Any chance you could go to a veggie filter of some sort? We moved
away from lava rock because it got clogged so fast that it seemed
functionally to be just rocks! Screen has lots of surface and still
let water through. Mostly, however, we have gone to a veggie filter
because the roots are such good surfaces and pull nutrients as well.
The slow flow through and the roots pull out most of the solids as
well, providing mechanical filtration.

Jim

The top of my bio-falls filter is densely planted with mint, water iris,
poppy and about anything else I can throw in it. So, it does have a "veggie"
component to it. I'm pushing 3,000 gallons per hour through it. I've never
had a problem with it clogging up. My annual cleaning is just a rite of
spring I guess.


"Jim and Phyllis" wrote in message
...
Any chance you could go to a veggie filter of some sort? We moved
away from lava rock because it got clogged so fast that it seemed
functionally to be just rocks! Screen has lots of surface and still
let water through. Mostly, however, we have gone to a veggie filter
because the roots are such good surfaces and pull nutrients as well.
The slow flow through and the roots pull out most of the solids as
well, providing mechanical filtration.

Jim

Have fun with the rites of spring!

I was wondering how big your veggie filter is? The rule of thumb is
10% of the surface. We use water celery and hyacinth...lots of roots.
They provide good bacterial surface and mechanical filtration. We
have some iris in the top of an upflow barrel. It does not have loads
of root surface. Our mint was better, but still less than the
hyacinth and water celery (want some?).

Flow rate is pretty important for us. We have the flow down to be
slow enough to allow settling (about 45 minutes).

How fast doe yours go through your filter?

Jim

Jim,

I'm using a bio-falls filter, sized for ponds 4,000 gallons+. It serves dual
purposes by providing bio/mechanical filtration and as a water fall. It
doesn't provide enough surface area to meet the requirements for use as a
veggie filter.

JB


"Jim and Phyllis" wrote in message
...
Have fun with the rites of spring!

I was wondering how big your veggie filter is? The rule of thumb is
10% of the surface. We use water celery and hyacinth...lots of roots.
They provide good bacterial surface and mechanical filtration. We
have some iris in the top of an upflow barrel. It does not have loads
of root surface. Our mint was better, but still less than the
hyacinth and water celery (want some?).

Flow rate is pretty important for us. We have the flow down to be
slow enough to allow settling (about 45 minutes).

How fast doe yours go through your filter?

Jim

I haven't seen a biofalls. How does it work?

Jim

I couldn't find a good link to information on the biofalls but you can get
an idea of how it's configured here ---- http://truepump.com/bfsp.htm

This is not the best picture of the biofalls but you can see how I have it
planted with mint and such in this shot.
http://www.tinypic.info/files/77xipnu171wa1i57cvma.jpg

JB
"Jim and Phyllis" wrote in message
...
I haven't seen a biofalls. How does it work?

Jim

I haven't seen a biofalls. How does it work?
Jim

Jim, I think Aquascapes came out with the first biofalls (or perhaps the
best marketing of such a set up).
http://www.patios4you.com/images/diagram1.gif
Or google images of biofalls, lots of pictures. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

or build a really looooong filter. the "stuff" settles out. this year I have the
celery in an in the pond filter sitting on the shelf where the lily sat and under the
plastic and went great guns all winter even tho the plastic kept ripping and shifting
and stuff froze on it. that celery is tough stuff.
Ingrid

On Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:10:21 EST, Jim and Phyllis wrote:
The rule of thumb is
10% of the surface. We use water celery and hyacinth...lots of roots.