Since I blew my budget I decided against the bead filter to clean the water, opting instead for a bog filter. However since the pond is new and it is winter my bog filter is not yet taking out the fine particles that discolor water. I even have some tannins from leaf debris.
I have tried a couple of different products to address the tannins and small particles but have not yet found any that work. I did find one product that works as an oxygenator. The powder attaches itself to debris on the bottom and floats it to the top, where it can be skimmed off. It didn’t really clear the water but it did help remove some decaying leaves and fruit from the bradford pear tree overhanging the pond.
So I am in search of a good bead filter with a 2″ port. It seems for my pond size all the manufacturers except the high end ones use 1.5″ ports. The prices for bead filters with 2″ ports range from $800-1200 for the 2000-4000 pond size. Much more than I want to pay. I am scanning craigslist almost daily looking for someone to list one there. I have researched the cheaper sand filters but it appears they are not proper for fish ponds since the sand will clog too quickly. I am needing more mechanical filtration than bio filtration at this point, the bog should handle bio filtration once planted in the spring.
UPDATE: The bog was a disaster and harmful bacteria led to death of two fish. I have removed all the gravel and am using it as a veggie filter.
After talking to several “experts” I have decided against the bead filter and opted for a less expensive large mat filter. It seems the Bead filters are only really good for mechanical filtration of large particles and tend to harbor bad bacteria if not cleaned often. You can see my new filter info here
