Home Made Filter Question

[Travis]

I have a 250 gal pond. 50 gal in the upper and 200 in the lower. My
pump is a 600 gal/hr pump with a bell fountain and the rest going to a
small water fall in the upper tank. It is 3 years old. I have 3
goldfish around 3-4", and probably 10 very small fish around 3/4" in
the lower pond along with snails and 3 tadpoles. I have a number of
plants in there. 2 nice sized lilly pads and some grass, and other
leafy airaters and sprauling hydrilla looking plants. Sorry I don't
know there names but they are all growing great. I built a filter with
3 plastic planting pots. In-between the 2 outer pots is 1/2 gravel.
In-between the 2 inner pots is small pebble sized lava rocks I
purchased from the local pond store. Inside the inner most pot, where
the pump is, I lined with washable filter material. The filter sits in
the lower pond. All the pots have many holes drilled in them and it is
cover on the top with the saucers from the pots with a hole drilled in
them for the bell fountain. It works great and the water is clear and
doesn't have an over abondence of blanket weed. Here is my problem.
The pressure goes down once a week and I have to take the filter
material out of the center and rinse it off. I have not yet put any
bio-filter boost in the pond yet fearing it will cause the pressure to
go down quicker. When the filter material is clear the pump works
great. After running the pump for about 3 months I took it apart and
the gravel and pebble lava rocks where completely clear of anything.
Maybe I should build a vacuum attachement and clean the bottom? Maybe
there something wrong with my design? Any thoughts would be greatly
appreciated?
Thanks
Pond-On
Travis

[Benign Vanilla]

"Travis" > wrote in message
m...
<snip>
> I built a filter with
> 3 plastic planting pots. In-between the 2 outer pots is 1/2 gravel.
> In-between the 2 inner pots is small pebble sized lava rocks I
> purchased from the local pond store. Inside the inner most pot, where
> the pump is, I lined with washable filter material. The filter sits in
> the lower pond. All the pots have many holes drilled in them and it is
> cover on the top with the saucers from the pots with a hole drilled in
> them for the bell fountain. It works great and the water is clear and
> doesn't have an over abondence of blanket weed. Here is my problem.
> The pressure goes down once a week and I have to take the filter
> material out of the center and rinse it off.
<snip>

I use purely a VF, and have as a rocky stream to give me some more real
estate for bio bugs, so I am not speaking from experience, BUT, it sounds
like what you are describing is a common mechanical filter issue. You are
filtering particles out of the water by catching them in a your filter
matter. Once that matter gets plugged up, the water can't flow as fast,
reducing your pressure. I think anyone with a basic mechanical filter system
will tell you this is normal. I am sure the big dudes with bead filters and
the like don't suffer from this, but it sounds exactly like your problem.

BV.

[Gale Pearce]

I think BV is right - your filter material is probably too dense - are you
using sponge? - you need to maybe get some filter material with more
airspace (i.e. not as fine) so it won't clog up as quickly
Gale :~)
> > I built a filter with
> > 3 plastic planting pots. In-between the 2 outer pots is 1/2 gravel.
> > In-between the 2 inner pots is small pebble sized lava rocks I
> > purchased from the local pond store. Inside the inner most pot, where
> > the pump is, I lined with washable filter material. The filter sits in
> > the lower pond. All the pots have many holes drilled in them and it is
> > cover on the top with the saucers from the pots with a hole drilled in
> > them for the bell fountain. It works great and the water is clear and
> > doesn't have an over abondence of blanket weed. Here is my problem.
> > The pressure goes down once a week and I have to take the filter
> > material out of the center and rinse it off.
> <snip>
>
> I use purely a VF, and have as a rocky stream to give me some more real
> estate for bio bugs, so I am not speaking from experience, BUT, it sounds
> like what you are describing is a common mechanical filter issue. You are
> filtering particles out of the water by catching them in a your filter
> matter. Once that matter gets plugged up, the water can't flow as fast,
> reducing your pressure. I think anyone with a basic mechanical filter
system
> will tell you this is normal. I am sure the big dudes with bead filters
and
> the like don't suffer from this, but it sounds exactly like your problem.
>
> BV.
>
>

[how]

Hi,
Both responses are correct in that mechanical filters using mats will clog
eventually and need cleaning. Larger 'holes' = less cleaning. Remember that
when the pump loses return pressure it is choking at the suction end and
this will strain the pump increase heat and reduce its life expectancy.
One thing to try is to redo your current set up by having holes in the outer
pot only at the top edge. On the next pot have the holes only at the bottom
sides. On the inner pot have holes at the top edge and have the pump encased
in pot scrubbies or some other large holed material. Some ideas are pieces
of PVC cut small, hair curlers, etc. This assumes a fairly snug cover and
that there is enough volume in the pots and the hole in the pots are
numerous and large enough so the water does not 'speed' though. The
scrubbies could be used in all the pots.

HTH -_- how
no NEWS is good

"Gale Pearce" > wrote in message
...
> I think BV is right - your filter material is probably too dense - are you
> using sponge? - you need to maybe get some filter material with more
> airspace (i.e. not as fine) so it won't clog up as quickly
> Gale :~)
> > > I built a filter with
> > > 3 plastic planting pots. <snip>
> > <snip>
> >
> > it sounds
> > like what you are describing is a common mechanical filter issue. You
are
> > filtering particles out of the water by catching them in a your filter
> > matter. Once that matter gets plugged up, the water can't flow as fast,
> > reducing your pressure. I think anyone with a basic mechanical filter
> > system will tell you this is normal. BV.
> >
> >
>
>

[Travis]

Thank you for your comments and advise. I will be going with a more
porus material for the inner most chamber for now.
Travis


"how" > wrote in message >...
> Hi,
> Both responses are correct in that mechanical filters using mats will clog
> eventually and need cleaning. Larger 'holes' = less cleaning. Remember that
> when the pump loses return pressure it is choking at the suction end and
> this will strain the pump increase heat and reduce its life expectancy.
> One thing to try is to redo your current set up by having holes in the outer
> pot only at the top edge. On the next pot have the holes only at the bottom
> sides. On the inner pot have holes at the top edge and have the pump encased
> in pot scrubbies or some other large holed material. Some ideas are pieces
> of PVC cut small, hair curlers, etc. This assumes a fairly snug cover and
> that there is enough volume in the pots and the hole in the pots are
> numerous and large enough so the water does not 'speed' though. The
> scrubbies could be used in all the pots.
>
> HTH -_- how
> no NEWS is good
>
> "Gale Pearce" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I think BV is right - your filter material is probably too dense - are you
> > using sponge? - you need to maybe get some filter material with more
> > airspace (i.e. not as fine) so it won't clog up as quickly
> > Gale :~)
> > > > I built a filter with
> > > > 3 plastic planting pots. <snip>
> > > <snip>
> > >
> > > it sounds
> > > like what you are describing is a common mechanical filter issue. You
> are
> > > filtering particles out of the water by catching them in a your filter
> > > matter. Once that matter gets plugged up, the water can't flow as fast,
> > > reducing your pressure. I think anyone with a basic mechanical filter
> > > system will tell you this is normal. BV.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >