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Thread: Filter query

  1. #1

    Filter query

    Hi guys. Thanks for the add.
    I’m planning a return to koi keeping after about 6 years away, spurred on by new house, boredom during lockdown and being gifted a 4 bay with built in vortex pond filter. So, I’m getting excited and starting to plan a new pond and of course getting carried away now. It was going to be smallish (1000 gallons) with a pump fed filter, but my ambitions are growing (now looking at 2-2.5k gallons) and thinking (as my pond before) that it should really be block built and have a botttom drain, rather than liner and pump fed filter and . The filter I have is big enough for the extra water (I think), but I was told it was pump fed only, so what I need to know is can it be usef on a gravity fed system (using a bottom drain). I don’t know what the manufacturer name is, but it’s very similar to commonly seen Kockney Koi bay filter (just black, not green) that sells for about £4-£500



  2. #2
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion Andy1671's Avatar
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    On a gravity fer filter system, the inlet to the filter must 4" and then at the other end the return should be 1.5 or 2 inch.
    The return pipe should be at the bottom of the filter so that your pump wont draw in air as your filter slowly gets clogged up
    the advantage of this set up is your pump is moving clean water
    5000 Gallon Fibreglassed Pond With 54" x 27" Infinity Window
    BD300 Drum Filter
    Artesian 0.5hp - Aquadyne 4.4c Beadfilter - PS4 Protein Shower
    Badu Eco Touch - EP20 UV Sterilizer - ASHP - Venturi
    Hi Blo 60 - Medo 45 - Spindrifter Bottom Drain
    Wide Mouthed Skimmer

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  4. #3
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Nanasai Fishplanetkoi's Avatar
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    As above, all I can add is the worst thing you can do is to put the pump in the pond , for reasons stated above, but for gravity you will obviously have to have the filter and the pond water level the same. You can then put the submersible pump in the last chamber, or better still add a smaller chamber (cold water tank) for the pump, connected with the same 4" inlet.

    .

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  6. #4
    Senior Member Rank = Gosai Aggrowe's Avatar
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    Hi,

    If you have a choice definitely gravity fed with a bottom drain, as said above.

    I would also definitely add a skimmer line, I have a 3100 gallon pond & was undecided. Eventually talked into it & what a difference a skimmer makes, I’m not around a lot of trees but the amount of crap the skimmer takes off is amazing…

    So, Gravity fed from bottom drain & gravity fed from skimmer line (into a small easy pod or sieve)

    Then you have 2 lines of filtration (I also put UV on skimmer line)


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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  8. #5
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion Andy1671's Avatar
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    Don't forget to install a 4" inch purge pipe before the filter to clean the bottom drain pipe out
    5000 Gallon Fibreglassed Pond With 54" x 27" Infinity Window
    BD300 Drum Filter
    Artesian 0.5hp - Aquadyne 4.4c Beadfilter - PS4 Protein Shower
    Badu Eco Touch - EP20 UV Sterilizer - ASHP - Venturi
    Hi Blo 60 - Medo 45 - Spindrifter Bottom Drain
    Wide Mouthed Skimmer

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  10. #6
    Deffo go bottom drain route,if I ever built another pond it’d be block built fibreglassed and bottom drain/gravity fed filter system no doubt.
    Although it’s obviously a good thing that you’ve got that filter system for nothing it’d be a big mistake to base your pond build around that imo

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  12. #7
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai RipleyRich's Avatar
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    Consider fitting the filter back to front.

    It sounds like an Oasis vortec filter (Black PE)
    The vortex on most multibays is pretty useless. They are too small and flow needs to be incredibly slow to work effectively.
    Filt the filter back to fron so the vortex is the last chamber and make it a moving bed with K1 or Hel-X.

    You may need to fit a 4" tank connector to what is now the first bay and blank off the old outlets (which are probably at the top (you could use one as an overflow)
    Use Brushes in the first bay, or even pick up a second hand sieve to fit before it.

    Ideally post some pics and we can possibly offer more suggestions.

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  14. #8
    Thanks guys. All very useful info. I’ll look into switching the filter around or even selling on and getting something else, but am def moving towards a block build with bottom drain as I had before. Now it’s just a matter of building up the pond fund first. Thanks again

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    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion RoyLittle0's Avatar
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    Hi and welcome to the forum, defiantly a block and fiberglass pond is the best way to go and a bottom drain is a must for me, good luck with your pond fund
    4600 Gallon Concrete Block and Fiberglass
    2100 mm x 710 mm Infinity Window 32mm thick glass
    2 x Aerated Bottom Drains and Skimmer
    Filtreau HiFlow 30 Drum Filter
    Bio Chamber - 140 litres K1
    Bakki Shower - 30 KG Sakura Far Infrared Media
    2 x 18,000 lh pumps
    Heated from house boiler through a heat exchanger
    Idealseal MS290

    My Pond Build

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  18. #10
    Senior Member Rank = Gosai Aggrowe's Avatar
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    Also think about putting a window in, again I thought about it & decided against because I didn’t want the hassle & thought koi should only be viewed from above… what a load of bollo&@s

    Two biggest regrets I have are:
    Not fibreglassing pond (have a liner)
    Not having viewing window ( everyone I have seen looks the nuts!)


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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