Beckett Pond Bio Filter

[Lolafish]

My old pump died and my filter mat was on it's last leg, so we purchased this Beckett filter kit from Home Depot.  I tied the old filter mat around the tubes of this one to help get the bb's going, and although the filter comes with 20 bio balls (they are enclosed in the container under the filter tubes), I topped it off with other media.

This is only temporary, until hubby can make Bruce's window box trickle filter.  That's what I really want.   

[Lolafish]

These are the accessories that it came with:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512HRrY4V6L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Mine has a 400gph pump which is a midsize pump.  We didn't want to start with anything too powerful to avoid too much water disturbance, but I think we'll get the next size up.  This one works fine, but it's not as powerful as I thought it was going to be. 

[BruceP]

They never do seem to move as much water as we expect or they claim. I always upsize when buying a filter. The trickle filter I make is great for bio and also gassing off the water but they really lack in filtering particles. I need to make a filter that pre filters the water before it goes to the trickles. I used 2 trickles on the 540g tank this summer and although the water was biologically clean it was always dirty if you know what I mean. ;)

[Lolafish]

They never do seem to move as much water as we expect or they claim. I always upsize when buying a filter. The trickle filter I make is great for bio and also gassing off the water but they really lack in filtering particles. I need to make a filter that pre filters the water before it goes to the trickles. I used 2 trickles on the 540g tank this summer and although the water was biologically clean it was always dirty if you know what I mean. ;)

Will the pre-filter be located inside the pond as well?  Let me know when/if you do that. 

I know you're super busy, but when you get time, can you PM me the number and type of PVC tubes and connectors you used for one of your trickle filters?  (round about, I know you don't have exact numbers) What we'll do likely is use it in conjunction with what we just bought.  Benjamin is anxious to build one.  Our projects usually consist of several trips back and forth to the home store and/or hardware store to pick up things we need as we need them.  He's trying to avoid too many trips. 

[BruceP]

I will make something  outside the tank... maybe a combination settlement and mechanical filter. We also have a large filter we didn't use this year so maybe I can convert that to do what I want it to.  I need to do something similar for our koi pond too.
I'll write up the piping requirements for making the window box filter later.

[Lolafish]

maybe I can convert that to do what I want it to. 

That's what Benjamin says around here all the time.  Always re-purposing stuff! 

[Lolafish]

Update:  This filter is not enough for a 300g. pond.  We added the old Pondmaster 1500 and now have both running the filtration.  The Beckett doesn't do a good enough job of pulling the algea and mulm out of the water - the sponge filtration part re-releases a lot of it back into the water, polluting it with ammonia.  Couldn't keep params perfect until the Pondmaster joined it.

[BruceP]

What you and I both need are something that takes the particles out of the water but we don't have to clean it twice a day, right???  LOL Unfortunately, the only sure fire store bought filters that do that are a thousand bucks.. called aqua sieves. There are a couple of companies that make them but I need my money tree to fruit first. There are diy filters that come close in performance but are big and still require much cleaning.  I dont know what the answer is other than robbing a bank.. LOL

[Lolafish]

What you and I both need are something that takes the particles out of the water but we don't have to clean it twice a day, right??? 

EXACTLY!  I have to clean mine twice a week to really stay on top of it.   

Next year I hope I can afford a nice powerful filter for the pond - I really prefer taking care of a pond over an aquarium, but maintenance, albeit not that hard, can sometimes become a nuisance.