Question about this bead filter

[6-fan69]

Hi everyone. I am looking to buy a bead filter for my pond and was wondering if anyone has ever purrchased this Filter?
6000 gal. Bead Filter For Koi Ponds & Water Features - eBay (item 190184052489 end time May-13-08 17:37:49 PDT)

Here is a little information about my pond. I have 4,500 gallons, 10 fish ranging from 5 inches to about 1 1/2 foot. My pond pumps 3,000 gallons an hour. Would I be wating my money purchasing this. My pond dealer wants to sell me a 6,000 bead filter for 1,700. which I cannot afford. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Campcheryl]

Depends on what you plan on using the bead filter for. What is the current system you are running such as bottom drains, skimmers, ect. Or do you have rocks in the bottom of your pond? There was a great series called "It's a System" that ran in KoiUSA for quite some time. It would be of great help to you. Best of luck.

[6-fan69]

right now I have a savio skimmer with a 57 watt uv light. I have a savio water fall filled with bio material. I have a bottom drain which is sucked into the savio skimmer. The problem I am having is I am tired of cleanning out the filter material in the savio skimmer. I want the option to just back flush ou the bead filter rather than hosing of the mat.

[MikeM]

Bead filters need a mechanical pre-filter to capture the algae glarf and larger gunk. Without one, things clog up and the backwashing really doesn't do very well. Sorry. Not the quick fix you're wanting.

[Campcheryl]

Mike basically summed it up for you. Bead filters are okay as an old style approach but it ultimately requires serious maintenance. A good mechanical filter is one that uses permeable matrial that allows water to pass through but not the solids. A passive type filter such as a vortex tends to pull out circulating waste. This type of filter is only effective if what is trapped is routinely removed. This is easy to clean but does require a substantial amount of water. A bead filter could then be placed after the vortex to "polish" the water that is returned to the pond. I hope this helps.

[6-fan69]

So I would be better off with a vortex filter? Any suggestion of brand or model?

[MCA]

Quote: So I would be better off with a vortex filter? Any suggestion of brand or model?

OK take a deep breath. Now ask yourself if you are trying to incrase mechanical filtraiton....or bio conversion (ammonia to nitrite to nitrate)? Those are two very different processes.

So far we don't info from you that bio conversion needs improving, but you want a mechanical stage that is easier to clean.

Consider a vortex around 1/3 filled with static K1. When it is time to clean it, just redirect air to churn the heck outta it and then dump the chamber. No need to even get the hands wet.

You might want to consider a 3 chamber vortex system for the BD circuit. Vortex 1 with static K1. Vortex 2 with fluid K1 being chrned by a Dolphin AV150 or similar. Chamber three either more static K1 or matting.

I think the main obstacle you will face is budget. You can minimize the costs by using 55 gallon drums and put two sets in parallel.