Diy pond or large aquarium filter.

Relic

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No problem, you don't necessarily have to use a bucket either you can get creative with it. My pond is a little over 300g and this is what I'm running now with a 1000gph pump. It's a garbage can. It stays crystal clear with 6 turtles and fish.View attachment 301275
That's the way I run my pond filter - dirty pond water pumped to the bottom of trash can - then flowing up thru the filter media - to the exit port on top. Works like a champ and I only have to clean it a couple of times a year. I had noticed at one point a foul smell from the water at the bottom of the filter when cleaning - apparently there were some dead zones of water that were not flowing and hence, stagnating. I bought an air pump and placed a couple of large air-stones in the bottom of the filter to oxygenate the water and keep it stirred-up and problem solved. That filter set-up will last you many years...
 

janevicki

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That's the way I run my pond filter - dirty pond water pumped to the bottom of trash can - then flowing up thru the filter media - to the exit port on top. Works like a champ and I only have to clean it a couple of times a year. I had noticed at one point a foul smell from the water at the bottom of the filter when cleaning - apparently there were some dead zones of water that were not flowing and hence, stagnating. I bought an air pump and placed a couple of large air-stones in the bottom of the filter to oxygenate the water and keep it stirred-up and problem solved. That filter set-up will last you many years...
Thank you for your suggestions! does the trash can hold up through out door sun, heat and winter cold pretty well?
Also are you using pvc pipes or the abs? (a friend told me that pvc does not last long in the sun. Is that true?)
Sorry I don't know much about this stuff. But learning.
?
 

turtlesailor

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I’m relatively simple with my DIY filter.
A 5 gal bucket
PVC piping
And a fountain pump pumping 800 GPH.

I only use lava rocks as media. It been working well with my outdoor spotted turtle enclosure. My water was brown green now it crystal clear!
 

Relic

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Thank you for your suggestions! does the trash can hold up through out door sun, heat and winter cold pretty well?
Also are you using pvc pipes or the abs? (a friend told me that pvc does not last long in the sun. Is that true?)
Sorry I don't know much about this stuff. But learning.
?
No sun on mine - it's in the garage, makes it easier to keep an eye on it. Pond on side of house against a brick wall. Two small holes carefully chiseled through the wall into the garage for water lines (Flex hose). PVC doesn't do real good in prolonged sunshine, yet all pool equipment is PVC and it lasts just fine. But..as a precaution (and because the white plumbing is ugly) I have painted all my pool PVC plumbing flat brown to blend in with the landscaping. Keeps the UV off the plastic.
 

ZEROPILOT

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I finally had a camera outside today.
This is the type of filter I have on my 2 outdoor pool ponds.
Each are fed by a single 800 GPH pump inside the pond. Inside a pump "sock" to keep out debris.
Each has a valve to regulate the flow and an overflow outlet in case the media ever becomes packed.
Each are gravity returned by angled pipes to agitate the pond surface
 

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