Pond experts I need your help

[fishykid9212]

I have a pond I think its around 800G but I'm not sure, I have a laguna pump, around 1600 gph. I don't have a filter and I really don't want to spend all that money for one right now. I was wondering is it possible to make a filter out of a 5G bucket, have the water come in from the top go through foam then out the bottom? What foam would I need and where can I get it? MY pond is very green right now and I want to get it cleaned up. thanks

[Fat Man]

You could use some corse air conditioner/heater filter material for the filter. I don't think it would help much with green water though. The green is probably an algae bloom. You need something to either shade your pond or remove the nutrients. Does your pond have any plants?

[fishykid9212]

Well I was thinking of using pond foam, like the refills for filters but I don't know where I could get that, well some that will fit the 5g bucket, as of plants I have two water lilies and some grass, not much. But I was thinking that I am going to install a automatic top off and I am going to cut a hole in the liner at the water height and put some sort of a bulk head so it will automatically drain if it gets to high. Then maybe I can have water go into the pond for a half hour every day and just overflow out of the pond. Kind of like a daily water change, maybe this will keep the nutrients down.

[Niven]

Add some water hyacinths. They will remove excess nutrients. The filter idea might work also, but you'll have to clean that filter on a regular basis. I was told to take a five gallon bucket, put in my pump and then fill with pea gravel. I just started my pond, so I'm not sure what I'll use.

[NewMariner]

My dad used the old bucket filter on his pond. He had the pump pump in water in the bottom of the bucket, had air conditioner filters, then a layer of sand, then pea gravel, and then air conditioner filters on top, then cut holes in the lid to allow water to escape. It worked pretty well....

[Wilafur]

if you want to zap the green water immediately, add a large UV. will have your pond crystal clear within a day or 2.

[fishykid9212]

sounds good, I was also thinking of a sand filter, in a 5g bucket, water comes in from the top and out the bottom, I just don't know how to keep the sand from coming out and ghetting clogged