use?

[Julles]

I want to enlarge my pond this winter, and, since my bog filter seems to have regular problems, I am considering switching to another type of filter.

What kind of filter do you use / recommend? 

My pond will be about 700 gallons, 3'x 15' x 30" deep.

Previously, I had a bio-filter, barrel-style, by Tetra, and that worked fine.  Until it got a tiny leak in the intake, and slowly drained about 1/4 the pond in a day.

Right now, I have a 700gph pump operating two fountains, and a 900gph pump working the filter/waterfall, both PondMaster.  If I can keep from buying a new pump, that would be great.

[jatfla]

I am no help to you but for others reading this thread.

I have no technical aptitude whatsoever.  When I first started my pond I was in a hurry.  Some excellent helpers told me about this box I could build with the pump inside, lined with batting and filter material.  It has worked perfectly over the years.  It just sits inside the pond and has a fountain (of sorts).  About every 5-6 weeks the batting needs changing.  I am waaaay too old to be luggin' that box out of the pond; it's very heavy.  Though it works great, I'd greatly advise all you newbies to find a better way.   

[miguynmkoi]

I just have a simple Bio-Filter which I bought too many years ago with bio balls and about 2 years ago or so I added those green scrub pads on top of the bio balls.  It works! 

About the same time I added the scrub pads to the pond filter I inherited 8 turtles and built my own bio- filter out of a rubber trash can w pump hose in the bottom so the water fills up thru 6 packages of the green scrub pads from Costco and empties out into the 50 gal aquarium.  Keeps the water very clean.  Make sure the pump is stronger than required to pull all the oop-poopy-doop out of the water.  The bacteria that built up in both my filters do their job.  I rarely clean the ponds box and I haven't even done anything with the turtles filter.

In the future I hope to do a bog filter in a pond built like Timgods (see Tutorials).  I like the idea of plants using the nutrients.

That reminds me... when I do drain the filter box the gunk at the bottom goes into my garden = great plant fertilizer.
Hope this helps a little!  But go to Tutorial, lots of techniques there!

[Mikey]

No filter here but it's on my thing-to-do list....

[CT]

In my 1000 gallon pond I have a Bioforce with UV pressurized filter and a homemade Beckett type filter of springflo, bioballs and filter mat over my pond pump in a square plastic container on the same run. I have filter pads in my Savio waterfall too. I only have two koi and some lily's in this pond and as the koi grow I will have to change filtration.

In the 100 gallon pond I have the cheap Beckett Filter box that you put the pump in and surround it with biomedia of your choice, top it off with the coarse and fine filter pads. I started out with scrubbies and bioballs and changed it to springflo media this year. Lots of plants, no fish.

In the 600 gallon lily pond I have a Beckett Filter box as a prefilter for a Jeboa with UV pressurized filter then going to a Trickle filter because I have a heavy fish and plant load in that pond. The Jeboa is a knockoff of some of the more expensive pressurized filters and is half the price but it has done well this season and I won't be upset if it isn't long lived for the price.
Kay

[Loritx]

I have a small pond, with 8ft stream and falls.  I have Aquascape falls and Skimmer.  I have upgraded and added to the basic filter media that came with the Aquascape stuff.  In the Skimmer I took out the 4 brushes and put 2in of filter pads in its place (works really well now) easy to clean just open lid pull out pads and rinse!   The Falls have 2 more filter pads, my bio media in it (a mix of lava rock and ceramic media) and a barley bail on top.  The ceramic media is from my back up filter- so if ever needed I can pull it out and put in in the back up filter.  I have 2 smallish pumps in the Skimmer 550gph to the waterfall and a 425gph to fountain stuff around the pond.

Lots of plants.

I am over stocked with fish, 3 Koi (8-12in) and 5 shubunkins.  Water tests fine.

As of right now water is CLEAR!!!    Fish are Happy!!!

[Esther]

I have a DIY Skippy biofilter with floor scrubber pads in it. And I have a laundry tub that is a DIY mechanical filter.  Here's the old one made out of a 32 gallon Rubbermaid tub. The submersible pump sits to the left and the skimmer intake is on the front to the right and the water flowed through the skimmer, turned left and went through sometimes two layers of filter fabric and then through the pump and then up to the Skippy  http://www.americanponders.com/forum/index.php?topic=3697.0