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#1
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'Veggie' Filter
I need some information on what a 'veggie filter' should be. Some say that
the surface area should be 10 - 20% of your pond. Others say that it should be 10 - 20% of the pond volume. Which is correct. Also some say not to use lava rocks, others say it's okay. What about water flow? How many gph should it have? Should the pond water enter from the top or the bottom? Here is what I think I am going to do: Pond size = 1600 gallons 'Veggie Filter' = 225 gallons (2x10x1.5) GPH Flow = 400 Pond water will enter from the bottom and cascade out the top like a waterfall. Will this work? |
#2
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'Veggie' Filter
Don't use lava rock. The veggie filter will catch 'gunk' and the lava rock will be very hard to clean. My veggie filter is as simple as floating water hyacinths at the top of my upflow mech/bio filter. Things grow like crazy and I have to watch they don't plug the outlet. Bonnie has a good veggie filter and pictures. So does BV. Hope they catch this and post their plans. k30a and the watergardening labradors http://www.geocities.com/watergarden...dors/home.html |
#3
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'Veggie' Filter
Will this work?
yes, but I prefer mine coming in from the top on one end of the VF and flowing out the top on the opposite end. Waste and solids will settle out Jerri http://www.fringeweb.com/Ponds/JerrisPond |
#4
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'Veggie' Filter
Dave Hahn wrote:
I need some information on what a 'veggie filter' should be. Some say that the surface area should be 10 - 20% of your pond. Others say that it should be 10 - 20% of the pond volume. Which is correct. Also some say not to use lava rocks, others say it's okay. What about water flow? How many gph should it have? Should the pond water enter from the top or the bottom? Here is what I think I am going to do: Pond size = 1600 gallons 'Veggie Filter' = 225 gallons (2x10x1.5) GPH Flow = 400 Pond water will enter from the bottom and cascade out the top like a waterfall. Will this work? The set up you mention should work quite well if you have enough plants. Adding rocks will make the veggie filter very hard to clean. I did it for two seasons and then removed all the rocks from mine. -- Bonnie NJ |
#5
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'Veggie' Filter
Dave Hahn wrote:
I need some information on what a 'veggie filter' should be. Some say that the surface area should be 10 - 20% of your pond. Others say that it should be 10 - 20% of the pond volume. Which is correct. Also some say not to use lava rocks, others say it's okay. What about water flow? How many gph should it have? Should the pond water enter from the top or the bottom? Here is what I think I am going to do: Pond size = 1600 gallons 'Veggie Filter' = 225 gallons (2x10x1.5) GPH Flow = 400 Pond water will enter from the bottom and cascade out the top like a waterfall. Will this work? The set up you mention should work quite well if you have enough plants. Adding rocks will make the veggie filter very hard to clean. I did it for two seasons and then removed all the rocks from mine. -- Bonnie NJ |
#6
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'Veggie' Filter
The larger the veggie filter the better, both in volume in surface area.
When having to decide between surface area and volume, surface area is better. Surface area is the limiting factor on how many plants you can use. I use a 2 stage veg filter, made out of two 55 gal drums. Pond water comes from the bottom of the pond, into the first drum, at the bottom of the drum. This drum is filled with sunscreen netting to slow the water down and filter out any particles. From here the water goes into the 2nd drum through a venturi nozzle, so it's aerated. The second drum is filed with milk crates and more sunscreen netting (others have used window screen netting, and polishing pads to commercial floor polishers) From here the water goes into the waterfall. In both drums I plant water hyacinth, and in the area behind the waterfall I plant mint. Netting is a lot easier to use and clean, then lava rocks. With lava rocks, you have to scoop them all out, hose the off and replace them. A task which rapidly becomes not fun, because lifting rocks out of a drum gets heavy quickly. With netting you just pick it up, lay it down on the lawn, hose it off, roll it back into a ball, and put it back. 10 minutes verses all day. Sameer "Dave Hahn" wrote in message . .. I need some information on what a 'veggie filter' should be. Some say that the surface area should be 10 - 20% of your pond. Others say that it should be 10 - 20% of the pond volume. Which is correct. Also some say not to use lava rocks, others say it's okay. What about water flow? How many gph should it have? Should the pond water enter from the top or the bottom? Here is what I think I am going to do: Pond size = 1600 gallons 'Veggie Filter' = 225 gallons (2x10x1.5) GPH Flow = 400 Pond water will enter from the bottom and cascade out the top like a waterfall. Will this work? |
#7
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'Veggie' Filter
The larger the veggie filter the better, both in volume in surface area.
When having to decide between surface area and volume, surface area is better. Surface area is the limiting factor on how many plants you can use. I use a 2 stage veg filter, made out of two 55 gal drums. Pond water comes from the bottom of the pond, into the first drum, at the bottom of the drum. This drum is filled with sunscreen netting to slow the water down and filter out any particles. From here the water goes into the 2nd drum through a venturi nozzle, so it's aerated. The second drum is filed with milk crates and more sunscreen netting (others have used window screen netting, and polishing pads to commercial floor polishers) From here the water goes into the waterfall. In both drums I plant water hyacinth, and in the area behind the waterfall I plant mint. Netting is a lot easier to use and clean, then lava rocks. With lava rocks, you have to scoop them all out, hose the off and replace them. A task which rapidly becomes not fun, because lifting rocks out of a drum gets heavy quickly. With netting you just pick it up, lay it down on the lawn, hose it off, roll it back into a ball, and put it back. 10 minutes verses all day. Sameer "Dave Hahn" wrote in message . .. I need some information on what a 'veggie filter' should be. Some say that the surface area should be 10 - 20% of your pond. Others say that it should be 10 - 20% of the pond volume. Which is correct. Also some say not to use lava rocks, others say it's okay. What about water flow? How many gph should it have? Should the pond water enter from the top or the bottom? Here is what I think I am going to do: Pond size = 1600 gallons 'Veggie Filter' = 225 gallons (2x10x1.5) GPH Flow = 400 Pond water will enter from the bottom and cascade out the top like a waterfall. Will this work? |
#8
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'Veggie' Filter
Your proportions seem fine. Ours are visible on our pondsite. We have
three upflow barrels, five sequential ponds and a couple of water falls set into a berm, The total is 93 sq ft. The pond has 290 sq ft of surface area. The filters catch and hold the muck and the pond stays 'tea clear'. In the spring, we run a UV to kill the early algae. Good luck. Jim -- __________________________________________ Check out Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $140+ per jogger) at: www.jogathon.net See our pond at: http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-jameshurley "Dave Hahn" wrote in message . .. I need some information on what a 'veggie filter' should be. Some say that the surface area should be 10 - 20% of your pond. Others say that it should be 10 - 20% of the pond volume. Which is correct. Also some say not to use lava rocks, others say it's okay. What about water flow? How many gph should it have? Should the pond water enter from the top or the bottom? Here is what I think I am going to do: Pond size = 1600 gallons 'Veggie Filter' = 225 gallons (2x10x1.5) GPH Flow = 400 Pond water will enter from the bottom and cascade out the top like a waterfall. Will this work? |
#9
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'Veggie' Filter
I use a 2 stage veg filter, made out of two 55 gal drums
aren't the drums ugly sitting next to the pond? Jerri http://www.fringeweb.com/Ponds/JerrisPond |
#10
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'Veggie' Filter
I use lava rock and love it but maybe not in the way that you are referring
to. I put my waterfall pump in a bucket (black 5 gallon) and then filled it with lava rock. The water from the pump goes from my main pond into the veggie tank (that overflows into the upper pond that then overflows into the main pond. I never really clean the "filter" during the season. This spring for other reasons I emptied the bucket out, rinse it out with pond water, put the pump and rocks back in and start it up (I did rinse off the really gunky rocks in pond water but not too much... that is where the good stuff thrives I always thought). Really the only maintainence I do on my pond is getting in to play (move rocks, plants, make asethic changes). I hated the filter system that came with the kit that got me started and almost gave up on ponding because of it. I had to rinse it at least twice a week at the time to keep the water flowing (I didn't know about veggie filters then). It was here that I heard about using lava rocks. "K30a" wrote in message ... Don't use lava rock. The veggie filter will catch 'gunk' and the lava rock will be very hard to clean. My veggie filter is as simple as floating water hyacinths at the top of my upflow mech/bio filter. Things grow like crazy and I have to watch they don't plug the outlet. Bonnie has a good veggie filter and pictures. So does BV. Hope they catch this and post their plans. k30a and the watergardening labradors http://www.geocities.com/watergarden...dors/home.html |
#11
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'Veggie' Filter
They are relatively hidden behind a brickwork that makes the waterfall, so
you don't notice it too much. Sameer "Jerrispond" wrote in message ... I use a 2 stage veg filter, made out of two 55 gal drums aren't the drums ugly sitting next to the pond? Jerri http://www.fringeweb.com/Ponds/JerrisPond |
#12
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'Veggie' Filter
). It was here that I heard about using lava rocks.
I have been using lava rocks in my veggie filters for almost 10 years, and still love them. I only clean the gunk off the bottom and the rock every 2 years, and the main ponds every 5 years.....this is my only sorce of filter Jerri http://www.fringeweb.com/Ponds/JerrisPond |
#13
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'Veggie' Filter
my koi pond and veggie filter http://users.megapathdsl.net/~solo/ponds/8-2003.html
pond and veggie filter construction it is about 90 gallons and my pond is about 1400? gallons. dont use lava rocks. shallow veggie filters work fantastic. use some course filter material for the large stuff, the plants will take care of the rest. use water flow that gives you a pleasant waterfall. pond water should exit from the middle of the depth of the pond, that way catastrophic leaks wont leave your fish high and dry. return should give nice waterfall, remember that the higher the pump has to pump, the less water the pump can pump. rather than a set area per gallon of pond I find using enough to keep the nitrates at zero is fine. a typical waterfall does not provide enough oxygenation .. add some extra aeration. Ingrid "Dave Hahn" wrote: I need some information on what a 'veggie filter' should be. Some say that the surface area should be 10 - 20% of your pond. Others say that it should be 10 - 20% of the pond volume. Which is correct. Also some say not to use lava rocks, others say it's okay. What about water flow? How many gph should it have? Should the pond water enter from the top or the bottom? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List http://puregold.aquaria.net/ www.drsolo.com Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the endorsements or recommendations I make. |
#14
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'Veggie' Filter
another one
http://www.fuerjefe.com K30a wrote: Don't use lava rock. The veggie filter will catch 'gunk' and the lava rock will be very hard to clean. My veggie filter is as simple as floating water hyacinths at the top of my upflow mech/bio filter. Things grow like crazy and I have to watch they don't plug the outlet. Bonnie has a good veggie filter and pictures. So does BV. Hope they catch this and post their plans. k30a and the watergardening labradors http://www.geocities.com/watergarden...dors/home.html |
#15
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'Veggie' Filter
my pond, a 300 gal stock tank, has a birdbath filled with watercress. the
pump lifts water up through the hollow pedestal to the bowl. it feeds the watercress and then overflows and aerates the water. mad -- See my zone 8B pond: http://community.webshots.com/album/14478479WdPMkPBPmt http://community.webshots.com/album/40739268OAqLln Rec.ponds FAQ: http://www.geocities.com/justinm090/faq.html Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein... Prov 26:27 From: "Dave Hahn" Organization: Road Runner - EC Newsgroups: rec.ponds Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 19:28:19 GMT Subject: 'Veggie' Filter I need some information on what a 'veggie filter' should be. Some say that the surface area should be 10 - 20% of your pond. Others say that it should be 10 - 20% of the pond volume. Which is correct. Also some say not to use lava rocks, others say it's okay. What about water flow? How many gph should it have? Should the pond water enter from the top or the bottom? Here is what I think I am going to do: Pond size = 1600 gallons 'Veggie Filter' = 225 gallons (2x10x1.5) GPH Flow = 400 Pond water will enter from the bottom and cascade out the top like a waterfall. Will this work? -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
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