Koi Forum (Nishikigoi - Japanese Koi Fish): KOI Talk: Pond Water Quality: can I use sand swimingpool filter?: Page 2

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can I use sand swimingpool filter?

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KevKoi
Member

May 9, 2002, 12:12 AM

Post #26 of 30 (10959 views)
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Re: [thtan] can I use sand swimingpool filter? [In reply to]	Can't Post

SpudNuts
Koi Lover

Dec 1, 2004, 12:00 PM

Post #27 of 30 (8882 views)
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Re: [thtan] can I use sand swimingpool filter? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Alot of people talk alot of trash about using a Sand Filter for a pond, I think the only reason this is done is because the ones doing to trash talk are the same people trying to sell those super expensive bio filters.

I'm in the process of converting my 2 3000 gal ponds over to a single sand filter, the process is very simple.

1. Use a low amp pool pump with a strainer basket, you can get a high efficiency pump that only pulls about 4-5 amps and does around 70-80 gals per minute that's about 4000-5000 gals per hour. If your pond is already installed you just need to run your plumbing on top of your liner.
2. Remove all sand from the filter, sand is too fine for ponds and causes them to channelize and clog dialy. Remove the radials (Plastic arms at the bottom). I plan on replacing sand with 2" by 2" nylon filter pieces (Same as used for your home AC but cut into smaller pieces) those will cover about 4 inches of the bottom, those are followed by about 2000 plastic bio balls. Don't pack them in, allow alittle room for them to float (not too much though, won't allow for the bacteria to grow if your balls are floating all over the place).
3. Run your plumbing, i'm placing two drains in each pond, they will all come together to the pump inlet. From the pump to the filter, out of the filter to two 25watt UV lights. Then they will go to a waterfall in each pond.
4. After it's installed, I will have to monitor water flow to ensure one pond isn't getting more water than the other. Ball valves are placed on each waterfall so the flow can be adjusted as needed.
5. Make sure you install a check valve on the inlet of the pump, you don't want the water to backflow into the ponds.

My ponds are on the Koi Cymru web site: http://www.koicymru.co.uk/visa.htm

We converted a swimming pool into ponds and it's been a learning experience ever since. If anyone on here has ideas or can tell me how I can tweak this design please let me know but i've researched sand filter conversion for some time now and i'm pretty sure this will work. What I like the most about a sand filter is you can "Backflush" it, easy maintenance.

If you live in an area that gets pretty cold for an extended period of time (below 50 deg F), install airators, that way you can completely shut down the filtration system in the winter and the bubbles will keep up oxygen levels and keep the pond from freezing. If it gets really cold, you might need to keep the pump going because the air won't be enough.

Thanks
John

mike c
Koi Kichi

Dec 1, 2004, 3:26 PM

Post #28 of 30 (8868 views)
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Re: [SpudNuts] can I use sand swimingpool filter? [In reply to]	Can't Post

hi spudnuts,

aside from these 2 future ponds ... do u have ponds running with only a sand filter?
how long have they been running?

im also planning some future ponds and the multichamber filters are simply too space consuming.

thanks

____________________________________

If you know how it works, you'll know how to fix it

dynamictiger
Koi Lover

Dec 1, 2004, 6:59 PM

Post #29 of 30 (8861 views)
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Re: [hatemzalloum] can I use sand swimingpool filter? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Have a look at this thread http://www.koi.com.my/cgi-bin/koiforum/gforum.cgi?post=49726 this is based on practical experience as well as theory.

With a pond of the size you have turnover rate to power cost will be your largest concern. The answer to this is to spend time searching for a low head high flow pump.

In Australia we have pumps that can turn nearly 20000 litres per hour with a rating of about 300 watts.

The second consideration you need to make is to keep the pipe diameters as large as possible. In simple terms if the inlet of the pump is 50mm fit an 80mm pipe and likewise on the discharge. Keep the suction line as large and low as possible (if you are using a suction line), and the return line as large and direct as possible. This way if you ever upgrade the pump you are not limited by pipe diameters.

Using the formulas laid out it is possible to correctly size a sand filter to acheive a cycle of about a week on a medium load pond.

SpudNuts
Koi Lover

Dec 2, 2004, 5:29 AM

Post #30 of 30 (8841 views)
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Re: [aragorn] can I use sand swimingpool filter? [In reply to]	Can't Post

These are not future ponds, they are currently up and running but they are running on two 100gal stock tank home made multichamber filters.

I've been running these ponds this way for about 5 years but the maintenance on these filters are expensive and very time consuming. One chamber is using lava rock, cheap but they begin to channelize after about a year so I have to replace the 50lbs of lava rock each year in both filters.

I found the perfect pump, it only pulls 4.5 amps at 2HP, 115V. Right now I'm running 2 submersible pumps that run about 5amps each, 2 UV light (1.5amps total), 1 small pump for a fountain (1.5amps) and some landscaping lighting at about 3 amps. The breaker is only rated at 20 amps, needless to say i'm pushing it and it's costing me a bundle to run it 24/7. This pump will definately drop my power consumption because it will replace both submersibles and the fountain pump, a drop of 7 amps and with the airators that i'm also going to install i'll only have to run the filtration about 60% of the year.

The plumbing is 1.5inch ABS, I was going to go 2inch because I also heard that bigger is better, but was having problems finding 2inch connections for everything (Drains, Ball Valve, Check Valve, Filter, Pump, and UV lights), basically everything would be reduced to 1.5inch anyhow so I figure, go with the flow :)

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