On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:01:37 EDT, "RichToyBox"
wrote:

The dead fish was definitely killed before it got to the basket. Based
on what's been coming through the line, it happened somewhere
else. : /

You really need to get a settlement tank between the bottom drain and the
pump. The commercial ones are vortex filters (which are cone bottomed), but
you can use a 55 gallon drum,

I so agree with RTB here. To catch fish, perhaps you could put a barrel
somewhere between pond & pump in the 40 foot run of pipe. Ideally though a
vortex filter is WONDERFUL and would make your bio-filter last longer
between cleanings. If I were to win the lotto and build a dream pond it
would be with vortex filters.

As far as my set up. I have a 2 barrel system with a submersible pump on
the lily pond. The water gravity feeds to the pre-filter where the fish
can't travel to the barrel with pump. The koi pond has a 4 barrel system, 2
bio-filters in parallel in the middle, but they're too big to get thru the
bottom drain now.... but I've had eggs travel thru and found as many as
30-50 baby koi happily swimming in the free areas of the filter.

That's the plus side of a pump at the end of the filtration unit, you never
know what surprises will be found in the filter when you go to clean it
(this doesn't work on pressurized units).... but also happens in veggie
filters depending on where the pump is, though I do believe eggs make the
ride thru some pumps at times. YMMV. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us