Pond filters. DIY landscaping Filter for purifying pond water

One of the most important conditions for maintaining a stable pond ecosystem in the country is, of course, water purification.

With the help of pumps and filters, the water in the artificial reservoir remains clean. You can buy them in stores or make them yourself.

To solve this problem, it is necessary to provide a system of pumps and filters when designing an artificial reservoir.

Many owners try to carry out landscaping at their dacha in full - in the case of a pond, this means building a reservoir with their own hands, decorating the banks, installing filters, and maybe a fountain. To maintain the ecosystem of an artificial reservoir in a clean state, the water must be promptly purified using pumps and filters. You can choose a filter in a store or make it yourself. Often, there are simply no filters in ponds at the dacha - this is explained by the fact that the size of the artificial reservoir is quite large, fish and plants are quite capable of maintaining the necessary balance, and the amount of algae per volume of available water does not exceed the established standards. When more algae appears than necessary, they can be controlled using chemicals. Only recently has pond filtration become a necessity, and there are reasons for this.

Selecting a filter for a pond

The choice of filter is influenced by a number of factors: the size of the reservoir, its depth, the climate of the area, living creatures in the pond, etc.

To choose the right filter for a pond at your dacha, you need to take into account many factors, namely:

• the size of the reservoir and its depth;
• climate of the area where the pond is located;
• are there any living creatures in the pond;
• pump performance;
• filtration efficiency.

This kind of improvement, like a self-made fountain, is not very difficult to complete. As a rule, the main difficulties await pond growers when selecting filters for purifying an artificial reservoir where there are a large number of fish. Gradually, the living creatures in the pond grow, and accordingly, the amount of waste products of fish or other representatives of the animal world and the need for oxygen increase. Therefore, for a “living” pond it is necessary to select with a small margin of productivity. Waterfalls and cascades will help saturate the water with oxygen; you can use a fountain. During circulation, the water will become more enriched with oxygen, and then, already saturated, will return back to the reservoir.

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Pond pressure filters

Pressure filters can be installed below the water level of the reservoir.

A pressure filter is considered the simplest and most economical way to design a cleaning system. On the top cover there are device controls and inlet/outlet connections. Water is passed through it under pressure and purified in three stages: first - a mechanical purification stage, then - a biological one, and finally the water is subjected to UV irradiation.

These filters can be hidden in the ground, masked with artificial plants or decorative stones.

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Gravity pond filters

A gravity filter with good performance and reliability requires very little maintenance. It is a tank equipped with various cleaning elements - sponges, meshes, filters. Non-pressure devices are usually used for large or medium-sized reservoirs (up to 200 m3) - they are located higher than the water level.

The main disadvantage of flow filters is that they are quite difficult to decorate in pumping systems, since they cannot be allowed to go deeper into the ground than a third of the height of the housing.

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DIY pond filter

Of course, you can buy a filter for a pond in a store, but if the pond is small in size and not inhabited by fish, it can be successfully cleaned using a filtration system made from scrap materials. To do this, you will need a low-power underwater pump and a plastic basin.

In the lower part of the pelvis, trying not to touch the bottom, make a horizontal hole with a width of about 20 cm and a height of approximately 10-12 cm. A flat stone must be inserted into the opening (the “protrusion” from the pelvis should be about 15 cm). The bottom of the basin is filled with cement-sand mortar to the level of the upper plane of the stone, then it is smoothed out so as to create a drain to the cascade, to the first level. After the solution has hardened, the surface can be treated with a special waterproofing compound.

The structure is installed on the top of the cascade. Next, four stones with a height of 4-6 cm are placed in the basin, and everything is covered on top with a piece of stainless steel or plastic. Fine crushed stone is poured, padding polyester is laid on it, after which the hose from the pump is inserted. The upper, visible part is decorated with large stones or pebbles.

From the pump, which is located at the bottom of the pond, water is supplied through a hose into the basin. Then it seeps through layers of crushed stone and padding polyester and flows down a cascade back into the reservoir. As they become dirty, the synthetic padding pads are replaced and the crushed stone is washed.

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DIY submersible filter

How possible is it to build a fountain in an artificial pond at your dacha with your own hands? In a technical sense, this is not particularly difficult. Submersible pumps that are commercially available come in a fairly wide range, and choosing something to build a fountain is not difficult. The most common way to carry out landscaping is to purchase a ready-made kit, which includes a submersible pump, a sprayer and a tee with a flow regulator. The device is powered from the network or through a transformer. To prevent the pump from coming into contact with the bottom, it is installed on a brick or concrete block, and the pipe with the sprayer must be fixed strictly vertically.

After these manipulations, all that remains is to turn the switch to make it work. If the water jet is too high or wide, it can be adjusted. prefer to install with decorative cladding. There are many different types of it on sale. It can be made of stone, ceramic, bronze, fiberglass, etc. Decorative cladding must be frost-resistant.

The submersible pump is installed on a stand so as not to pick up sediment from the bottom.

The submersible pump must be installed on a stand that will prevent it from picking up sediment from the bottom. Aquatic plants must be at least 50 cm away from the fountain jet. If you connect a homemade filter or some additional device, for example, a waterfall or another fountain, you need to take some points into account. Installing pipes with a small cross-section or a fountain located at a considerable distance will certainly lead to less efficiency.

For placement in artificial reservoirs - for example, ponds created with your own hands at the dacha - you can make your own filter design in the form of a submersible device, with a volume from 0.5 to 3-5 cubic meters. and a depth of 0.8 m. This homemade filter design is both quite reliable and cheap. Thus, installing it in a pond at the dacha is not a hopeless undertaking.

The design of a homemade filter is simple to implement. The aquarium pump, taken as a basis, is equipped with a filter element whose power is an order of magnitude greater than the standard one in terms of absorption area. For the frame of the device, you can take a plastic bucket.

The aquarium pump allows you to supply and spray air, and it is also reliable in operation.

1. Aquarium pump. Those who are interested in aquarium farming may accumulate several pumps in the process. You can consider a design using the Polish brand AQUAEL FAN-2 pump. This pump has quite good characteristics - it allows you to supply and atomize air efficiently, create the necessary flow, and is reliable in operation. But as a cleaning filter, the pump’s operation is still conditional. A small filter does not allow quality water preparation and requires frequent washing. The external circuit of the pump consists of two parts: a housing with pipes, a vane motor and a stroke regulator, and a housing for the filter element.
The pump is powered from a 220V network, power consumption is 7.2 Watts.

2. Filter frame. A bucket with a lid is used for the filter housing. A plastic ten-liter bucket is perfect. It must be strong enough to withstand a load of up to 15 kg. The color of the bucket should be black or another color to match the bottom of the reservoir, for less visibility.
The plastic case will need some modification:

• holes with a diameter of 3-5 mm are drilled from below in the side walls, where filtered water will flow; the walls must be drilled carefully, otherwise the plastic may crack, which will compromise the strength of the bucket;
• a shaped hole is cut out in the lid of the bucket to secure the housing of the filter element; it is also necessary to make a hole with a diameter of 3 mm in the upper part of the lid so that excess air can escape from the bucket.

3. Filter element. A variety of materials can be used as a filter element - foam rubber, padding polyester, and even fibrous materials that are used for thermal insulation of refrigerators. Foam rubber is still considered the most affordable. Of course, it is more practical if you use purchased foam rubber, 50mm thick, but you can also use large pieces from packaging.

The dacha pond resembles a small world in which its own special life is seething: plants develop and bloom, underwater inhabitants scurry about, something new happens every day. To ensure the vital activity of a reservoir, it must be cleaned at least occasionally using one of the generally accepted methods - using a skimmer, vacuum cleaner, pumping station or homemade device. To gently clean water from silt, it is enough to assemble a pond filter with your own hands and connect it to the power supply.

There are several conflicting opinions about whether an additional treatment device should be installed in a pond. Supporters of natural cleaning believe that there is no point in filtering a natural reservoir, since everything inside it is already provided for by nature itself.

A picturesque, beautiful pond with clear, crystal clear water - the result of considerable work to clean it of debris, silt and algae

Balance is established thanks to useful “swamp” plants, which perform a number of useful functions:

• deliver oxygen to water;
• block the development of harmful algae;
• enrich the environment with necessary chemical elements;
• increase water transparency;
• are wonderful decor.

For small ponds, elodea and hornwort are suitable. Representatives of underwater fauna are also peculiar cleaners. For example, crayfish and grass carp feed on duckweed and other polluting algae.

The dark green hornwort, a popular aquarium plant, has proven itself to be an excellent pond keeper. Grows well in any climate and grows quite quickly

In reservoirs created artificially on film material, biological treatment agents containing cleaning bacteria are often used. They kill algae but are not suitable for fish ponds. One of the gentle solutions is the use of peat mixtures, which make the water less hard and prevent the development of algae.

Many are sure that it cannot be done without human intervention. Be sure to remove dry twigs and grass, fallen leaves and other debris from the surface of the water. If the water is too cloudy and contaminated, it is necessary to use special ones, which will be very expensive, or homemade devices, which are much cheaper and more accessible. Let's look at two options for homemade filters for a garden pond, which can be made quickly and inexpensively.

Option #1 – filter from a grocery basket

What kind of things do dexterous summer residents not adapt for their inventions! Any container with holes in which you can put filter components will be suitable as a filter container. The homemade filter has proven itself remarkably well when cleaning a pond with a mirror size of 2.5 m x 3.5 m.

The top of the case is hermetically sealed with a piece of durable plastic or thick film folded in several layers and secured with self-tapping screws, wire or clamps

List of required materials:

• a medium-sized plastic grocery basket as a body;
• drain siphon;
• submersible pump Atman AT-203;
• silicone sealant;
• gasket tape;
• fitting + nut (brass set);
• 2 clamps;
• pieces of foam rubber;
• 4 hard washcloths;
• PVC hose (1 m).

Many of the listed materials can be easily found in the country, others are sold in the construction supermarket. There is a chance to buy the Atman AT-200 series pump in the “Everything for Aquariums” store. The pump perfectly cleans the water and at the same time enriches it with oxygen. Several devices are included to adjust the power. The submersible motor operates safely and has low noise levels. The device operates on a 220V network and has a power of 38W. For a small unit it has an acceptable performance of 2000 l/h. Perfect for ponds up to 2 meters deep.

A pond half cleared of algae. The water is still cloudy and has a greenish tint, but no harmful plants are observed, and the bottom is cleared of silt

Any material that absorbs or retains dirt can be used as filter components: expanded clay packed in agrofibre; foam mats, rolled into rolls; plastic mats with holes; old washcloths.

For ease of use and further cleaning, filter materials should be large in size, ideally the size of a basket

All this is loaded in layers into a container (basket), then the siphon and hose are attached using sealant.

The hole for the siphon is drilled on the side so that water flows freely into the filter. The connection between the siphon and the body must be thoroughly coated with sealant.

The pump is immersed in water and connected to the network. For safety reasons, the socket must be packed in a waterproof casing.

Any network connections must be tightly closed from the outside environment. The casing can be made of durable plastic, a thick piece of rubber or leather

It is not necessary to overflow - if the filter becomes dirty, the water will naturally overflow and go into the drain.

Material on how to clean a pond or small reservoir yourself will also be useful:

Option #2 – plastic bucket filter

The second homemade pond filter is a submersible device that must be installed at the bottom of the reservoir. The volume of the pond is about 5 m³, the depth is from 1 m. The design can be any, but the chosen option is the cheapest and most functional, reminiscent of factory filters sold in stores.

General view of a homemade filter device: a capacious housing with filter material (foam rubber) and a lid with a rigidly fixed aquarium pump

Anyone involved in, or at least interested in, aquarium hobby knows several popular pump models. One of the most successful is the Polish device AQUAEL FAN 2. The advantages of the device lie in its technical characteristics: reliability, creation of the desired flow, excellent air supply and atomization.

The pump has two main parts: a housing for the filter; housing with motor (plus speed controller and pipes). Power is supplied from a standard 220 V network, power – 7.2 W

What is the frame made of?

You will need a plastic bucket with a capacity of 10 liters, which acts as a housing for the filter element. It is desirable that the plastic be relatively durable and withstand a load of at least 15 kg. For decorative purposes, the color of the “underwater” bucket should match the color of the bottom, that is, be brown, gray or black.

A little modification is required for full functionality. It is necessary to drill holes of small diameter (4-5 mm) in the side walls of the bucket - water will flow into them for cleaning. Some types of plastic are fragile, so you need to drill very carefully. You need to cut a large hole in the lid to secure the filter in it. You also need a little ventilation for air to escape - another hole in the lid, but this time small - 3 mm.

When calculating the diameter of the passage holes, you should take into account the size of particles of silt or debris that may block the flow of water for filtration

Filter assembly procedure

Foam rubber is ideal as a filter material - it perfectly absorbs moisture, traps dirt and is easy to clean. The optimal layer thickness is 50 mm, but other formats can be used. Foam mats are used several times.

Assembly instructions:

1. We fix the filter housing to the pump cover using sealant or hot melt adhesive.
2. Attach the pump housing to the cover.
3. We lay foam mats along the walls of the bucket. We put two or three stones with a total weight of 5 kg on the bottom - as a weighting agent.
4. Fill the rest of the bucket space with foam rubber.
5. Secure the lid using wire or clamps.

A thick layer of waterproof sealant or hot melt adhesive will protect the connection between the cover and the pump body from water penetration into the top of the device

Connection and installation of the unit

To operate, the device must be connected to a 220 V power supply. The connection between the plug and socket must be protected from any moisture. To do this, you can use a casing made of moisture-repellent material. An RCD installed on the line will trip if there is a current leak and turn off the network.

The diagram shows the water cycle during the purification process: under the influence of the pump it enters the filter, and then, already purified, back into the pond

To install the filter, you need to select a flat section of the bottom, preferably in a deep place. We lower the filter into the water, after which it will naturally sink to the bottom of the reservoir.

Then we connect the power supply and arrange a place for water outlet after cleaning. For aeration, a thin hose should be attached to the pump, the other end of which will be above the water surface.

There are many modifications of self-made filters for cleaning a pond, and to increase productivity, each craftsman can bring something of his own, functional and useful.

When creating or planning a film pond (see article " "), do not forget about installing a filtration system. Otherwise, you will experience rapid growth of algae during the warm season, pollution from fish waste, pollen and leaves falling into the pond and decomposing at the bottom. In this article we will look at the most common and effective filters for decorative artificial ponds.

Ponds up to 8 m 3 (including ready-made PVC forms):

the pressure filter is buried in the bank and can be decorated

System advantages:

• Effective filtration of upper layers

  Active aeration and sterilization of water

  Impurities that enter a reservoir do not have time to sink to the bottom and begin to decompose

Ponds from 70 to 120 m3, consider two options:

A pond is being built or planned.

Important:

Select taking into account the intended use of the reservoir (it is necessary to increase the productivity of the system by 2 times when planning to launch fish, and by 3 times - koi carp)

Select the maximum diameter (supported by the filter and pump) - in this case, friction losses will be less and the filtration efficiency will be higher. Be sure to cut off the excess part of the fitting (filter and pump) of smaller diameters, otherwise the filtration efficiency will be significantly reduced!

How to make a pond filter with your own hands? A pond is a decoration for a garden plot. Pond owners are absolutely sure of this. But to ensure that the reservoir does not lose its beauty, a lot of effort and financial costs are required. If the pond is not given due attention, then over time it will begin to resemble a musty swamp.

Causes of water blooms in reservoirs

Water often blooms only in a stagnant body of water. This is due to a variety of microalgae. The color of the pond will depend on the type of algae. It may be yellow, green or blue.

Microalgae exist in every body of water, but they manifest themselves intensively in very hot weather or if leaves that have fallen into the pond have not been removed. Also, if there are fish in the pond, the remains of their food decompose, and this can also cause flowering.

The accumulation of silt at the bottom of a reservoir also leads to blooms due to disruption of the natural balance of water. For these reasons, it is necessary to constantly purify the water.

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Which pond filter to choose?

Several factors influence the choice of filter:

• pond size and depth;
• the presence of fish or other inhabitants in the pond;
• climatic zone in which the pond is located;
• efficiency of the filtration process;
• pump performance.

Choosing a filter for a pond with a lot of fish is not so easy. The filter must have a capacity reserve, because the inhabitants of the reservoir will grow and the pond will become even more polluted.

Pressure filter. Such a filter is the simplest and not too expensive option for cleaning a pond. On top of the device there are input-output pipes and a panel to control it. Water passes through it under pressure and is cleaned in 3 stages. First mechanically, then biologically, and only then goes through UV irradiation. Such designs are practical in that they can be camouflaged in the soil and decorated with plants or stones on top.

Non-pressure filter. Such a device does not require large expenses for its maintenance. It looks like a container with various sponges, filters, and meshes. Such devices are often used for medium or large ponds. They need to be placed above the water level.

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What is the operating principle of pressure and non-pressure filters?

If the pond is large, then a gravity filter will be needed for cleaning, capable of filtering about 300 cubic meters. m of water. Such a device must have a pump. This design works as follows. The water passes through a special tank, in which the purification process itself is carried out. Porous material such as a sponge does not allow various debris and decomposed plants to pass through.

Non-pressure filters have a three-stage cleaning system: mechanical, chemical, ultraviolet.

When water is passed through such a three-level system, it becomes impeccably clean and its balance is restored.

If you have a small pond, there are no fish in it, but you want to make a small fountain or waterfall. In this situation, it is recommended to install a pressure filter for cleaning, allowing up to 60 cubic meters of water to pass through it. Its distinctive feature is the ability to supply purified water to a height of up to 5 m. For this reason, such a device is often available to those who like to have a pond on their site. Although it has a small power, this device is considered more complex than any other pressure filter. However, in order for the water filter to cope with its task without problems, the flowing pond should not be large.

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How to make a filter with your own hands?

Method 1. Filter from a regular grocery basket. The reservoir for this design can be any container with holes that can accommodate components for filtration. This filter does an excellent job of cleaning a reservoir of 2.5 * 3.5 m.

Necessary materials:

• a plastic basket that will serve as a housing;
• drain siphon;
• silicone sealant;
• submersible pump Atman AT-203;
• FUM tape for spacers;
• clamps (2 pcs.);
• fitting with brass nut;
• foam;
• hard washcloths (4 pcs.);
• PVC hose (1 m).

Everything must be placed in layers in the basket. Using sealant you need to secure the siphon with the hose. Immerse the pump in a reservoir and plug it into a power outlet. To ensure fire safety, it is recommended to cover the outlet with a waterproof casing. Overflow is not necessary. If the filter becomes dirty, the water will begin to overflow and end up in the drain. Method 2. Filter from a plastic bucket. This is a submersible filter that needs to be installed at the bottom of the pond. This homemade option is the most cost-effective, but at the same time functional. It resembles branded filters that are sold in stores.

For the filter housing you will need a plastic bucket with a volume of 10 liters. The plastic needs to be strong so that it can withstand at least 15 kg. On the sides of the bucket you need to make holes with a diameter of 4-5 mm. Water will have to get there for filtration. You need to make a hole on top of the bucket to attach the filter there. There, for ventilation, you need to make 1 more hole about 3 mm in size. The filter material will be foam rubber, which perfectly absorbs water, does not allow debris to pass through and is easy to clean. First, the filter housing is secured to the pump cover using sealant. Then the pump housing is attached to the cover. Foam insoles need to be laid along the walls of the bucket. Place 2-3 stones on the bottom. Their total weight should not be more than 5 kg. They will act as a weighting agent. The rest of the space is filled with foam rubber. The cover is secured with clamps.

The entire structure is connected to a 220 V network. The socket and plug must be protected from water. To install the filter, you need to level the bottom, then lower the filter. Then connect the power supply and arrange a place for the liquid to exit after filtration.