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by **s_smnoe** on Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:50 pm

I was just wanting to know if anyone knew how to make a homemade filter for an outdoor pond?

by **<*///><** on Sun Apr 27, 2008 2:38 pm

s_smnoe

Hello and welcome

I tried this one last year and it did well for me - I had a fairly small pond however (1000 gallons+/-)
viewtopic.php?t=98

If you use the search option above and type in filter or filteration you're sure to get a few hits. Good luck, looks like you are off to a great start, love the pics.

Pam

by **Murphj01** on Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:47 am

Hi s_smnoe

I have built quit a few. What type and size are you interested in?
John-Paul

by **sheryle** on Thu May 01, 2008 1:03 am

hello,

i just hooked up our old pool filter system to my pond....one from the intex pools....has anyone else tried this? my pond is @700 gallons and the water is moving really good..... in the filter part we put a blue furnance filter in bottom, then lava rocks, another furnance filter, more lava rocks and a furnance filter for last layer..... do you think it will work?

sheryle

by **Murphj01** on Thu May 01, 2008 1:43 am

I do not use those materials any more. The lava rock is difficult to clean and some of the furnace filter material contains fiberglass which will get into the pond.
Many people have used those materials for years but better materials are available.
The filter canister you have probably holds several gallons of filter material. With 700 gallons of water and one fish you should be fine.

by **sheryle** on Thu May 01, 2008 1:25 pm

i called the company about the furnace filter....it is a natural fiber air filter for funaces & central air systems by wildwood ind. ....customer service said it is made of 100% natural boar hair? .....but there is no fiberglass....i was very happy and i checked early this morning and after over 12 hours in the pond, my fish isn't floating....

good news...

...sheryle

by **<*///><** on Thu May 01, 2008 7:48 pm

by **jayelbax** on Fri May 02, 2008 5:30 am

I think I have filtering down for my pond. Does anyone have a good homemade vacuum? I broke the simple vacuum tube I had. For now I'm just cleaning filters then stirring up the "soup" so that all the gunk gets loosened, aim it towards the two intakes and then clean filters again the next day. It seems to be working. The pond is clear but I really hate setting all the gunk loose on the fish. There isn't much but it seems kinda of cruel to do that to the fishies.
Thank youJ-net

by **sheryle** on Sun May 25, 2008 12:53 am

this is the same thing that i am going through
stirring the "soup".....
did you get any response or help?
the only suggestions i received was
about the expensive sweepers...still wish there was another
less expensive way.... :?:

sheryle

by **Murphj01** on Sun May 25, 2008 1:35 am

I think I posted this before but I have a small gas powered pump I purchased at a yard sale very cheap I use it as a vacuum. Check Bonnie’s post or her web site, I have seen pics of her home made vac system. That’s where I got my idea from. For string algae I use bentonite clay. Luckily for me it is usually in the filter or in the water fall and I just grab it and chuck it to the side. I may be a little to late but adding a bottom drain to the pond really helps for that problem. If a pond expansion or upgrade is in your future you should consider one.
John-Paul

by **Steve** on Sun May 25, 2008 2:30 am

Sheryle,

The following is a link to make a home made vacuum.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/floydn/

Bonnie created one using a submersible pump, filter material and a laundry basket. Check out "how dirty is your pond' in the plant tips of her web site. I did created a similar one but used an external pump (little more parts needed since you must maintain the pump prime). Works pretty good though.

Thanks
Steve

by **sheryle** on Sun May 25, 2008 8:48 pm

i took a white hospital stocking,
(the ones with out toes they give you after surgery, i knew it would come in handy sometime)
tied the end of it and put it on the end of the sump pump hose. my son got in and stired the water....
he loved seeing all the crud that was in the ted hose....
regular hose would work also but the white lets you see what you are collecting...
worked great...... just takes forever....

sheryle

by **Murphj01** on Mon May 26, 2008 12:51 am

glad you found a solution Sheryle

by **Koigardener** on Mon May 26, 2008 11:31 am

Just remember there is a difference between a filter and a bio-converter. A "properly" operating filter should clog within a day or two. A bio-converter can only digest a certain amount of waste depending on flow, temperature and Alkalinity. If it gets dirty it will not operate properly and when smothered can acually interfere with the Nitrogen cycle.

by **Murphj01** on Mon May 26, 2008 12:53 pm

Excellent point KG
The mechanical filtration is the most difficult for me to accomplish ( go figure).

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