DIY 3-Barrel Filter System for Koi Pond - Adding Media and Starting Up

4500 GPH pump did not work as I originally planed.
So switching to JEBAO DCT 12000: 3170 GPH pump works well for this system
K1 media: www.fishfarmsupply.ca/
K2 media: eBay.ca (www.Onlineponds.com)
Most plumbing fittings and pipes are ABS as ABS costs less than PVC.

[@RamseysDIYKoiPond]

Great update mate, and a fantastic filter build, im looking to add a similar build to my filtration this year

[@PTranProductions]

Thanks mate! ✌️

[@archer1483]

I made the same exact filtration system as well.works great!!!

[@KoiRun50]

Nice filter house you got there. Hope we have warmer weather soon.

[@PTranProductions]

Thanks KoiRun! I know. I can’t wait to see my fish again soon.

[@KoiRun50]

I want to see them too. I hope your new filter works well. It looks like it should.

[@PTranProductions]

@@KoiRun50 Thank you! Yep! I am aiming for crystal clear water this year.

[@markfranklin8831]

Really nice I'm building a pond here soon and I'm going to do something close to this here.💯🖐️✌️ thanks for sharing

[@PTranProductions]

You’re welcome! Good luck with your build!

[@jiffsterkoi]

Similar set up that I have 👍🏼👍🏼works a treat

[@PTranProductions]

That’s nice! I can’t wait to see mine fully matured.

[@warriorbrandswarriorscreed9101]

wow! Absolutely fantastic!

[@PTranProductions]

Thank you!

[@my1956effie]

Nice build. The shop vac idea is a great one. Do you find the 2 inch increments for the base give adequate differential for the flow rate you need?

[@PTranProductions]

Thanks mate! Yes, with the 2x4 wood frame, it gave me a minimum 3.5” rise at every level which is adequate for the flow so far with a 3170 GPH pump.

[@progressivepondkeeping]

Very nice filter system I have a similar set up 👌👍

[@PTranProductions]

Thank you!

[@high_fructose_corn_syrup]

Hi, how many gallons can something this size handle? Also what about the fish load? Ty

[@progressivepondkeeping]

@@high_fructose_corn_syrup my pond is just over 3000 gallons and it works perfectly the only difference is I have an extra barrel with ceramic media in it 👍

[@PTranProductions]

@@high_fructose_corn_syrup I tried out with 4500 GPH & 3170 GPH pumps at startup. This systems couldn’t not keep up with 4500 GPH flow rate but has been doing fine with 3170 GPH. My pond volume is about 6000 gallons and so far the system has been doing great. In term of fish load, I currently have 5 koi and 30 gold fish (not sure of the total weight) but according to online info, 2 cubic feet of K1 could handle 35 pounds of fish. I hope this would answer your question. Cheers!

[@ces69]

@@PTranProductionsWhat are your pond dimensions? I think you may have miscalculated, your pond doesn’t look anywhere near 6000 gallons! A mistake on volume could be disastrous if any medication for parasites is required! I suggest you do a recalculation or use one of the pond volume calculators on google! If you ever run salt in your pond and have a decent salt meter there is a very accurate formula you can use to calculate precise volume in the entire system including filters and piping!

[@pullbackbaby]

I would like to see how well the bacteria have grown a year later. Great job btw 👍😊🥂

[@PTranProductions]

The system is shut down every year in the fall and restarted in spring. So beneficial bacteria to be added every year in the spring when the system is restarted. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rn-viYudg5Vjh5Y

[@ces69]

@@PTranProductionsWhy are you shutting it down every winter? Reduce the flow if you want with a variable pump or ball valve but don’t shut it down. Filters take around 6-8 weeks to develop enough bacteria to “START” completing the nitrogen cycle but take years of continuous running to develop fully and plastic media is notoriously slow to develop a bacterial coating, even with the addition of live bacteria! Your filter is just getting established each year when you shut it down….madness!

[@PTranProductions]

@@ces69 My whole system is shutdown every winter to prevent damage to the pump and plumbing due to subzero temperatures here in Canada. Normally I just need to add some beneficial bacteria at startup and the system will just run fine again. It’s not a big issue. Once the pond is mature with plenty beneficial bacteria in it. The filter would run fine without any additional beneficial bacteria added.

[@AMGINE1000]

will be great once the media matures i run the same

[@PTranProductions]

Thanks! How long do you think it takes for the media mature? I can’t wait to see my moving bed in ‘action’.

[@truemegahertz6929]

Great video Thank you for posting it. How long did it take for water to clear up? How often do you need to clean media? Could you post and after run video? Thank you again.

[@PTranProductions]

The water clears up in about 1 or 2 weeks. Ideally the system needs to be cleaned once a week to achieve optimal water condition. Many updated videos have been uploaded on my channel about this system with my DIY koi pond. Check them out! Here’s one of them from this year: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIXIXpWVf7V5bsUsi=dJumGa1M6k9aDQ2V

[@truemegahertz6929]

Thank you @@PTranProductions

[@PTranProductions]

@@truemegahertz6929 Np!

[@hungcao7924]

Nice system. I wish there was a showing of the water in the pawn if it was clear.

[@PTranProductions]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXnbY56mqJZ5pMU

[@richardjohnson9566]

I have seen many setups like this and yours is right up there with the best of them, especially the shop vac back wash method which I utilize in my larger system as well. I'm no expert all though I have been building ponds for my personal use as well as ponds for paying customers for over 25 years. I have made many mistakes and use these fourms to better my skills as a builder and koi keeper. I read through the comments and if I missed it, pardon me, but I don't know what brand of uv light you are using, but all that I have ever used have said to put your uv "after" the filter. You want the water to be as clean as possible before it passes through the uv, and at the rate of flow the manufacturer recommends, which I see you did with the piping and valves. Having the water pass through the filtration system first helps get out the larger particles of algae and other unwanted material that the uv filter can kill better, if the particles are smaller. Also, in all of the instructions and I've seen say to put the uv after the filtration and as low as possible to the last filter with the inlet and outlet facing up, as you have. There are numerous articles on this subject, but maybe your manufacturer recommends installing your uv before filtration. Bottom line, what works best for you and your pond , and by no means am I criticizing your application, only a suggestion. Great job on the filter!

[@PTranProductions]

Thanks Richard for your comment! Yes, I have done some research and initially I had the UV sterilizer after the filter which only makes sense for clean water to pass through the UV. However when I got my Jebao UV sterilizer and read the the instructions which stating that the UV sterilizer needs to be connected where the water pumped through and not gravity fed. So that’s how I ended up with my configuration today. I have not opened up the UV light housing to check but I guess there would be some kind of buildups inside. I may open it up at the end of this season to inspect and clean the inside when I close up my pond this year.

[@richardjohnson9566]

@@PTranProductions Understandable now with your setup being gravity fed. I used 55 gallon drums and had a Vortex pre- filter before my first barrel and was using 3" pvc throughout the system, which greatly increased my flow, so my uv could go after the filtration. That's one of the problems a person encounters with gravity flow, is getting the flow rate one desires after filtration. I do personally prefer a closed pressure system, but they are very expensive and have their own set of problems, especially getting the proper backwash, and taking pieces apart for maintenance. As I said in my original comment, what ever works best for you and your pond/fish. Happy ponding!!

[@PTranProductions]

@@richardjohnson9566 Thank you!

[@ces69]

Where you mount your UV, either before or after your filter system depends on if you are running a pump or gravity fed system. If gravity fed it would go after the filters in the line that is being pumped back to the pond, if pump fed it would go in the pumped line feeding the filters! This is because the UV units construction is too small and restricted to allow a high enough flow of water through it by gravity, requiring the water to be pushed through under pressure of a pump!

[@christyreilly3327]

Brilliant, i want to do the same sort of build. Im unsure of the piping configuration coming in and out of the barrel

[@PTranProductions]

The building plan does outline all the piping configurations.

[@jpcleric5973]

K1 is buoyant when new, I was advised by some one to put the bag it arrives in, in the pond and stab some holes all over bag to let water in and air out and then weigh down with a large rock and leave for a week, whole I built the system. When I put k1 in mine in barrels it didn't want to push up, it just floated on surface. Nice job though

[@PTranProductions]

Thanks Jp Cleric! Yes, the media need time to mature naturally and with the help of adequate air stone and pump will circulate nicely after.

[@eugeneduzant9350]

Very nice, will try for my pond in the Caribbean, do you have a link where you purchased the media K1and 2

[@PTranProductions]

Lots of sellers on eBay. Here is one of them: www.ebay.ca/itm/294848594205?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=fgvc8sbnqj2&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=Ahg_4LbmT6O&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[@koiseal]

Question, on my setup from the pump I have a 2 going into barrel 1 and then from barrel 1 to 2 I have a 2 going then 2. 2s leaving barrel 2, do u think barrel 1 would overflow.

[@PTranProductions]

No idea! It depends on your pump flow rate and size of your barrels. It is a trial and error thing.

[@bodoke0326]

Insane set up!!! Whay type of aerator you using for the moving media barrel?

[@PTranProductions]

8” air-stone disk & 20W 1700 Cubic In/Min air pump.

[@SebastianGradzki-cq9qe]

Have You got a video as how it was build Please ? Thank You

[@PTranProductions]

Here’s my version: DIY 3-Barrel Filter System for Koi Pond kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5CtlYVsnM2qhrc Thanks to the original design from Mr. @Wrighty. You can visit his channel to see his video.

[@craigwg]

Nice job. I've considered doing something like this for my pond but I don't understand everything 100% which is why I have not attempted yet. Also money. Mostly money! But serious question, why 3 barrels? Why not 2, or 5 or 10?

[@PTranProductions]

2 barrels would be Ok but 3 would be extra assurance with 1 moving bed as beneficial bacteria house and 2 static beds as mechanical filters. 5 or 10 would not be economically feasible because those K1/K2 are pricey!!! Cheers!

[@archer1483]

When it is convenient and affordable, change all of that flex hose going through your UV to PVC pipe. With the flex hose you will eventually have a blowout. I have experienced this many times and had to change everything over to PVC

[@PTranProductions]

Thanks for the tip! This flexible kink-free PVC hose give me the flexibility to easily disconnect the UV light housing and store it inside the house for the Winter months. This flexible kink-free hose has a thick wall and heavy duty. So hopefully it won’t blowout easily. I did purchase one flexible hose from Amazon which was very cheap thin wall. So I returned it.

[@archer1483]

@@PTranProductions good deal! Sounds like it's strong stuff

[@triplex7144]

my understanding is the flex hose also has small ribs on the inside which disrupts flow and catches sediment build-up. smooth bore hose or pipe is the way to go

[@jonathandavidmoore2536]

Hey, Can you tell me why you had the step elevations of the barrels please.

[@PTranProductions]

Yes, the elevation at each of barrel #1 & 2 is needed to help the water flow better (using gravity) as barrel #1 is the highest and barrel #3 is the lowest. So water flows better and faster with this elevation.

[@timgarretson3561]

Where are you located? I have just completed this filter build; but with 2 barrels due to limited space. My question is, how does this perform in the winter months? I live in central Indiana.

[@PTranProductions]

I am in South Western Ontario. The winter temperature here could go down to -25°C. So I don’t intend to run my system in the winter months and will shut it down by mid October. I am not sure how winter is like in Indiana. However if your temperature goes below 32°F, I wouldn’t recommend to keep the system running.

[@timgarretson3561]

@@PTranProductions we do get snow and icy winters here. I assumed to shut it down, I was just curious. My barrels are outdoors, so I just hope my plumbing holds up in the cold.

[@PTranProductions]

@@timgarretson3561 As long as you remove your check valve and drain all the water out of your system, your plumbing would be fine over the winter.

[@DrDennisBlack]

Great Video! I'd love to chat with you to see what you might do differently now after 2 yrs. I have a 75,000 gallon Koi pond that is clouded with Algae that I need to clear up... was thinking of adding in a system like yours. Thoughts? Thanks again for the great video Mr. Tran. Signed: Dr. Dennis Black Dallas, Texas

[@PTranProductions]

Hello @DrDennisBlack, My system was still running well last summer. It is currently in ‘hibernation’ for the winter due to the subzero temperature. You can click on the link below to see last year update video and some following videos to see for yourself: DIY Koi Pond Update 2023: 3-Barrel Filter System First Cleaning kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqnRpGOGfbl4nLc This system is the solution for cloudy and greenish pond water. It has been working well together with my DIY surface skimmer to achieve clear water in my pond (besides the string algae of course which was controlled by special string algae treatment) So if you’re looking for filtration system that is easy to clean and to maintain, this is one for you.

[@leesilas]

What made you choose K1 for you first barrel and not K2 or K3? I know you want K1 for the 3rd moving barrel. I just figure you would use K2 or K3 for the 1st barrel and K2 for 2nd, and K1 for 3rd moving barrel.

[@PTranProductions]

K1 has 4 spokes and K2 has 5 spokes which would collect/filter more fine sediment than K1 (as my understanding). That’s why K1 used as first stage (barrel 1) to filter larger debris/sediments then anything passing through will then be filtered by stage 2 (barrel 2 with K2 media) with any finer sediments. I didn’t want to use K2/K3 in the first barrel because I didn’t want it clogged up too quickly. K3 was not available in Canada or US that I could find at the time. K2 was only available on eBay through a California based seller. I could have used K2 or K3 for my moving bed because they have more spokes - more surface areas for beneficial bacteria to hang on but it’s all came down to availability and cost.

[@leesilas]

@@PTranProductions it is my understanding that it has nothing to do with the spokes as it does with the size. K1 per cubic ft will have more surface area then K2 even though K2 has more spokes, your can fit more smaller pieces of K1 in a cubic ft, then K2. That is why they say have your moving bed using K1 in barrel 3. I just figure you are trying to just collect larger debris in the first Barrel so you would want a larger media such as K2 or K3. But I understand it comes down to price and availability.

[@PTranProductions]

@leesilas I’ve never seen K3 so not sure about the size. However, K1 & K2 are identical in size/diameter. The only difference is, as I mentioned before, K1 has 4 spokes and K2 has 5 spokes. So ideally, 1 CF of K1 should be equal to 1 CF of K2 in term of quantity

[@reykennethsasuman7173]

Do you think this will work on any type of fish like tilapia or milkfish?

[@PTranProductions]

I don’t see why not. Filtration capability would depend on the barrel size and pump size.

[@chaquilissak6131]

Great

[@PTranProductions]

Thank you!

[@shahiranaminchannel6757]

Love your hat ! Btw what brand is the K1 ur using ? In my place i only found evolution aqua only. And lot of Chinamade K1

[@PTranProductions]

Hahaha! Thanks buddy! My K1 is a generic Canadian made that I bought from this place: www.fishfarmsupply.ca/products/kaldness-k1-media

[@Zeamus634]

You could try soaking the K1 media in Potassium Permanganate for a few days as it will remove a lot of the buoyancy.

[@PTranProductions]

Thanks for your suggestion! I was trying to maintain chemical free. So I just waited waited out. They were all good at the end. Please watch some subsequent videos for the whole progress.

[@carlosvalle8694]

So it would be better to use k1 on the first tub and k2 on the second tub over k1 in all tubs ?

[@PTranProductions]

K2 has 5 spokes vs K1 has 4. So K2 is better, IMO.

[@carlosvalle8694]

@@PTranProductions what did you have in the third tub?

[@PTranProductions]

@@carlosvalle8694 K1 in tub 3.

[@randymarshall1267]

Nice idea ,but you have too much media in the barrels.

[@PTranProductions]

You’re probably right. I could have gone less media for less $$$. However the system has been working working perfectly fine for 3 years now.

[@kenn3875]

Hi could you show how you build them and how to fish them plesse

[@PTranProductions]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5CtlYVsnM2qhrc

[@brandonmonroe7050]

Are these 30 gallon barrels or 55 gallon barrels?

[@PTranProductions]

30 gallons

[@rowellmarcial5938]

Sir my question is do you have a heater?

[@PTranProductions]

No, I don’t have any heater. The system is now shutdown for the winter.

[@giangpham731]

Hi, How much of the media did you put in each barrel?

[@PTranProductions]

1.75 CF in barrel 3 (moving bed), 2 CF in barrel 2 and 2.25 CF in barrel 1.

[@giangpham731]

@@PTranProductions thank you for that info.

[@PTranProductions]

You are welcome!

[@jnguyen8428]

How much k1 did you use in each barrel ?

[@PTranProductions]

2.25 CF of K1 for the first barrel, 1.75 CF for the third barrel and 2 CF of K2 for the second barrel

[@plumbedcrazy]

Great video, I'm building this for my pond. How much media for each barrel? Thanks

[@PTranProductions]

Nice! The moving bed takes 1.75 Cubic feet (CF). The other two take 2CF each.

[@plumbedcrazy]

@@PTranProductions thankyou! I hope I can get my pond looking that good!

[@PTranProductions]

@@plumbedcrazy You are welcome! I am sure your pond will look great once your system gets fully matured.

[@carlosvalle8694]

Would this system work on a 7,000 koi pond??

[@PTranProductions]

I assume that you meant 7000 gallon pond. This system max flow rate is 3170GPH. As long as you use this system with a skimmer system to add up the total flow rate of at least 7000 GPH then it would work. You can also upgrade this system with bigger barrels like 55gal barrels and in turn with bigger GPH pump. Again ideally you need a combined filtration systems with total flow rate of at least 7000GPH for a 7000 gallon pond. Cheers!

[@NeotropicalFauna]

What about if, instead the first barrel with Kaldness, put some big filter socks...???

[@PTranProductions]

Filter socks could be an option. However cleaning those socks when they’re all saturated with dirt may not be as easy as the Kaldness media.

[@NeotropicalFauna]

@@PTranProductionsThanks for your fast reply, yes cleaning the socks is not easy, my question is becuase socks can retain better the particles than Kaldness. I have seen other video where the user of very similiar system, claims that at the end there still lots of partibles that is why the Kaldness (according that guy) is not too efficent as mechanical filter. The Kaldness can retain up to how small particles as mechanical filter??? thanks in advance.

[@PTranProductions]

@@NeotropicalFauna Yes, in my understanding, filter socks retain more particles, get clogged up faster and would be a pain to clean out. Yes, in terms of mechanical filtration, filter socks may be more effective than Kaldness but I am not sure if they’re efficient over all. With two barrels of Kaldness used as two-stage mechanical filter, this system has proven very effective and efficient overall in term of filtering, cleaning and maintaining. Clear pond water can still be achieved within a week after start up and maintained clear thru out the season. You could leave the Kaldness alone running for up to 4 weeks without cleaning - this is good if you’re away on a vacation. Watch my various update videos on this system to see for yourself. So If you don’t mind to clean out filter socks every other day, go with filter socks If you want to enjoy your clear pond water more and do less work then Kaldness is the choice. Economically speaking, filter socks may be cheaper than Kaldness, so whatever works for you. My most expensive spending on this system was the K1 & K2 media.

[@will9603]

What’s DYI mean?

[@PTranProductions]

Hahaha! Nice catch there bud! I meant DIY - Do-It-Yourself. 😀

[@bertie411]

who else expected the deck to slide over or open up?

[@PTranProductions]

??? Not sure what you implied here my friend (?)

[@bertie411]

@@PTranProductions nothing disrespectful, when in the first 30 seconds you point out 'welcome to the koi pond' i wrongly assumed that the deck was some sort of lid that moved to reveal a large pond as you didnt seem to have any cover/shade and hadnt noticed the pond at that point. 'decks' in the uk usually look very different, yours looks like my hot tub lid lol i came to see your filter, as had just built my own. my first barrel has barley straw in. im sure you know the benefits of that, but thats pretty much the only difference

[@PTranProductions]

@@bertie411 Hahaha! I see! Thanks for clarifying that!

[@rowellmarcial5938]

Sir would you send me all the requirement that you build?

[@PTranProductions]

Please check out this video description for more details. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5CtlYVsnM2qhrc Thanks! 🤞

[@invisibleman617]

This doesn’t make water clear and clean. You need to have drum filter if you don’t want to spend hours to clean the filter. Water from the pond go to drum filter and then go to barrel 1, 2, 3

[@PTranProductions]

Drum filter seems like a good idea. I may Consider that in the future if you have about $2k to invest. For now the 3-barrel system just works fine for my pond. Thanks!

[@garrystedman4093]

If you turned the UV flow down you wouldn't have needed to get a smaller pond pump.

[@PTranProductions]

Thanks for your suggestion Garry Stedman! I guess you meant ‘turned the UV flow down’ as to restrict/reduce the flow of the water to the barrels. This way would work but then the pump wouldn’t run at full capacity and will have to work harder thru restricted flow. Anyway I had the Jebao 3170 GPH which was not strong enough for my skimmer so I might as well use it for the 3-barrel filter.

[@leesilas]

The flow through your UV light should be slower to give the light time to kill the algae and bacteria. One guy I know put two 36 inch UV lights in a row so the water flowing through has time exposed to the UV long enough to kill it. What I did on my pond is put in a small pump that just goes to the UV abd back to the pond and it made a HUGE difference. I live in Florida USA, and algea grows fast in the summer, but now with this set up it does not.