We've had a pond for 10+ years, my wife has always bitched about how dirty it is, her life was an eternal struggle for clarity. Her filter was a grey box, about 16x16x16 with 2 small trays of barbecue rocks which were always slimed over. I was pretty much detached from it. I randomly found this, I like to build stuff, and followed your instructions. The pond is about 12:1300 gallons. Overnight. Clear, overnight. She thinks I am Superman. Thanks Brother.
This works AWESOME. At first I thought one of the seals was leaking but I forgot to glue one PVC connection and had a slight drip. Talk about easy to clean. My current pump is very small so it has taken 2-3 days to mostly clear up my pond. The nasty smelling water coming out when you clean it and all the dirt this thing traps is really amazing. Only had it running about a week now on a 800 gallon pond with new pond syndrome and a small submersible UV bulb was just added I got off amazon cheap. Pressurized filters do work great but there harder to clean IMO. I had a few before. I ended up sanding and painting it a hammered copper color to better blend with the landscape. Also at least for now I used a combination of K3 and a bunch of course sponge and furnace filter material I had laying around I cut up into cubes of various sizes and shapes. I added 1 Cubic foot of K3 and also I used a 40 gallon tote. Super easy - if you put your hips into it!
I watched your video and built one, but used a trash can from home depot. Everything else done was as you posted. We used K1 and filled it to about 15" below the shower drain. The pond is about 4000 gallons and was a mess. It was the start of the season and in one week we had major improvements. The end of week 2 we could see the bottom of the pond. We just pulled the waterfall filters which have been in service the whole time and are amazed they are not too bad. They used to be our only filter. Your filter system filter is extremely easy to clean. We do it everyday typically 2 flushes of the K-1 and its good, done in about 5 minutes or so. This is a great filter and I would highly recommend it. This is a great video! Thank you! Jeff the Executioner!
@@jeffakamax We used it all last summer we live in Ct. It was amazing the best the pond ever looked and the least we ever did to maintain it. Cant wait for this spring!
I have been assembling parts and have watched more than a dozen videos looking for the best and most informative information...I just found it. I have spent the big money on Pressure filters and 4 stage mesh filters and all the other crap. I have had a change in my pond over the last few months and it has gone from clear to a green tub of pea soup. chemicals have not helped. Frequently cleaning and water changes are very temporary. I will roll with this for now. Thank you. Clear, concise and direct conveyance of information. Well done .
I just had to stop by and say I built this unit recently and it took me a second to get it dialed in as far as pump size and draining but once I got it flowing this is thing is amazing!! Crystal clear to the bottom. I have 7-8 ducks that use it and i would have to change it once a week before this thing! It works great
Good to hear. Me and my daughter have one duck in our backyard and we are putting in a 40 gallon pond for him to play in. I'm thinking about scaling this down to a 5 gallon bucket
@@jeffakamax Had another question about cleaning the K2 once its gets full of stuff. In the video you mentioned you have a car wash brush or something. Can you elaborate on that?
Now that mines built I have some words of wisdom. I substituted from your list and found I'm not happy with my results because of it. So to sum this up shortly follow everything to a T and keep your connections simple. The main issues so far is mine leaks. What I found is Uniseals are awesome IF you are using plastic drums. If you are using a brute trash can or equivalent they suck. I had a hard time finding drums available in my area and because of this I figured I could sneak by with a trash can instead. I was wrong. The walls aren't even thick enough to keep the pvc in place. Next issue I ran into is to insure the over flow is A 6" minimum from the top of the barrel... 3" isnt enough. Ask me how I know. That sucked to clean up. 🙄 Although this isn't an issue in my case it may be in yours. I purchased a Doheny 3700 gph pool pump / strainer on a great sale and put a ball valve to reduce pressure down to around that 1500 ish range. I still don't think this is a bad option but some people may not like the added complexity. The final words of wisdom are beware of amazon pool fittings if you decide to use a hose to conect it to your pond. They are not NPT and you will Just waist a buch of time any money. I wanted to be able to easily drain and move my filter because we are building our house and everything will eventually have to move. That indever alone probably cost $100 just getting the hose, clamps, adapters, bushings, etc. It worked but I think if I where to do it again I'd just hard pipe the entire thing and cut it when I wanted to move it.
Hi, I have had a four barrel filtration system for the last 27 years. With a fifteen hundred gallon above ground pond. I have a baffle setup at the bottom, with a 1/2 inch pipe at the top, an air nozzle for the compressor, with gravel as the media. It takes me thirty minutes to clean all four filters every six to eight weeks, and my water is crystal clear. I have about thirty kois , most are above six pounds, and have had them over eighteen years.. It is a great system. Good luck.
I built one using a Brute trash can. It was a mistake. They aren't sturdy enough for the weight of the PVC. I made it work but I would recommend a drum as he uses in the video. K1 is a good static media but fluidizing doubles the effective surface area. I added a 9" airstone to the bottom. If you add an airstone put more holes for the outlet pipe.
FYI if anybody questions this: I just built this design in a 3 barrel system. 1 swirl, 2 with K1. My pond was clear in 24hrs. I knew it work, however I'm shocked at the results. Thanks so much for this video! This design is perfect! I highly reccomend!
I can't figure out how to add a picture, but, I just cut a rectangle out of the top of the drum, then put it back with some hinges for a lid. Works fine...
I built one of these using your specifications. This thing is no Joke. My pond is crystal clear. Seriously the best its ever been. I have a pad filter and a pressure filter for sale if anyone is interested. Pressure filter has UV too. LOL
Update - I can read the date off a dime on the bottom of my pond. cleaning the filter is so easy and combines water changes with filter cleaning in one step! I added UV and a couple aerating stones. Have a mix of media. And I found a really large shower drain I used that was heavy duty PVC and gave me a lot of surface area for holes. Not a problem or leak and super simple and robust construction. Some areas the K4 is static and some areas it moves. Seems to work fine so far for my needs.I think adding the large chunks of course sponge works well for mechanical. Most reside at the bottom but some float to the top too. I used a 40 gallon. My pond is 800 gallons
Just ordered the parts. Think I will go with a 40 gallon container since my pond is only 800 gallons. Probably paint the exterior of the container too, (make it blend better). Looks like an awesome design and super easy to maintain. Win/Win!
This is awesome thank you so much !I This literally saved me a 1k. I was gonna drop on an AST filter. The biological filtration is no joke. I am running this in a way overstocked tilapia setup with just the one static 55 gallon filter about 3 cuft of media. Right now feeding a little over a half pound of feed a day and ammonia is zero and nitrites are zero! Im gonna add another one of these bad boys and I should be good for the rest of the grow out.
How are the jebao pumps holding up in freshwater? I usually only get 1.5-2 years out of them in a saltwater environment. Also, best places to purchase K1? Appreciate your design Jeff!
Cool. Think I'll do something like this as a pre-filter off my intake bay and bottom drain but have my return go to regeneration zones within the pond. I'm wondering if I'm pulling from both intake bay and bottom drain if my pump should be in the barrel or in another tank outside the barrel? And trying to figure out how to do my clean out if I bury the barrel.
Great design, I heard you say around 2500gph if you increase the inlet and outlet sizes would a stronger pump be ok? I have a 5000gph pump I was going to make one of these as pure mechanical and the the outlet feed into a if and attach to my shower for bio
I wouldn't recommend much more flow. Too high of flow reduces efficiency as the increases turbulence won't allow particulate to be cohesive and clump together. I have 3100 pump going through mine now with about 2700 actual flow
Enjoyed the video - want to build one of these asap - Question: Where do you find those drums so cheap ? Every place I see themj - they are 80-100 bucks each.
I have a question regarding how high I can place the output into my pond. I would like the filter about 10 feet away from the pond and to have the plumbing underground then come back up and into the pond, the water level leaving the filter would be higher than the entry level into the waterfall/pond. Is that possible to gravity feed down a PVC pipe, across a span then gravity feed UP to the output IF it is lower than the filter output height? How much lower would it need to be do you think? Also another question if I add air to this to make it a fluidized/moving bed, will the mechanical filtration pretty much be lost and it would become more of a bio filter only? Thoughts? I painted the 40G food grade blue barrel a hammered brown and looks great! Less than one can of paint too.
As long as the output is below the running level of the drum, it will gravity feed. Minimal drop, long runs, etc. Will diminish it's flow...BUT this can be overcome to a point with larger diameter piping on the return. You may have to experiment a bit for your exact situation. Static media is mechanical. You will get some biological given properties the k1. Fluidized beds are strictly biological. The constant churning of media knocks off old dying bacteria and opens new real estate for young thriving bacteria. The constant churning makes it useless as a mechanical filter though. You can always add an additional barrel if you feel you need more dedicated biological filtration. You can reference my 3 drum system for an example. Keep me posted, good luck!
Good stuff. My only concern at this point is how the media may rise over the shower drain, impeded drainage, and eventually have water overflow the drum if you aren't watching it on a daily basis. I imagine you would need to be more vigilant in warmer months. Have you thought of some kind of media netting to control expansion of media or some kind of perforated barrier below the elevation of the shower drain? I'd like to design something vacation proof.
The media rises as it becomes clogged and exposes cleaner media to the drain. Early spring I clean daily and it's quite full. I've missed days and never had an overflow issue in years.
JEFF ASKING BECAUSE I TOO WENT THROUGH LIKE 6 POND MAX FILTERS, I HAVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND KEEPING MY 500 GALLON KOI POND CLEAN & CLEAR IS SO TUFF FOR ME. I WILL PAY YOU FOR ONE. P L E A S E :MICHAEL VEGAS STRONG 2023
Love your filter videos. I just built a 4500 gallon duck pond, and just picked up a 4500 gph pump from Harbor Freight. Is that too high a flow, and how many barrels filters would you suggest I connect together?
Ducks are filthy, i would do a 3 barrel system. 4500 is a bit high but depending on head height and how much pipe you use your flow will be considerably less. You could always throttle it down a bit with a valve if needed.
Absolutely. I've used single drum setups for up to 2000 gallons successfully. Of course your bio load is the main factor. Be sure to use 2.5 or so c.f. of media.
Would throwing a uv light in the bottom of the barrel be effective ? Maybe something holding the media up a few inches about the clean out and uv light underneath ?
I run a fluidized barrel as the last barrel on my 3 barrel system. I put an elbow pointed up on the feed and an airstone. Check out some of the videos on my channel and you can see it in action.
How big of a pump do you need. Seems like with where you have the entry line from the pump it would take a lot of pressure to fill the barrel up to the shower drain overflow.
I am not an untrained monkey but rather a girl with some tools and minimal knowledge. Currently running two of the pressure filters and you’re absolutely right I hate them! I hate them mostly because the cleaning is a nightmare. My pond is overstocked I admit but I can’t find people to give fish to. My question is do you have a list that someone could use to build this?
enjoy the videos. with a single 50 gal drum for a 1000g raised tank would you go static or liquidized? the setup I'm building is a 2300 gph pump through a aquascape pressure with UV into a 50gal drum. curious what your advice will be. thanks,
Jeff. I built a pressurized filter with a pickle drum. I'm moving my filter location and want to add a second drum to separate mech and bio filtration. Do you think K1 would still work in a pressurized barrel? Currently I've got 6 layers of matala and 1000 bioballs, with UV on the separate fountain pump. I keep clear water and currently clean when the 5 ft bottom isn't crystal clear in the shade, but my fish are small and I'm trying to optimize what I put in the two drums without scrapping everything I've got.
What stops overflow from this filter? This video came up #2 on my search for home made pressurized biofilters. I am quite frustrated with my biofilter deciding that it is going to overflow, and then a few hours later my pond is empty. I'd love to stick with gravity drain biofilter, but it seems to me that overflow is always a risk.
If you were to neglect regular cleaning, the media is forced up and eventually out of the drum allowing the water to continue to return to the pond. When the media rises over my return drain I know its time to flush it. I've never heard of one overflowing although I suppose it's possible if severely neglected.
So I watched your video and made a filter for my 650 gallon pond. My question to you is what kind of pond pump would you recommend and what kind do you use on your pond
Initially I saw a video to do rock in stead of K1 media, but I'm planning on using the K1 media instead. I really like the idea of using it due to more surface area. I'm doing a bit of upgrade on my pond since I was stupid last year and left the damn water on over the weekend and killed all my Koi.....ugh!! Thought it would be a good time to upgrade my filtration. I think my pond is 1500 gallons. I'm planning on using a 1000 gph Laguna inside of a home made skimmer and output to the waterfall. I also purchased a 3000 gph Atlantic Tidalwave TT3000 pump to pump into a 2 barrel filtration system like the one you have. What I'm thinking is I will use the first barrel for mechanical filtration and the second barrel as a biological filtration. My questions are: 1) Should I use K1 media for both? 2) For the 2nd barrel biological filtration, should I put a small aerator in it?
You can absolutely run K in both. I use K3 in my first filter as it's mainly mechanical . Yes, an aerator is a great idea for your moving media. I have videos showing my fluidized barrel with aeration.
@@jeffakamax One more question. When I go to clean the barrels, I'm guessing I just more city water in the pond to replace the water that was removed from the barrels, right?
Hi Jeff - Newbie over here. Going to build this single barrel filter for my 800 gallon pond but was curious if you can share the measurements of where to drill the holes. I don't know if I'm drilling low enough from the top and low enough on the bottom. Any shared wisdom is appreciated, thanks!
Not in this configuration. This is a mechanical filtration setup. A fluidized filter is strictly for biological filtration and will not remove solids. Check my other videos for my 3 barrel system, the last barrel on that setup is fluidized.
How often do you have to clean this? I set up a cheap bucket filter for my mom’s outdoor fish pond and it works well and completely cleaned out the pond but I am cleaning the bucket a couple times a week...yours makes more sense but just wondering how often it needs to be cleaned
So I have an estimated 90k gal natural retaining pond that I've put koi and goldfish in. For 2-3 years been getting by with vegetation to keep clean, but want to work on water clarity now. Would I need 5 of these in series to cover that size pond? I dont want to break the bank with trying to turn that volume of water daily.
Thumb up. I plan my little pond for my turtles, but I have a question: a barrel filter will be good but I have to place the barrel at the basement the pond level. With water pump inside just above Inlet tube . The water come from bottom drain and pumped to waterfall. But I have an issue: how can I do the maintenance? All murky will drop off at the bottom but is underground....
Very good job Jeff, well done. With 2500-3000 gph pump, would you think there's enough pressure coming from the return to connect to a 1 inch line that feeds the waterfall? I have a bio-falls system already but this would be a secondary system piped to the rocks of the waterfall.
Being a gravity return, a 1" line won't provide enough flow for a 2500 gph pump. You may get away with a 1.5" line if you have a decent amount of drop.
hey Jeff, i have an up-flow filter(raised pond). Water comes thru a diy retro bottom drain, to a large trashcan, goes thru layers of mats. The pump is at the top of the trashcan. The overflow is a hole at the top of the trashcan at the height of the pond. I want to replace the mats with k1. Will the pump work in the k1 and can I replace at one time? Or do I need to leave some of the mats in while the k1 cycle?
Replacing the mats with K1 should work fine. You will want a check valve or strainer on the incoming line to stop the media from back flushing into the pond. A strainer on the pump also to keep it out of the pump. as long as your pond is established, you should be OK just replacing the media. K1 seeds very rapidly with bacteria. An additional boost of some Calcium Carbonate (Baking soda) will help jump start the new bacteria.
I talked to Jeff about 2 years ago and finally got around to replacing a Pondmaster pressure filter with a single barrel filter last month. I was hoping to post some pictures but I guess it can't be done here. I got a 55 gal. barrel for $20 here in NJ and filled with about 3 sq ft. of K1 (about 18" of media). I have an Oase 3700 Waterfall pump which has a flow of about 1400 gph when it reaches the barrel (close to 40 feet and 7-8 foot rise from pump to barrel). I used 11/2" all around because I didn't want to replumb the inflow and outflow connections to my waterfall container. I still have a Laguna pressure filter hooked to pump #2 and thinking about replacing that one next season. I'm still having ammonia issues and seeing fish poo get through to the waterfall so I'm not sure which filter is the issue, the Laguna or the barrel?
I want to build a set of three, and they will be about 15' away into a pond raised 2 feet high.Will i need a pump in and a pump out due to te distance and the pond being raised, or it's there enough flow to make it 15 feet and up over the edge?
Dual pumps never works. They will never be exact flow rates and you will eventually starve or overflow the filter. Your best bet would be to raise the drums and allow a gravity return.
Hi Jeff ..I built one of your 55 gallon pumps with 4 kilogrammes of k1 media inside- I think I can add more. It's great. The problem is the pump has broken and I am going to buy a new one. What kind of flow is optimal for a one barrel filter please? Is 10,000-18,000 litre/hour too much? I really appreciate all the info that you post.
I'd like to know where your getting barrels so cheap I see them for like 70ish. If u could post a link or just tell me where I'd love to buy several lol cheers
You can PUMP OUT to the waterfall if you have a GRAVITY IN FEED. Or PUMP IN and GRAVITY RETURN. Pumping in and out is impossible as you will never match both pumps exactly.
Great video thanks.......the drain pipe....you drill holes through the 1 1/2 inch PVC but don't cap the end correct? Outside has the gate valve. Why are the holes needed in the drain pipe? Thanks in advance. I plan on using this design for a freshwater stingray tank......
@@monichippewa2232 could but I wouldn't recommend it. My testing shows these will effectively filter down to about 50 micron. Pool sand filters are effective down to 5 to 20 micron typically.
Hey Jeff, I built mine at the beginning of summer, and it worked great until just recently when I moved the barrel to a new pond that I dug with a plastic liner, and now it just keeps overfilling and dumping all of my pond water out onto the ground Over the lid do you have any recommendations?
@@jeffakamaxdo you think I need to swap the pvc check for a 2”? My pump only supports up to 1.25” tubing, so I’ll have to go from 1.25” to 2” back down to 1.5” for my current check valve setup
We’re implementing this on a 400 gallon, 3-duck pond, feeding 2 Aquaponics grow beds (another drum, split in half. Ducks are filthy) May I ask where you procure your media? I’m seeing prices in the $200+ range for the 2-3 cu ft of k1 recommended. Thanks; our sediment filter with the grow beds just isn’t enough.
Thank you for the prompt reply, Jeff. 1 last question, please? How critical are pvc dia and outflow “drop”? I could sacrifice our last barrel, but: 1.) the current sediment filter has 1” in and out, laid out correctly for us. Would like using if possible. 2.) I’d ideally like the downspout from the shower drain being shorter. Both seem okay for our size and 1000 gph rated pump (likely circa 500 gph after run and head height.) Thanks for helping us dipsticks. Will comment/praise once we’re running.
@@jeffyu6012 outflow rates are directly dependant on GPH, drop and diameter. Given the flow rates you mentioned, 1 inch with a decent drop would probably be fine. Keep me posted!
Hi Jeff, I plan on doing this for my 900 gallon pond Im making. I can't find that shower drain, where did you find it? A link would be much appreciated. Also a link for the pump would be great. I found the media on eBay and the uniseals on Amazon. Thanks in advance.
Yes. Check my videos for my 3 drum system on one of my ponds. A fluidized bed is strictly for biological filtration and won't offer any mechanical filtration. This is why fluidized beds are always placed after mechanical filtration.
Would this system work if submersible pump is placed outside pond in a 2nd barrel receiving the outflow of the mechanical filter, and then sending outflow water to pond? I want to use for 100 -200 gallon duck pond and want to reduce chance of pump being clogged with duck waste. Any help is appreciatrewd.
If I understand correctly, you want to pre-filter before the pump then send to the drums? You could also run a leaf basket before the pump. I do this on the submerged pump on my bottom drain that feeds my drums. Are you gravity feeding your pre filter?
@@jeffakamax Jeff, Yes I want a pre filter to pump due to excessive waste ducks produce. The leaf filter will probably work. If I go with a 2nd tank to contain submersible pump it would also be a gravity type container
I have ducks. Ducks leave lots of poo/muck and debris like feathers behind. Is this filter media sufficient for this or is there a change to the setup or media that you would recommend? Is there a pump you would recommend for that, as well?
I have installed these on customers duck ponds with great success. The ideal flow rate is 2500 gph. I use submersible DC jebao pumps. They are cheap and very efficient. The key to duck ponds is a good skimmer and/or bottom drain setup to remove the mess they leave behind.
Jeff theExecutioner Do you have a suggestion/how-to on a skimmer setup? I’m looking at around a 2’-3’ Deep, probably 10’ long by 5’ wide pond, so probably 900ish gallons. I have absolutely 0 pond experience. We only have 5 ducks.
Check this czcams.com/video/Yy14pcG4jSI/video.html Discharge should be as close to bottom as possible. The shower drain can be adjusted as needed. I usually set them up about 6" below the top rim of the drum so the media sits a few inches below the rim when in use.
Hi. Cam across a few of your videos, learning a lot. I'm a newbie with pond and maintenance. I have about 900gl pond with 4x 18" koi. Trying to build one barrel just like yours. However I have a few questions that hopefuly you can help me with. I already have a 2800gph pump. Should the output pipe be 3" or 2" enough? Should I fill up to half the barrel with k1 (is that about 3cft)? And do you think that's enough to get my pond clear? Or should I add foam and other media onto of the k1, and if so wouldn't it make it more difficult to clean (where as just k1, I can just push the media up and down and drain)? Thank you so much for your time.
a single drum with 2cf of media should be fine for your pond size. I'd stick with just the K1 for ease of cleaning. a 2" gravity drain should be fine with the pump you already have. I have a video on my channel that shows my cleaning procedure. good luck, let me know how it turns out and feel free to ask if you have any further questions.
@@jeffakamax thanks for the insights. Do you have any recommendation of online store to get K1 media? They are so expensive. Thank you. Oh and I will definitely update you on the build.
@@jeffakamax hi Jeff. I’m thinking of getting the submersible UV. My question is can I just put it in inside the drum and exposed all the water in the drum or will that kill all the bacteria we want. Or maybe I can make a pvc housing for the light then submerge it in the drum. Or third, I’ll just put the light inside the outlet pipe into the pond. What do you think. I’m hoping you will choose the first option lol. Thanks.
@@stevanusibrahim9648 if you are doing a single drum id put it in the return line to the pond. In a multiple drum system the UV can go in the first drum as most biological bacteria will be in the drums downstream.
Does the cleaning process effect biological bacteria at all? What size pump do you recommend? What does water clarity look like with no using a floss media?
If flushing with pond water, no loss of beneficial bacteria. 2500 to 3000 gph seems to work well. Slower is always more effective than faster flow. The k1 media in my system is effective down to 50 micron which is incredible. I have a video testing this. Water clarity is excellent.
@jeffakamax awesome info. I'll be making this for my 1100 gallon cichlid pond. You just saved me lots of money I might just use that money to a prefilter box for my pump that has some course sponges in it. How often do you recommend flushing?
A single 3 barrel system will be more then adequate. The pond shown in most of my videos is 5500 gallons. Your bio load (how many fish/how much food) is what dictates the amount of filtration needed. a single barrel will be OK with a light bio load.
Hi Jeff, im planning on building your filter design for duck pond. This is purely for keeping the pond clean, would I be wiser to use K1 or K3. im looking to reduce flushing of the filter from a daily if possible, to weekly or longer.
Hi @@jeffakamax Thank you for taking the time to reply, it really is appreciated. My setup is for a duckpond. I'm guessing the water does not have to be as crystal as one would need for a fish pond quality, I'm looking to support more so the mechanical side of filtering (I think), if you have any advise that would be great.
@@paulrees-businessmindset the larger media might be a better option given the high amount of solids ducks produce. Dont get frustrated about cleaning frequency. I've built a few duck pond setups and the owners tell me... its always filthy.! I tell them yeah, because its working.
@@jeffakamax I'm thinking maybe a two drum option, first drum to take the load and second to fine tune, what's your thoughts on media option please Jeff. Also I have a radio show, would love to guest you on.
We've had a pond for 10+ years, my wife has always bitched about how dirty it is, her life was an eternal struggle for clarity. Her filter was a grey box, about 16x16x16 with 2 small trays of barbecue rocks which were always slimed over. I was pretty much detached from it. I randomly found this, I like to build stuff, and followed your instructions. The pond is about 12:1300 gallons. Overnight. Clear, overnight. She thinks I am Superman. Thanks Brother.
Thats great! Enjoy your new superhero status.
This is awesome and it really works good. Watched this video for about 4 times and finally built it last week. Works awesome. Thanks for the video!
Fantastic. Let me know what you think after a few weeks once the bacteria establishes.
This works AWESOME. At first I thought one of the seals was leaking but I forgot to glue one PVC connection and had a slight drip. Talk about easy to clean. My current pump is very small so it has taken 2-3 days to mostly clear up my pond. The nasty smelling water coming out when you clean it and all the dirt this thing traps is really amazing. Only had it running about a week now on a 800 gallon pond with new pond syndrome and a small submersible UV bulb was just added I got off amazon cheap. Pressurized filters do work great but there harder to clean IMO. I had a few before. I ended up sanding and painting it a hammered copper color to better blend with the landscape. Also at least for now I used a combination of K3 and a bunch of course sponge and furnace filter material I had laying around I cut up into cubes of various sizes and shapes. I added 1 Cubic foot of K3 and also I used a 40 gallon tote. Super easy - if you put your hips into it!
Awesome! Thanks for the update.
I watched your video and built one, but used a trash can from home depot. Everything else done was as you posted. We used K1 and filled it to about 15" below the shower drain. The pond is about 4000 gallons and was a mess. It was the start of the season and in one week we had major improvements. The end of week 2 we could see the bottom of the pond. We just pulled the waterfall filters which have been in service the whole time and are amazed they are not too bad. They used to be our only filter. Your filter system filter is extremely easy to clean. We do it everyday typically 2 flushes of the K-1 and its good, done in about 5 minutes or so. This is a great filter and I would highly recommend it. This is a great video! Thank you! Jeff the Executioner!
Awesome! Wait til the bacteria colonizes the K1, then then the clarity gets real.
@@jeffakamax We used it all last summer we live in Ct. It was amazing the best the pond ever looked and the least we ever did to maintain it. Cant wait for this spring!
@@rb91458 thats awesome!
I have been assembling parts and have watched more than a dozen videos looking for the best and most informative information...I just found it. I have spent the big money on Pressure filters and 4 stage mesh filters and all the other crap. I have had a change in my pond over the last few months and it has gone from clear to a green tub of pea soup. chemicals have not helped. Frequently cleaning and water changes are very temporary. I will roll with this for now. Thank you. Clear, concise and direct conveyance of information. Well done .
This is great, plan on using this design for a freshwater sting ray tank. Simply yet extremely effective. Thanks for sharing.
Hello fellow =w= fan!
You rock bro!!! Very informative! Thank you!
watched all your videos.. tks for all the tips!!
Thx pond is much clearer. Glad I found your vid.
Wait a few weeks until the bacteria colonization the media, that's when the water clarity will really become noticeable.
Great videos man can’t wait to see more
Thanks Jeff great vid
I appreciate the input on the filter, but I love the fan! I've got a few just like it!
Trying your filter method, waiting on media to ship in. I’ll let you know how it works. Thanks for the idea!!!
Keep me posted!
Fantastic filter good content buddy 💯 iv got a d.i y system apart from my vortex 😁 iv made everything simple and easy runs a 7,000 liter pond 😎👍🐟
I just had to stop by and say I built this unit recently and it took me a second to get it dialed in as far as pump size and draining but once I got it flowing this is thing is amazing!! Crystal clear to the bottom. I have 7-8 ducks that use it and i would have to change it once a week before this thing! It works great
Excellent! Duck ponds are notoriously hard to keep clean, good to hear you got it fine tuned and working!
Good to hear. Me and my daughter have one duck in our backyard and we are putting in a 40 gallon pond for him to play in. I'm thinking about scaling this down to a 5 gallon bucket
@@jeffakamax Had another question about cleaning the K2 once its gets full of stuff. In the video you mentioned you have a car wash brush or something. Can you elaborate on that?
@@rupe1768 czcams.com/video/uTtiemydpqM/video.html
You just saved me hundreds of dollars ty
thanks man sweet build filter
Now that mines built I have some words of wisdom. I substituted from your list and found I'm not happy with my results because of it. So to sum this up shortly follow everything to a T and keep your connections simple.
The main issues so far is mine leaks. What I found is Uniseals are awesome IF you are using plastic drums. If you are using a brute trash can or equivalent they suck. I had a hard time finding drums available in my area and because of this I figured I could sneak by with a trash can instead. I was wrong. The walls aren't even thick enough to keep the pvc in place.
Next issue I ran into is to insure the over flow is A 6" minimum from the top of the barrel... 3" isnt enough. Ask me how I know. That sucked to clean up. 🙄
Although this isn't an issue in my case it may be in yours. I purchased a Doheny 3700 gph pool pump / strainer on a great sale and put a ball valve to reduce pressure down to around that 1500 ish range. I still don't think this is a bad option but some people may not like the added complexity.
The final words of wisdom are beware of amazon pool fittings if you decide to use a hose to conect it to your pond. They are not NPT and you will Just waist a buch of time any money. I wanted to be able to easily drain and move my filter because we are building our house and everything will eventually have to move. That indever alone probably cost $100 just getting the hose, clamps, adapters, bushings, etc. It worked but I think if I where to do it again I'd just hard pipe the entire thing and cut it when I wanted to move it.
Hi,
I have had a four barrel filtration system for the last 27 years.
With a fifteen hundred gallon above ground pond.
I have a baffle setup at the bottom, with a 1/2 inch pipe at the top, an air nozzle for the compressor, with gravel as the media.
It takes me thirty minutes to clean all four filters every six to eight weeks, and my water is crystal clear.
I have about thirty kois , most are above six pounds, and have had them over eighteen years..
It is a great system. Good luck.
Bird man filters work great but are harder to clean.
I built one using a Brute trash can. It was a mistake. They aren't sturdy enough for the weight of the PVC. I made it work but I would recommend a drum as he uses in the video. K1 is a good static media but fluidizing doubles the effective surface area. I added a 9" airstone to the bottom. If you add an airstone put more holes for the outlet pipe.
Thank you for the video. Threw out the useless pressure filter and repurposed the sponge filter on the output. Water cleared in 2 days.
Pressure filters have no place in a pond environment, they cannot handle the amount of solids produced... as you well know.
FYI if anybody questions this: I just built this design in a 3 barrel system. 1 swirl, 2 with K1. My pond was clear in 24hrs. I knew it work, however I'm shocked at the results. Thanks so much for this video! This design is perfect! I highly reccomend!
Excellent!
I'm trying a similar system...think imessed up cutting the lid off.cut into the side..not down into it..isn't round anymore
Look for drums with the removable lid
I can't figure out how to add a picture, but, I just cut a rectangle out of the top of the drum, then put it back with some hinges for a lid. Works fine...
Dannywhite how many gallons is your pond? I'm building a 4000 gal. pond and wondering if 2 55 gal drums would do the trick.
I built one of these using your specifications. This thing is no Joke. My pond is crystal clear. Seriously the best its ever been. I have a pad filter and a pressure filter for sale if anyone is interested. Pressure filter has UV too. LOL
Thank you! I still argue with people regularly who tell me these will never work... Wait til your bacteria colonizes, then you will see real clarity!
Thanks for you video!!!
Hey Jeff I was wondering if you had a amazon list of everything you used for this? Im hoping to build one for my duck pond!
Did you end up doing this for your duck pond? Did it work?
Update - I can read the date off a dime on the bottom of my pond. cleaning the filter is so easy and combines water changes with filter cleaning in one step! I added UV and a couple aerating stones. Have a mix of media. And I found a really large shower drain I used that was heavy duty PVC and gave me a lot of surface area for holes. Not a problem or leak and super simple and robust construction. Some areas the K4 is static and some areas it moves. Seems to work fine so far for my needs.I think adding the large chunks of course sponge works well for mechanical. Most reside at the bottom but some float to the top too. I used a 40 gallon. My pond is 800 gallons
Fantastic! Glad you're happy with it.
Just ordered the parts. Think I will go with a 40 gallon container since my pond is only 800 gallons. Probably paint the exterior of the container too, (make it blend better). Looks like an awesome design and super easy to maintain. Win/Win!
Let me know how it turns out!
Hey Jeff, can you post a list of all the items needed for this build? (besides the barrel)
This is awesome thank you so much !I This literally saved me a 1k. I was gonna drop on an AST filter. The biological filtration is no joke. I am running this in a way overstocked tilapia setup with just the one static 55 gallon filter about 3 cuft of media. Right now feeding a little over a half pound of feed a day and ammonia is zero and nitrites are zero! Im gonna add another one of these bad boys and I should be good for the rest of the grow out.
Good to hear!
Never mind Jeff I just found your other video showing the 2 1/2 and 3 inch hole saws.
Thanks for the video
I am going to Build a pond 1100 gallons and I was planning to buy Nexus 220 which is $1800. Thanks for sharing
Nexus makes a decent filter but the price it outrageous. Let me know how it turns out.
How are the jebao pumps holding up in freshwater? I usually only get 1.5-2 years out of them in a saltwater environment. Also, best places to purchase K1? Appreciate your design Jeff!
hi, nice job. if you fix a reducer to your 90 degree inlet it will increase pressure causing the whirlpool effect. 40mm to 32mm
Cool. Think I'll do something like this as a pre-filter off my intake bay and bottom drain but have my return go to regeneration zones within the pond. I'm wondering if I'm pulling from both intake bay and bottom drain if my pump should be in the barrel or in another tank outside the barrel? And trying to figure out how to do my clean out if I bury the barrel.
You would need a pre filter or leaf basket if the pump is in the barrel. Cleaning the pump might be difficult in the barrel.
Thanks I love it works great
Good to hear!
@@jeffakamax how long do you let your barrel sit before you drain some of the water out of the bottom of it
@@stevenruppe for cleaning? Just agitate it like crazy and drain.
very true! i agree!
Great design, I heard you say around 2500gph if you increase the inlet and outlet sizes would a stronger pump be ok? I have a 5000gph pump I was going to make one of these as pure mechanical and the the outlet feed into a if and attach to my shower for bio
I wouldn't recommend much more flow. Too high of flow reduces efficiency as the increases turbulence won't allow particulate to be cohesive and clump together. I have 3100 pump going through mine now with about 2700 actual flow
Thanks for the video! I’m going to be building at least 1 soon. Where do you buy your media from?
I just got mine off Amazon from a company in California.... did my research... best price... 6 cubic feet
Enjoyed the video - want to build one of these asap - Question: Where do you find those drums so cheap ? Every place I see themj - they are 80-100 bucks each.
Where are you locared?
I have a question regarding how high I can place the output into my pond. I would like the filter about 10 feet away from the pond and to have the plumbing underground then come back up and into the pond, the water level leaving the filter would be higher than the entry level into the waterfall/pond. Is that possible to gravity feed down a PVC pipe, across a span then gravity feed UP to the output IF it is lower than the filter output height? How much lower would it need to be do you think? Also another question if I add air to this to make it a fluidized/moving bed, will the mechanical filtration pretty much be lost and it would become more of a bio filter only? Thoughts? I painted the 40G food grade blue barrel a hammered brown and looks great! Less than one can of paint too.
As long as the output is below the running level of the drum, it will gravity feed. Minimal drop, long runs, etc. Will diminish it's flow...BUT this can be overcome to a point with larger diameter piping on the return. You may have to experiment a bit for your exact situation.
Static media is mechanical. You will get some biological given properties the k1. Fluidized beds are strictly biological. The constant churning of media knocks off old dying bacteria and opens new real estate for young thriving bacteria. The constant churning makes it useless as a mechanical filter though. You can always add an additional barrel if you feel you need more dedicated biological filtration. You can reference my 3 drum system for an example.
Keep me posted, good luck!
Good stuff. My only concern at this point is how the media may rise over the shower drain, impeded drainage, and eventually have water overflow the drum if you aren't watching it on a daily basis. I imagine you would need to be more vigilant in warmer months. Have you thought of some kind of media netting to control expansion of media or some kind of perforated barrier below the elevation of the shower drain? I'd like to design something vacation proof.
The media rises as it becomes clogged and exposes cleaner media to the drain. Early spring I clean daily and it's quite full. I've missed days and never had an overflow issue in years.
what size of hole saws do you use to cut the holes for the 2 inch and 1 1/2 inch pipe?
Hi, great video. I was wondering if you can/should add a UV light to this build?
You could add a UV to the first drum or in the return line to the pond.
JEFF I LOVE IT. WONDERING IF YOUR NEAR LAS VEGAS, NV.
JEFF ASKING BECAUSE I TOO WENT THROUGH LIKE 6 POND MAX FILTERS, I HAVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND KEEPING MY 500 GALLON KOI POND CLEAN & CLEAR IS SO TUFF FOR ME. I WILL PAY YOU FOR ONE. P L E A S E :MICHAEL VEGAS STRONG 2023
@@michaelfirestone7440 I'm in Illinois unfortunately... I wonder what shipping would be?
Good morning, thank you for the video. Can I use the same system in a 30 gallon plastic barrel instead of a 55 gallon.
Sure can
Love your filter videos. I just built a 4500 gallon duck pond, and just picked up a 4500 gph pump from Harbor Freight. Is that too high a flow, and how many barrels filters would you suggest I connect together?
Ducks are filthy, i would do a 3 barrel system. 4500 is a bit high but depending on head height and how much pipe you use your flow will be considerably less. You could always throttle it down a bit with a valve if needed.
@@jeffakamax Thanks Jeff! To be clear, how many barrels should I use in my system? For that pond, 13 ducks and 4 geese use it...
@@3CWare edited my typos above.
Great video Jeff! If I made this, would it be able stand alone and be my only source of filtration for my 500 gallon pond?
Absolutely. I've used single drum setups for up to 2000 gallons successfully. Of course your bio load is the main factor. Be sure to use 2.5 or so c.f. of media.
Jeff theExecutioner Awesome! I’ll give it a shot. Thanks for the help.
Would throwing a uv light in the bottom of the barrel be effective ? Maybe something holding the media up a few inches about the clean out and uv light underneath ?
I wouldn't on a single barrel system as you would sacrifice all your good bacteria in the drum.
Hi, could you put an air pump in to make it a fluidised bed filter? Or would it need other modifications?
I run a fluidized barrel as the last barrel on my 3 barrel system. I put an elbow pointed up on the feed and an airstone. Check out some of the videos on my channel and you can see it in action.
How big of a pump do you need. Seems like with where you have the entry line from the pump it would take a lot of pressure to fill the barrel up to the shower drain overflow.
2500 to 3000gph is the most efficient. I run a 3100gph submersible pump that flows about 2500 in reality.
I am not an untrained monkey but rather a girl with some tools and minimal knowledge. Currently running two of the pressure filters and you’re absolutely right I hate them! I hate them mostly because the cleaning is a nightmare. My pond is overstocked I admit but I can’t find people to give fish to. My question is do you have a list that someone could use to build this?
I have another video with a parts breakdown. If you still have questions, let me know.
enjoy the videos. with a single 50 gal drum for a 1000g raised tank would you go static or liquidized? the setup I'm building is a 2300 gph pump through a aquascape pressure with UV into a 50gal drum. curious what your advice will be. thanks,
Static if only a single drum
@@jeffakamax thanks. I'm having great luck going back and forth giving the air pump a break mid-day during the heat of the day. Built a mini bog too.
Jeff. I built a pressurized filter with a pickle drum. I'm moving my filter location and want to add a second drum to separate mech and bio filtration. Do you think K1 would still work in a pressurized barrel?
Currently I've got 6 layers of matala and 1000 bioballs, with UV on the separate fountain pump. I keep clear water and currently clean when the 5 ft bottom isn't crystal clear in the shade, but my fish are small and I'm trying to optimize what I put in the two drums without scrapping everything I've got.
K1 will work in a pressurized environment. Adding an airstone will help the bacteria if you can manage.
What stops overflow from this filter? This video came up #2 on my search for home made pressurized biofilters. I am quite frustrated with my biofilter deciding that it is going to overflow, and then a few hours later my pond is empty. I'd love to stick with gravity drain biofilter, but it seems to me that overflow is always a risk.
If you were to neglect regular cleaning, the media is forced up and eventually out of the drum allowing the water to continue to return to the pond. When the media rises over my return drain I know its time to flush it. I've never heard of one overflowing although I suppose it's possible if severely neglected.
So I watched your video and made a filter for my 650 gallon pond. My question to you is what kind of pond pump would you recommend and what kind do you use on your pond
For 650 gallons I'd run an 1800gph or so pump. I've had good luck with alpine cyclone pumps, or jebao if you want something more efficient.
Initially I saw a video to do rock in stead of K1 media, but I'm planning on using the K1 media instead. I really like the idea of using it due to more surface area. I'm doing a bit of upgrade on my pond since I was stupid last year and left the damn water on over the weekend and killed all my Koi.....ugh!! Thought it would be a good time to upgrade my filtration. I think my pond is 1500 gallons. I'm planning on using a 1000 gph Laguna inside of a home made skimmer and output to the waterfall. I also purchased a 3000 gph Atlantic Tidalwave TT3000 pump to pump into a 2 barrel filtration system like the one you have. What I'm thinking is I will use the first barrel for mechanical filtration and the second barrel as a biological filtration. My questions are: 1) Should I use K1 media for both? 2) For the 2nd barrel biological filtration, should I put a small aerator in it?
You can absolutely run K in both. I use K3 in my first filter as it's mainly mechanical
. Yes, an aerator is a great idea for your moving media. I have videos showing my fluidized barrel with aeration.
@@jeffakamax One more question. When I go to clean the barrels, I'm guessing I just more city water in the pond to replace the water that was removed from the barrels, right?
@@JeffreyMacon correct. just turn off pump, agitate media, drain barrel and top pond back off.
Hi Jeff - Newbie over here. Going to build this single barrel filter for my 800 gallon pond but was curious if you can share the measurements of where to drill the holes. I don't know if I'm drilling low enough from the top and low enough on the bottom. Any shared wisdom is appreciated, thanks!
Anywhere close within reason is fine as you can adjust the height and drop internally.
Great job, so you want the k1 to be moving around the filter? Am I correct
Not in this configuration. This is a mechanical filtration setup. A fluidized filter is strictly for biological filtration and will not remove solids. Check my other videos for my 3 barrel system, the last barrel on that setup is fluidized.
Jeff, or anyone who knows,
How much K1 media is needed for a 35 gallon barrel? The video is very helpful- thanks
1.5 cubic feet should be plenty
How often do you have to clean this? I set up a cheap bucket filter for my mom’s outdoor fish pond and it works well and completely cleaned out the pond but I am cleaning the bucket a couple times a week...yours makes more sense but just wondering how often it needs to be cleaned
They hold a lot of debris. I clean mine every few days but that's 5000+ gallons , 50+ fish and I feed half a pound per day
So I have an estimated 90k gal natural retaining pond that I've put koi and goldfish in. For 2-3 years been getting by with vegetation to keep clean, but want to work on water clarity now. Would I need 5 of these in series to cover that size pond? I dont want to break the bank with trying to turn that volume of water daily.
For a pond that size i would use IBC containers and adapt accordingly.
Thumb up. I plan my little pond for my turtles, but I have a question: a barrel filter will be good but I have to place the barrel at the basement the pond level. With water pump inside just above Inlet tube . The water come from bottom drain and pumped to waterfall. But I have an issue: how can I do the maintenance? All murky will drop off at the bottom but is underground....
I use a sump pump in mine at times to water the gardens. You could do the same for cleaning if you are limited to that configuration
@@jeffakamax thank you Jeff
Very good job Jeff, well done. With 2500-3000 gph pump, would you think there's enough pressure coming from the return to connect to a 1 inch line that feeds the waterfall? I have a bio-falls system already but this would be a secondary system piped to the rocks of the waterfall.
Being a gravity return, a 1" line won't provide enough flow for a 2500 gph pump. You may get away with a 1.5" line if you have a decent amount of drop.
Hi Jeff what size drill bit do you use to drill the shower drain and for the bottom drain pipe? TY for the vid
If memory serves they are 3/8" holes. You can go as big as you want as long as your media is larger then the holes.
3 cubic feet of K1 contains about 860 square feet of surface area for bacteria, if anyone was wondering.
Thats kool for a moveing media bed but as static it dose nothing
@@wardraven8755 Moving media beds simply improve the environment for aerobic bacteria, turning off the air supply will not stop it working.
hey Jeff, i have an up-flow filter(raised pond). Water comes thru a diy retro bottom drain, to a large trashcan, goes thru layers of mats. The pump is at the top of the trashcan. The overflow is a hole at the top of the trashcan at the height of the pond. I want to replace the mats with k1. Will the pump work in the k1 and can I replace at one time? Or do I need to leave some of the mats in while the k1 cycle?
Replacing the mats with K1 should work fine. You will want a check valve or strainer on the incoming line to stop the media from back flushing into the pond. A strainer on the pump also to keep it out of the pump. as long as your pond is established, you should be OK just replacing the media. K1 seeds very rapidly with bacteria. An additional boost of some Calcium Carbonate (Baking soda) will help jump start the new bacteria.
I talked to Jeff about 2 years ago and finally got around to replacing a Pondmaster pressure filter with a single barrel filter last month. I was hoping to post some pictures but I guess it can't be done here. I got a 55 gal. barrel for $20 here in NJ and filled with about 3 sq ft. of K1 (about 18" of media). I have an Oase 3700 Waterfall pump which has a flow of about 1400 gph when it reaches the barrel (close to 40 feet and 7-8 foot rise from pump to barrel). I used 11/2" all around because I didn't want to replumb the inflow and outflow connections to my waterfall container. I still have a Laguna pressure filter hooked to pump #2 and thinking about replacing that one next season. I'm still having ammonia issues and seeing fish poo get through to the waterfall so I'm not sure which filter is the issue, the Laguna or the barrel?
What size media did you use? K1 will filter down to 50 micron or so.
Yes…K1. I’ll send ya a few pics.
Any recommendations on a pump for a small pond? Around 300-400 gallons? No real experience with pond filtration and my ducks make a mess.
Jaebo DC series. Very efficient relaible.
Can you give me a list of items needed for this pond filter please???????
Can you make a video showing this hooked up and running?
Uploading now.
I want to build a set of three, and they will be about 15' away into a pond raised 2 feet high.Will i need a pump in and a pump out due to te distance and the pond being raised, or it's there enough flow to make it 15 feet and up over the edge?
Dual pumps never works. They will never be exact flow rates and you will eventually starve or overflow the filter.
Your best bet would be to raise the drums and allow a gravity return.
@@jeffakamax thank you! You confirmed my suspicions👍
Hi Jeff ..I built one of your 55 gallon pumps with 4 kilogrammes of k1 media inside- I think I can add more. It's great.
The problem is the pump has broken and I am going to buy a new one. What kind of flow is optimal for a one barrel filter please? Is 10,000-18,000 litre/hour too much?
I really appreciate all the info that you post.
2500-3000 GPH is the most efficient.
@@jeffakamax Thank you Jeff...week 2 and the filter has been cleaned twice. The water quality has improved hugely.
Thank You!
I'd like to know where your getting barrels so cheap I see them for like 70ish. If u could post a link or just tell me where I'd love to buy several lol cheers
Facebook marketplace. I pay $20 to $25 a drum.
@@jeffakamax thanks
I've been searching for that same shower drain, but can't find it. Can you give me the make and model? I like how its made of plastic/PVC.
Check Amazon. Souix chief 841-2P drain quad pvc poly strainer for floor drainage
Hi Jeff. Can you post the link to where you got the drain. Can't find that anywhere!
Search on Amazon. sioux chief 841-2a
If my waterfall is above the tank a few feet, is there anyway to set this up without needing a second pump ???
You can PUMP OUT to the waterfall if you have a GRAVITY IN FEED. Or PUMP IN and GRAVITY RETURN. Pumping in and out is impossible as you will never match both pumps exactly.
Great video thanks.......the drain pipe....you drill holes through the 1 1/2 inch PVC but don't cap the end correct? Outside has the gate valve. Why are the holes needed in the drain pipe? Thanks in advance. I plan on using this design for a freshwater stingray tank......
The bottom drain for flushing and cleaning has slits in it so you don't lose the media while draining
@@jeffakamax I see, so is the opposite end of the gate valve capped?
@@GregGosney correct.
Can this be used on a swimming pool ?
@@monichippewa2232 could but I wouldn't recommend it. My testing shows these will effectively filter down to about 50 micron. Pool sand filters are effective down to 5 to 20 micron typically.
Hey Jeff, I built mine at the beginning of summer, and it worked great until just recently when I moved the barrel to a new pond that I dug with a plastic liner, and now it just keeps overfilling and dumping all of my pond water out onto the ground Over the lid do you have any recommendations?
You either need to raise the drum to increase gravitational force or increase the size of your return to lower resistance.
@@jeffakamax thanks for the advice!
@@jeffakamaxdo you think I need to swap the pvc check for a 2”? My pump only supports up to 1.25” tubing, so I’ll have to go from 1.25” to 2” back down to 1.5” for my current check valve setup
@@kurtiscummings565 the pump is feeding the 1st drum!, correct? Your problem is too much restriction on the return.
We’re implementing this on a 400 gallon, 3-duck pond, feeding 2 Aquaponics grow beds (another drum, split in half. Ducks are filthy)
May I ask where you procure your media? I’m seeing prices in the $200+ range for the 2-3 cu ft of k1 recommended.
Thanks; our sediment filter with the grow beds just isn’t enough.
Check Amazon and eBay. CLL pet suppliers on eBay usually has decent prices.
Thank you for the prompt reply, Jeff. 1 last question, please?
How critical are pvc dia and outflow “drop”? I could sacrifice our last barrel, but:
1.) the current sediment filter has 1” in and out, laid out correctly for us. Would like using if possible.
2.) I’d ideally like the downspout from the shower drain being shorter. Both seem okay for our size and 1000 gph rated pump (likely circa 500 gph after run and head height.)
Thanks for helping us dipsticks. Will comment/praise once we’re running.
@@jeffyu6012 outflow rates are directly dependant on GPH, drop and diameter. Given the flow rates you mentioned, 1 inch with a decent drop would probably be fine. Keep me posted!
Hi Jeff, I plan on doing this for my 900 gallon pond Im making. I can't find that shower drain, where did you find it? A link would be much appreciated. Also a link for the pump would be great. I found the media on eBay and the uniseals on Amazon. Thanks in advance.
Search Amazon
Drain Soux Chief 841-2P Drain Quad PVC Poly Strainer for Floor Drainage, 2 x 3"
Pump Jebao APP-3000 APP Pond and Waterfall Pump (3300GPH)
Great job for £100 under fantastic filter for your pond 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍
Oh the pond is 13ft by 8ft by 3ft deep. Just under 2000 gallons I think.
Also, could you not make this filter a moving bed filter by adding air stones to the bottom of the tank? Again, thanks in advance
Yes. Check my videos for my 3 drum system on one of my ponds. A fluidized bed is strictly for biological filtration and won't offer any mechanical filtration. This is why fluidized beds are always placed after mechanical filtration.
Would this system work if submersible pump is placed outside pond in a 2nd barrel receiving the outflow of the mechanical filter, and then sending outflow water to pond? I want to use for 100 -200 gallon duck pond and want to reduce chance of pump being clogged with duck waste. Any help is appreciatrewd.
If I understand correctly, you want to pre-filter before the pump then send to the drums? You could also run a leaf basket before the pump. I do this on the submerged pump on my bottom drain that feeds my drums.
Are you gravity feeding your pre filter?
@@jeffakamax
Jeff,
Yes I want a pre filter to pump due to excessive waste ducks produce. The leaf filter will probably work. If I go with a 2nd tank to contain submersible pump it would also be a gravity type container
I have ducks. Ducks leave lots of poo/muck and debris like feathers behind. Is this filter media sufficient for this or is there a change to the setup or media that you would recommend? Is there a pump you would recommend for that, as well?
I have installed these on customers duck ponds with great success. The ideal flow rate is 2500 gph. I use submersible DC jebao pumps. They are cheap and very efficient. The key to duck ponds is a good skimmer and/or bottom drain setup to remove the mess they leave behind.
Jeff theExecutioner Do you have a suggestion/how-to on a skimmer setup? I’m looking at around a 2’-3’ Deep, probably 10’ long by 5’ wide pond, so probably 900ish gallons. I have absolutely 0 pond experience. We only have 5 ducks.
Would you recommend another form
Of Biological such as Pumic or Lava rock
Both are good options but much harder to clean. Surface area to ease of maintenance kaldness is hard to beat.
Can this design be scaled down to a 5 gallon bucket? I only have a 150 gallon pond.
Absolutely. Or a 20 gal barrel, you can never have too much filtration.
@@jeffakamax thanks a lot!
Jeff, how far from the bottom of the barrel is the discharge pipe, and how tall is the pipe from the the 2" elbow to the shower drain?
Check this czcams.com/video/Yy14pcG4jSI/video.html
Discharge should be as close to bottom as possible. The shower drain can be adjusted as needed. I usually set them up about 6" below the top rim of the drum so the media sits a few inches below the rim when in use.
Would 1 1/2" bio-balls work for the media instead of the K 1 media?
@@garystewart6650 bio balls would be about 15% as effective
Jeff theExecutioner Thank you.
Hi. Cam across a few of your videos, learning a lot. I'm a newbie with pond and maintenance. I have about 900gl pond with 4x 18" koi. Trying to build one barrel just like yours. However I have a few questions that hopefuly you can help me with. I already have a 2800gph pump. Should the output pipe be 3" or 2" enough? Should I fill up to half the barrel with k1 (is that about 3cft)? And do you think that's enough to get my pond clear? Or should I add foam and other media onto of the k1, and if so wouldn't it make it more difficult to clean (where as just k1, I can just push the media up and down and drain)? Thank you so much for your time.
a single drum with 2cf of media should be fine for your pond size. I'd stick with just the K1 for ease of cleaning. a 2" gravity drain should be fine with the pump you already have. I have a video on my channel that shows my cleaning procedure. good luck, let me know how it turns out and feel free to ask if you have any further questions.
@@jeffakamax thanks for the insights. Do you have any recommendation of online store to get K1 media? They are so expensive. Thank you. Oh and I will definitely update you on the build.
@@stevanusibrahim9648 ebay or Amazon, the knock off stuff works just as well
@@jeffakamax hi Jeff. I’m thinking of getting the submersible UV. My question is can I just put it in inside the drum and exposed all the water in the drum or will that kill all the bacteria we want. Or maybe I can make a pvc housing for the light then submerge it in the drum. Or third, I’ll just put the light inside the outlet pipe into the pond. What do you think. I’m hoping you will choose the first option lol. Thanks.
@@stevanusibrahim9648 if you are doing a single drum id put it in the return line to the pond. In a multiple drum system the UV can go in the first drum as most biological bacteria will be in the drums downstream.
Do you have a build that does more mechanical filteration?
You can add barrels with static media if additional mechanical filtration is required.
Can you run multiple of these in either series or parallel for a bigger pond?
Absolutely. I have videos on my channel showing my 3 barrel setup.
@@jeffakamax Oh, I see those now. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly!
Does the cleaning process effect biological bacteria at all? What size pump do you recommend? What does water clarity look like with no using a floss media?
If flushing with pond water, no loss of beneficial bacteria. 2500 to 3000 gph seems to work well. Slower is always more effective than faster flow. The k1 media in my system is effective down to 50 micron which is incredible. I have a video testing this. Water clarity is excellent.
@jeffakamax awesome info. I'll be making this for my 1100 gallon cichlid pond. You just saved me lots of money I might just use that money to a prefilter box for my pump that has some course sponges in it. How often do you recommend flushing?
Hey Jeff I need your help I just built a 2000 gallon give or take pond that’s going to have Koi fish would one barrel system be OK or would I need 2
A single 3 barrel system will be more then adequate. The pond shown in most of my videos is 5500 gallons. Your bio load (how many fish/how much food) is what dictates the amount of filtration needed. a single barrel will be OK with a light bio load.
Where can I get the filter media??? From the net, this will cost me over $300....
How much K1 measured in inches once the K1 is in the 55 gallon barrel?
about 1/3 full so maybe 16-18"
Have you built any rotating drum filters?
Not yet, but an RDF is on my list of things in the future.
A shit load more!!
Hi Jeff, im planning on building your filter design for duck pond. This is purely for keeping the pond clean, would I be wiser to use K1 or K3. im looking to reduce flushing of the filter from a daily if possible, to weekly or longer.
K1 will capture smaller particles but plug up Quicker. K3 is easier to clean but doesn't polish as well and holds less bacteria.
Hi @@jeffakamax Thank you for taking the time to reply, it really is appreciated. My setup is for a duckpond. I'm guessing the water does not have to be as crystal as one would need for a fish pond quality, I'm looking to support more so the mechanical side of filtering (I think), if you have any advise that would be great.
@@paulrees-businessmindset the larger media might be a better option given the high amount of solids ducks produce. Dont get frustrated about cleaning frequency. I've built a few duck pond setups and the owners tell me... its always filthy.! I tell them yeah, because its working.
@@jeffakamax I'm thinking maybe a two drum option, first drum to take the load and second to fine tune, what's your thoughts on media option please Jeff. Also I have a radio show, would love to guest you on.
@@paulrees-businessmindset 2 barrel id definitely go with k3 into k1. Both static beds for solids.
Can you give me a part list please.
Posted a video today with a parts list