Backyard Ponding Part 1: DIY Pond Filter

It seems that a few things go together in the gardening world: birding, gardening and water features. I have never met an avid gardener who didn't secretly desire a water feature somewhere in their garden.  I have an obsession with combining the three. I wanted a pond for the relaxing sound and for the birds to bathe (including my 8 hand raised mallard ducks). The ducks are what has forced me to research and design many filters for this little pond.  This area also floods every time it rains due to my pond overflowing and a gutter that empties all in the same area.  So, as I always do...I had elaborate, grand ideas on how to give my little pond a facelift without spending hundreds of dollars on a new skimmer, filter and pump.
     Step 1: Enlist the "volunteering" of my husband by presenting my plans to him one night at the dinner table. This full disclosure had words like: "detach" the gutter from the new siding, and "drilling" holes in the house...I had no idea that this would spark such eager volunteering? (evil laugh with hand wringing!!!)
     This is the original pond and before picture. This is a prefabricated plastic pond with a wooden "box" like a raised bed made out of cedar fence posts.  I back filled dirt around it for stability and planting.
    

Before

Step 2: attach the gutter to the pond via a DIY rain barrel and then use that same rain barrel as a filter for both the contents of the pond and the north side of the entire roof.

we cut the cutter and attached the elbow higher than rain barrel to use gravity

Step 3:  Make a rain barrel out of an old effluent septic tank. 

old plastic septic tank

drilled an outlet hole for a 2 inch pipe to dump the rain water into pond

inserted a threaded pvc adapter and caulked it

the filter: a large plastic nursery pot with holes drilled in the bottom

The filter needs many layers for the water to flow through catching debris and dirt and giving good bacteria a place to attach to as gravity pushes it to the bottom of the tank.  The layers were lava rock(bottom) 4-5 inches, quilt batting 4-5 inches and then foam pieces. All of the items were just left over from other projects, and with the exception of the lava rock, all can be thrown away when cleaning is needed.

Pot is place inside the rain barrel with lava rocks at bottom

then batting and foam

I used a laundry mesh bag to assist in cleaning the filter (mesh bag just fits inside the pot). I just take out the bag, throw away the foam and batting and rinse the lava rock in the mesh bag.

Step 4: Make an overflow valve just like the exit hole above higher up and in the back just in case we get so much rain that the tank cannot empty fast enough. The overflow rain water will exit and drain into a pvc pipe and into my garden.

Step 5:  attach the rain barrel to the gutter.  I used the preexisting 4 inch hole and glued and caulked a  black 4 inch PVC adapter so that I can connect the barrel to the gutter. I learned that most drain pipes and gutter accessories fit a 4 inch pipe.

the mesh bag gives another barrier to leaves and debris, etc.

make sure gravity is assisting the whole process

 

You can find this adaptor for gutters in the gutter/drain area at any home improvement store

Step 6: Connect the Pond pump to the top of the rain barrel/filter.  There was a predrilled 2 inch hole in the plastic lid where we connected a piece of bamboo that was approximately 2 inches in diameter. We connected the bamboo with a flexible rubber PVC connector.

finished filter on the left hidden by the tree

For visual effect, I drilled many little holes in the bamboo to make a water curtain over the pond. I had to tie some twine around to make sure the water didn't lick the side of the bamboo on the outside. I used a regular pond pump placed in my pond and 1/2inch black plastic tubing.  I  split the tube so one tube is threaded up the bamboo and overhead,  and the other goes to the waterfall and second bog filter. (ie plants in the plastic barrel)

Step 7:  Make overflow valve in pond.  A lot of water gets put in this little pond when it rains so we drilled a 3/4 inch hole a few inches from the top of the pond and connected a hose bib and garden hose (or you can use a soaker hose). Gravity assists the water out of the pond and out in the garden via the hose.

Step 8: Easy Bog Filter. Just for fun and I had an another barrel laying around, I created a simple bog filter. I will explain this filter and how to make it in my next blog. I am also making a "fairy garden" around it which will be another blog too.

This system is working so far with crystal clear water and the area that once was flooding is now dry!  I wish I could tell you approximate cost, however, most of the items I had laying around.

A few days later, my youngest daughter decided she would test my filter system with out notifying me. She went fishing at the pond next door and carried back 3 fish that are now living in the pond!

 

If you have any questions about this pond, feel free to message me in the comment section below.

Happy Gardening!
Nicki