I've never seen a filter box that can float on top. What kind of filter box is it? Are these the small ones that are supposed to sit on the bottom of the pond and sometimes have a fountain attached to them?

Nancy to the rescue, yay!

It is a square, plastic box that houses a filter. You know it needs changing when it floats up to the top! I just changed the dang thing this morning & it's baaak! (You can tell I really embrace this task with a positive attitude!)

When we moved in, the pond had one, then my dh put a second one in to keep the pond extra clean! They are a lot of messy work. This is the main reason I wanted to get a new pond installed. What do other people do? Without the filter boxes, must you have a skimmer box to filter debris? Leaves & pine needles are a huge issue in my yard, btw.

Thanks!

Nancy, in case what I posted didn't make sense, I re-read yours & yes, you've got it, that's what I'm talking about!

Not exactly flooded with responses here, so I'm starting to think there's not an alternative short of digging for a skimmer box, which I don't want to do at this original pond site. Oh, well!

Thanks anyway, everybody!

floating skimmers are available from several vendors - see the attached search and follow results.

Here is a link that might be useful: floating skimmer search

Thanks, Thomba. I checked out a number of these google hits. Do you think these are preferable to the filter boxes I have? If so, in what way? Also, if I use one of these floating skimmers, can I delete the square filter, or must I keep that also?

I'm thinking about going to graduate school ( I know this seems very off-topic) & just wonder if I can maintain the current pond for a while instead of doing the new installation. The install price is more than 1/2 the tuition of the entire 2 yr. program.

Grad school...pond? Grad school...pond? Anyone have a scale?

I don't think it would be fair to your fish to attempt to maintain the pond as it is. You probably won't have time for the pond when going to school. You should just forget about school and spend your time and money on a fish pond that raccoons and herons will appreciate.

Hi Stinky,

You may be able to solve this problem with a fairly simple and inexpensive DIY Skimmer, but we'll need more info to know that. It will be easier give you some suggestions if you tell us a little more about your pond.
What are the dimensions (L, W, D)?
How many Gallons?
Do you have fish (how many & what size)?
Maybe a link showing filter boxes you currently have.

Thanks nmpondguy. If you look at my recent post "What would you pay for this?" you can see pics. I had been thinking about having a new pond created in a slightly different location. SO many great people here helped me out with that.

I think my current pond is about 7.5 ft. long, 4.5 feet wide & 2.5 feet deep with maybe 300 gallons? I have 2 larger koi and several smaller fish. The koi come out & swim these days, but the little ones have been hiding behind a plant since it turned colder. If you read my other post you'll see that herons & egrets are problems in my area. They stole a large koi last year & 2 very large gold fish. I have since incorporated a net over the pond at all times, which is unattractive, but I don't want to lose anymore fish!

If I could just get rid of the 12 x12 square filter boxes, & replace them with something that requires less filter changing but still keeps the pond clean, that would be great. I will say, the pond water stays pretty clean most of the time with the current system, so I at least want to maintain the results I now have. If I can even improve upon this, then great!

Hope this info helps! Thanks again.

OK, I just looked at the pictures in your other post  very nice!

Others may disagree, but in my opinion, cleaning a filter even weekly is too much. I clean my filter about every 6 to eight weeks, but I have ~1500 gallons and only 8 Wakin Goldfish. IÂd replace your current filters with a " retro bottom drain" and some version of a " skippy filter." There are many versions, but this one looks adequate for your pond, and would be easy enough to hide.

A skimmer is a good thing to have most of the time. I pull mine before the pond freezes and put it back in early spring. You might have to dump it a lot more frequently in fall, but thatÂs relatively easy to do depending on the skimmer design. If you donÂt want to dig, you pretty much have to choose from the types of skimmers thomba suggested or a DIY version.

I think the " Pondmaster Mini Skimmer" could work for your needs: Inside the pond and no digging required, although a little digging would allow you to hide it better and still keep it inside the liner (assuming you have enough extra liner buried).

The "Oase AquaSkim" could work too.

All of this should run you $200 - $300. You could save a little if you made a DIY skimmer. I didn't find any that I liked, but the concept is little more than a bucket with a pump in the bottom, covered with a filter pad, and topped off with a strainer basket - pretty simple.

Hope that at least gives you some ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: nmpondguy's pond

Thanks so much, nmpondguy! You gave me some great information & links to resources. That was very kind of you. Will study up on these options. I stopped at Lowe's on my way home tonight (didn't have your info yet) & picked up a filter unit on sale for $14.99! It was usually $59.99! Thought it might be worth a try. I left it my trunk & don't want to go out in the dark to get the box, but I'll post the name of it tomorrow.

Thanks again pondguy, I really appreciate the suggestions.

Btw, your pond is a beauty. The plants surrounding it are gorgeous too. You have really created a tranquil oasis.

You're welcome stinky-gardener. Sounds like you got a good discount on the filter. With a little luck, that'll help cut down on the cleaning frequency. You should still get a skimmer of some kind...

Come to think of it, I only clean my filters about three or four times per year. I don't run any filtration from December thru February. I stick a pump in the lower pond and run a hose up to the smaller pond: the moving water provides oxygen and keeps the waterfall running - even when the bottom pond freezes over.

I had picked up a oase swimskim from ebay cheap. It works great and have it secured in a hidden area. It was a much cheaper alternative then the typical through liner skimmer. Although i wouldnt recommend it if you have major leave issues. It was a rather small basket. But my yard is open so it is not an issue. I do plant to build a through liner skimmer in the future.