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#1
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Biological filter question
I picked up a little giant 300 gph filter today. It comes with a fine
and a coarse filter pad, but the instructions also say it can be converted to a biological filter by adding such and such part number. I also got this part number to convert it to biological. The part is a bunch of small pieces of plastic like honeycomb looking things that is supposed to be put in the filter, but none of the indstructions show where to place them. Do they take the place of the regular filter pads, or do they go in the space around the pump below the filter pads and under the grate that supports the fiber filter pads or what? I know its overkill but the 300 gph filter in conjuction with the 300 gph Little giant pump I picked up today is going to be used to filter a 1/2 barrel container pond..........Can you say overkill ;-) Is there such a thing as too much filtration, I would not think so. Then again I really don;t know. The water is pumped up and out of a old fashioned hand type water pump. Have it all together, and filled with water, hopefully tomorrow I can get it planted and later add 2 or 3 shubunkins to it. I picked up a real working hand pump at Harbor Freight and just gutted the insides so water can flow up the body and out the spout. Mounted the pump on a cypress board cut to fit the tank. Added a 4 watt home brew underwater light to it which fit perfectly in the open grating of the filter assembly, It illuminates the 1/2 barrel just right, and is powered by the low voltage lighting we already have on the patio Looks pretty good, but this combination (hand pump and whisky barrel) is pretty darn common, but at least the better half is satisfied as she now has her very own small patio water garden. Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com Opinions expressed are those of my wife, I had no input whatsoever. Remove "nospam" from email addy. |
#2
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"Roy" wrote in message
... I picked up a little giant 300 gph filter today. It comes with a fine and a coarse filter pad, but the instructions also say it can be converted to a biological filter by adding such and such part number. I also got this part number to convert it to biological. The part is a bunch of small pieces of plastic like honeycomb looking things that is supposed to be put in the filter, but none of the indstructions show where to place them. Do they take the place of the regular filter pads, or do they go in the space around the pump below the filter pads and under the grate that supports the fiber filter pads or what? I know its overkill but the 300 gph filter in conjuction with the 300 gph Little giant pump I picked up today is going to be used to filter a 1/2 barrel container pond..........Can you say overkill ;-) Is there such a thing as too much filtration, Hi, The plastic pieces go under the grate. There is no such thing as a filter that is too large, there are some that are underutilized though. Why do when you can overdo? -_- how no NEWS is good |
#3
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"Roy" wrote in message
... I picked up a little giant 300 gph filter today. It comes with a fine and a coarse filter pad, but the instructions also say it can be converted to a biological filter by adding such and such part number. I also got this part number to convert it to biological. The part is a bunch of small pieces of plastic like honeycomb looking things that is supposed to be put in the filter, but none of the indstructions show where to place them. Do they take the place of the regular filter pads, or do they go in the space around the pump below the filter pads and under the grate that supports the fiber filter pads or what? I know its overkill but the 300 gph filter in conjuction with the 300 gph Little giant pump I picked up today is going to be used to filter a 1/2 barrel container pond..........Can you say overkill ;-) Is there such a thing as too much filtration, Hi, The plastic pieces go under the grate. There is no such thing as a filter that is too large, there are some that are underutilized though. Why do when you can overdo? -_- how no NEWS is good |
#4
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"Roy" wrote in message
... I picked up a little giant 300 gph filter today. It comes with a fine and a coarse filter pad, but the instructions also say it can be converted to a biological filter by adding such and such part number. I also got this part number to convert it to biological. The part is a bunch of small pieces of plastic like honeycomb looking things that is supposed to be put in the filter, but none of the indstructions show where to place them. Do they take the place of the regular filter pads, or do they go in the space around the pump below the filter pads and under the grate that supports the fiber filter pads or what? I know its overkill but the 300 gph filter in conjuction with the 300 gph Little giant pump I picked up today is going to be used to filter a 1/2 barrel container pond..........Can you say overkill ;-) Is there such a thing as too much filtration, Hi, The plastic pieces go under the grate. There is no such thing as a filter that is too large, there are some that are underutilized though. Why do when you can overdo? -_- how no NEWS is good |
#5
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How about a pic of the half barrel?
Roy wrote: I picked up a little giant 300 gph filter today. It comes with a fine and a coarse filter pad, but the instructions also say it can be converted to a biological filter by adding such and such part number. I also got this part number to convert it to biological. The part is a bunch of small pieces of plastic like honeycomb looking things that is supposed to be put in the filter, but none of the indstructions show where to place them. Do they take the place of the regular filter pads, or do they go in the space around the pump below the filter pads and under the grate that supports the fiber filter pads or what? I know its overkill but the 300 gph filter in conjuction with the 300 gph Little giant pump I picked up today is going to be used to filter a 1/2 barrel container pond..........Can you say overkill ;-) Is there such a thing as too much filtration, I would not think so. Then again I really don;t know. The water is pumped up and out of a old fashioned hand type water pump. Have it all together, and filled with water, hopefully tomorrow I can get it planted and later add 2 or 3 shubunkins to it. I picked up a real working hand pump at Harbor Freight and just gutted the insides so water can flow up the body and out the spout. Mounted the pump on a cypress board cut to fit the tank. Added a 4 watt home brew underwater light to it which fit perfectly in the open grating of the filter assembly, It illuminates the 1/2 barrel just right, and is powered by the low voltage lighting we already have on the patio Looks pretty good, but this combination (hand pump and whisky barrel) is pretty darn common, but at least the better half is satisfied as she now has her very own small patio water garden. Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com Opinions expressed are those of my wife, I had no input whatsoever. Remove "nospam" from email addy. |
#6
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How about a pic of the half barrel?
Roy wrote: I picked up a little giant 300 gph filter today. It comes with a fine and a coarse filter pad, but the instructions also say it can be converted to a biological filter by adding such and such part number. I also got this part number to convert it to biological. The part is a bunch of small pieces of plastic like honeycomb looking things that is supposed to be put in the filter, but none of the indstructions show where to place them. Do they take the place of the regular filter pads, or do they go in the space around the pump below the filter pads and under the grate that supports the fiber filter pads or what? I know its overkill but the 300 gph filter in conjuction with the 300 gph Little giant pump I picked up today is going to be used to filter a 1/2 barrel container pond..........Can you say overkill ;-) Is there such a thing as too much filtration, I would not think so. Then again I really don;t know. The water is pumped up and out of a old fashioned hand type water pump. Have it all together, and filled with water, hopefully tomorrow I can get it planted and later add 2 or 3 shubunkins to it. I picked up a real working hand pump at Harbor Freight and just gutted the insides so water can flow up the body and out the spout. Mounted the pump on a cypress board cut to fit the tank. Added a 4 watt home brew underwater light to it which fit perfectly in the open grating of the filter assembly, It illuminates the 1/2 barrel just right, and is powered by the low voltage lighting we already have on the patio Looks pretty good, but this combination (hand pump and whisky barrel) is pretty darn common, but at least the better half is satisfied as she now has her very own small patio water garden. Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com Opinions expressed are those of my wife, I had no input whatsoever. Remove "nospam" from email addy. |
#7
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On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 05:36:49 GMT, Grumpy wrote:
===How about a pic of the half barrel? === ===Roy wrote: snip I can provide a pic or two however, its not gonna be much to look at right now other than the half barrel with hand pump setting on top as the planted materials are relatively small in size, due to the time of year, and I would not expect much out of them at this date. Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com Opinions expressed are those of my wife, I had no input whatsoever. Remove "nospam" from email addy. |
#8
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On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 10:18:23 -0400, Hal wrote:
snip It takes about 6 weeks to get the biofilter up to speed. This is something I am not sure about. I know filters can get pretty gunky after use, so I assume this is in part to beneficial bacteria or at least there is some in that mess. Since it takes 6 weeks I assume it can start to populate the filter balls naturally. I have been told not to put any fish in the tub for approx 3 to 4 weeks, so without fish and just plants will this start up the bacteria I need. Also, other than initial fertilizer in a new planting, what is the way to get nourishment to plants in a new setup? I would not think there is sufficient fertilizer or nutrients in water alone. I have a coiuple of bare root plants coming this week that I plan on puttin in this 1/2 barrel, and they told me not to fertilize until 2 or so weeks after new growth appears. They suppposedly cut the plants back for shippment.....I am sort of lost on this container stuff and such, but it seems to me a natural pond is so much easier! What can I say, I have to please the wife and get her what she wants as she never complains when I get what I want.......thats life I guess. === ===When the flow stops the helpful bacteria begin to die (within half an ===hour.) so try to keep it going once it is started and I try to be ===quick about cleaning filters. === ===Regards, === ===Hal Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com Opinions expressed are those of my wife, I had no input whatsoever. Remove "nospam" from email addy. |
#9
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#11
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On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 13:36:47 -0400, Hal wrote:
===On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:12:53 GMT, (Roy) ===wrote: === === ===snip === It takes about 6 weeks to get the biofilter up to speed. snip ===BTW if you are considering buying a starter for the beneficial aerobic ===filter bacteria, consider throwing a hand full of dirt into the pond. ===That same bacteria are in the soil, and the last I heard it couldn't ===be dried out and bottled. === ===Regards, === ===Hal I have dirt in the container already from the plants I planted, added two snails, and I agree, odds are fish should be able to handle it by now. Its been running three or so days already full blast, my water is not exactly clear, but its due to my screwing up and using a clay from my pond to plant some of the plants in. The clay is a heavy blue clay and it made the water a bit cloudy. I left the water in that I had originally started with as I was pretty sure by now it was free of chlorine etc, and have been told not to use chlorinated water on lillies etc, so I did not take the chance.It will eventually settle out and get clear, and probably tomorrow I may pickup 2 feeders or may just go and get the wife her two shubunkins that she wants to put in it. Is it a good idea or bad to have pea gravel or larger gravel on the containers bottom or am I better off leaving it bare or does it not matter much one way or the other? Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com Opinions expressed are those of my wife, I had no input whatsoever. Remove "nospam" from email addy. |
#12
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On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 13:36:47 -0400, Hal wrote:
===On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:12:53 GMT, (Roy) ===wrote: === === ===snip === It takes about 6 weeks to get the biofilter up to speed. snip ===BTW if you are considering buying a starter for the beneficial aerobic ===filter bacteria, consider throwing a hand full of dirt into the pond. ===That same bacteria are in the soil, and the last I heard it couldn't ===be dried out and bottled. === ===Regards, === ===Hal I have dirt in the container already from the plants I planted, added two snails, and I agree, odds are fish should be able to handle it by now. Its been running three or so days already full blast, my water is not exactly clear, but its due to my screwing up and using a clay from my pond to plant some of the plants in. The clay is a heavy blue clay and it made the water a bit cloudy. I left the water in that I had originally started with as I was pretty sure by now it was free of chlorine etc, and have been told not to use chlorinated water on lillies etc, so I did not take the chance.It will eventually settle out and get clear, and probably tomorrow I may pickup 2 feeders or may just go and get the wife her two shubunkins that she wants to put in it. Is it a good idea or bad to have pea gravel or larger gravel on the containers bottom or am I better off leaving it bare or does it not matter much one way or the other? Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com Opinions expressed are those of my wife, I had no input whatsoever. Remove "nospam" from email addy. |
#13
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Regarding barrel pond:
Is it a good idea or bad to have pea gravel or larger gravel on the containers bottom or am I better off leaving it bare or does it not matter much one way or the other? Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com Leave it bare, easier to take a syphon hose and drain mulm/clay off bottom when doing a water change. ~ jan ~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~ |
#14
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Regarding barrel pond:
Is it a good idea or bad to have pea gravel or larger gravel on the containers bottom or am I better off leaving it bare or does it not matter much one way or the other? Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com Leave it bare, easier to take a syphon hose and drain mulm/clay off bottom when doing a water change. ~ jan ~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~ |
#15
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Hal wrote:
The bucket I used to clean stones gained weight last year and I changed to using a long pipe with holes to make a sweeper that keeps the bottom of the plant pond clean and I like that better than cleaning bottom stones. Regards, Hal Very good info, some I snipped. Hal, could you explain the "long pipe/sweeper" in a bit more detail? Sounds like a useful tool for a pond with no bottom drain. TIA Deanna |
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