"Bonnie Espenshade" wrote in message
...
BenignVanilla wrote:
snip
I did some quick math, assuming a 2000 gallon pond, and an 1800GPH pump.
It
would take the pump 67 minutes to circulate the water in the pond. With
a
200 gallon settlement tank, the water would have only 7 minutes to
settle in
the tank. I realize this does not take into consideration of the volume
in
the pipes. I am just trying to get close here. So is 7 minutes enough? I
am
guessing not. A 500 gallon settlement tank would provide about 17
minutes of
settle time. Still seems a bit low.
snip
When I built my first veggie filter it was suggested that
the turnover rate be once every four hours, so that it
would have enough time for the plants to absorb the nutrients.
The argument ensued here on rec.ponds - whether time in the
filter or amount of water passing through the filter where
more important. It was never really settled - as usual we
each came to our own conclusion because our ponds are all
different.

I can see both sides of each argument. And I could probably find myself
agreeing with both, so I will do my best to not bring it back to life.
*laugh* BUT...BUT...How can I translate this to a settlement tank? Surely,
the flow of the water will be a factor. If I have a 3000 gallon pond, I am
going to have a 300 gallon veggie filter...do I also want another 500
gallons just for sediment drop out? I thinking more and more that I do not.
I am seriously considering a couple of 5 gallons buckets that I can use to
screen large particales out to protect the pump. The window screening other
such material makes sense. It would be easy to dig a small hole for these,
and they could easily be disconnected, lifted out, cleaned and put back.
They would not contain much volume but the two chambers should aid in larger
particles not going directly into the pump itself, I would think.

To slow down the waters passage through the settling tank
several of us have added window screening. This works great
in allowing the muck to settle and the window screening is
very easily cleaned with a hose.

*sigh* So I am going to have a mechanical and a veggie filter. *sigh*

BV.