Converting old pond into a DIY Filter

[Mikos]

My pond, which is roughly 4000-5000 gallons has woefully inadequate filtration. 



Last year I tried to create a barrel filter using a 55 gallon drum but it didn't really work all that well.


Now the pond has been in operation for a total of 13 or 14 years but for 90% of those years, I brought the fish inside the garage for the winter.  This enclosure is roughly 6 ft in length, 2 ft in width and 3 ft in height.



Two winters ago I left 5 Koi out for the entire winter and they did well.  This past winter I left out all 22 fish and they all survived!! 


So my question is, would I be able to take the old winter pond enclosure and convert it into a big filter for my pond???  If so, what would be the best method for someone without a tremendous amount of plumbing skills to do this?  Any and all ideas are appreciated.

[3qtkidz]

I see you did a DIY pond filter - Would you consider that a skippy style filter?   Do you use any time of monthly bacteria?      Also, If I see this correctly you have rocks in the bottom of your pond.     In my personal experience, I could never get my pond clear and looking clear when I had rocks in the pond.
Since I had my kids get in the pond and take out 90% of the rocks, things started clearing up rather quickly.

Just curious where is the filter?

How about adding water hyacith or water lettuce.  Those plants are suppose to be excellent source of extra filtration.   Helps keep the surface of the pond covered also to avoid a algea breakout.    The WH and water lettuce do die in the winter but are replaceable at a very reasonable cost.

You pond is beautiful by the way!

[Mikos]

Thanks for the comments!!

Last year I built the filter towards the end of the summer because my filtration was so inadequate.  (I was using like a 10 gallon box filter).  The concept is pretty simple and I still have no idea if it works.  Basically water goes from the pond, into the barrel via a spray bar.  It then goes through filter floss, and then through the Lava Rock.  Then it returns to the pond. 

In answer to your question I don't use any sort of monthly bacteria, although I probably should.  The only rocks are some of the bigger ones that have fallen but for the most part the pond bottom is just liner.  I have heard that it can be difficult when you have rocks in the pond but such isn't the source of my problems.

The filter was originally behind the tree which stands behind the waterfall to attempt to disguise it (although its difficult to disguise a blue 55 gallon drum).  I have subsequently moved it to the left side of the pond which is obscured in the pictures. 

I've tried plants but unfortunately it becomes expensive salad for my koi.  That's why I was considering a secondary pond which would contain plants to absorb the nutrients in the water but wouldn't have to worry about them being eaten.

I got the barrel filter running again a few days back and am going to see how it runs before I try anything too radical (i.e.  moving that big indoor filter to the back and trying to convert it into a secondary pond/filter).

[Johns]

Mikos,

The picture of your pond does not appear to be that of a 5,000 gallon pond.  What are the meeasurements (Diameter,average depth)?

The frost penetration in your location is said to be 6 feet, so a pond with koi there should be at least that deep for fish to survive in a hard winter.

I assume you are planning on leaving the indoor tank in situ rather than moving it outdoors. If so, you would either have to operate it 24/7/365 or completely drain the lines for the winter to avoid split frozen lines.

A couple of other comments: 
First: For your fish to have survival expectability in your climate, the pool should have at least 24/7/365 aeration and ideally a surface heater to keep a small unfrozen surface area to allow for the escape of toxic gasses.

Second: With all due respect for the many opinions regarding biofilter operation, I have been keeping fish in watergardens for 35 years and my opinion is that adding bacteria to biofilters is a scam and completely worthless.  Fish contain within their guts all the Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacterias necessary for biofilter operation.   When you add fish, you have already added the necessary bacterias for conversion of ammonia to nitrates.

Your idea of a second pond with plants is a valid solution. This is commonly referred to as a bog or vegetative filter.  Just allow the water to flow through the plant "filter" on on its way to the main pond.  When you have voracious koi, this allows you to enjoy water lilies and other flowering aquatics and still keep your fish in a plant free zone.

[Mikos]

Johns,

My pond's measurements are 12' length, 10' width, 4.5' depth which I've calculated is about 4000 gallons.  Could be off but the online calculators I've used have pointed me to that number.

I know that the frost penetration is said to be 6 ft but this is the 2nd year I've had fish outdoors all winter without any losses.  To provide some context; about 3 winters ago (sometime in December) I went out to check on the pond as I had left the waterfall running (it forms an ice cave, and provides the birds with a source of water early in the winter) and I noticed when I was banging a hole in the ice (no fish so I wasn't worried about shocking anything in pond), that after a couple of feet the water was still open.  That is when I realized that it might be possible to keep the fish outdoors.  I inquired with my fellow Manitoban's and it appeared that not too many had attempted to keep fish outside during our usually brutal winters.  So two winters ago when I was late in taking the koi out, and was unable to grab 3 of my big guys, I inadvertantly tested the theory.  It was a brutal winter (luckily I was in the U.S. studying) but the fish survived.  This past winter I decided to leave all the fish outdoors.  I kept the waterfall pump going the entire winter (despite the notion that I'm disrupting the different layers of water) as well as having a de-icer running throughout.  I also covered the pond with a tarp and insulation which appear to have helped.




I've split the powerful waterfall pump to the 55 gallon barrel filter and for right now it appears to be doing a fairly decent job.  I'm still mulling the idea of creating a bog filter but am not sure if I have the space. 

Thanks for the advice.

[CathyBowman]

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