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FIlter details
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Plumbing connects to anything!
Once you learn to connect plumbing to your container
you will be able to make a filter out of anything. A typical trash can can be prepped as an upflow filter by cutting a 3/4 hole for drainage at the bottom and a 2" hole neer the top as a return to the pond. A second hole at the top(slightly higher) will act as an overflow. For a trickle tower us a 3/4 hole at the top and the 2' at the bottom. for a vortex or settling tank us both holes about midway.
Basically you will want to run through a medium. Usually upflo for biofiltration and down flo for trickle towers. I like using electrical male and femae plastic adaptors as bulk heads. These two pieces screw together so tightly that you may not need a washer or caulk.


Electrical adaptors through the walls a trash can
To install
1. first cut a hole in a thin plastic container. this hole should be close in size to the male threaded portion of the adaptor.
2.draw the outline of the Threaded parts circumference on the container and
3. cut with an exacto knife by partially scoring the surface and then making a series of punctures.
4.The male adaptor should screw into this hole an receive the female part.

   Use 3/4" threaded TO /3/8thbarbed adaptors
Use this type of adaptor to slip on thinner hoses. the 3/4" end is threaded and can be screwed through a hole cut in a small trash can. the treaded end may then be attahed to a femal adaptor (regular pvc) from which regular pvy' sor spray bars may be attached. Using thinner hoses allows you to use a power head as your pump.
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N.B. Here we are  calculating the  solid surface areas of the  filter media where bacteria will colonize not the surface of the water.

1 gram of food per square foot of media: To calculate the amount of the bio filter media you may need , consider your fish population in pounds and multiply by .02. to estimate the amount of food consumed daily.Fish daily consume an amount of food equal to 2% of their body weight. A fish population weighing 15 lbs.  will consume .3 lbs of food daily. Then convert this to grams by multiplying by 453:  .03 x 453 = 135.9 grams of food. At this pont you could use two different theories :  1 square foot of bio media surface area for every gram of food consumed -that is a 1/.1 ratio.135.9 / .1 =1359 sq ft  total surface area needed . From this figure deduce the surfacees of the pond andcontainers where bacteria may colonize.

.45 grams of food per 1.square foot of medium. The other caculation is grams of food consumed divided by.45. or TOTAL FISH POPULATION X .02 15lbx.02=.3lb of food. Then convert to grams .03 X 453=135.9 Then divide by .45 135.9/ .45 =302 sq ft of bio media. 1 sq. ft of surface area of bio media for every .45 grams of food consumed. 302 sq ft of  of media will be needed. Springflo ribbon provide  78.5  sqaure ft of surface are per cubic foot or 180 sq ft. per box. Therefore 2 boxes would be plenty.

Surface areas of othe media:

1 cubic foot of       10mm pea gravel    yields  96 sq ft of surface area

Pond forum gardenweb

This is Springflo , my fovorite media
Springflo provides the most surface area for good bacteria, Lava rock is heavy, and clogs with debris. Springflo never needs cleaning and the entire batch in my 100 gallon filter can be lifted with one hand. I can store it in the pond when the filter is down, and it can be used as a trickle tower medium. Check out the Links Page for a detailed look at Springflo.


This is one of my favorite images
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