"Gareee©" wrote in message
news I'll try the farmer's supply store, and see if
I can find something with a cover, but i also think I want something I can
put a drain in teh bottom of, with a line so I can just hose it off from
opening the lid, rather then taking the mess apart to clean it every week
or so.

This is what I'm seriously considering. I'm sick to death of cleaning the
Tetra barrel type filters 5 or 6 times a month. It's a nasty smelly job. I
may just turn the settling tank into a filter since is has a drain and can
be hosed out. Only problem is the filter pads would still need to be hosed
off. I would also need a second settling-tank-turned-filter for the smaller
800g pond. Also, every spring now we have to drain the ponds to remove all
the fry and sludge from the bottom. It takes an entire weekend. And now the
area is so flooded with pond quality koi you can't even give them away.

Since the water visibility has been so bad the last year or so, the pond
is becomming more work then it's worth.

That's how we're starting to feel and now we have the GBH problem. In our
early 60s, it's getting to be a lot of unwelcome work. A chore instead of a
pleasure.
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

In article ,
"Gareee©" wrote:

Since that new rubbermade tub cracked, yet another year I'll have to try to
come up with a decent filter system. The pond is overstocked, so I'll have
to sell of some of the larger fish to the local pet shop again.

I'll, really getting quite tired of having to rebuild a filter every single
year, and living in the boondocks makes it hard to find hardware to cobble
one up at a reasonable price. I'll try the farmer's supply store, and see if
I can find something with a cover, but i also think I want something I can
put a drain in teh bottom of, with a line so I can just hose it off from
opening the lid, rather then taking the mess apart to clean it every week or
so.

Since the water visibility has been so bad the last year or so, the pond is
becomming more work then it's worth.

How about making a raised earthen container and just using pond liner?
This is how I'm doing my next filter.

--
To reply by email, remove the word "space"

"Kurt" wrote in message

How about making a raised earthen container and just using pond liner?
This is how I'm doing my next filter.

How do you have it planned?

I suppose you could use the outflow as a small waterfall, and maybe cover it
with a big piece of plywood?

I don't mind doing the work, if it saves work down the road, but for the
last 3 years it seems I'm building endless filters that either aren't big
enough, or fail after a month or so.

--
Gareee
(Gary Tabar Jr.)

On Tue, 1 Jan 2008 18:06:31 CST, Kurt
wrote:

How about making a raised earthen container and just using pond liner?
This is how I'm doing my next filter.

Sounds interesting! I have an above ground retaining wall stone with
liner I plan to use for plant filter, or veggie-filter, but I don't
have as good an experience as others with plants for filtering. The
bottom of such tanks always collect mulm. What filtering
devices/media do you plan to use in such a tank?
--
Hal Middle Georgia, Zone 8
http://tinyurl.com/2fxzcb

In article ,
Hal wrote:

On Tue, 1 Jan 2008 18:06:31 CST, Kurt
wrote:

How about making a raised earthen container and just using pond liner?
This is how I'm doing my next filter.

Sounds interesting! I have an above ground retaining wall stone with
liner I plan to use for plant filter, or veggie-filter, but I don't
have as good an experience as others with plants for filtering. The
bottom of such tanks always collect mulm. What filtering
devices/media do you plan to use in such a tank?

I was thinking about it being one big veggie filter with lots of
Hyacinth, etc. Water enters and leaves on top. My last one wasn't
covered - just looked like a small pond.

--
To reply by email, remove the word "space"

well... now posts are being deleted right away. 4/5 were the big red X and I couldnt
download the bodies. Ingrid

I started the construction of my pond so late in the season, the local
nursery didn't have a good selection of plants, so In the spring, I'll
be landscaping my pond and finishing it. I'll also finish my water fall
(cascade).

On Wed, 2 Jan 2008 20:34:30 CST, Kurt
wrote:

I was thinking about it being one big veggie filter with lots of
Hyacinth, etc. Water enters and leaves on top. My last one wasn't
covered - just looked like a small pond.

Sounds good! I hope you have the results you want. I like plants and
keep trying to have a plant pond with clear water and no debris on the
bottom, but so far it is a plan that includes a shop vac once in a
while. Some people get by with once a year cleaning, I'm still
looking for that.
--
Hal Middle Georgia, Zone 8
http://tinyurl.com/2fxzcb

Reel McKoi wrote:
Does anyone have interesting pond plans for next year? Enlarging their
pond. Redoing it? New filters? Better predator protection? Anything?


I can't do any serious pond construction until we get our water well in,
but I do plan on getting the top soil completely removed this next year
and the low side built up so that the over flow goes the direction I
want it.

--

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
"Usenet really is all about standing around and hitting the ground
with clubs, on a spot where many years earlier a dead horse lay."

Kurt wrote:

I was thinking about it being one big veggie filter with lots of
Hyacinth, etc. Water enters and leaves on top. My last one wasn't
covered - just looked like a small pond.

I have seen several plans for a veggie filter that have the dirty water
enter from the bottom through a distributed piping system and usually
through a gravel bed and then exit the top. Is this overkill or even
better filtering?

Chip

Chip wrote:

Kurt wrote:

I was thinking about it being one big veggie filter with lots of
Hyacinth, etc. Water enters and leaves on top. My last one wasn't
covered - just looked like a small pond.

I have seen several plans for a veggie filter that have the dirty water
enter from the bottom through a distributed piping system and usually
through a gravel bed and then exit the top. Is this overkill or even
better filtering?

I have always liked upflow filters. It reduces compaction of the gravel
bed. I wouldn't usually put gravel in a veggie filter though. If you have
enough vegetation, then the gravel just gets completely wrapped up in the
roots, making removing excess plants more difficult (getting a spade into
it without piercing the liner is practically impossible).
--
derek

A few new directions here, besides the usual new ponds being built to grow out tropical waterlilies to full size and make small special purpose ponds... for seedling plants, lotus, shaded, quarantine and disinfection etc...

Last years drought reminds me to go back to some of the smaller clay ponds and line them. It takes too much water to keep those functioning through a drought :::doh:::

Regards, andy
http://www.members.aol.com/abdavisnc/swglist.html
http://community.webshots.com/user/adavisus
http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l42/adavisus/

Hey Andy,
Glad to *see* you!
k :-)

awww ::eeking and squinting into the murky crystal ball:::

Where have I been? doh, probably paddling on a pond

Nice to see some pleasant pond oriented activity, indeedy

Regards, andy
http://www.members.aol.com/abdavisnc/swglist.html
http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l42/adavisus/

exactly. I agree. not only that, but the veggie roots will grow thick enough to
filter everything anyway. Ingrid

On Fri, 4 Jan 2008 12:35:07 CST, Derek Broughton wrote:
I wouldn't usually put gravel in a veggie filter though. If you have
enough vegetation, then the gravel just gets completely wrapped up in the
roots, making removing excess plants more difficult (getting a spade into
it without piercing the liner is practically impossible).