Window Box Shower Tower

[BruceP]

Start with four of these:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/23tbucket/Yard%20and%20Pond%202010/DSC_0008.jpg

Drill 100 holes in THREE of them and install a 2" shower drain in one that will become the bottom tray.
Cut 6- lengths of 3" pvc pipe about 4" long. This may vary depending on how deep your window boxes are. What they are used for is that a pair of them are placed on end in one tray and the tray above sits on them. This puts all the weight in the bottom and not on each tray. Less tippy. Partially fill the bottom three with 1 cu. ft. lava rock and put Matala or similar pads (we have quilt batting at the moment in the top tray. Feed water at the top and let it trickle down and out the shower drain.
Think I have about 35 bucks into it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/23tbucket/Yard%20and%20Pond%202010/DSC_0005.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/23tbucket/Yard%20and%20Pond%202010/DSC_0006.jpg

There are lots of ways to mod this to make it usable in your situation; for example I did the return using the shower drain because it was going to sit over the pond. Other ways would be to have drains running out the side of the bottom tray or maybe a waterfall type weir. You just want to make sure your return will handle the volume your trying to run thru it. Im running about 16-1800gph thru it but it will handle the full 2400gph capability of the pump and its working extremely well. Think Im going to make 3 more.. lol

[small_ranchu]

Thanks for sharing... I like the idea.. Any plan to convert to bakki in the future? :)

[BruceP]

I think the Bakki media would be too large for window boxes and lava rocks size works well.... huuuuge difference in price too.

[small_ranchu]

What about having some space for air between the tray? I agree, price will be going high significantly.

[BruceP]

Pix arent the best as I forgot to take them as I was building it but; there is space all around each tray for air.... they are actually quite open.

[nygold]

Hey Bruce what kind of pump are you using for your shower tower?
Thanks
Oh and if your looking for your beer it's on the edge of the pond.:hangout:

[BruceP]

LOL.... I put the can of pepsi there for size referrence LOL
That particular pond has a Pondmaster submersible pump, 2400gph size. I have about 600 or so gph running to a Nexus EZ Pod and the rest going to the trickle tower. Later I may try running it alll thru the tower and use the EZ Pod on a different pond. The tower will handle the full flow, I already tried it. :)

[nygold]

Thanks Bruce.

[Virginia ranchu]

Thanks Bruce,

I love seeing DIY filter designs. One question though, If the filter gets clogged, and the water overflows the boxes instead of flowing through, Will it make it back to the pond? I would be cautious, or you could accidentally pump all the water out of the pond.

Cheers,

Rob

[Cincy Ranchu]

Have you tried growing plants in the top?

[BruceP]

Rob...... Some would but it would eventually drain the pond but most all filters would. I have several 55 gal drum filters that would not run back into the pond and I have commercial filters that woulnt either. I had a HOB aquarium filter almost drain an aquarium a few weeks ago. Maintaining the filters prevents it from happening more often.

Gary... No but it would be possible as long as the roots dont plug it up.

[Corrie]

ok, I'm so out of the loop, I had to look up Bakki Tower.

Bruce, anyone, can some explain to me how it's supposed to work?
How is it different than any old style tower? or a de-gasser? or even a
trickle filter?

Ignoring the hype and far infrared radiation!

Bruce, I think what you built is totally cool, btw!

[BruceP]

Corrie..... Shower, Trickle Tower, Bakki Shower, whatever, basically its a device to degass and using media like Ba$$i media or lava rock also provide a place for bio bugs to do their thing. The Japanese have used shower filters forever and of course if they do it we have to do it too.. ;) The trend these days in koi ponds is to forget about all the fancy contraptions and pump massive quantities of water thru large shower.

[Corrie]

I would be afraid of something like lava rock - porous

About the time it starts to work, and gives you a false sense of security, it turns around and bites you in the rear.
The bacteria it uses has to sequester phosphorus/phosphate in order to work. The anoxic/aerobic interface will eventually work it's way to the surface releasing phosphate/phosphorus.

You guys use so little substrate in these big ponds that it might not be a noticeable problem for you though.

[Lari]

Gary, you asked about growing plants in the top. We didn't do that, but I did bare root some impatiens in the front to "dress them up" for the summer. This is what a couple of them look like now.

http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr278/LariPett/yard2010/07-13-10002.jpg

http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr278/LariPett/yard2010/07-13-10001.jpg

[nygold]

Here is my shot at a window box shower I made over the weekend.
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj243/blueclaw92/7-21-1010.jpg
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj243/blueclaw92/7-21-107.jpg

[small_ranchu]

Good job buddy... :)

[nygold]

Thanks Fred. That was my big green water tub.
I have coral chips and 2 types of filter fiber in it I'm going to add ceramic rings in the bottom box when I get the chance.
I left the GW in and just turned on the filter in 2 days it was crystal clear.
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj243/blueclaw92/7-21-1012.jpg

[BruceP]

Wow.... good job!!!!!!!!!! I've been quite pleased with the way the three I made have worked out. Yours looks great :)

[nygold]

Thanks Bruce so far so good.

Other than being a bit noisy it works great.