What Kind Of Filtration For A 180 Gallon Stock Tub Pond?

It's going to be above the ground on a shaded porch. It will have goldfish and plants. , but I don't know if that will be enough for the 4 goldfish I plan on having. Would something like that be okay, or should I add more filtration (sponge filter or otherwise)?

 

It should be enough, just be sure to add a lot of biological filter media into the filter.

 

It says that only accommodates pumps up to 400 GPH, which wouldn't be enough. It doesn't include a pump either, it seems. I would go with a real canister filter or a different pond filter.

 

It says that only accommodates pumps up to 400 GPH, which wouldn't be enough. It doesn't include a pump either, it seems. I would go with a real canister filter or a different pond filter.

My bad, I linked the wrong website. On Amazon there's another option for the same exact filter, just bigger, and says it pumps up to 1,100 GPH. Would that be enough? And I have a pump already, just need a filter.

 

I think that would be fine then, if the pump is big enough, though more filtration is always better with goldies. How much GPH does the pump handle?

 

The GPH doesn't really matter as long as it is at a reasonable number, because more GPH will not change how much are your biological media can grow on. There are people that can keep large tanks with only sponge filters, and sponge filters do not have a high GPH yet the tanks are healthy.

 

The GPH does matter though, especially for messy fish like goldies, as it determines how much of the water is filtered through in a given period of time, which will affect the rate at which beneficial bacteria are exposed to the waste. I wouldn't recommend a sponge filter for a tank with a heavy bioload, like with goldies, unless you plan on doing large and frequent water changes.

 

I think that would be fine then, if the pump is big enough, though more filtration is always better with goldies. How much GPH does the pump handle?

Ah, I didn't even think of that. 880 GPH is what the pump can handle. Should I upgrade my pump too? Or would it be just cheaper at this point to do a canister? (The 1,100 GPH filter and pump will run me almost 300 dollars).

The GPH doesn't really matter as long as it is at a reasonable number, because more GPH will not change how much are your biological media can grow on. There are people that can keep large tanks with only sponge filters, and sponge filters do not have a high GPH yet the tanks are healthy.

Biological media is super important for all fish, but from what I've been told and from the experience of others, goldies are messy fish and require WAY more filtration than you would initially think. What you're saying is true for most other types of fish though!

I wouldn't recommend a sponge filter for a tank with a heavy bioload, like with goldies, unless you plan on doing large and frequent water changes.

No thank you! I'd like to get away with doing a water change once a week, or less. I'm also looking into a 300G stock tank, so I have more room for some more fish.

 

You could get a canister filter, or you could look into other filtration options for ponds. I would try to get more than 880 GPH though.

 

Awesome, thanks for the advice!