What Size Biological Filter For 300 Gal Pond

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While there are commercial swimming filter systems you lot can purchase, many people choose to build their ain to save money. You lot can put together a surprisingly capable swimming filtration arrangement using commonly constitute household tools and a few components purchased from your local aquarium supply or pet store.

1
Become a bucket or trash tin with a sealable lid. Having a sealable hat volition assistance proceed other debris from falling into your filter cloth and prevent the filter from flood if it starts to bleed slowly.^[ane]
- 5 gallons (19 50) buckets with sealable lids are available at most hardware and big retail stores and brand for great filter housings.
- You tin likewise apply similarly sized trash cans or Tupperware containers as long every bit they have a sealable lid.
2
Purchase a water pump if you lot don't already have ane. If you lot have a h2o pump in your swimming for circulation, that pump should suffice. Otherwise, purchase a good quality pump that'due south rated for the size of your pond. Most pumps are rated in terms of how many gallons your pond can hold. If you are unsure, you tin can find pond calculators online to help you determine your swimming's size in gallons based on its measurements.^[2]
- You don't need to buy a new pump if you accept one for circulation already.
- You lot can employ either a submersible pump or one that's meant to remain out of the water with a line that goes into the swimming.
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3
Lay out where the pump and filter volition be located in relation to the swimming. In order to determine how much hose yous need to purchase, place the plastic container that will hold your filter and the water pump where yous intend them to be once you're finished. And so use a measuring tape to determine how much hose you'll need to run one line from the pump to the filter, and another from the filter back into the pond.^[3]
- Information technology's all-time to position your filter and pump in a shady location. If you can place them under some sort of shelter, that is optimal.
- A submersible pump is meant to be placed in the water, whereas a not-submersible pump should exist placed next to the filter with the inlet hose placed in the water.
- Keep the filter and pump as close to the h2o as possible to reduce the amount of hosing the h2o needs to run through under the pump's power.
4
Buy rubber hose to connect the filter to the h2o pump. Mensurate the diameter of the outlet nozzle on your water pump, then take that measurement to your local hardware shop. Purchase rubber hose of that inside diameter in plenty length to run from where the pump will be placed to where you want to position the filter itself. So purchase another length of hose for the return line.^[4]
- Keep the measurement for the hose so know what size hole to cut in the chapeau.
- Your pump may have come up with the necessary hosing already.
five
Cut a pigsty in the lid of the container that'southward just large enough for the hose. Use a drill with a hole-saw fleck of the aforementioned bore every bit the hose to drill a hole through the lid for the hose. If you don't have a drill and the hat is a thin enough textile, puncture it with a knife. Place the lid on the saucepan and press the knife down through the lid where you intend to run the hose. Once the knife punctures the plastic, apply it to saw a hole in the lid of the approximate size and shape of the hose.^[five]
- If you don't have a drill, brand sure to employ a sturdy utility knife for cutting the plastic, rather than a thin kitchen knife.
- A drill with a hole saw is the recommended way to make the hole.
6
Drill a hole in the side of the container for the h2o outlet. Brand the hole the aforementioned guess size the top i, which should be a snug fit for your hose. The water volition menstruum in from the top, pass through filter media, and and then return to the pond via an outlet hose. Choose a spot on the side of the container near 1 inch (2.five cm) from the bottom and use the hole-saw chip on your drill to create an outlet pigsty.^[6]
- Drill the pigsty near the base of the container, equally far down it as you tin can go.
- Remove whatsoever debris created by drilling from the inside of the container in one case you're done.
seven
Insert the hoses and seal them with a fish-friendly sealant. Insert the end of one hose into the chapeau and use a sealant meant for use with aquatic wildlife effectually the meridian and bottom of the hole to create a waterproof seal. So do the same with a length of hose for the hole near the bottom of the container.^[7]
- You tin buy fish-friendly sealant at larger pet stores or on specialized websites.
- Read the instructions on the sealant you choose to know how long it needs to cure before yous can move forrad.
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ane
Pour a layer of red lava rocks into the bottom of the container. The lava rocks will serve as both a means of filtration and a way to concord your other filter media upward away from water return nozzle at the lesser of the container. The layer of lava rocks should be only deep enough to cover the hole for the return hose.^[8]
- Yous can purchase red lava rocks at most aquarium supply stores or large pet stores.
- Make full the bottom of the container with lava rocks until the return hose is hidden beneath them.
2
Cutting filter material to match the shape of the container. Filter material ofttimes comes in rolls and is fabricated out of layers of fibroid and fine cloth. Unroll information technology and trace the general shape of the container onto the filter cloth. Cut the shape out and then repeat that process iii more than times until you have at least four layers of filter material to place in the container.^[nine]
- You tin buy the water filter cloth at aquarium supply stores or on specialized websites.
- If you can't discover filter material, you lot tin also employ a mesh laundry purse filled with household sponges.
3
Place the filter textile over the lava rocks. Lower a layer of filter material into the container and position it apartment on top of the ruby lava rocks. And so place each additional layer on top of the previous 1 so the h2o has to laissez passer through multiple layers of it before reaching the lava rocks.^[10]
- If you have trouble getting the filter material to stay on elevation of the rocks, you can add a layer of the metal screening you used at the end of the inlet hose to arrive stiffer.
- If you used a laundry purse and sponges instead, brand certain the bag and sponges completely cover the lava rocks.
four
Seal the top of the container with the hat. The lid will forbid whatsoever debris from falling into the filter while besides preventing overflow if the filter drains slowly. In one case the hat is on the filter, move it to where y'all intend to set it up.^[11]
- Brand sure to seal the chapeau once you lot put it on.
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ane
Attach a plastic screen to the end of the input hose on the pump. The h2o pump you put into your pond has an input hose that draws the water in. Use the same fish-friendly sealant yous used to seal the hoses to the container to gum a metal screen to the stop of the input hose to stop information technology from sucking up large debris. Wrap the screen around the cease of the hose and so use the sealant to gum it in identify.^[12]
- You tin can use whatsoever pliable screen material, including the screening commonly used for windows.
- Buy the screen at your local hardware store.
2
Connect the pump to the filter inlet. Attach the hose running from the hat of the filter to the outlet on your water pump. Place a hose clamp on the hose earlier you connect it, and so use a Phillips head screwdriver to tighten the clamp over the hose and outlet nozzle to ensure information technology's secure. At this stage, the pump is not connected to power, so it won't function all the same.^[13]
- Place both the pump and the filter at the pond's edge once they're connected.
3
Place the water pump in or near the pond and position the filter adjacent to it. If the pump is non designed to be submerged, position it in a covered spot most the water's border and just submerge the inlet hose. Identify the filter nearby on the water's edge. When you turn on the pump, water will flow through it and into the filter.^[14]
- Submerge the screened stop of the inlet hose in the h2o.
- Read the package your pump came in. Information technology volition clearly specify if your pump is meant to be submerged in water.
4
Run the filter render hose back into the pond. The lower hose on the filter volition permit the filtered water to return back into the swimming. Only orient the filter so the hole points toward the swimming and run the hose from the pigsty into the water.^[15]
- This hose returns the make clean water to the pond after it's been filtered.
- Position this hose as far away from the pump's inlet hose as you can.
five
Connect the pump to power and switch it on. Plug the pump into a power source like an outdoor wall outlet. With the pump running, h2o volition move into the top of the filter, pass through the filter material and lava rocks, and back out the return hose.^[16]
- It may have a few minutes for the water to fill the container plenty to begin pouring out the render hose.
- If water completely fills the container and does not exit from the return hose, the outlet is blocked by the lava rocks. Disassemble the filter, clear the outlet, and try again.
6
Clean the filter media every month. Open the lid of the filter and remove the filter material. Rinse it thoroughly and then remove the lava rocks. Use a hose to rinse them off completely and then put both filters back into the container.^[17]
- If the swimming is very dirty, clean the filter every ii weeks instead of every month.
- Replace the filter material if it becomes too dirty to permit water to pass through.
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Question

How can I get rid of algae in my pond?

Scott Johnson is the Owner and Pb Design Consultant for Concrete Creations, Inc., an award-winning landscape and design company based in the San Diego, California metro expanse. He has over xxx years of experience in the pool and landscape construction industry and specializes in large estate outdoor surroundings structure projects. His work has been featured in San Diego Home & Garden Magazine and on Pool Kings TV Show. He earned a BS caste in Construction Management with an emphasis in Compages and CAD design from Northern Arizona University.

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Proficient Answer

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Yous tin can always attribute algae in a pond to the sun. If you want to go rid of the algae simply you don't want to kill any fish or anything, go an algaecide that's condom for fish and it'll work merely fine. In the bound and summertime, you almost e'er become an algae bloom, which is totally normal. Don't freak out about those blooms, only use a dose of the algicide and you'll be fine.
Question

What (if annihilation) prevents the pump intake from bottleneck? Do I need to put in any kind of screen?

I put my submersible pump inside an upside-down plastic mesh waste matter basket (from the Dollar Shop), and then wrapped the outside of the basket with nylon window screen. Over the grade of the summer I typically have to remove the screen twice and rinse it off with a garden hose. This keeps the pump intake from clogging and reduces the number of times the filter media has to exist changed likewise.
Question

What filtration material do I use for this system?

Y'all can add Bio-Balls, Bio-Rings, carbon packs, stone and sponge pads, which you use in your aquarium filters. You must layer them on top of each other.
Question

Can fish survive on aquatic plants alone?

Yes, they can. But consider more than plants than fish, as they will eat some of the plants.
Question

How do I build an overflow in a pond?

Utilize five-inch schedule xl PVC white pipe, dig a trench on the side of the pond to the meridian yous want the water, use v sections of 10 feet long pipe and drain information technology off into a lower surface area.
Question

What size pump will I need to pump almost 300 gallons?

It depends on how fast you desire to pump that 300 gallons and how high. Read different pump specifications to see their rated GPH (gallons per hour) and pumping heights.
Question

Can this filter system continue the outside of the pond?

Yes, that is the intention, this filer system is not recommended to be placed inside the swimming itself. Just the pump that pumps water into the filter must be kept in the pond at all times unless being cleaned (must be turned off for this), to avoid the pump burning out.
Question

Where tin I become connectors for intake?

Merely employ a piece of screen door screen over the hose stop, secure it to the hose with goose egg ties or picture framing wire after covering the screening with pantyhose from a dollar store.
Question

How exercise I clean the filter?

You just need to rinse the filtration media with swimming h2o.
Question

What are bio balls and bio rings? Can 50 make those too?

They tin't exist made. They are usually bought and used to break downwardly fish waste.

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Things You'll Need

H2o pump (if you don't already have i)
Plastic container with a sealable lid
Rubber hose
Drill with hole-saw fleck
Fish-friendly sealant
Red lava rocks
Filter fabric

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Article Summary X

To build a swimming filter system, purchase a resealable, lidded garbage bin, a safety hose, and a h2o pump. And so, position the bin and pump relatively close to where they will be in the swimming, and cut a pigsty in the chapeau of that bin that'southward just large enough for the rubber hose to fit into. Adjacent, drill a hole in the side of the container for a h2o outlet, and seal the hoses into the openings with an animal-condom sealant. Finally, fill the lesser of the container with a layer ruby-red lava rocks and a layer of filter fabric cut to fit the bin over pinnacle of the rocks. For tips on installing the filter in the pond, read on!

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