Habitat - Outdoor :: New 500gal pond

[SINI5T3R]

I was looking at a few youtube videos and there is one that you make with a big trash can and it costs about 100$ or less not includig the pump. what is a good pump?

[michaelg]

If I had come across this TotalPond pump when I setup my pond, I definitely would have bought it. I have a TotalPond pump and filter and then built a secondary filter for a little extra scrubbing.

Last year when I first built my pond, I had just the TotalPond pump and filter and it worked pretty well, but my pond is 100% exposed to the sun, so algae was an issue. If the secondary filter (primarily to remove phosphates) doesn't help, I'll definitely be getting the TotalPond pump with UV filtration. Then I'll setup the secondary filter to scrub the ammonia.

-Michael

-Michael

[SINI5T3R]

I went to petsmart and bought that stuff that makes the algae not grow. Its supposed to work really well for it all

[Linus]

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=22816&hilit=pond+filter

I need to have an update of those pics, because I have changed some things, but the filter is basically the same!

[michaelg]

I went to petsmart and bought that stuff that makes the algae not grow. Its supposed to work really well for it all

Are you talking about something like Algaefix? Depending on how much sun the pond gets and how warm the water will get, chemicals like Algaefix only work marginally. My pond is fully exposed to the sun and 3 months of 95+ degree weather is common in the summer. I didn't use Algaefix, but something similar designed for lined ponds that is safe for plants and animals. It worked until about July when the water got really warm and the sun was shining bright all day long. My pond stayed algae free for a little over a month and I was able to control it for about a month with the Algaecide, but once that stopped working, there was little I could do.

Once it gets really warm here, I am probably going to build a canopy to cover most of the pond while leaving the basking area exposed to the sun. If that doesn't cut it, I will have to get a UV filter.

-Michael

[SINI5T3R]

Its called Tetra Pond Algae Control. Its supposed to help against many forms of algae n is safe for everything accept crabs and shrimps lol. it dont seem to help much so far. anyone got a good pump to recomend 4 a pond

[michaelg]

That's the same stuff I used. It didn't do much with only one treatment. The instructions say you can use it again after 3 days up to 3 more times. In my case, it began working after the third treatment. One thing the instructions also say is that it should only be used in a ponds that have not been established for 3 months. Mine was about 2 months old when I started using it, but it did work at first.

I already recommended a good one, check the TotalPond link in my previous post. The only way to get rid of algae is to filter it out through UV filtration or remove the algae's food source and light. Have you gotten a filter yet? If not, you water is full of algae food stuff and with sun light, you've got an algae paradise.

-Michael

[SINI5T3R]

yea i read the whole 3 time use thing n no i am waiting for $ in a day or two. the one you listed seems good n was jus woundering on pumps themself FOR a DIY Filter. i got a few good bucket ideas already in the works

[michaelg]

The UV filter only removes algae, you can then use a DIY filter for everything else. The one I linked to is probably bigger than you would need for your pond. You can get away with a smaller pump.

If you don't care about the UV filtering any submersible (non-sump) pump should work as long as it is large enough for your pond. I have a TotalPond submersible that has worked well for both my ponds. It's just starting its second year of operation. They range in price from $20 to like $90 depending on the size.

-Michael

[Diamondbacks4Life]

I say save you money and go straight for the uv filter. I went the chem route too and even with 75% plant cover still ran into problems. Got a uv filter and never looked back. Water just stays so crystal clear.

[steve]

Check out off-brand UV sterilizers, they'll cost 1/3 the price.

[SINI5T3R]

Ok guys just went and spent like 350 bucks on a setup. Will be reposting a build thread and give ya all the juicy details on what im going to be doing.

[SINI5T3R]

ok so i was a tard n ended up buying a 180$ FILTER that does not self pump so ill try to do build thread pics of the set up NOT counting the pump. Ill be getting a pump on friday. really pisses me off cuz i totally got lied to from a HomeDepot Employee about my filter. AT LEAST my filter has a built in UV supresser or what ever it calls it. Im hoping its a UV sterelizer. its like this light that goes into a tube n gets hot n hits the water as it passes through the pipes. cost me like 175 - 190$ for the pump sump alone

[michaelg]

Sorry about the pump mix up. It's always a bummer and in your case annoying when you don't get what you are expecting.

I have found that Home Depot is a good bit more expensive than buying through Amazon. This one by TotalPond sounds similiar to the one you got.. It's cheaper than the one you bought and should work very nice in a 500 gallon pond. Once I win the lottery, I'm getting it

Yes, the pump you got is a UV sterilizer.

-Michael

[VeipaCray]

Very cool.... looking forward to more pics and watching this build progress.