Author Topic: FILTERS ULTIMA II ? PRESSURE ? Rocket scientists need not reply!! (Read 2988 times)

perplexed ponder · « **on:** April 11, 2007, 02:55:45 PM »

Keep it simple guys! I am really confused!
I am getting too many different opinions on filters and I need help.

We thought we had settled on the savio living ponds, but it's huge and hard to hide and will cost us a ton of $ in rocks to conceal. Then the guy we deal with says the Ultima II pressure filter is the "best on the market and everyone is buying them up" sounds like a good, but expensive system. also I don't know if we can bury it to conceal it.

Esther · « **Reply #1 on:** April 11, 2007, 03:01:16 PM »

How big is your pond? Do you already have one and are changing the filter system or are you building a new one? How well do you DIY?

Drives me nuts when a salesman says that. If I choose something else, it makes me feel like I must be a complete idiot. Sometimes I am almost driven to do the opposite JUST TO SHOW HIM!! At 64 I still act like a 2 year old at times. LOL

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #2 on:** April 11, 2007, 03:12:41 PM »

Hi Esther!

The pond is approx 3500 gal. we have the 3000gph tsurumi (same as you I think).
I think we want to buy something and plumb it in and be done with it.

I'm sure you saw pics of my pond on the other site, but here's one. the skimmer is on the right side, you can't see it inthe pic.

Falls comes from a wier at the top in front of the upper pond, they are not connected, but we would like to connect them. He's afraid that it will overflow somehow and empty the bottom pond.

Esther · « **Reply #3 on:** April 11, 2007, 03:36:49 PM »

Now I recognize it. By the way, the questions weren't because I could help you. I was asking hoping that somebody who knew about that type of system would answer. So you don't have a bottom drain either then. HMMM. Hope somebody tell you some marvelous information.

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #4 on:** April 11, 2007, 03:42:30 PM »

Nope, no bottom drain either, I think we can add one to the savio skimmer though. I've seen kits for it.

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2007, 10:07:38 PM »

Hi Kathy. At the risk of sounding really stupid did I miss something? You have a skimmer and bio falls already, why are you changinh them out? $:-\$

Jerry · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2007, 10:19:23 PM »

Kathy , do look at the link to Koi Village. Learn about the "Skippy" It is so simple and effective the big guys don't sell it! That is my humble opinion. Clear water in a few days!

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #7 on:** April 12, 2007, 07:56:35 AM »

Jerry-
I'll have DH look at the links. It's the esthetics of the skippy that concerns us.

Outside girl-
we have a skimmer and just a weir. It's not enough biofiltration. we've gotten by with it the last 2 years, but we do need something more. It's a matter of $$, (what isn't?!)

Jerry · « **Reply #8 on:** April 12, 2007, 08:07:10 AM »

with some wise planting you can hide the skippy. Mine is almost hidden now, it will be very soon.
I will stick a photo in here in a few days.

Esther · « **Reply #9 on:** April 12, 2007, 08:18:36 AM »

Why can't you bury all or part of it? Granted you will have to plumb under ground but why not?? You won't be able to put a cleanout on it but I clean mine with the shop vac every year because we didn't put a clean out on it and mortar/rocked around it. We're just too lazy to tear it apart and redo that part. I think most everyone does the waterfall thing because they want the falls.

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #10 on:** April 12, 2007, 04:16:45 PM »

Wonder if I can turn the entire upper pond into a skippy. Hmmmmmm

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #11 on:** April 13, 2007, 09:44:32 AM »

He ordered the Ultima II, I guess I will be letting you all know how it does.
Also ordered the new Savio 31 " wier

says he's going to build another falls behind that upper pond, and connect it all together. OH BOY OH BOY!!

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #12 on:** April 13, 2007, 04:46:10 PM »

Kathy, be sure and take pix along the way and explain how your doing it for us! I love how to details. I think I would have been tempted to turn the top pond into a big boi and veggie filter to the falls and pond?

karen J · « **Reply #13 on:** April 13, 2007, 08:24:07 PM »

Quote from: Jerry on April 11, 2007, 10:19:23 PM

Kathy , do look at the link to Koi Village. Learn about the "Skippy" It is so simple and effective the big guys don't sell it! That is my humble opinion. Clear water in a few days!

Agreed. And Skippy's can be customized (not much $$$) depending on need. I know I have a much better pic than this, but this is the side of the Skippy that nobody ever sees (unless they're a pond person!

)-

PS- NOTHIN's level!

Koi Boi · « **Reply #14 on:** April 13, 2007, 10:09:55 PM »

I didn't know we had any members that were NASA employees!??!

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #15 on:** April 14, 2007, 02:04:32 AM »

Matt was concerned about floating plants in the upper pond blocking water flow to the lower pond and having overflow which would drain the bottom pond. Time is a big issue around here this season as he's in class 3 nights a week and works too many hours as it is. I think he figures he can put this in within a couple of days and it's done.

Karen-
Your skippy almost looks like our upper pond. I think that would have been great but we would have needed alot more rock, $$$$$ around here.

I've been awake half the night doing sketches and trying to figure out the new falls without a ton of rock. They are expensive around here. When I drive around I see lots of them in landscapes I would like to........ mmmm... relocate.

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #16 on:** April 14, 2007, 11:57:40 AM »

Koi Boi-
Sometimes I feel like the only one who's not a rocket scientist! lately I feel like things need to be explained to me on a Sesame Street level

Rocmon · « **Reply #17 on:** April 16, 2007, 01:13:33 PM »

Quote from: perplexed ponder on April 11, 2007, 03:42:30 PM

Nope, no bottom drain either, I think we can add one to the savio skimmer though. I've seen kits for it.

Yes people do that, me included. I wish I hadn't. You have no control over how much water flow goes into BD or into Skimmer. You have to clean the skimmer much more with BD gunk going in there. I've bulked out the filtration in mine for that task. If you actually read what the inflow is for in the Savio it's called a mid level input not a bottom drain port. Mid level water isn't gunky like a BD. You truly want your BD to flow to its own mechanical filtration unit.

The Savio bio filter is actually very small at ~30 gallons. It can be hidden away from the pond buried flush with the ground—I used the Versatile and it's about 6' away from my closest pond behind a bush and some trees...

I hope the sales person told you how much head pressure your pressurized filter will require after it gets a little clogged. My understanding is they need to be flushed frequently—not exactly what is best for biofiltration. I don't want to pop your bubble, I just hope you know what your in for.

When you get around to the BD plumb it with 4" pipe. I used 2" and it's almost useless.

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #18 on:** April 16, 2007, 01:54:39 PM »

Rocman-
We've gotten by the last couple of years just skimming the gunk off the bottom. labor intensive, but seems to work o.k. We may pick up a pondvac to make that chore easier.

This filter is a little different than the pressure filters with foam, it has a kind of bio ball system, different shape but I'm sure works the same way. Matt says it's more like a pool filter.

We were told by a few dealers that the savio had to be above the falls, that the water wouldn't pump up to the falls.

We're running the tsurnumi 3500 gph, i think it was 15 ft head, can't remember.

I think this is the website for the filter manufacturer

www.aquaultraviolet.com

Rocmon · « **Reply #19 on:** April 16, 2007, 09:54:13 PM »

Yes your right the Savio won't pump up to a falls, only a pressure filter will do that, unless the filter unit is gravity fed and you place your pump after the filter... many mechanical filters are done this way, but pump up to a biofilter unit at the falls.

For a pressure filter I think I've read the Ultima is a good one. Given your filtration this should be a great improvement. If you have a Savio skimmer you can bulk up the filtration in there quite a bit. Brushes are a great addition. Are you sending the water from the skimmer to the pressure filter?

A retrofit BD would probably save you some of that labor cleaning the bottom. They aren't the best, but better than no BD. But then there's where to put the mechanical filter for the BD...

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #20 on:** April 17, 2007, 03:45:26 AM »

Yes, water from skimmer to the pressure filter. Then to the new savio 31" wier (also has some filtration). We haven't built this fall yet,so I'm not sure of the height. Probably about 4-5 ft high.
Hiding another piece of equipment will make me crazy. I didn't realize another filter went with that.(may have to wait for next season on that ) Maybe because our season is short here, we haven't had alot of trouble. This will be the third season for the pond.
I just bought a leaf eater vacuum that goes on the hose. I got the additional silt bag too. Maybe that will make cleaning a little easier.

We have to get on this quickly. My husband will start classes Mon-Fri after work, for the next 3 months, so we have very LITTLE time to work on this. (He works weekends too.) I may have to become a plumber real quick! haha!

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #21 on:** April 21, 2007, 04:55:52 PM »

Filter is up and running. We'll hopefully see an improvement in a few days or so.

Sandyd · « **Reply #22 on:** April 27, 2007, 10:46:34 AM »

An idea for you with a 300 gal stock tank or what ever size, for more bio settlement, you can put media in mesh laundry bags and just have a waterfall into the top of the container, like below picture. To hide I just have dirt sloped up to the rim and planted in it. I did have the bags laying on a grate but didn't like the hassle of moving them to hose out underneath. I have since put those nikkel plated over the door hanger that you get from the dollar store, hang them over the edge of the skippy and when it comes time to clean or flush, I just open the valve and hose out.

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #23 on:** April 27, 2007, 12:54:02 PM »

Sandy-
That looks great! Love that driftwood!
The new filter is up and running and now he's(DH) is talkign about pulling the entire upper pond out and making a berm with a stream with more falls and a few "pools" along the stream route where I can add a lilly or other plants. Sounds fabulous, and expensive!! the new weir we ordered came yesterday and it's HUGE, he can't wait to get something going. he has classes every day for the next 3 months, so i don't see how he thinks he can get the big stuff done. We'll see!

Carl R. · « **Reply #24 on:** April 27, 2007, 07:49:25 PM »

Hang in there Perplexed... You'll get great advice here and as someone earlier in this post mentioned, Ponding is addictive... I've had ponds for about 11 years and have run off stray dogs and cats, coons, possums and a couple Herons... I still love my ponds and water babies....

http://www.skippysstuff.com has good advice on almost every aspect of koi and ponding... They can advise on common mistakes cuz they've made most of them over time...

Good Luck..

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #25 on:** April 29, 2007, 04:45:14 AM »

this new filter seems to be kicking in, the water is getting really clear! I can see details at the bottom of my 3 ft section.

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #26 on:** April 29, 2007, 03:13:32 PM »

Kathy, glad to hear things are looking better, Ever since I vaced the bottom of mine and refilled it witch was a pretty good water change my pond looks like toxic waist. I have done a water change every week for 3 weeks now and cleanning out the skimmer filter 2 and 3 times a day all to no avail. I hope soon it will clear up.