I was just talking to a friend of mine today that I had not seen in awhile ... he built a huge pond a couple years ago and got plans for a DIY filter which he said did not have to clean at all last year. I will get the plans off him in the next couple days and post them. If I remember correctly it uses the large stock tanks that you get from UFA.

Anyone know of a pond related BB site? I have tons of filter questions :razz:

I have a pamphlet on a good filter system somewhere .. I'll take a look for it. basicly it is a skimmer box that goes at one end of the pond and another filter box that goes at the top of the waterfall. and a pump for going between them... hmmm i bet we could build something for about 1/5th the cost :mrgreen:

Steve

I was actually looking at a pressurized cannister that allows back flushing and internal plunge cleaning of the media. It has a built in UV and sits mostly below ground. About $800. I haven't decided on a surface skimmer or not just yet. I'm already at about 2 grand for parts.

here is a skimmer box condtruction
http://www.pondsonline.com/55906.htm

as for the filter end all you need is a continer, a bunch of bio balls and a filter media and you got your standard pond filter.

Steve

Go Biological!

no filters, uv's or skimmers. If you have the proper plants and substrate with a waterfall or stream of some sort (water circulation) you don't need any of that other stuff. Takes awhile to get going thou. This works in Vancouver's climate.

I've been meaning to get some pics up of mine, will do shortly.

I build Koi ponds, usually build my own bio filters out of 100 gallon rubbermaid horse water troughs... I can take a pic if interested....

also running a UV in a pond is a lifesaver on maintence time and additive costs, check out savio pond skimmers and filters for an amazing product line, I use their bio media in my rubbermaid filter and will be using their skimmer box and filters along with my own on the larger lower pond. my buddy is a savio distributor, let me know if interested he can ship them out anywhere...

this would be kinda useless concidering koi, goldfish and such eat plants.

I recomend a good bio filter with UV for a koi pond.

Steve

I think I'll be using a skimmer to feed some sort of biofilter box w/builtin UV, from their pumped to an overhanging tree stump water fall. The pond houses many large goldfish and a large turtle. Some plants will be placed in the pond, but the fish do love to dig them up for snacks!

We have had four successful koi ponds over the last 15 years. The original pond has one of the original koi.

You do not need a UV. You do not need a filter.

What you do need is a pond with a part of it deep enough to stop racoons and herons from eating your fish (four feet).

Lots and lots and lots of oxygenating plants bedded down in clay filled planting trays with stones covering the trays. Clay because it sticks together and does not foul the water. Stones to avoid koi using their noses to disturb the roots of the plants.

Keep the pond out of the sunny area of your yard but also not near trees that will drop things into the pond.

Salt the pond to keep the koi healthy and like marine, be very very fussy about the quality of the fish you are buying.