Building a HUGE Pond Filter - Part 2 - Vortex Filters 

Second episode in this mega-filter build for my large trout pond. Today we will take a look at the vortex parts of the filter and I'll explain how they are going to be fitted together to help with primary settlement which will hopefully clear the pond. The next episode will highlight the brush chamber and have more notes on the vortex fittings which I showed briefly at the end of this video. Vortex filters: bit.ly/2Mj7gYa 4" fittings: geni.us/nTQc9bw 2" taps: geni.us/OBXBGSI 8" diameter brushes: ebay.to/2OvMOkc If you've enjoyed this video please check out the playlists on my channel for hundreds more - on a variety of subjects. Feel free to share or link any of my videos on facebook, twitter, forums etc. for the benefit of anyone you think may also enjoy watching. See you next time. Pondguru RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS ON AMAZON: goo.gl/jMaBWy INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/pondguru_outdoors/ FILMING EQUIPMENT: Panasonic HC-VX870 HD camcorder geni.us/3UwE +Rode stereo microphone: geni.us/4OL +Rode 'deadcat' mic cover: geni.us/1pmn JVC Everio quad proof HD camcorder: geni.us/e09e +Rode 'deadcat' mic cover (opened up and held between tripod and camera base) geni.us/dee24 Zomei Z666 tripod: geni.us/1a1af3 Manfrotto MTPIXI-B PIXI mini tripod: geni.us/87f7

Great build. Can’t wait to see how it continues and to see the results on the water quality. Good luck Richard.

Loving the vortex set up so far, It has been very well thought out, especially with the flush system you have installed. So much better to clean in pond water you dont wanna be killing the bacteria thats built up in there for no reason. Fantastic idea

Wonderful idea, bring a smile to my face to see such ideas come to life. Am so envious you are able to do these things, whereas I can not even afford to own a simple aquarium (due to various reasons).

Just awesome stuff.... keep it coming! You get us thinking there is nothing we can't do

Big respect for your work

Wow this is going to be amazing!!! I can't wait to see it all fired up! Good stuff ✌️🐟☮️

Great start. Looking forward to this!!

I liked this video, gonna watch it again tomorrow. By the way, a few month ago I made two trickle filters according your video and ever since, the water in my (tropical) pond is crystal clear!

Love the shirt! About the "filter", well, looks like you're gonna filter the whole ocean!

Outstanding filtration system my friend!

Savage set up! Quality work as usual

Looking good so far. Man it's gonna be an animal of a filter

Hey Buddy, I enjoy your videos but i just have a few comments. I have worked in the sewage treatment area for large municipalities for 34 yrs. All of this tech. has been around for over a hundred years. With regard to the fittings,..., those tees are called ty's and they are meant to direct the flow of the liquid in the direction of the sweep, and the gaskets always go on the inside. That helps them swell and form a better seal as well as protect them from the weather. Keep up the interesting videos!

Awesome filter build

fan-flippin-tastic 2nd part to the series !!

Monster setup...super awesome..

Looks like its going to be a right monster setup that pondy cant wait for the next vid take care john :)

Oh, I just love this! I sooo want a pond, but my husband would probably kill me if I attempted anything like this -anyway, we dont have room for even a tiny pond here -but one day... Looking very much forward to the next episode :-)

Great filter build

Hey Richard. Great video.Instead of using a flexible hose for washing up you could pipe your 2" pipe up and over the top of the cyclones with some sort of spry nozzle over each . ttfn.

Cool so far!

Nice video Richard 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

More faster content please please please please I’m loving the mega filter

Looks cool, very clever

Can't wait for part 3

. Great video thanks for showing. You should put square mesh in the vortex to help catch all the sediment.spoke to soon that's a great idea

Dude, hangin' for part 3.

Really enjoying this series, will be great to see if we can see the water clarity change. I like watching the build too and I’m curious to see how the clearing out the muck bit works.

Amazing job. Love your videos. I’d love a big pond so I can put a boat on it 😂

Great video very easy to follow chat and instructions. No idea how you got the ultimate Warrior to help you lift it but lucky colin arrived.

Very cool !!!

Nice setup 👌 I am thinking about using it on my pond should I decide to switch up..

You watch you dont upset the earths gravitational field with that puppy ,thats a monster of a filter ;)

Thanks my friend for the information G-man out

Oh yes it's getting there 👍👍

Verry nice video sir thanks.

Colin, your resident Tom hanks in castaway?

Your videos rank up there with Joey KING of DIY as my favorites because the 2 of you actually know how to help us simpletons. Difefent situations, same concept. When is part 3 coming out?

Mate when are we going to see part 3? Loving it sofar

I am loving this filter build even if its soo out of my league! You really are Guru of all aquatic filters and obviously not just pond. I have never looked back after getting your filter media for my aquariums, so thank you :). Please tell me where you got the strong looking egg crate in the bottom of these filters? I a looking for something like this to do a paludarium. Cannot wait for next part of this build cheers Richard!

Hi great videos. Love the Filter idea for the pond. Although I was thinking with the size of pump and flow rate wouldn't it be more optimal to have the vortex filters in a sequential staging (one behind the other)vs. a parallel setup (side by side). That way each tank would in theory separate different sizes of particles. and thus give you a cleaner output in the biohome tanks and shower filter. It would be really easy to change over too. Have the input come into one Vortex (V) on bottom and connect the top output together with the next one with 90* elbows. and then the bottom of that tank with the bottom of the third. and that gives you one output at the end of the third tank to connect the biohome (u) tanks too. Plus this would help being the middle vortex would be spinning down like a drain it would pull air into the water to help with removing ultra fines in the third tank. so here is a diagram; (pond)--(pump)---_V--V__V---u-u-u---(shower)----(pond)

Ive never seen this vortex filters. I need to build one smaler for my Aquarium.

Pondguru is one of the best...

Good work, personally I would have the first one’s outlet connect to the 2nd one’s inlet and then the 2nd one’s outlet to the 3rd one’s inlet, to give a bit more filtration as the water moved through each filter, but hey that’s just me.

Why do i get the impression Colin was there in the bushes all along, listening.. waiting.. for the perfect moment.

Good job, if you put a drum on it you won’t regret it. Just a little one for you, with it being pump fed we always put a float switch on the pump that way if a pipe ever came loose or burst because it froze or something, it won’t empty all your water out. You can raise it but then the pump can burn out. Just a little peace of mind. I know it’s basically a lake😂😂 look forward to seeing the next one👍

Wouldn't you want the rubber seal on your drains on the inside because water pushing out will make a better seal than the seal holding the water back from the outside? Awesome setup though! Thank you for sharing and as always Keep Building👍

Can you say MEGA? This thing is going to be great!

They are no longer vertexes with those brushes in and defeat the object as the brushes will defuse the water flow from its circular motion. Anyway good luck with this, I don't envy you cleaning it all after a few weeks running.

Fantastic part two, that's going to be one hell of a filter .proper belt and braces 😋.. were did you find Colin 🌱🌴 the wild man of Borneo...top man!!!!!

I need one of these filters for my 1000 gallon pond

The only thing that I would personally do, is on the drains is fit a gate valve as on opening it would created an instant vacuum, whereas a ball valve will leak back any instant vacuum suction until fully opened.

That's really interesting! I would like to see you design a filter system similar to this setup but a scale down version similar in design for oh say a 90 gal & up to 180 gal. aquarium,.. having the 3 containers ( maybe more if needed)up to 6. Although i'm unsure as to where it would best be located; hang on back, or make some sort of bracket/shelf for the containers to sit at the back of tank just above it??? Basically would be a type of trickle filter or sump but instead of being under the aquarium, it would be visible above the back of the tank,maybe even have an area for house plants(giving u a kind of hydroponic type setup as an option) Also, what kind of containers would be used? Some may prefer clear(acrylic although pricey)some type of see through container,.. maybe some would prefer blacked-out containers.Whatever the choice: They'd join together similar to how you made that huge kick-ass filter for the pond... (Clear or solid color) Would that have different effects on the filtration??? I figure you would best suited for the task if anyone could make it well, you'd be person for the job.. I like watchin' the builds and really enjoy absorbing in all the info/knowledge u share,.. Many, Many, Thx from the good "ole U.S. of A (state of KY).... Rock on !!!

I don't envy your cleaning days. I don't like my pond ones, can't imagine a lake clean.

Good t-shirt, deathstars,cyanide brilliant tune

Hi Richard , cant wait for next episode. What size pump will you be running on this filter?

Some silicone vacuum grease might ensure a good seal at all those connections.

That is an awe-inspiring project that could cement your title as the pond guru! If I may ask, are you considering building your own hydroelectric plant to supply the power necessary to drive the system? (just kidding). I look forward to seeing those beautiful trout swimming in crystal-clear water.

Hi rich great video as always. I'm just wondering and I'm sure many others are too, when are you going to do an update video of the jebao pressure filter bakki shower configuration. Since our phone conversation I too have been using the jebao pressure filter as a pre filter and it has been a Godsend especially in the most recent hot spell we have had. My maintenance routine is now a pleasure as there is nothing much for me to do compared to the old chore. Regards Thomas.

this has turned into the Filter channel.

\m/ wasn't expecting a Deathstars t-shirt

The use of the brushes in these filters makes me want to try that in a smaller application. Do you think it would be effective to make my own using a 20 gallon plastic cylinder and brushes for a 1200 gallon pond. I really like to idea of pulling those brushes out to get rid of the muck.

I have this same setup on my 20 gal

Nice build. Did you put in a check valve along your inflow route to prevent backflow from the filters to the pond in case of a power outage? It's a little thing but a huge safety feature to prevent the muck from messing up your pond if the power goes out and the filter water backflows to the pond. Easier than losing fish and cleaning the main pond. What will you be doing with the tubs beside your big filters? Now I have to check out your other videos. Cheers mate frm Canada.

great job brother , i,m planning to do the same filter however in the first filter i wanna replace the brushes with gravel , would that work better do you think brother ?

Nicely coming along ! I see you needed Jesus's help. Yeah you call him Colleen but we all saw it was Jesus ! " if you build it he will come" I guess ...... and he did. lol. A side with the joke ...... Those things looking awesome and can you imagine if all those brushes somehow even mechanically/motorized way could turn the opposite of the vortex inside so it would be more surface touching the water. I hope you make the top removable for easy access for cleaning them. Once it works then every month do just 1 cleaning and next month the other then the next the third and so on. Every 6 months with a giant snake clean the pipes and keep running it with ease ! I can see what a beauty will be when it's completed ! Can't wait !

Looks like a massive amount of maintenance on that system.

Its a geat design but I am questioning the 4" rubber elbow. They are routinely used for drain lines and not supply lines and are usually not NSF. I have seen them deteriorate over time and when you remove them they smell like gasoline... Have you had any issues with them? Also, those pre-filter brushes are going to need some regular manipulation to dislodge collected waste. You dont seem to have much room for that. You might get to it later, but I was wondering what the plan is for that? I would put an access door in the deck ..

Hi from Leeds! Great video and project. I love over engineered stuff this is perfect. Quick question though, I have a blagdon all in one 9000 filtration system doing a 400 litre afinity pond. I upgrade if from the pre supplied 3000l system so it's massive overkill for the size pond I have. I can power a fountain as well as a water feature with the pump outlet. I had one going to the fountain and the other just had a L Piece coming out with a small piece of Flexi hose to basically create a circular current in my pond. So the dirt was stirred up from the bottom, kept in suspension then eventually picked up by the filter. Someone told me to use that 2nd outlet instead to aerate the surface further instead of doing the circular flow so now I have a longer piece of hose cable tied to the fountain standpipe so it's also blasting out of the water? Which is better for my pond? The latter means the water isn't as fast moving maybe the goldfish prefer that? But the first one seemed to stop as much settling on the bottom?

@pondguru why not install the pump after the vortex filter that would pull a vacuum on the inlet pipe of the vortex filter that way the large muck could be filtered before it hits the pump impeller.

Can you elaborate why the rubber elements help you change the configuration? With solid PVC as long as you don't glue them, it remains equally possible to change the filter configuration

What are good test kits for water quality?

I used gutter pipe in my filter construction. Beware, the solvent joint leak, but I used silicone rubber to fix this.

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When can we expect part 3 ?

Are you not worried about pressure loss from the pump (1 1/2 - 2 inch) to the vortex feed pipes (4 inch)? Why elevate the vortex units? Each one is bottom-in/top-out, so you were already getting plenty of "height" for feeding the downstream containers.

Looking good! Just a quickie, why do you not go 4” straight from the pond? Really look forward to see it all working!

Great video,will not the water go in the first vortex and Forget the last two

Hi, is 300g of biohome standard filter media enough to fill up 2 trays of the sun sun canister filter? I really enjoy your videos and im Glad that you give good and proper advices unlike fish stores out there. Thanks!

Wow, you found Catweasle..

Will you be doing any fly fishing this season?

Nut on the outside of the tank fitting surely? That way it is soooo much easier to tweak it up if it is leaking.

After 3 years what is your opinion on vortex filter? Do you have better solutions?

Hi… What water Speed (or pressure) is needed for the Vortex for working as intended? My concern is that you will not reach that min. Speed needed to generate the spin. First you pump through a small pipe into the big infeed pipe to your 3 vortexes. The flow Speed goes with the second potence of the Diameter , means the Speed will be much less compared to the original flow Speed. Then you divide the flow into 3 vortexes… and this is without taking in account the fricton losses inside the pipe which is considerable (actually the flow goes with the third potence of the Diameter, means you reduce the Diameter to half, then the flow is 8 times less). I guess your vortexes will just fill up with water without generating the spin… what makes you think this will work? Best regards

Shouldn’t the gasket on the bulkheads be on the submerged side with the locking nut on the outside for ease of tightening?

Hey Richard is there something like bio home I can buy in the US to put in a pressure filter for a Koi pond your friend G-man

will this be enough for my 55 gallon?

any updates coming?

Would it have not been more effective to have the top of one filter feed the bottom of the other so as you go along the water is cleaner and cleaner before exiting the final one

Is there a specific reason for plumbing the vortex filters in parallel???

Shouldn't the rubber gasket on the bulkhead fitting be on the inside???

When’s the next video coming out?

How can you stop a raised pond from freezing in winter

Dang...So how many gallons do you estimate your pond to be Richard?? Looks like those badboys could filter Lake Tahoe!!

don't forget the drain tap open, drain all the water by mistake

Will the brushes not hinder the vortex? I'd stick the brushes in the next stage. But then again, u r the pondguru ;) lol

Haha found a slight edit mistake, when you say Dyson vacuum twice

Well that's not gonna want cleaning until next decade lol