Pond Filter for the Do-It-Yourselfer

Building a pond filter is not exactly the same as building a bird house. For one, a pond filter requires many more materials and two, remembering certain principles will help.

You can build a pond filter from total scratch in which case you’ll have to develop patience.

There are of course, many types of pond filters, and a popular one is a bead filter which is used on Koi ponds. Here are a few tips on how to make your own bead filter which works for both biological and mechanical filtering.

Most commercial bead filters rely on a design that stimulate the shake up the beads and loosen grit and grime. The do-it-yourself version uses a reverse flow to clean the beads.

To build a bead filter, you need a tank (30 or 55 gallon storage drum), valves, flow pipes and beads. Plastic beads can be purchased from plastic suppliers – get the ones that float. You need a sufficient amount to fill your drum to half.

Find a clean one-gallon can with a lid filling it with beads, sand and rocks. Next step is to build the flow pipes by cutting two pieces of 1-1/2 inch PVC pipe to length. Using a 1-1/2 inch threaded PVC plug, plug the end of the flow pipes inside the drum. As soon as the pipe’s end is taped, screw in the PVC plug. Drill 1-1/4 inch holes in three rows for each pipe.

Your flow pipes will require adapters which have to be attached to the fittings on the drum. You can use a fiberglass window screen to cover the flow pipes. Since making flow pipes takes a lot of effort, you can use a well screen instead.

Put the beads inside the drum. Apply Teflon tape around the threads of the adapters. You’re ready to screw in the flow pipes. Install your drum bead filter and plumb it to your pump and pond in a horizontal position.

Note that the drum filter can be used in different way. For strictly biological filtering, you can reverse the flow and keep the beads fluid. But other floating media can be used. Just remember not to use a media – lava rock or gravel – that the reverse flow principle cannot clean.

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