View Single Post
  #2   Report Post  
Old 27-04-2003, 03:32 PM
John Rutz
 
Posts: n/a
Default Tiny pond biofilter



Pondluvr wrote:
I have a 35 gallon pond. I know, I know. Way too small, but I'm
going on my 5th year and I have no room for anything larger right now.
I have tried several filters (aquarium, etc. with no success) and am
wondering if anybody out there has a plan to make a homemade biofilter
(external preferrably) for such a small pond. I have seen several
plans for trickle down biofilters made out of large Rubbermaid
containers, but they seem very much overkill for such a small amount
of water. (By the way, it is a preformed, kidney shaped pond and is
sunk into the ground. It does get dirty by the end of the season.)

If you know of any such plan, I would love to hear about it. I know
it is important to have some kind of filtration and/or aeration for
the fish, but just haven't found the right type yet for my particular
situation. The fish end up dying, probably of suffocation. I am not
trying to keep a bunch of fish, but it would be nice to be able to
keep 5 or 6 successfully. The best I have done so far is 2. All the
plants do nicely, and algae is not a major problem. I am very limited
on space, so even a 5 gallon bucket is iffy (and not too
attractive--in such a small space it would be hard to conceal). I
know the pond probably really heats up in the heat of the summer, and
maybe that is a contributing factor, but if I shade it a whole lot,
then the lilies won't bloom. Ugh!

Thanks so much for any help!



--Im guessing here that you need a bio filter and aeriation mainly so I
would sugest a small maybe 1 gal can sized Trickle Tower, you would
only need a 30 or so gallon per hour pump (at the most smaller would
do ) you can builld one rather easily with hi temp hot glue and some
lava rock or old CD,s antything that would let water and air mix on
all the surfaces of the media shape of the TT doesnt matter so take a
tube and start glueing whatever to it till yoo get something you like :-)
put in in the pond and turn it on-- it takes about a week for the
bacteria to form on the media







John Rutz
Z5 New Mexico
If it can't be fixed with bailing wire or duct tape
its not worth fixing

see my pond at:

http://www.fuerjefe.com