• Amused
  • Angry
  • Annoyed
  • Awesome
  • Bemused
  • Cocky
  • Cool
  • Crazy
  • Crying
  • Depressed
  • Down
  • Drunk
  • Embarrased
  • Enraged
  • Friendly
  • Geeky
  • Godly
  • Happy
  • Hateful
  • Hungry
  • Innocent
  • Meh
  • Piratey
  • Poorly
  • Sad
  • Secret
  • Shy
  • Sneaky
  • Tired
  • Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
    Results 21 to 40 of 65

    Thread: Sand & Gravel Filter Alterations

    1. #21
      ricshaw is offline Senior Member
      is who misses his Koi.
       
      Feeling:
      Bemused
       
      Join Date
      Jan 2016
      Location
      Southern California
      Posts
      2,085
      I also think the "Pond Return" and "Waste Outlet" should have their own separate pipe like the Tried and True design Birdman posted.


      member

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    2. #22
      Nevermore is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Location
      Cincinnati, Ohio
      Posts
      162
      It's my lovely deck I am trying to run around. So if you look at the birds eye view... the joists run left to right. So the pipes run in the joints from the pond... . then step down out of the joists in order to run up to the raised barrel in the corner. Kinda like running HVAC in your basement.

    3. #23
      ricshaw is offline Senior Member
      is who misses his Koi.
       
      Feeling:
      Bemused
       
      Join Date
      Jan 2016
      Location
      Southern California
      Posts
      2,085
      Quote Originally Posted by Nevermore View Post
      It's my lovely deck I am trying to run around. So if you look at the birds eye view... the joists run left to right. So the pipes run in the joints from the pond... . then step down out of the joists in order to run up to the raised barrel in the corner. Kinda like running HVAC in your basement.
      You are choosing your lovely deck over your Koi pond?

    4. #24
      Nevermore is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Location
      Cincinnati, Ohio
      Posts
      162
      HA... i know i Know... it's pretty much blasphemy

    5. #25
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      Quote Originally Posted by Nevermore View Post
      that's a big negative! over

      If the step becomes an issue, I can tear up the side of the deck and build a hollow section to run the pipes without the step.. and then run the waste out a separate line... i was just thinking this plan might work though first.
      I ask this , because You are making changes to a tried and true design . The elbow steps are not the issue, the issue is combining both waste , and pond return into the same 3” line. I understand Your intentions here , but the reason that we add a separate waste line , and use a plug or cap to seal it off , is because it is impossible to keep even a tiny bit of sand from going down the waste line when blowing it clean. Sand will destroy a valve in a very short time , and will have constant leaks , and 3’’ Ball valves are very expensive

    6. #26
      Nevermore is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Location
      Cincinnati, Ohio
      Posts
      162
      Ahh... see good info. SO to get around this... ... what if I changed out the 3" ball valve to just an end cap? I also forgot about the screen cap for the 4" intake in the barrel on top.
      Attached Images Attached Images  

    7. #27
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      Your asking for trouble , if the cap comes off , or leaks , You will drain Your pond . The reason that I make the separate waste line 1/2’’ above the pond return line , is because it gives a safety factor . The water level will only reach and overflow into the waste line when the filter is flushed. And , as the filter is flushed , the cap/plug is placed onto the pond return line so that no sand goes down that line.

    8. #28
      Nevermore is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Location
      Cincinnati, Ohio
      Posts
      162
      mmm.... and since I would have to use a tool of some sort to remove the cap anyway... what if I just swap in a cleanout plug and then have the tool by it laying handy? This would reduce the chances of leaks. I have these parts already since I would use them to drain the set up even with a separate waste line? what do you thinK?



      (Just want to check all my options before doing the separate line... though opening and closing separate lines will be easier i guess then this singular run.... it will just be more exposed pipes)
      Attached Images Attached Images   
      Last edited by Nevermore; 09-20-2018 at 03:48 PM.

    9. #29
      icu2's Avatar
      icu2 is offline Administrator ~ WWKC President
      ~ WWKC Treasurer
      is sorry otters exist
       
      Feeling:
      Annoyed
       
      Join Date
      Feb 2007
      Location
      Poulsbo, WA
      Posts
      32,942
      When you open the waste valve/cap though, you'll start to drain water from the pond if the
      return is below pond level. And if it isn't I think you'll spill some waste water back into the pond
      with no way to close the pond return line when cleaning.
      --Steve



      Koiphen 2021 Koi Person of the Year!

    10. #30
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      I think that will be a lot of unnecessary work every time You flush the filter , plus those threads will need to be resealed with Teflon tape or plumbers putty every time , in addition to the threads getting sand in them and having to be cleaned out every use.
      Here’s a pic showing the water level at 1/2’’ below the waste outlet while in filter mode , with no chance of accidental leakage
      .
      Name:  74DB5450-D223-4A67-AC69-E5909115678C.jpg
Views: 400
Size:  74.1 KB
      .
      .And here’s a video showing the filter in both cleaning , and filtering modes
      .
      .

      https://youtu.be/D8DszwRvme0

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    11. #31
      Nevermore is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Location
      Cincinnati, Ohio
      Posts
      162
      That dang sand ruining my clean setup! So back to the original plan (below). So anyone got go answers for the three questions?

      Question 1:
      - I read that people run these systems through winter, but I was wondering since there will always be portions of any set up that just holds water (i.e.: the bit of water that sits in the bottom wast line before the ball valve) …. Do they just not cause any freezing issues since the water around them is moving enough and not freezing?

      Question 2:
      - I picked up four 50lb bags of chicken grit. They offered to two types. One was starter and then developer grit. The starter seems so fine that I instead got the developer which was closer to the size of crushed oyster grit. Below are picks from the companies web site showing the two sizes. Did I pick wrong?

      Question 3:
      - Any worth in adding in a mesh bag of bio balls or something in the top of the chicken grit?
      Attached Images Attached Images   

    12. #32
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      It doesn’t get that cold here in So Cal , so I don’t know about what You Folks in cold climates should do .
      It’s hard to tell the size of Your grit , but I think Your fine .
      Here’s what We use here in the big city .
      .Name:  9A829DA2-0220-42B4-9273-5B1085139EB1.jpg
Views: 391
Size:  86.9 KB
      .
      And yes You can add mesh bags of media in the top of the filters .
      I do, and I remove them weekly when I flush my S&G filters , otherwise they would get buried in the sand when it fluidizes when flushed .
      I have 10 of these in every S&G filter, bought them prefilled in the mesh bags from Tom at Seaside , it’s the same ceramic as His shower filter media , but in about 1’’ balls
      .
      .Name:  9715CDDB-1025-4133-AAAB-504D5B571945.jpg
Views: 388
Size:  143.3 KB

    13. #33
      Nevermore is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Location
      Cincinnati, Ohio
      Posts
      162
      Here’s the grit I got. Poor chickens !! What do you think ? Seems too chunky.

      The manufacturer description of what i purchased is: "The Developer layer is the same size as #2 chips"
      The other option they carry is the starter grit... described as "The Starter layer is the same size as #0 "
      Attached Images Attached Images  
      Last edited by Nevermore; 09-20-2018 at 08:32 PM.

    14. #34
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      I would get the smaller grit , and make sure it’s granite . If can’t find it , go to a roofing supply , and get #10 granite roofing grit like I’ve shown . 80 lb bags for $8

    15. #35
      Nevermore is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Location
      Cincinnati, Ohio
      Posts
      162
      The “#0 granit grit they had was too fine based on your pic. I’ll continue the hunt.

      I’ve called around to a ton of roofing supply stores in town (Cincinnati) and no one carries the roofing grit. Most have never heard of it. I’m am going to contact some masonary supply stores tomorrow and check for #8 sand.

    16. #36
      Nevermore is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Location
      Cincinnati, Ohio
      Posts
      162
      Well I found that for the brand Gran-I-Grit... the "Grower" is the right size. So i'm all set. Should be able to finish the build this weekend. Thanks for all the help!

      Starter... too small
      Developer ... too big
      Grower... juuuuust right.

    17. #37
      ricshaw is offline Senior Member
      is who misses his Koi.
       
      Feeling:
      Bemused
       
      Join Date
      Jan 2016
      Location
      Southern California
      Posts
      2,085
      Quote Originally Posted by Nevermore View Post
      I’ve called around to a ton of roofing supply stores in town (Cincinnati) and no one carries the roofing grit. Most have never heard of it. I’m am going to contact some masonary supply stores tomorrow and check for #8 sand.
      I imagine if you live where it snows... they do not build roofs like this.



      member

    18. #38
      Nevermore is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2018
      Location
      Cincinnati, Ohio
      Posts
      162
      Better call the cops... looks like someone stole your roof there!

      The flat roof isn't used for any typical homes around here... though there are plenty of flat roofed 2 story apartment buildings and offices with them. For those I only see them with larger stone or gravel.

    19. #39
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      I wait till it rains , then collect the grit that washes of the composition shingles. I’ve collected about 3 lbs so far , figure I will have enough to build another S&G filter in about 43 years , it hardly ever rains in Calif.

    20. #40
      pickerel's Avatar
      pickerel is offline Supporting Member
      is enjoying new pond
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      May 2018
      Location
      SC
      Posts
      1,269
      Quote Originally Posted by catfish whiskers View Post
      I wait till it rains , then collect the grit that washes of the composition shingles. I’ve collected about 3 lbs so far , figure I will have enough to build another S&G filter in about 43 years , it hardly ever rains in Calif.
      Take a good look at those granules. I thought it was made of slate. What I have dug out of our gutters in the past did not look like granite.

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •