I've run stream/waterfall and spillway bucket combos with vegitation for
years and they always did a great job of controlling all but the worst
string algae. They are however prone to some maintenance especially if you
don't install bottom drains! Lots of dredging muck etc. Also, water hyacinth
works wonderfully but has to be watched carefully. You can go to work one
day and come home to find an errant bit of it happily diverting water out of
the system lol. Due to back problems I had to do away with my stream and
buckets setup and opted for a self contained pressure filter and UV setup
rated at 2500 gal on what had now been reduced to about a 1450 gal pond. No
dice. Pure pea soup all this season, had to clean the thing at least weekly
(should/could have been daily).

Gave up on prefab, built the skippy using a 100 gal rubbermaid stock tank.
Didn't use the floor scrubbies ( no easy way to purchase the stuff from
them, I don't have the patience to do checks in the mail lol) but did use
tried and true washable 2" thick white matt media from Aquatic ecosystems
(approx 30 sq ft) and hooked it to the same 2000 gal/hr pump I'd been using.
Still have the 18w UV inline for now as well. In one week has gone from
solid green to gin clear. In all honesty I already knew the prefab wouldn't
cut it but I had to prove it to myself. If you add plants on top tho do be
aware that the roots can infiltrate your media. It aint always fun or easy
cleaning them out of there!

All in all if you can make 15 sq ft of space, build a 100 gal skippy and
make a nice falls around it, or a cedar box for that matter, heck you can
hide it many ways and pipe the water back! Mine still looks very utilitarian
but the water's the thing for me anyway lol. Total cost was about $170 for
me which is much less than the crappy overrated prefab it replaced!

One note, I did add a T with a stand pipe on the input to break syphon in
the event of power failure or when you just need to shut off the pump. This
not only prevents the filter contents from returning to the pond, it adds
air to the water column!

joe ( who used to be here alot long long ago.... lol )



"Richard Holub" wrote in message
...
Hint...

Bestnest.com and azponds.com...Also check on the SKIPPY filter.

I just built one and it works great.

Rich

"DC" wrote in message
ups.com...
I've done some searching around and I've found various biological
filtration systems available and I was hoping for some recommendations
for a 1000 Gallon pond that WILL have a 1200-1800 GPH pump. It needs
to be external and small / and/or buriable. Preferrably one of the all
in one that's not heinously expensive. Probably looking at something
pressurized and either with a backflush mechanism or cleanable media.
(Preferrably backflush, for obvious reasons.)

Unfortunately, I don't have a bottom drain, so that's going to screw
with the asthetics as the pond is built up about 20" high around the
edges in a circle. (If anyone has any bright ideas on hiding all the
power / tubing, I'd love to hear that too. ;-)

Also looking for recommendations for on-line vendors, etc. I was
impressed with what PondPetsUSA.com has to offer, I was hoping to get
some more information before I leap off a cliff and buy the wrong
thing.

Any help you can lend would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

DC