Cheap DIY Bio Pond Filter that WORKS!!!

[@LivingStarCitizen]

This is perfect. Not sure why so many people think its got to be a $1000. filter system to work. You got clear water and that's great! Good job...

[@GeoffreyTegjeu]

David, what you have done is excellent... my buddy who is an authority on waterscape and ponds took me to Thailand to show me his previous models as well as around Malaysia, gives the same result that you have gotten. you are on the right track.

[@BellaRazgriz]

Hi there ! remember me ?...it's been 2 months after I build filters with your design and it still works great...I'm planning to make my pond bigger and so the filters...I will share video soon...

[@cousindave76]

Hi dswer. The overflow on the first one is actually on purpose. The first canister is for "hi-flow" water to catch large debris. The water flow on the second and third canisters is restricted so as a biological filtration can occur. If the water flow on the second and third canisters were 3600 gph (my pump) the bio would be ineffective. So, I restricted it using smaller pipes (and valves) to control the flow. Thanks for watching!

[@rajhbullhead]

Hey this is really a great system you designed, I have seen more than 30 types of Bio Pond filter systems and yours seems very simple & cost effective which gives RESULTS. Thanks for sharing the knowledge!

[@cousindave76]

I used a PVC water pipe fitting for a hot water heater pan. If you go to the hot water heaters at Home Depot, they usually have a few of them laying around the pans that go under the heater. They work perfect! They have a rubber gasket and a nice big threaded nut on the back to mount.

[@cousindave76]

You are absolutely right about it not being as ascetically pleasing as it should be. For cost reasons and because I built this for an existing pond I did not try building a BOG style filter. Of course, what you don't see in this video is the fact that the design is encased in a green house now which hides the whole thing. Thanks for checking it out happy1382!

[@cousindave76]

You're absolutely right! I addressed this same question in an earlier comment. I built it this way because I knew I was installing a greenhouse that I could "hide" all of it in. So now it's in a greenhouse, and because it is above ground the maintenance is actually pretty easy. This video is to demonstrate that bio filtration really does work. I do agree with a previous comment that something like a BOG system would be much better for creating pleasing look. Thanks for watching!

[@cousindave76]

Cindy, I used typical plumbers adhesive for all PVC fittings. To attach the pipes to the trash cans, I used drain fittings for water heater pans. They come with rubber washers to make a leak proof seal. And for the big pipe that returns to the pond I used a shower drain fitting ...it also comes with a rubber washer to seal the connection.

[@cindyrashall3069]

Thank you for your reply. I have finally got my filter up and going and it is working great. But now I have a couple of more questions if you don't mind answering them. First, the green algae is terrible in my Koi pond. As you stated, it is like pea soup. I have 2 things going against me concerning the algae. Mid-day to afternoon sun, and the pond is cement. I live in Louisiana and it really gets hot. I have a round pond and it is approx 4' deep and approx 450-500 gallons. I have 10 Koi with no intentions of adding any more. However I am considering purchasing 3-4 algae eaters as I have been told they will do really well in getting rid of algae. If this is true I will have some healthy algae eaters if they get rid of what is in this Koi pond! I keep reading about a UV light. Some say it works and some say it doesn't work. I don't want to invest a lot of money on something that may or may not help. I would take advice or suggestions from you or any of your readers out there. Rest assured it will be greatly appreciated as I am at my wits end. The only time we get to see our Koi is when they stick their mouths out of the water to eat. My husband and I have found watching them is rather enjoyable. And the sound of the waterfall is really soothing, although for some reason he couldn't figure out how to get the waterfall hooked back up after making the filter. This is something he is going to have to work on. Being a year away from 70 yrs old is no excuse not to fix it. (Got to have humor) Also, what is good bacteria? Do I need to add this? I have been reading information on-line that says I need to add good bacteria. How does one make good bacteria to add it to your pond? This one is really confusing. Hopefully the problems with the sun and cement pond will no longer be an issue in 3-4 months. My husband and I are thinking about downsizing into a mobile home on about an acre of land with plenty of shade trees. Our son has said he will dig the pond for me. I was thinking about putting it in shade and changing the shape to anything but round. I've read that the pond should be 3 levels of depth beginning with about 2' on the shallow end to about 4' to 4 1/2' at the deepest end. What are your thoughts on this if you don't mind taking the time. Since this will be a completely new start would you have any suggestions that might help to eliminate the green algae, and or any ideas on building the pond that would make it better. We can't do anything that will be expensive, but anything simple would be great. Actually we like simple and down to earth even if we had a million dollars to have one built. I also read something about being easier to keep the pond clean at the deepest end because all the trash would go to the deep end. Does this sound right? I apologize about this long comment but I need the help almost immediately for fear of losing my Koi, but also want to begin now planning on the new pond using your suggestions and comments along with anyone else's ideas and suggestions. Thank you for your reply concerning the PVC fittings. Its always good when you can get help from someone who can relate to the same problems. If this is to much then just ignore my comment and I will understand. In any case, thanks again for your reply regarding the fittings.

[@cousindave76]

Cindy Rashall Wow, hi Cindy... I only just noticed this comment you left. A month has passed, I hope by now you have been seeing some improvements in your ponds water quality. A quick response to your questions. A UV light filter can indeed help to clarify water, but at the expense of killing off beneficial bacteria and algae as well. A good UV light is a sterilizer. As the water passes through the filter is destroys almost 100% of all organic matter that passes through it. It helps keep the water clean by essentially killing it. Dead water may sound silly, but your pond water is alive! If ornamental fish is your only desire, a UV filter may work for you. And since your pond is 400-500 gallons, it is much easier to find a consumer level UV filter that will work. But if you want plant life, tadpoles, healthy algae, you need to go the natural route. That brings us to your question about the beneficial bacteria... there are additives you can buy from pond and aquarium supply houses to boost your ponds beneficial bacteria. These help break down the waste left behind by fish and plant life. Usually this treatment is only done in new installations to help kick-start the process. Once it's up and going, the pond will find it's own happy balance. There are challenges though... If your pond get's a lot of sunlight and/or where you live sees high daily ambient temperatures that stay fairly warm at night, these can be terribly hard to fight against. If so, be sure to check and maintain proper PH balance of the water. And never never over-feed your fish. If the algae gets out of hand, you'll have no choice but to clean your filter regularly to clear the gunk, and this is not desirable at all. You want your filters to get up and running in such a way that they really should not even need cleaning. At the most, just the main catch that grabs leaves and other objects is all you should be emptying/cleaning out. About the depth of a pond. The 2' shallow end to 4' deep end is a good practice. The important part is the 4' end. It's deep enough to give the fish some place to swim out of harms way if a raccoon or other predator attempts to have a snack. Also, depending on where you live, the 4' depth is usually deep enough to guard against freezing in the winter time. You'll need to research your area to see how deep is deep enough. And another good reason is sheer volume of water. A small pond can change very quickly. PH, temperature, nitrogen... these things can change so fast that you start loosing fish before you knew anything went wrong. Having a larger volume of water helps keep these changes from occurring too rapidly which gives you a better chance of detection and planning a solution. These are all thoughts of my own from my own experience. I most definitely did not write the bible of pond care! :) There are many good ways to care for a pond. I'm sure other readers here on KZbin could also contribute much to this topic, and hopefully they do so! Good luck!

[@santamonicahelpassistant418]

David Ekstrom Thanks so much for all this great info! couldn't you transform this into an aquaponics set up easily if you wanted to?

[@cousindave76]

SantaMonicaHelp Assistant Absolutely, and I want to! Not long ago I visited a friend that has a house in Hawaii. His next door neighbor has a very nice aquaponics setup with his pond. Among other things, his lettuce is growing so fast! There is more than enough to feed his family and some, AND he feeds the tilapia in the pond with the lettuce as well! So fun!

[@santamonicahelpassistant418]

David Ekstrom Very cool and inspiring! Hopefully one day I'll have one myself :) And organic on top of that. Seems to me like big agriculture is going to go down as more people start growing and producing locally. After watching a bunch of great videos like yours I have started a cilantro & basil plants indoors with a 12w LED full spectrum light bulb that I bought on amazon. Very affordable :) Living in an apt is no excuse not to grow your own food anymore!

[@BellaRazgriz]

Hello buddy..remember me ? I just want to tell its been a month since I build a filter with your design...I put more water and more fish and it still works good..Thanks a lot :)

[@grizz4321]

Thank you for the input. I measured my pond today and got a better calculation on the size. It actually about 520 gallons. I also figured it out and using the excess liner I should be able to get it up to about 800 gallons. I guess I will pull the shovel back out and expand it. I also think ill try out your filter system and see how it works as I got a lot of the parts already lying around.

[@sparklesandsmog]

Great video. Best homemade filter I have seen online. Love the fact that you garden chemical-free and no UV! That is what nature is all about! Working WITH it - not against it. Great job.

[@sotxbob]

Nice job.. you made a huge version of the aquarium filter sump I have been using for many years. If you're concerned about the pad degradation, look for large filter media mats that are designed to be used for fish tank filters. They have different weave densities, thicknesses and weights. Mine came in 2'x3' pads and have not degraded. Last time I replaced them was in '08 right after Ike hit. Cheers!

[@cousindave76]

Good question John! That was exactly what I wanted to do, and what I first tried. I know sand is pretty much the best filter you can have and is used to scrub water clean. The trouble I had was water flow. I couldn't find a way to get water flowing through the sand without using a pressure filter. On a small scale, gravity is not enough to make it useful. Also, I learned that sand does such a good job of scrubbing water, it also removed beneficial bacteria. For these reason I use rock and pads.

[@angiemicn]

I think this looks great! my pond is gross, my koi are thriving, but I'd like to clear it. I'm building this asap, thanks for the great info!

[@eveonlinevid]

Also to ebb and flow I use home made bell siphons, they are very cheap and amazing. Once the water reaches the top of the bell it ejects it with a lot of force and speed. Incredible for something un powered and perpetually never ending operation as long as water continues to fill the space. I only use one pump and a lot of gravity and siphons. I get a huge bang for a very small amount of energy. As green as it gets until i power the pump with a cheap solar panel.

[@cousindave76]

Hi Jenifer, while there are pumps that are powerful enough to pull suction above the water level, they are expensive. I have used a submersible pump for my pond. It's a 3600gp/h that I bought from Home Depot for about $120 (at the time). It's at the bottom of my pond away from the outlet/return of the filter.

[@BellaRazgriz]

Yeah..that happens in my pond right now..I can't wait to built it in this weekend..I will tell you the result after i finished it and test it..thanks..

[@realestate3114]

Please can you share the result with me, because am very much interested in it.

[@cousindave76]

Yes you are right and this question has been asked before. In my case, the three canisters are now hidden inside a greenhouse. Thus, for me, this is not a problem and it looks very nice on the outside. Also keep in mind that the "idea" of the pond is interpreted differently by many. Some only want to bread koi. Some just want to see if they can do it. While some, like you and me just want a nice looking pond.

[@columbia1993]

My parents had a single system w/o the overflow options (only a problem a couple of times) using lava rocks and some sort of "material" to filter and it worked well for several years, although not the most attractive option. They've since gone to a biofilter and they've found it needs much more cleaning than they tell you. Last year they supplemented the biofilter with a small bucket with lava rocks and plant pad as filter at the beginning of spring to speed up the cleaning. Sometimes the more basic stuff works as well if not better!

[@2sdaymorning]

Thank you so much! I'm glad it's so easy because I was looking at those super expensive uber filters of doom and really couldn't go that route. This looks like just what I need and I'm sure I could submerge some of it (if not all of it) halfway into the water and put decorative stuff over the top of it.

[@eveonlinevid]

In your case the grow bed is your pond, if you have enough plants they will keep the nitrate levels from becoming toxic. I ebb and flow my bio filter to give the bacteria short windows to breathe air so that I keep my bacteria healthy. The sump tank really helps me keep my aquaponic systems balanced. If I didn't use it I would get build up in my grow bed and pulling out a plant could really stir up a high nitrite spike becoming toxic to my fish friends.

[@cousindave76]

Thanks! I really appreciate that comment! It went through a few design stages (mostly the number of cans I used) before getting to something that really worked well.

[@cousindave76]

Wow Brenden that is a huge pond! Please do share a video, we would love to see it! I would imagine the idea/principles of this filter would work, but you would need to carefully calculate your water flow and media surface area requirements. On smaller ponds like mine, eco imbalances can be relatively easy to correct. Thus, playing around with my filter until I got it just right was not to much trouble. A 40x10x12 will not be so easily adjusted. You've got some homework to do!

[@dstwerroger]

hi now that you explain it, it makes more sence I also think that only an owner knows what's best for his pond but tips should always be wellcome the thing here is that I didn't noticed your pump flow on the vid it looks normal (wich if of cource because of your excess drain pipe lol) now i finally get it and i still think your filter is a nice work

[@stubbsaquatics6080]

Love it great job. Great explanations and tutorials. I really enjoy looking at other peoples ponds and fish. I have 4 koi ponds and a fish room with multiple tanks. My ponds are surrounded by decking and trees. If you would like to view them that's great. If not that's ok too. May add this to my filtration system Thanks again for sharing and take care.

[@cousindave76]

Awesome! So glad everything has worked out for you. The system has worked great for me too! Please do share your video with us when you upload!

[@cousindave76]

I have a valve regulating the flow rate. It has never stopped up though. It has always been able to operate with the valve wide open with no overflow problems.

[@cousindave76]

@MrPCVajj, thank you! Post em up! Always good to see more setups and get further inspired.

[@cousindave76]

I can't speak to the science of it tibskidee, but reverse flow filters are commonly used in many filtration systems. My thinking on the matter is that the amount of water flow returning to the pond is agitating the water very well which means when the water is first pumped into the filter it is already fairly well aerated. In my case the main reason I did it this way is because of the high water flow. I couldn't depend on gravity to keep up with it

[@edwardsdeacon]

If you put coarse gravel, then sand on top of the rocks then have that pipe that connects the 2nd and 3rd barrels plumbed to the bottom and not the top you will have better filtration. Add a drain on the bottom of the barrel with the lava rock for easy of cleaning the lavarocks. Just shake the barrel a bit then open the drain for a few seconds. If you want matching barrels then 55 gallon drums should work fine. Good luck with your pond.

[@cousindave76]

If you are asking about the black hose from the pond attached to the bottom of the green can, that has a powerful pump from Home Depot (about 3200 gph) sitting in the pond. Please pardon me if you are asking about another component of the system.

[@cousindave76]

Big one is 3" ID and the smaller ones are 1" ID. Size matters yes. However, when I set out to build this filter I did not try to keep to a true science of what was exactly needed. As you can see by my containers, I tried a few configurations before coming to my final solution. In the end, I over built! My pond is apox 1400 gallons. The filter is more than big enough to handle it.

[@RichyJam2011]

This is a great setup. My pond is currently pea soup. My Koi are thriving and currently spawning but the water quality is horrible . Thanks for the inspiration might do something similar. Cheers

[@cousindave76]

Your pond sounds great Graden! Other posters keep telling me how ugly this setup is... I agree. However, I've addressed this by letting them know I have built a greenhouse next to the pond which hides the system. Sounds like you have a similar setup. Nice!

[@cousindave76]

Fair enough, I've added an annotation giving the warning. And no worries, you did not hurt my feelings. I left the comments open on this video to encourage folks to share success and failure. I've enjoyed good success with my setup... thought I'd share ;)

[@BellaRazgriz]

So that's it !! But its ok..the bubbles generate from outlet pipe (twice inlet pipe size) looks all normal right now..AND I'm so happy after 4 days the water still looks clean...(I'm not bull$%^& ) usually it became dirty just in days if i put new water without this filters...that means IT WORKS !!...Thank you so much for this !!

[@cousindave76]

Sure, I had a hard time finding it on Home Depot's website but, at Home Depot or whatever hardware store you have near you, find in the plumbing section the drain assembly for a shower pan or any generic drain that has the screw together configuration with rubber gaskets (not for masonry). This is what I used. The one I bought came with a silver strainer, I did not use that part.

[@cousindave76]

@RazgrizBelka are you saying the bubbles are clinging to the walls and pads, or are the bubbles continuously rising to the surface? Describe the bubbles. It's possible there is a pluming leak right at the surface causing a ventui effect pulling in air. Also, a complete water change will cause bubbles to cling to everything.

[@cousindave76]

That's because I AM Dr. Frankenstein! No doubt this would not be ideal as a finished appearance. In my case a large green house went up around the filter effectively housing the cans. If no structure is going up, than an in-ground solution would be best without a doubt!

[@ballinhabitz34]

You could you hydroton or a biomedia for growing aquaponics. In my area it's 30$ for 50L which is probably all you'll need unless you have changed the system. Good work!

[@cousindave76]

Great idea Antoine! I bet the dollar store would have many cheapo options!

[@MrPCVajj]

Very Nice. I can't wait to post my videos up.

[@msmeganmole]

Your pond looks great! Would have liked to have seen the other side to see where you cut your holes. thanks/

[@BellaRazgriz]

I'm going to make filter for my pond sort of big as yours next week..but I have doubt about my filter design and i afraid it will not works..I'm gonna choose this idea..thanks :)

[@cousindave76]

Fortunately for me I live in Texas so ice is not much of an issue. I've had as much as 2" of ice on the surface of my pond. I can't say that where I'm at an in-ground pond of 4' deep will never freeze solid... but it will NEVER happen here. The water from the bottom of the pond pumps up to the top. However, depending on how cold it gets where you are, the ice can be controlled with water flow. But if it gets really cold where you are, you will have to heat your pond to save your pipes and fish.

[@cindyrashall3069]

This appears to be a simple and inexpensive way to make my own filter. My only question is regarding leaking at the connections, especially at the trash can. I think the pvc fittings will be tight enough to not be overly concerned, but am unsure about where the connections are at the trash can itself. I am worried about using any type of adhesive at the joints for fear it will kill my Koi. Thank you in advance for your response.

[@cousindave76]

When I was a kid, my mother and I built a pond in the backyard. We decided to plant bamboo around it on the backside ( looks really good ). Now 24 years later my father still lives in that house, pond LONG gone, and he curses me to this day for planting bamboo. He has to get a cleanup crew out there every year to control the growth! HEHE!

[@cousindave76]

I have a valve regulating the flow rate. It never got stopped up though. I was always able to operate it with the valve wide open with no overflow.

[@cousindave76]

I can't remember exact costs. But as an idea, the pump will be the most expensive part of this system. I paid $119 for a 3600gph pump. I'm sure there are still similar pumps available. Trashcans can be cheap. Or you can source used bins or barrels for pretty cheap. The media can be costly if you buy "filter" media. I used items found at Home Depot to cut costs. And plumbing parts are pretty cheap too. I probably spent around $200 total for my build.

[@cousindave76]

I've seen some good examples dug into the ground. I'm sure you've already come across them. In my case, I built a greenhouse for my wife next to the pond which hides my complete system.

[@BellaRazgriz]

I just finished it..I never thought it takes a whole day to built it..because there's some pipe leak and air leak on the pump (I thought i'm just gonna trade with new pump but hardware store close on sunday,so I just fix it)...anyway the pump and filters works just fine now.. i'm just use 2 stage filter because my trash can is pretty big but the system same like yours...i'm still cannot tell the result because I replace with complete new water (my pond its too dirty and smelly)..Thanks again..

[@silvercollector434]

Great video this might be the one I try been looking all day on here... Thanks

[@bethlewis7395]

Hey David, thanks for sharing! I need to add another filter to my current skippy bio filter system. I added some new larger koi, and they are stirring the water up. My existing filter can't keep up! My pump sends water into the bottom of my filter barrel and then the water flows up through the media and drains into the pond. Thoughts on adding a skippy in front of my existing setup and draining into the top of my existing filter? I hope to maintain the current biological build up, but add filtration.

[@cousindave76]

2nd can has the filter pads. This does not have to be pads but can be bio balls or some other filter media of your choosing. I do not have a UV light. UV lights are not selective as to what organic material they disinfect (kill) when the water passes through them. That means the desirable organics get wasted as well and need to be filtered off. This is not such a bad thing if clear water is your only goal or if your pond is under full sun and needs help with free floating algae control.

[@KATmando07]

I see. I got a big man made spring pond in the back yard about the size of an Olympic hockey rink in the backyard. Got it dug for free because they needed dirt for leveling off land in my development. But I do have my own bio setup up for a 350 gallon bait tank that I keep bullheads suckers chubs and sunfish in for my bait to catch cats. I only use one barrel with filter media with rocks on top and never had an issue.

[@cousindave76]

Excellent! Can't wait to hear about it!

[@jstcrsn1]

Hello David, This set up is fabulous!! BUT....... How do I clean out the trash cans? Is there a way to back flush ?? Hubby it all put together and we didn't even think about making sure we could clean them. Any ideas?? Thanks Jude

[@rwmili5580]

Excellent and easy to build. I shall give it a shot. Thanks for the info!!

[@cousindave76]

@ChrisWarWalker I didn't know you could by these pads with aluminum in them. I naught the cheapest of the cheap which was less $6 a pad. Nothing special or "long lasting" about them. Thanks for pointing that out so others can be sure not to buy pads with undesirable abrasives added!

[@Soper79]

I'm interested in additional filtering for my future pond but if there's one thing that seems obviously is that all these filters do work and & do the job. Problem is, you have 3 trashcans sitting next to your pond. Kinda defeats the purpose. Makes me want to design an external filter that's completely hidden say dug in the ground. Still, thanks for demonstrating your filtering process.

[@dstwerroger]

hey dude nice filter but i think that if you change the size of the pipes that goes in to the second and third cans for a bigger one your overflow problem in the first one would stop and then all of the water would get thru the filter and it would work nicer

[@rtchow3000]

first off, love your simple filtration system; i will do your plan. only one change will be the first container where you allow half of your water back into the pond. in this case, you could reduce water input/adjust inflow to the first container to allow the excess water to deliver to the two containers. even with three different size containers, you can set your outlet PVC plumbing at different levels. right now i am testing what i should do to rid the bad algae. there are good algae for the young fries after spawning and hatching. i will use three 5 gallons of paint containers place on a different level since my pond 4' x 7' x 45" deep, is above ground and the filtrated water will have to be above the pond rim to cascade back into the pond. you can go to my "DIY SOLAR POWER FOR BACKYARD KOI POND" ON KZbin running 24/7 with 300 watts solar panels and two batteries connected in parallel. your video was very useful and i can take some idea to refine my pond function. thanks for this video.

[@johnlvs2run]

Great idea. I'm surprised that it works with just rocks. Why not use a sand filter bin?

[@2sdaymorning]

Ok, this is pretty rad. I'm all for chemical-free as well and I'm looking to build my first pond. The thing is, it's likely going to be about 6000 gallons. I wonder if this would work out for me. From can two to can three, you said it comes from the bottom to the top - do you have to pump it or is it just a siphon connection?

[@BellaRazgriz]

Hi David ,its me..I made some modification on my filters a month ago sense I realized it needs some improvements..i will share video soon...thanks..

[@tanktyrants8065]

How does it hold up during winter? Anything freezing up?

[@jstcrsn1]

I am going to build a system like yours , but can you explain how to connect the three inch pvc pipe to the trash can? thanks

[@grizz4321]

Hi I recently put in a small pond at my house. About 400 gallons for 6 ducks. They absolutely love it but pretty much dump about 2+ cups of dirt in the water everyday plus waste. I have been fighting to keep it semi-clean at least to the point where they will not get sick drinking the water. Looking at this system I think it might work better for my situation then the cartridge pool filter we are using that clogs up in about 2 hours. Do you think this system could handle it?

[@sandertel]

Hi Dave, what do you have sitting behind your filtration plant ? Some sort of cascading thingy ? Please explain ... Regards, Sander

[@cousindave76]

The outlet pipe on the front is 3". Everything else is 1".

[@Interp66]

Very nice setup!

[@peterpiper5300]

Do the filter materials (lava rocks, scrubber pads, gravel) need cleaning eventually? Or would cleaning them remove the good bacteria that have developed on the filter materials, therefore not recommended?

[@cousindave76]

Wow, I haven't revisited this video in so many years. Thanks for the question! In my case, I initially needed to perform a cleaning on the main scrubbing filter pads after running for a day or two due to high levels of silt/dirt and organic materials that had overwhelmed my pond (trees above the pond). Once the filter caught up with the pond, I would clean scrubber pads once a month or longer if water flow continued satisfactorily. The gravel and lava rocks should not be cleaned unless absolutely necessary. To your point, you want to build beneficial bacteria in the filter to break down the organic material and fish waste, thus keeping ammonia and nitrites from building up.

[@peterpiper5300]

@@cousindave76 thanks!

[@cousindave76]

You know Sander, I never thought about how that might look in the video. It is actually a garden I built for my wife. What you are seeing is the exposed stepping stones before they were sanded in. This video was made just before the sand and dirt arrived :)

[@ai598]

So what do you do in the winter when it's frozen. I planning on a filter, but I'm concern about winter maintenance, if any of the pipe cracks because of ice, it's won't be fun to repair.

[@mastertrader3491]

Good day sir, I like your videos, I want to do the same thing but for an indoor setting, what if you want to add some carbon filter to remove the smell, should the carbon filter go after or before the bio filter etc. / or rather should the water pass firstly to the carbon filter then to the gravel or the other way round, before going back to the pond. ???

[@cousindave76]

Running a 3600gp/h pump. About half of that is overflow/agitation. You could do smaller, but I like big :)

[@cousindave76]

Wow I have not had that happen. I suppose that the manufacturer could have built in a decomposing feature. And if it turned your water the color of the pads then I'd say that's a sure indication that they didn't just break apart, they dissolved. I buy the cheapest of the cheap pads from Home Depot and they never broke down (fell apart) but rather, became easy to tear and break strands. Once a year replacement at the most. Been a while since I've bought them ...hope they didn't change them!

[@honnoand0001]

what attachments and how did you attach the input to the bucket? I'm making one for indoors and CAN NOT HAVE IT LEAK

[@hawaiidoves]

Great idea!

[@bevandittberner3147]

how do you clean it out- looks like a pain.

[@TheOpelkoenjas]

It's actually pretty simple. For the containers containing the rocks: true the technique of pumping air into it for a few minutes - a leaf blower is a handy tool for that one. All the dirt gets stirred up and that water can be released at the bottom in/outlet of each barrel (gravity), into a bucket for example. The one with the pads: just give the pads a good rinse and let the dirty water escape at the bottom of the container into a bucket, also true gravity (notice the white tube that can be turned up or down). The cleaning and refilling take about 30 minutes, give or take, and is almost effortless. I too use a system much the same like his - tweaked it a bit since mine is used in a small duck pond - and it works perfectly. The dirt that gets caught can be recycled by using it in the garden, so there is almost unnecessary loss of water. Cheers.

[@BOOSTEDSSELKY]

Looks Great

[@cousindave76]

Hi Mango Seed... Cheap is in the title! :) We are all in this for fun. The creation of this filter was trial and error. The results are good after much trying. What results do you see that you don't like?

[@pioneirohill8493]

Can use this process and a few more to filter water rain to be drinkeable ?

[@klepdaddy1]

wouldn't activated charcoal pellets in one or more of the garbage cans work better than plain gravel?

[@alg8277]

activated charcoal is for specific purposes and has a finite life, usually

[@sashpunk]

I'm in the process of building a duck pond and wanted to put a filter system in it to help keep the water clean. Having searched the internet for ideas on how to set one up I found your video. Great set up. However I have a couple of question I hope you wouldn't mind answering for me. Does the water from your pond go through your pump first before it goes into the filter buckets? I would be concerned that the pump will become blocked by the particulates before they were filtered out of the water. How (if the pump comes first) do you get round this. I live in a very hot country so water turns nasty very quickly if allowed to sit so I really need a decent filter system and like the idea of it being done without the aid of chemicals. Thanks in advance.

[@bendinglightstudio]

sashpunk- did you end up making something? we have 5 ducks and 2 small pond (containers) and we are also looking for a way to filter or drain the water in an easier way.

[@sisgold5180]

What are the pipes out from the front of the tubs and open at top? Are they air Pipes?

[@maxdecphoenix]

Forget bioballs, just use pyrolized biomass, i.e. charcoal. absolutely the cheapest material you can find. natural. and once it gets kicking, you could probably drink the pond water. (last part might be an exaggeration.)

[@cousindave76]

Indeed! When I first started working on a solution to my scum pond, I WAY over did it. I built a gravity sand filter. It worked... in fact it work too good! No matter how scummy the water went in, clean clear water came out the other end. I actually did take a sip and found it to be drinkable. Two major problems came up with that idea. 1) Water flow is far too slow for pond filtration. Once it got going it would allow maybe 5gph through it (tops!). The rest over flowed back to the pond. 2) Water filtered on the 99.9% bio level leaves nothing for the life in the pond. I never thought I'd say that I over filtered the pond water. The sand filter really is more suitable for drinking water applications. Anyway, I agree about the charcoal... it really is a miracle material.

[@GenHoratioBonaparte]

How do you get the water to go up the hose?

[@bth9101]

I did the same thing to my pond. I put the lids on my trashcans though. Cleared my pond overnight. But my pond is only 500 gallons.

[@cousindave76]

I didn't think about it at the time of install. Sorry, no readings to provide. I would think it possible, and likely, but I'm sure the effect would balance out over time.

[@c4inkb013]

Nice design..how often do u maintain/ change pads and rocks?

[@cousindave76]

The initial install dirtied it up pretty bad as the pond water was gross. I never clean the rocks. The pads I initially cleaned every month. Now it's 3 months.

[@BellaRazgriz]

Somethings not right...waters still looks clean but in second day there's too many bubbles floating in my first filters ( scrubber pads) and second filters (multiple size rocks) also in my pond..did you know what's the cause ?

[@mastertrader3491]

I have 4 baby butterfly koi's I feed them the Laguna brand small pellets, sometimes they swallow it and spit it out, does that mean the pellets are off/ bad etc. Pls. help. ??? How often should we feed them at that age, my objective is to grow them as big and colourful and quickly as possible. ???

[@blackhawkdown2666]

Hey, what size pipes do you use? and does the pond size matter?

[@TheBabygurl2511]

is your pump inside your pond, or in one or your garbage cans? im tring to build something like what you have here, and i have a submergable pump, so im trying to figure out where to put the pump at. id like to do a bottom drain connected to the large cans with the pump in one of them. do you think this would work?

[@fishlaw1]

Good job David, keep-up the good work... Skip

[@mcmillanj1]

Nice work!

[@Tolderian]

Hey bro... does the lava rock moop up your pH level at all? I've heard stories about it makin' the pH all wonky.

[@PbTrueTexan]

@cousindave76 I love the design but why did you use trash cans, couldn't you have used something small like 5 gallon buckets instead?