Hi:

I was searching back thru' the older posts doing some research on filters.
Mine split open today. I have been using a homemade type.

Can you tell me who makes the Fishmate filter you describe below and the
cost?

Thanks,
Heather


----- Original Message -----
From: Remydog
Newsgroups: rec.ponds
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2004 8:27 PM
Subject: Filter advice


Snip......

I recently upgraded my filter set up to a gravity filter from a submerged
in-line filter (a royal pain to keep clean). I chose the Fishmate with the
UV light. It looks somewhat similar to your filter. Water enters the top,
drops into a chamber with the UV light and then spills out of that into the
filter media and to the drains back to the falls.

My filter has three important features. First, the media does not cover the
entire surface of the bottom of the box. Instead, there is a corner cut out.
Why this is important is that once the filter media gunks up over time. As
this happens, it blocks the flow of water out. If it covered the entire
bottom, when it got completely gunked up, there would be no easy way for the
water to get out, so the box would fill up and spill over. With the corner
cut, there is still a place for the water to get out through the drains. The
water simply washes over the gunked up filter to the cut out corner and out
through the drains.

Second, the outlets are HUGE in comparison to the inlets. That way, no
matter how much water is entering the box, the exit capacity is more than
enough.

Third, the media is not on the bottom, but suspended above it by a plastic
tray filled with porous rocks. This means that there is room under the media
for the water to collect and reach the drains.

I can't believe how well this filter works. I was looking at pressurized
filters costing hundreds of dollars and up, but opted for this, which was
just a couple hundred and works fabulously.

The filter is rated for 1200 gallons per hour and I used to have a 1200 pump
feeding it. I just upgraded the pump to 3500 gallons, which I plan to divert
between a direct line to the falls and a slow stream through the filter.
However, I haven't yet been able to put all the new plumbing in place.

While I'm waiting to find the time, I put the outlet into the fishmate just
so I could see all the water at once coming down my falls. Even with nearly
3 times the water coming in to the filter, it is still draining out just as
fast as it enters.

Remydog