Biological filter question

[Roy]

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.


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[how]

"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

[Grumpy]

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.

[Roy]

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.
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[Roy]

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

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[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 03:18:59 GMT, (Roy) wrote:

>I picked up a little giant 300 gph filter today.
>bunch of small pieces of plastic like honeycomb looking things that is
>supposed to be put in the filter, but none of the instructions show
>where to place them.

In my Becket box filter the bio-balls are put around the pump below the
pads. The pads can be bio-filters too, till they get too coated with junk.
As Hal mentioned, the bacteria do slowly drown (my simplified explanation)
when the water isn't pumping, as they need the O2 as much as the fish. So
when you clean the pads, drain the water out of the box, the bacteria will
do fine if they don't dry out. As far as the pads, if you clean them with
non-chlorinated water, the bacteria in them will survive too.

>Is there such a thing as too much filtration.

Probably, but I doubt anyone has come close to doing so.

>better half is satisfied as she now has her very own small patio water
>garden.

Gotta take care of the better half. ;o) ~ jan


~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

[Roy]

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,
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[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>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!~

[dhponder]

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