KevKoi thanks for the comments. I don't exactly understand the settlement chambers. Is there a book that you would suggest on it? Or maybe a website that explains it and how to set it up? This pond is only mine for at the most two years, maybe only a year. I am probably moving next summer, but might stay here for one more year I'll have to see what the future holds (definately out of here though). Anyhow, when I do move I plan on building at least a 10,000 gallon pond, maybe larger. I'd like to do more research so that my next project turns out perfect.
Right now the pump is running on 1.7 volts and is at about 6,000 gph. My water is crystal clear, which is one of the main reasons I went with the sand/pea gravel set up. I wanted my water to stay clear. I do not have a UV light but was told by Colorado koi that I do not need one with this set up, they did say I would need algaecide to keep the algae down.
Why did I go with this setup. I searched the internet for what was supposed to be the best system. I was going to go with an ultima II all the hype had me sold. The problem was money. I had to borrow the money from my father to buy my set up and he found this pump and sand filter setup at Colorado koi. He suggested I look into it. After talking to the guy at Colorado koi several times on the phone, reading through his website, it all made sense to me. So I bought it. The thing one has to remember with this type of set up is DO NOT fill the filter up half way with sand. This is where a lot of people with ponds and sand filters have problems. The filter should only be filled 1/4 of the way with half sand half pea gravel. With too much sand one will grow bad stuff in the filter. The right amount will give a good biological filtration. At least this is what he told me. A swimming pool set up calls for the filter to be filled half way with sand. The pump has to be powerful enough to do a proper backwash. If it is not powerfull enough than you cannot get all the ugly stuff out and thus your going to have problems, that is why the pump is 1 hp.
quotes from their page;
QUOTE
Best Pond Filters™ are the most efficient self-cleaning Koi nitrification filters yet, and they are sold at distributor discounts.
Our background includes successful ornamental fish keeping and breeding since the 1950’s; as well as a B.S. in the Biological Sciences from the University of Chicago, and completion of the work for a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
QUOTE
Problems with Sand
There are 4 main objections to sand filters for ponds. First and most important, they can plug up if:
1. Loaded at 100% of the manufacturers’ recommendation for sand, which is about 1/2 full.
2. Not backwashed at least once per week.
3. Not backwashed with a powerful enough pump.
4. Not using "Koi Care Algaecide" for eliminating the algae problem.
Next, some opponents say the water travels through it too fast to allow for effective biofiltration. They say the residence time is too short. However, they ignore the fact that the water makes many more trips through the media for a given time period, so the actual contact time per hour is about the same.
QUOTE
Large City Aquariums use Sand Filter
Most if not all large city Aquariums use sand filters. They know how to properly use them, and have found the efficiencies to be unsurpassed.
QUOTE
Pond Sand Filter Research
Our research focused on under-loading the sand filters, and backwashing them more frequently with higher pressures and flow rates, in order to take advantage of the greater food processing surface areas, while eliminating the chance of plugging. The other advantage of the sand filters is they are more reasonably priced.
We discovered a sand / pea gravel loading that results in a high efficiency yet doesn't plug, especially when combined with "Koi Care Algaecide".
Other sand filter media investigated included coarser sand, porous ceramic material, and crushed lava rock. Other hollow media were also looked at.
While it is true that pressure type filters such as sand filters may require a little more electricity to operate, most pond owners are willing to spend a little electricity to replace their labor. Owners of these filters want something that will do the job better, and with less labor.
In the USA, too often our “Honey-Do Lists” are too long to allow using more labor-intensive filters.
and after explaining a little about each of the filtration systems used and available they end by saying;
QUOTE
For all of the above reasons the latest generations of sand filters currently represent the “State-of-the-Art” in pond filtration, and they are surprisingly inexpensive, especially compared to the labor-intensive sedimentation tank systems. They have all the benefits of more expensive filtration systems, without the plugging problems, and they are 10 to 20 times more efficient than bead filters.
The most important measure of a filter's efficiency is its cost in dollars per square feet of surface area. In other words, how much does the biological activity you need cost?
http://www.bestpondfilters.com/theory.htmQUOTE
Sand as a filter media has gotten a bad rap for pond filters for 3 reasons:
The 1st reason is too much sand was used, in other words the filters were overloaded;
The 2nd reason is the wrong size sand was used alone, without any modifying media.
The 3rd reason is too many people used motors that were too small, like 1/8 HP motors, which are way too small to get a good backwash action.
Sand has some of the best characteristics for filtration media:
It has the smallest particle size, and therefore the greatest surface area per cubic foot.
It is cheap, and readily available.
We have found we can eliminate the problems:
By under loading the filters with a smaller charge of sand,
And by using a special mix of a particular sized sand with pea gravel.
We also use larger horse power motors for backwashing;
and we use the Koi Care Algaecide for eliminating the algae problems.
Combining these solutions we have found a much cheaper and much more effective filter for ponds, which is the "Best Pond Filter" series.
Anyhow this is why I went with the sand filter.
About all the pipes. At first it intemidated me to look at the pictures and read on how I was to set this up. Once I got started though it really was simple. I really didn't think I could do it and thought about getting a plumber over here to do it for me LOL. Anyhow, I'm proud that I did it myself and it turned out right. I hope that this system is as good as I was told it is. I have no other to compare to, except the set up I had before. The guy that runs Colorado Koi seems to know his stuff.
I'll certainly let everyone know how this goes as times goes by {the Koko's goldfish pond message baord science project LOL}. Thus far everything is going great. That pump is so cool, it prrrrrrrs really soft you can't hardly hear it.
Scott
. Looks good, and was a lot easier to build, or snap together LOL. It's sturdy and water proof at least.
but I traded off a horrible filtration system for this awesome set up so I can live with two pipes showing. I'm going to try and cover them with plants, somehow. I circled the screw on connector so that you can see it, this is where I unhook the bottom drain in case the screens get plugged or I want to vacuum the pond. 
gosh, I am drooling again..
I would love to see complete pic of full pond shot!
. 
), the "Bubble bead filters", the Sand filters etc etc come and go and at the end of the day it still comes back to the good 'ol settlement chamber type filters, possibly with a trickle tower of some sort (Momotaro is trying to market his trickle tower as the "Baki Shower") in koi ponds. The problem with that back to basics system is that the average joe-bloe can't be bothered to understand the fundamentals of how the filter works and demands a "PRODUCT"; one that he/she can pull off the shelf, plug in and hope it works as the manufacturer says it does.....
