Congrats Terry on another success, amazed at the colour of the water coming out of your moving bed, friendly bacteria must thrive now in cleaner environment. This is why we follow you mate. Keep up the great work. 👍
Hi Terry great video I couldn’t understand what you was trying to make having not seen a Skimmate but now it’s up and running I now know and what great results it’s giving and just goes to show how much muck is still in the water even when it’s coming directly from the moving bead good work M8 👍
Hi mate and thank you. the docs and fine dirt sticks to the bubbles is how it works mate. I did start to wonder if it would work at one point lol, but got there in the end. Thanks again mate, Terry.
Thank you so much, that is way beyond expectations. What an addition!🤗. You mention a couple of things, running the water from the skimmer return directly to the pond and using the skimmate on the garden. I reckon on both counts you'll be on to a winner. Really looking forward to seeing how things progress.
Well that looks like a winner Terry if you can pull that sort of muck out it can only improve thinks looks like you hit the nail on the head thanks for your time and effort working on it and the time you have been putting into it and still are gives us all something to look at doing
Hi Martyn, and thank you. I just wanted to prove it could be done. I am really pleased with it. There was a point where I though I might land on my backside with it. but didn't thank goodness. It's just something us ponders can use to improve things even more. It's actually real fine dirt that comes out of it. thanks again mate, take care, Terry.
Hi Les, Thanks mate, it's really appreciated. I have to admit, I am well pleased with it. What worries me is what am I going to do next lol. Thanks again mate, Terry.
WOWSER ! That worked really well Terry, really pleased for you. Pond & Koi looking great as usual. We all really look forward to seeing your video's. Keep up the cracking work, stay well & stay safe.
Hi mate, and thank you for your kind comments. Good to hear you enjoy the videos. it's very much appreciated. I must admit I am very pleased with it and the way it's working, as several said it couldn't be done on fresh water. thanks again mate, Terry.
Hello Mr Wright , just watched your protein skimmer video for the ump teenth time. I must say your videos are my favourite ones on youtube. Your protein skimmer knocks all the others into a cocked hat, and your rdf is amazing. Just one thing to say, is that i made an up flow filter almost the same as yours but i followed the northern koi keepers effort before i saw your one. All i can say is keep an eye on the rubber connector underneath the filter as mine shot off. Water everywhere! Also cracked the perspex in half and all the k+ went every where. So i have changed my filter to emulate yours minus the genius electronics you have controlling yours. Thanks again for your good work. Jack
Hi Jack, and thank you for your kind comments mate. It's really appreciated. Sorry to hear about your first up-flow filter. Wow! I bet that was a mess. That media gets everywhere. Good to hear your all sorted out now though. They do remove a lot of the fines, even after an RDF with 60 micron mesh. Thanks again mate and take care, Terry.
Great work powering through and tinkering it really shows in the waste, looks like a great addition to the filtration keep up the great work on the pond and the videos, take care and enjoy.
Excellent work Terry, you must be chuffed to bits. Was watching your pond build yesterday to remind me of how you went about the pipe work etc, quite amazing how beautiful it now looks. Well done mate.
Great work Terry! You have got a beautiful pond. The main thing that amazed me, despite being totally blown away at the quality of filtration you have managed to make your self. Was the simple scissors like tool you had made to remove the dome from the bottom drain. What a fantastic idea! I will definitely be making one myself👍 Great video thanks for sharing. Regards Ian 😊
Thanks mate, and thank you for your kind comments, very much appreciated. They are very handy to get the bottom drain cover off. thanks again mate, Terry.
That is amazing terry I was well shocked to see what its removed especially after the drum to . Well done mate I'd be chuffed to bits to . Keep up the good work and stay safe
Hi Leigh, thanks mate, much appreciated. I did start to wonder if it would work, but it's turned out well in the end, thanks again mate, take care and stay safe. Terry.
Well done mate for getting it to work its amazing how much muck you get out I get about a pint per week on 100 gall reef tank. Just wait till it warms up and you start feeding. You're need to keep the top cone clean regularly and that can stop it working for a while. If you use the waste on plants I would add it to a watering can first I might be too strong neat. Just one other thing your bucket that's collecting the waste you might want to fit a lid it stinks and when the weather warms up. Well done you happy ponder .Chris
Hi Chris, thank you, and thanks for the info mate. much appreciated. Must admit, it is working better than I ever imagined. It's been on the pond now 3 days and my water is crystal. I am putting the skimate on the plants, so we'll see what that does with them in the summer. Your right about the smell lol. Going to make a lid today. I have noticed different things affect it producing skimate. Like you say, once we get some summer weather will be the test. Thanks again mate, take care, Terry.
A big well done. Absolutely amazing, you must have an Engineering background. Loved those wooden scissors to remove the bottom drain. Now time to sit back and enjoy your fish and garden. Take care mate.
Hi mate and thank you, The main thing is to help ponders, and to show they can build there own filters for a fraction of the cost. As you know, everything in my filter house is homemade. thanks again mate, Terry.
Thanks mate, and thank you for your support. really appreciated. I must admit, I was having my doubts at one point. Thanks again mate, take care and stay safe, Terry.
Hi Neil, I haven't got over this one yet lol. I am actually doing drawing for a sieve filter, but not sure when that's coming. Gotta get this one plumbed properly now. Thanks mate, always appreciated, Terry.
Wow that's working excellent. The skimmers in my Reef take about a week to truly be dialed in and producing dry Skimate. Best course is to just leave it alone in my opinion I don't make changes to my settings for at least a few days at a time once it's in the general ballpark of where I want my bubbles to break initially. Great job thourougly enjoy your channel in my research to transform my back yard into a pond habitat.
Hi Daniel, thank you mate. I did start to wonder if it would work, as many said it wouldn't on fresh water. But got there in the end lol. thanks again mate, Terry.
working really well mate, I've been using protein skimmers on my pond for years, i herd you say in the vid it broke when you did a water change, from my experience with them when you disturb the dissolved oxygen in the pond the foaming stops until it rebuilds the levels back up, when the pond surface has foam floating on it, its a good indication how much dissolved oxygen is in there. When we do a water change or in particular in my case when i feed, within 5 to 15 minutes the protein skimmer will stop foaming which i put down to the food altering the balance of the dissolved oxygen, it happens to the foam on the pond surface to, it will disappear from the surface within the same amount of time. I always tune my protein skimmer in the morning before feeding as the oxygen levels are at there highest due to no feed going in for around 10 hours, if you tune them after a few feeds during the day you will probably find it pumping out a lot of water the next morning. I've sort of accepted that there not a filter that does a 24/7 job on cleaning, they do remove a bit during the day but at night with no disturbances to the water chemistry is when they do there part Another cracking build though mate, all the best
Hi Michael, I did reply before but it has gone, not sure what's happened. Thanks mate, really appreciate the info. You've just confirmed what's been happening. Through the night its magic, but like you say it does drop off in the afternoon. Now I know why, thanks mate, really interesting. Take care, Terry.
Hi Terry , love watching your updates and your journey in the pond world . Just wanted to ask you....what is the benefit to raising the pond vac when hoovering your pond ? Happy ponding 👍
Hi Kevin, and thanks mate. much appreciated. I lift my pond vac so the water from the vac can flow into the box that takes out all the larger dirt and returns the water to the pond. That way I don't loose any pond water when hoovering. thanks again mate, Terry.
Great job Terry Looks like u have done it again professor. I will b waiting on plans for next winters project. As u know I have your plans from your plans a rdf and moving bed on my 700 gallon African cichlid aquarium and love it. The job I always hated the most was cleaning the front glass 10’ x 3’ and the filtration has reduced it from every 4-5 days to once a month by reducing algae growth. I’ve always wanted to do what u just accomplished. Well Done! Ritchie
Hi Ritchie, Hope you keeping well mate. Ah! it was nothing really lol. I must admit this one did give me a few headaches. I thought I was going to fall on my backside lol. I'm really pleased I didn't. Good to hear the RDF's working well mate. Cleaning of any kind is a pain as far as fish are concerned. Thanks mate, look after your self, Terry.
Hi Mark, thanks mate. That's right. I thought that's where I'd gone wrong, pulling from the moving bed. Everything in that skimate from the skimmer must have been smaller that 60 micron. That's why it looked black I suppose. I must admit, I'm really pleased with it. thanks again mate, Terry.
Hi Steve, thanks mate, I will release the plans, once I've given it a good run to make sure all's well mate. It's going great up to now. I have to say, it really polishes the water. My pond after 3 days is crystal. I will put them on my website when done, thanks, Terry.
As Shrek said, "Better out than in" for sure. It *would* be good on the garden shrubbery I imagine. I also think you're quite right that the (temporary) feedback piping from the skimmer through the moving bed is partly self defeating. The outflow needs going directly back to the pond once you're happy with the rest of your set-up. It may also be worthwhile playing around with having the skimmer input feed from before the RDF instead of after but personally I think the skimmer is clearing dirt at a nice manageable rate as it is. So we know it's not "starved" for dirt as it is. I hope you and your lady wife enjoyed that celebratory wine. A job well done indeed.
Hi Mate, Unfortunately the wife doesn't drink, so I had her glass as well lol. I will let it run for a while like you say, while I think how I'm going to pipe it permanently. I've only had it running for just over 2 days and my pond water is crystal. I've never had pond water like it. If it's clearing my pond this quick, I'm wondering if in the future, I might put it on a timer. Just a thought. thanks mate, very much appreciated, Terry.
Great job Terry that is a lot of muck that's its taken out better out then in sure will help massively with keeping pond clean mate well done big pat on your back 👍👍👍Ps you need the barbers back open get that hair cut lol 😂 😜
Hi Wrighty just found your channel and starting going through the older ones. Really impressed with the protein skimmer. A couple of questions if I may, is the inlet higher than the outlet in the tube and does it have a 90degree bend inside to send the water upon does it just rely on the air. Keep up the videos we love them, stay safe mate
Hi Lionel, thank you. yes, the inlet is above the outlet. The idea is to keep the water in the chamber as long as possible. Thanks mate and take care, Terry.
Terry, great video that shows what a foam fractionator can do. You made loads of observations that are 'Bob on'! First one is that you can use the by product on your garden. A caveat though: It is concentrated gunge if you get my drift. I tried it with mine, threw a bucket of the gunge on one or two plants last year and killed them!! Tried again in diluted form and it did not kill (about 50 m/litres or so diluted in water) Did it enhance the plants - who knows. What I do know is that they survived and they looked like they appreciated the feed. Bear in mind the fractionator will take out alsorts of gunge including unhealthy stuff. Thats why the water looks like - well - to put it blunt -crap. It would be interesting to get the gunge chemically analysed. As your video clearly showed, a foam fractionator does remove something out of the pond water. For example, even if you just compare the colour there is a difference in what goes in to the fractionator and what comes out. It is difficult to deny that. What is actually removed is open to debate. Is it just 'tannins' a dye that is a by product of decomposing vegetation? Who knows? From the little research I carried out, a foam fractionator ought to remove the following: 1) They remove unwanted soluble organics from water 2) That includes: Dissolved Organic Compounds (DOC) including molecules of amino acids, decayed organic waste, tannins from plants, and other organic compounds 3) Unwanted soluble organics that may inhibit nitrifiying bacteria to grow 4) Inturn this decreases oxygen demand that DOCs put on water Kind regards and keep up the good work: Alex
Hi Alex, and thanks mate. That's right, it would be interesting to know actually what is in it, and just what we are taking out. It would tell us just how important or not it is to have one. Looking at the colour of the skimate, I'd sooner have it out lol. Thanks for your support and info mate, it really appreciated. take care and stay safe, Terry.
Thanks Kev, a few headaches along the way, but got there in the end. My water after just less than 3 days is crystal. Never had water like it. And they said it couldn't be done, thanks mate, Terry.
Hi Matt, thank you mate. I have to say, I've never seen my water so crystal. It's only been on just over 2 days. Even the wife commented on it. It's even surprising me lol. Thanks, Terry.
Hi Terry, I really enjoy your videos. Not related to this vid, but as it is the latest one, did your Bakki river reduce your nitrate levels? I recall you saying your plants were not growing anymore!
Well Terry, that counts as 100% successful which surprised me coming of the clean side of filter, amazing amount of crud there, brilliant plant food concentrate as well, have you got a tds meter, would love to know the readings before and perhaps a week after running?
Hi Marek, thank you mate. I thought I'd have problems like you say, in the way I'd plumbed it. But in just over 2 days my water is crystal. It can't get any better surely. This is all new to me. Now I'm not sure what's going to happen lol. thanks for your support mate, Terry.
Hi mate, Were all well here mate thank you. I hope all's well with you and yours. I'm going to give it a few days and then put my camera in there so we can all have a look. Thanks again mate, Terry.
Wrighty hi Terry I built one a couple of days ok only a prototype slightly different to yours as I use air lift to pump my water, I’ve noticed that it does it’s job only when it needs to but it’s working, I will make pipe work bigger when I’m happy but at this stage it seems to be fine as is
Hi mate, It's going really well, much better than I thought it would. It really polishes the water. I don't need a bigger bucket yet lol, think I was a bit ambitious to start with. I did have a bit of a disaster in them strong winds we've just had. I have the plant boxes on the pond brickwork at the top of the pond as you'll know, and I left them there as they were quite heavy and I thought they'd be ok. Trouble was a chair blew across the patio and knocked one of them into the pond. The complete tray emptied into the pond. The water went black with potting compost, and the plants were bobbing about on the water lol. The RDF was flat out for a day, and I spent all day yesterday with the pond vac lol. what a nightmare. Think I'm back to normal now. That'll teach me lol. Thanks mate, Terry.
Wrighty oh blimey! That’s crap,sorry to hear it. It’s really was an annoying bit of weather wasn’t it yeah. It must be great knowing you can rely on the rdf to sort stuff out though 👍 I left my poly carb sheets on during those 2 days to be honest but leaving one of them propped up to let some air in meant all debris and dust just skated across the sheets and dropped straight into the pond lol. So glad the ‘fractionwrighty’ is doing well though. Hope we get another vid soon, take care. Darren
Good morning , sorry my question isn't to do with this video . How do you safely top up a pond if you haven't got an automatic top up system ? I usually treat a bucket of tap water throw that over the surface then use a hose pipe slowly running into the pond. I always feel abit anxious due to running water gets colder etc and think this has a big impact on my fish . Is this ok or is there another way if one hasn't got the equipment to maintain temps etc .
Relative new comer to your channel, so I am currently working my way through the back catalogue. Mine is a raised brick pond only around 400 gallon, so although I probably won't ever need a RDF on it, I love watching how you develop the systems. It reminds me of watching Jack Hargreaves on 'How' as a kid. I want to add some more marginal plants to my pond but have no shelf space left and I noticed the brackets you use around your pond. Is there any mention of them in a video? or are they just stainless steel brackets you have knocked together in the shed. Keep up the videos and happy Ponding.
Hi Terry, Looking for a little advice please 😀 My fish are quite picky with their food..... think I spoil them with maggots and worms after a fishing trip! What food should I buy? Or what do you feed your fish? Thanks in advance 😀
Hi Dave, I do give my koi a lot of different things in their diet. They have 3 different kinds of pellets, I don't buy the cheap pellets. They also get tinned sweetcorn, brown wholemeal bread, dried mealworms, shrimps/prawns as a treat now and again, cheerios, a slice of orange as the citrus is good for them. Like I say, I do try to vary there diet. Hope this helps mate, Terry.
Hi David, I haven't tested it enough yet to release plans, but I will be doing in the future if all goes well. I will put them on my website when released. diypondfilters.com hope this helps mate. Terry.
@@Wrighty Hi Terry that will be great not long since I retired and find I've got a lot more time to spend in the garden and on my koi pond. Love watching your videos and have picked up a lot of good ideas from them. Ps keep them coming.
Whenever you put your hands in a marine tank, it kills the bubbles in a skimmer too (I believe it’s something to do with the oils on your skin)...also sometimes when feeding etc the skimmer can go mental and end up overflowing. Not sure if it’s the same with freshwater skimmers as I have no experience in them but if it is the case may be worth installing a float valve solenoid on the collection bucket to kill the feed pump before it floods. As I say not sure if it will be the same as my skimmer on the marine tank, but maybe something to look into That skimmate looks perfect and would make great fertiliser hth
Hi mate, I do put the skimate on the plants, I do water it down a bit first so it goes further. I will look into the overflowing. I have been thinking of putting it on a timer as it's made my pond water crystal in just over 3 days. It's the first I've had to do with protein skimmers, so I don't know much at all. thanks mate, Terry.
I don’t know if this is a ‘thing’ or if its possible but have you ever thought about installing a camera underwater so you have a permanent feed in your shed or house? All the best
Hi mate, yes I have thought about it, and I have seen it done before. There was a video here on TH-cam showing one. I just haven't got around to it myself. I tend to find, I've always got something to do lol. thanks mate, Terry.
Hi, I need your advice, what would you recommend for green water. I’ve used cloverleaf to get rid of string algae but the water has stayed green. Thanks 😊
Hi Lorraine, The only sure way of getting rid of the green water is to fit a UV Clarifier light to your system. The green water is what's called algae bloom, and as it's only 3 micron in size no filter will remove it. A UV light in the system will kill the bloom algae and stick it together, which makes it big enough for a filter to remove. When buying a UV, always buy one bigger than recommended by the manufactures for your pond size. That way you know it will work. Hope this helps, Terry.
Hi, thanks for answering so quickly. I’ve got a Bioforce revolution filter system with a built in uv clarifier. The bulb is working. I’ve hoovered the pond as well. All I can think of is just keep cleaning the filter every 2 to 3 days. Last year the water was clear. 🤔
Hi Lorraine, If you have green water, it's certainly a UV problem, and it's not working. Have you changed the bulb lately as they need changing at the start of every season. If it's lighting up, it doesn't mean it's working. you need the ultraviolet rays from it and they do weaken. Terry.
Your very welcome, and thank you for your kind comments. P/S one thing I forgot to mention. Don't look at the UV light when switched on, as it can damage your eyes. Terry.
Hi Terry,there is a video on TH-cam from Private koi club tilted pond walk around he seems gend up on fractionators you may get some info from him,his set up is really worth looking at, also has a facebook page.Good Luck
Hi George, wow that's some filter house and pond. Just shows what you can do when moneys no problem. That must have cost a fortune. Thanks mate, it was very interesting. Terry.
Hi Chris, the water test was easy mate, it was black and you couldn't see through it lol. I will have to get something to test the water, I don't have anything. Thanks mate, Terry.
Good afternoon mr. Wright hope your all well. What size pipe you using from pond to filter? In the middle of moving my pond just abit sceptical on what size pipe. You have an email? Regards
Hi mate, A lot depends if your looking to have a gravity or pump feed system. I'm gravity fed from the pond. I used 3" which does the job, but I sometimes think I should have used 4". A lot depends on what flow your looking to get through it for your pond size. Terry.
Make sure you turn it off if you have to treat the pond as it will strip the treatment out. Also your going to need flexible pipe cleaners to clean the waste pipe periodically as you will get build up inside it. (From my marine experiences)
Cool that you get something promising from this skimmer! Would be possible to analyze what it's the composition? Have a look in microscope could maybe already give a hint. Nice hobby isn't it? ;-)
Use the skimmate to fertilise your flowers. works amazingly. Twice as many flowers as normal, just try it. The temperature of the water doesn't matter, it's the lack of feeding at colder temperature. If you feed as much at cold temperature as you would do at higher temperatures the protein in the water will be the same. The most +90% of the protein in your pond water is from the food you feed your fish. So if you feed the protein will be there.
Hi Stefan, thank you for the information. Very much appreciated. After less than 3 days my pond water is crystal. Never had water like it. thanks mate, Terry.
you must have a lot of organic waste in your pond, it could come from your plants, is that good news or bad news that amount of muck it took out of your pond that your existing filters did not remove best regards
Your skimmer will start and stop buy itself. It will not skim all the time. Mine only produces skim ate when the water needs it. Even though it runs all the time.
Hi Adam, I must say it seems to have slowed down a bit. I must say I've never seen my pond so crystal. I can't believe how quick it done it. I was wondering about putting it on a timer if it's this quick. Thanks mate, Terry.
Who would have believed the colour of the skimming!! Amazing.
Hi Anthony, I wasn't sure if it would work when I was building it, but thank goodness it did. Thanks, Terry.
That skimmate is amazing, I never would have expected to work so well on fresh water. So much better that it's coming out than staying in!
Thank you, and very much appreciated. I must admit I did have my doubts at times, but I got there in the end. Thanks again, Terry.
Congrats Terry on another success, amazed at the colour of the water coming out of your moving bed, friendly bacteria must thrive now in cleaner environment. This is why we follow you mate. Keep up the great work. 👍
Hi mate, thank you, the colour of the skimate surprised me. It's working far better than I ever expected. Thanks again mate, Terry.
thanks for the video Terry. hope you and the family are all well. take care
Hi mate, thank you. Were all well here mate thank you. I hope all's well with you and your family. I'll try to keep it up lol. Thanks, Terry.
You sir are a genius. 👏👏👏 Chris.
Thanks Chris, it's always appreciated mate. You Take care, Terry.
Top job once again terry very nice work
Hi mate, thank you, very much appreciated. I have to say it is working well. thanks again mate, Terry.
Hi Terry,your last two videos have been brilliant mate.Great success with the protein skimmer.Well done you.Regards and stay safe Gary.
Hi Gary, thanks mate, good to hear you enjoyed the videos, I did get a bit worried at one point lol. thanks again and stay safe mate, Terry.
Hi Terry great video I couldn’t understand what you was trying to make having not seen a Skimmate but now it’s up and running I now know and what great results it’s giving and just goes to show how much muck is still in the water even when it’s coming directly from the moving bead good work M8 👍
Hi mate and thank you. the docs and fine dirt sticks to the bubbles is how it works mate. I did start to wonder if it would work at one point lol, but got there in the end. Thanks again mate, Terry.
Thank you so much, that is way beyond expectations. What an addition!🤗. You mention a couple of things, running the water from the skimmer return directly to the pond and using the skimmate on the garden. I reckon on both counts you'll be on to a winner. Really looking forward to seeing how things progress.
Thanks mate, you've confirmed just what I was thinking, but didn't know for sure. Thanks again, Terry.
Well done Terry. You sounded more pleased with how it was running than you did with the first run on the drum 😆👍
That's right mate lol, got there in the end again. thanks mate, Terry.
Well that looks like a winner Terry if you can pull that sort of muck out it can only improve thinks looks like you hit the nail on the head thanks for your time and effort working on it and the time you have been putting into it and still are gives us all something to look at doing
Hi Martyn, and thank you. I just wanted to prove it could be done. I am really pleased with it. There was a point where I though I might land on my backside with it. but didn't thank goodness. It's just something us ponders can use to improve things even more. It's actually real fine dirt that comes out of it. thanks again mate, take care, Terry.
Mr Terry or Sir Terry of the ponds, you have taken ponding to the next level, Albert Einstein of the ponds. another incredible invention. 🙏🙏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Hi Les, Thanks mate, it's really appreciated. I have to admit, I am well pleased with it. What worries me is what am I going to do next lol. Thanks again mate, Terry.
@@Wrighty Terry we all know you will find something, your taking pond keeping to the next level for sure, amazing work dont stop.
I will try to keep it going mate, as I really enjoy it. I'm not sure why, as it does give me one or two headaches. Thanks Les, take care mate, Terry.
WOWSER ! That worked really well Terry, really pleased for you. Pond & Koi looking great as usual. We all really look forward to seeing your video's. Keep up the cracking work, stay well & stay safe.
Hi mate, and thank you for your kind comments. Good to hear you enjoy the videos. it's very much appreciated. I must admit I am very pleased with it and the way it's working, as several said it couldn't be done on fresh water. thanks again mate, Terry.
Hello Mr Wright , just watched your protein skimmer video for the ump teenth time. I must say your videos are my favourite ones on youtube. Your protein skimmer knocks all the others into a cocked hat, and your rdf is amazing. Just one thing to say, is that i made an up flow filter almost the same as yours but i followed the northern koi keepers effort before i saw your one. All i can say is keep an eye on the rubber connector underneath the filter as mine shot off. Water everywhere! Also cracked the perspex in half and all the k+ went every where. So i have changed my filter to emulate yours minus the genius electronics you have controlling yours. Thanks again for your good work. Jack
Hi Jack, and thank you for your kind comments mate. It's really appreciated. Sorry to hear about your first up-flow filter. Wow! I bet that was a mess. That media gets everywhere. Good to hear your all sorted out now though. They do remove a lot of the fines, even after an RDF with 60 micron mesh. Thanks again mate and take care, Terry.
Great work powering through and tinkering it really shows in the waste, looks like a great addition to the filtration keep up the great work on the pond and the videos, take care and enjoy.
Hi Jack, thank you. I must admit I am pleased with the way it's turned out. Thank you for your support. Terry.
Excellent work Terry, you must be chuffed to bits. Was watching your pond build yesterday to remind me of how you went about the pipe work etc, quite amazing how beautiful it now looks. Well done mate.
Thanks Mike. very much appreciated mate. The pond build seems a long time ago now lol. thanks again mate, take care and stay safe. Terry.
Great job👍
Hi Mike and thank you, it's very much appreciated mate, Terry.
Great work Terry! You have got a beautiful pond.
The main thing that amazed me, despite being totally blown away at the quality of filtration you have managed to make your self. Was the simple scissors like tool you had made to remove the dome from the bottom drain. What a fantastic idea! I will definitely be making one myself👍 Great video thanks for sharing.
Regards Ian 😊
Thanks mate, and thank you for your kind comments, very much appreciated. They are very handy to get the bottom drain cover off. thanks again mate, Terry.
That is amazing terry I was well shocked to see what its removed especially after the drum to . Well done mate I'd be chuffed to bits to . Keep up the good work and stay safe
Hi Leigh, thanks mate, much appreciated. I did start to wonder if it would work, but it's turned out well in the end, thanks again mate, take care and stay safe. Terry.
Really chuffed for you mate. All that hard work and perseverance has paid off! Take care.
Thanks Tom, it's always appreciated mate. Must admit I am pleased with it. stay safe mate, Terry.
Well done mate for getting it to work its amazing how much muck you get out I get about a pint per week on 100 gall reef tank. Just wait till it warms up and you start feeding. You're need to keep the top cone clean regularly and that can stop it working for a while. If you use the waste on plants I would add it to a watering can first I might be too strong neat. Just one other thing your bucket that's collecting the waste you might want to fit a lid it stinks and when the weather warms up. Well done you happy ponder .Chris
Hi Chris, thank you, and thanks for the info mate. much appreciated. Must admit, it is working better than I ever imagined. It's been on the pond now 3 days and my water is crystal. I am putting the skimate on the plants, so we'll see what that does with them in the summer. Your right about the smell lol. Going to make a lid today. I have noticed different things affect it producing skimate. Like you say, once we get some summer weather will be the test. Thanks again mate, take care, Terry.
Brilliant Wrighty, working perfectly, something I always wanted on my pond
Hi Andy, and thank you mate, I was like you and wanted one. Give it a go mate, it's well worth it. Terry.
A big well done. Absolutely amazing, you must have an Engineering background. Loved those wooden scissors to remove the bottom drain. Now time to sit back and enjoy your fish and garden. Take care mate.
Hi Tony, and thank you. No mate, no engineering background I'm afraid. The scissors do come in handy lol. Thanks again mate, take care, Terry.
Great mate glad the protein filter worked out for ya what a filtration set up you have now lol every filter type you can think off
Hi mate and thank you, The main thing is to help ponders, and to show they can build there own filters for a fraction of the cost. As you know, everything in my filter house is homemade. thanks again mate, Terry.
Brilliant Terry, well done I'm glad your hard work has paid off. #staysafe 👍🙏⛩️🈂️KC
Thanks mate, and thank you for your support. really appreciated. I must admit, I was having my doubts at one point. Thanks again mate, take care and stay safe, Terry.
What a result! Nice one.
Thanks Ian, really appreciated mate, Terry.
Great job Terry 👍looking good mate. , looking forward to the next one Stay safe mate
Hi Neil, I haven't got over this one yet lol. I am actually doing drawing for a sieve filter, but not sure when that's coming. Gotta get this one plumbed properly now. Thanks mate, always appreciated, Terry.
Wow that's working excellent. The skimmers in my Reef take about a week to truly be dialed in and producing dry Skimate. Best course is to just leave it alone in my opinion I don't make changes to my settings for at least a few days at a time once it's in the general ballpark of where I want my bubbles to break initially.
Great job thourougly enjoy your channel in my research to transform my back yard into a pond habitat.
Hi Daniel, thank you mate. I did start to wonder if it would work, as many said it wouldn't on fresh water. But got there in the end lol. thanks again mate, Terry.
Wow. Really working well. All that hard works paid off 👍
Hi Dan, thanks mate, very much appreciated. Did have one or two headaches along the way, but worth it in the end, thanks again, Terry.
Terry I’m very impressed!!! You have done an amazing job my friend! Have a wonderful day! ~Eric
Thanks Eric, I did start to wonder if it would work, but it's turned out well in the end. thanks again mate, Terry.
Wrighty well I’m very impressed with all that you have done with your pond my friend!~Eric
You did a great job 👏
Thanks Dennis, very much appreciated mate, Terry.
working really well mate, I've been using protein skimmers on my pond for years, i herd you say in the vid it broke when you did a water change, from my experience with them when you disturb the dissolved oxygen in the pond the foaming stops until it rebuilds the levels back up, when the pond surface has foam floating on it, its a good indication how much dissolved oxygen is in there.
When we do a water change or in particular in my case when i feed, within 5 to 15 minutes the protein skimmer will stop foaming which i put down to the food altering the balance of the dissolved oxygen, it happens to the foam on the pond surface to, it will disappear from the surface within the same amount of time.
I always tune my protein skimmer in the morning before feeding as the oxygen levels are at there highest due to no feed going in for around 10 hours, if you tune them after a few feeds during the day you will probably find it pumping out a lot of water the next morning.
I've sort of accepted that there not a filter that does a 24/7 job on cleaning, they do remove a bit during the day but at night with no disturbances to the water chemistry is when they do there part
Another cracking build though mate, all the best
Hi Michael, I did reply before but it has gone, not sure what's happened. Thanks mate, really appreciate the info. You've just confirmed what's been happening. Through the night its magic, but like you say it does drop off in the afternoon. Now I know why, thanks mate, really interesting. Take care, Terry.
No worries Terry, it only took me about 6 months a slight level of insanity to figure out what was going on with mine :)
Hi Terry , love watching your updates and your journey in the pond world . Just wanted to ask you....what is the benefit to raising the pond vac when hoovering your pond ? Happy ponding 👍
Hi Kevin, and thanks mate. much appreciated. I lift my pond vac so the water from the vac can flow into the box that takes out all the larger dirt and returns the water to the pond. That way I don't loose any pond water when hoovering. thanks again mate, Terry.
@@Wrighty thanks Terry 👍 take care and happy pounding!!
Great job Terry
Looks like u have done it again professor. I will b waiting on plans for next winters project. As u know I have your plans from your plans a rdf and moving bed on my 700 gallon African cichlid aquarium and love it. The job I always hated the most was cleaning the front glass 10’ x 3’ and the filtration has reduced it from every 4-5 days to once a month by reducing algae growth. I’ve always wanted to do what u just accomplished. Well Done! Ritchie
Hi Ritchie, Hope you keeping well mate. Ah! it was nothing really lol. I must admit this one did give me a few headaches. I thought I was going to fall on my backside lol. I'm really pleased I didn't. Good to hear the RDF's working well mate. Cleaning of any kind is a pain as far as fish are concerned. Thanks mate, look after your self, Terry.
Well done Terry , new you would crack it 🥳, Told you you had more patience than me 😆. Amazing what's being removed considering its after the drum!!
Hi Mark, thanks mate. That's right. I thought that's where I'd gone wrong, pulling from the moving bed. Everything in that skimate from the skimmer must have been smaller that 60 micron. That's why it looked black I suppose. I must admit, I'm really pleased with it. thanks again mate, Terry.
That’s a an impressive achievement Wrighty well done 👍
Thank you, very much appreciated, Terry.
Spot on terry!
Thanks Stephan, it's appreciated mate. Terry.
That is incredible results Terry! When are you releasing the plans for this one?!?
Hi Steve, thanks mate, I will release the plans, once I've given it a good run to make sure all's well mate. It's going great up to now. I have to say, it really polishes the water. My pond after 3 days is crystal. I will put them on my website when done, thanks, Terry.
well there you go terry as every one said well done keep safe
Thanks mate, much appreciated, Terry.
As Shrek said, "Better out than in" for sure. It *would* be good on the garden shrubbery I imagine.
I also think you're quite right that the (temporary) feedback piping from the skimmer through the moving bed is partly self defeating. The outflow needs going directly back to the pond once you're happy with the rest of your set-up.
It may also be worthwhile playing around with having the skimmer input feed from before the RDF instead of after but personally I think the skimmer is clearing dirt at a nice manageable rate as it is. So we know it's not "starved" for dirt as it is.
I hope you and your lady wife enjoyed that celebratory wine. A job well done indeed.
Hi Mate, Unfortunately the wife doesn't drink, so I had her glass as well lol. I will let it run for a while like you say, while I think how I'm going to pipe it permanently. I've only had it running for just over 2 days and my pond water is crystal. I've never had pond water like it. If it's clearing my pond this quick, I'm wondering if in the future, I might put it on a timer. Just a thought. thanks mate, very much appreciated, Terry.
Nice video terry, my pond is done now
Thanks mate, you'll have to send me some pics, Terry.
Wrighty i have a few vids on my channel!
I'll have a look mate, Thanks, Terry.
Purely a pro !!!
Thanks Aaron, not to sure about that mate. but I try lol. Thanks mate, Terry.
Great job Terry that is a lot of muck that's its taken out better out then in sure will help massively with keeping pond clean mate well done big pat on your back 👍👍👍Ps you need the barbers back open get that hair cut lol 😂 😜
Hi Barry, thanks mate, it's always appreciated. I know lol the wife keeps threatening to do it lol. take care mate, Terry.
Hi Wrighty just found your channel and starting going through the older ones. Really impressed with the protein skimmer. A couple of questions if I may, is the inlet higher than the outlet in the tube and does it have a 90degree bend inside to send the water upon does it just rely on the air. Keep up the videos we love them, stay safe mate
Hi Lionel, thank you. yes, the inlet is above the outlet. The idea is to keep the water in the chamber as long as possible. Thanks mate and take care, Terry.
Terry, great video that shows what a foam fractionator can do. You made loads of observations that are 'Bob on'! First one is that you can use the by product on your garden. A caveat though: It is concentrated gunge if you get my drift. I tried it with mine, threw a bucket of the gunge on one or two plants last year and killed them!! Tried again in diluted form and it did not kill (about 50 m/litres or so diluted in water) Did it enhance the plants - who knows. What I do know is that they survived and they looked like they appreciated the feed.
Bear in mind the fractionator will take out alsorts of gunge including unhealthy stuff. Thats why the water looks like - well - to put it blunt -crap. It would be interesting to get the gunge chemically analysed.
As your video clearly showed, a foam fractionator does remove something out of the pond water. For example, even if you just compare the colour there is a difference in what goes in to the fractionator and what comes out. It is difficult to deny that. What is actually removed is open to debate. Is it just 'tannins' a dye that is a by product of decomposing vegetation? Who knows?
From the little research I carried out, a foam fractionator ought to remove the following:
1) They remove unwanted soluble organics from water
2) That includes: Dissolved Organic Compounds (DOC) including
molecules of amino acids, decayed organic waste, tannins from plants, and other organic compounds
3) Unwanted soluble organics that may inhibit nitrifiying bacteria to grow
4) Inturn this decreases oxygen demand that DOCs put on water
Kind regards and keep up the good work: Alex
Hi Alex, and thanks mate. That's right, it would be interesting to know actually what is in it, and just what we are taking out. It would tell us just how important or not it is to have one. Looking at the colour of the skimate, I'd sooner have it out lol. Thanks for your support and info mate, it really appreciated. take care and stay safe, Terry.
Cracked it Mate another top job for the King of DIY :) happy your happy Mate .. takecare Bud
Thanks Kev, a few headaches along the way, but got there in the end. My water after just less than 3 days is crystal. Never had water like it. And they said it couldn't be done, thanks mate, Terry.
What a result mate, good job, no need for ozone there terry, all the best mate
Hi Matt, thank you mate. I have to say, I've never seen my water so crystal. It's only been on just over 2 days. Even the wife commented on it. It's even surprising me lol. Thanks, Terry.
Hi Terry, I really enjoy your videos. Not related to this vid, but as it is the latest one, did your Bakki river reduce your nitrate levels? I recall you saying your plants were not growing anymore!
Well Terry, that counts as 100% successful which surprised me coming of the clean side of filter, amazing amount of crud there, brilliant plant food concentrate as well, have you got a tds meter, would love to know the readings before and perhaps a week after running?
Hi Marek, thank you mate. I thought I'd have problems like you say, in the way I'd plumbed it. But in just over 2 days my water is crystal. It can't get any better surely. This is all new to me. Now I'm not sure what's going to happen lol. thanks for your support mate, Terry.
Terry what have you used to create the dome mate
Hi mate, you can buy them on eBay. Terry.
Wrighty what are they called
search for perspex acrylic domes. Terry.
Hi Terry, glad to see you are okay. Have you thought about making a clear perspex base for a bucket to allow you to see into the pond..
Hi mate, Were all well here mate thank you. I hope all's well with you and yours. I'm going to give it a few days and then put my camera in there so we can all have a look. Thanks again mate, Terry.
Well done cracked it
Hi Jason, thanks mate, I got there in the end lol. Terry.
@@Wrighty pleased for you m8
Wrighty hi Terry I built one a couple of days ok only a prototype slightly different to yours as I use air lift to pump my water, I’ve noticed that it does it’s job only when it needs to but it’s working, I will make pipe work bigger when I’m happy but at this stage it seems to be fine as is
Can you tell me what tank connector do you use to connect return from the pond vac
Wrighty, always impressed by your work!! It’s been a while hope your ok and staying safe. Marty
Hi Marty, thank you, very much appreciated. Terry.
Hi Terry, how's it been performing now the temps have risen a bit more? Have you had to get a bigger bucket? :)
Hi mate, It's going really well, much better than I thought it would. It really polishes the water. I don't need a bigger bucket yet lol, think I was a bit ambitious to start with. I did have a bit of a disaster in them strong winds we've just had. I have the plant boxes on the pond brickwork at the top of the pond as you'll know, and I left them there as they were quite heavy and I thought they'd be ok. Trouble was a chair blew across the patio and knocked one of them into the pond. The complete tray emptied into the pond. The water went black with potting compost, and the plants were bobbing about on the water lol. The RDF was flat out for a day, and I spent all day yesterday with the pond vac lol. what a nightmare. Think I'm back to normal now. That'll teach me lol. Thanks mate, Terry.
Wrighty oh blimey! That’s crap,sorry to hear it. It’s really was an annoying bit of weather wasn’t it yeah. It must be great knowing you can rely on the rdf to sort stuff out though 👍 I left my poly carb sheets on during those 2 days to be honest but leaving one of them propped up to let some air in meant all debris and dust just skated across the sheets and dropped straight into the pond lol.
So glad the ‘fractionwrighty’ is doing well though. Hope we get another vid soon, take care.
Darren
would it be an option to use a transparant plastic bucket/box to look inside the pond when removing the bottom drain?
Hi Paulus, that's not a bad idea mate thank you. will do that next time. thanks again, Terry.
Hi Terry. It look's great. Protein skimmer on steroids 😉👍
How many liters of water do you run through it an hour?
Good morning , sorry my question isn't to do with this video . How do you safely top up a pond if you haven't got an automatic top up system ? I usually treat a bucket of tap water throw that over the surface then use a hose pipe slowly running into the pond. I always feel abit anxious due to running water gets colder etc and think this has a big impact on my fish . Is this ok or is there another way if one hasn't got the equipment to maintain temps etc .
Hi terry, what is the overhanging/spreading conifer type tree on the right of the pond called? Thanks
Hi mate, to be honest, I haven't got a clue. they cams with us from the old pond when we moved. Sorry. Terry.
Wrighty Hi Terry, no worries. Thanks for the reply.
Made up for you its working great video
Thanks Dave, I must admit, I am pleased with it. Thanks again mate, Terry.
Relative new comer to your channel, so I am currently working my way through the back catalogue. Mine is a raised brick pond only around 400 gallon, so although I probably won't ever need a RDF on it, I love watching how you develop the systems. It reminds me of watching Jack Hargreaves on 'How' as a kid. I want to add some more marginal plants to my pond but have no shelf space left and I noticed the brackets you use around your pond. Is there any mention of them in a video? or are they just stainless steel brackets you have knocked together in the shed. Keep up the videos and happy Ponding.
Hi Terry,
Looking for a little advice please 😀
My fish are quite picky with their food..... think I spoil them with maggots and worms after a fishing trip! What food should I buy? Or what do you feed your fish?
Thanks in advance 😀
Hi Dave, I do give my koi a lot of different things in their diet. They have 3 different kinds of pellets, I don't buy the cheap pellets. They also get tinned sweetcorn, brown wholemeal bread, dried mealworms, shrimps/prawns as a treat now and again, cheerios, a slice of orange as the citrus is good for them. Like I say, I do try to vary there diet. Hope this helps mate, Terry.
Hi there any chance I can buy the plans for your foam skimmer, great video.
Hi David, I haven't tested it enough yet to release plans, but I will be doing in the future if all goes well. I will put them on my website when released. diypondfilters.com hope this helps mate. Terry.
@@Wrighty Hi Terry that will be great not long since I retired and find I've got a lot more time to spend in the garden and on my koi pond.
Love watching your videos and have picked up a lot of good ideas from them.
Ps keep them coming.
Whenever you put your hands in a marine tank, it kills the bubbles in a skimmer too (I believe it’s something to do with the oils on your skin)...also sometimes when feeding etc the skimmer can go mental and end up overflowing. Not sure if it’s the same with freshwater skimmers as I have no experience in them but if it is the case may be worth installing a float valve solenoid on the collection bucket to kill the feed pump before it floods. As I say not sure if it will be the same as my skimmer on the marine tank, but maybe something to look into
That skimmate looks perfect and would make great fertiliser hth
Hi mate, I do put the skimate on the plants, I do water it down a bit first so it goes further. I will look into the overflowing. I have been thinking of putting it on a timer as it's made my pond water crystal in just over 3 days. It's the first I've had to do with protein skimmers, so I don't know much at all. thanks mate, Terry.
I don’t know if this is a ‘thing’ or if its possible but have you ever thought about installing a camera underwater so you have a permanent feed in your shed or house? All the best
Hi mate, yes I have thought about it, and I have seen it done before. There was a video here on TH-cam showing one. I just haven't got around to it myself. I tend to find, I've always got something to do lol. thanks mate, Terry.
Hi, I need your advice, what would you recommend for green water. I’ve used cloverleaf to get rid of string algae but the water has stayed green. Thanks 😊
Hi Lorraine, The only sure way of getting rid of the green water is to fit a UV Clarifier light to your system. The green water is what's called algae bloom, and as it's only 3 micron in size no filter will remove it. A UV light in the system will kill the bloom algae and stick it together, which makes it big enough for a filter to remove. When buying a UV, always buy one bigger than recommended by the manufactures for your pond size. That way you know it will work. Hope this helps, Terry.
Hi, thanks for answering so quickly. I’ve got a Bioforce revolution filter system with a built in uv clarifier. The bulb is working. I’ve hoovered the pond as well. All I can think of is just keep cleaning the filter every 2 to 3 days. Last year the water was clear. 🤔
Hi Lorraine, If you have green water, it's certainly a UV problem, and it's not working. Have you changed the bulb lately as they need changing at the start of every season. If it's lighting up, it doesn't mean it's working. you need the ultraviolet rays from it and they do weaken. Terry.
Thank you so much, I’ve ordered it! Love your videos by the way!😊
Your very welcome, and thank you for your kind comments. P/S one thing I forgot to mention. Don't look at the UV light when switched on, as it can damage your eyes. Terry.
Hi Terry,there is a video on TH-cam from Private koi club tilted pond walk around he seems gend up on fractionators you may get some info from him,his set up is really worth looking at, also has a facebook page.Good Luck
Hi George, wow that's some filter house and pond. Just shows what you can do when moneys no problem. That must have cost a fortune. Thanks mate, it was very interesting. Terry.
Hi .. what size is ur pond .. mines is just under 2000 gallons is that ok .. and how many fish can I keep
Hi Basharat, My pond is 2500 UK gallon. I have over 30 koi in mine, and some are a good size. That's why I need all the filtration. Thanks, Terry.
@@Wrighty so I can have 20 😉
Any advice on cleaning used K1 media pls .. I bought some on Ebay 150 litres..
Should do a water test on the waste from the skimmer compared to the actual pond water.
Hi Chris, the water test was easy mate, it was black and you couldn't see through it lol. I will have to get something to test the water, I don't have anything. Thanks mate, Terry.
hello r u on a water meter?The only reason the saltwater guys dont do large water change is the cost of the salt.. really enjoy the videos thanks
Hi Kevin, good to hear you enjoy the videos and thank you for your support. We are on a water meter, but I didn't change much. Thanks mate, Terry.
Good afternoon mr. Wright hope your all well.
What size pipe you using from pond to filter? In the middle of moving my pond just abit sceptical on what size pipe. You have an email? Regards
Hi mate, A lot depends if your looking to have a gravity or pump feed system. I'm gravity fed from the pond. I used 3" which does the job, but I sometimes think I should have used 4". A lot depends on what flow your looking to get through it for your pond size. Terry.
Make sure you turn it off if you have to treat the pond as it will strip the treatment out. Also your going to need flexible pipe cleaners to clean the waste pipe periodically as you will get build up inside it. (From my marine experiences)
Hi Martin, thanks for the helpful tips mate. it's very much appreciated. take care, Terry.
Cool that you get something promising from this skimmer! Would be possible to analyze what it's the composition? Have a look in microscope could maybe already give a hint. Nice hobby isn't it? ;-)
Hi Charles, it's just the very fine dirt from the pond. It's very good food for plants. Thank you for your support, Terry.
Use the skimmate to fertilise your flowers. works amazingly.
Twice as many flowers as normal, just try it.
The temperature of the water doesn't matter, it's the lack of feeding at colder temperature.
If you feed as much at cold temperature as you would do at higher temperatures the protein in the water will be the same.
The most +90% of the protein in your pond water is from the food you feed your fish.
So if you feed the protein will be there.
Hi Stefan, thank you for the information. Very much appreciated. After less than 3 days my pond water is crystal. Never had water like it. thanks mate, Terry.
👌👍
Thanks matt, take care, Terry.
you must have a lot of organic waste in your pond, it could come from your plants, is that good news or bad news that amount of muck it took out of your pond that your existing filters did not remove best regards
Your talking of fine docs and matter it's taking out. My RDF takes out dirt down to 60 micron. this is a lot finer. Terry.
Your skimmer will start and stop buy itself. It will not skim all the time. Mine only produces skim ate when the water needs it. Even though it runs all the time.
Hi Adam, I must say it seems to have slowed down a bit. I must say I've never seen my pond so crystal. I can't believe how quick it done it. I was wondering about putting it on a timer if it's this quick. Thanks mate, Terry.