Dean's Muck Buckets design question

[Scot]

So my question is directly in reference to this video: BEST Mini Indoor Pond For Breeding TONS of Fish

So this design is a GREAT idea for saving money and assuring aeration and water flow, but I have to ask why are we complicating it?

Wouldn't you get almost exactly the same effect by using an aquarium coop sponge filter? Basically that's what I am using in my tub ponds with great success.

We don't see one running for comparison, so I guess I am left wondering if there is really any value-add by modifying the tubs with plumbing?

[Zenzo]

On 7/28/2022 at 12:29 PM, Scot said:

So my question is directly in reference to this video: BEST Mini Indoor Pond For Breeding TONS of Fish

So this design is a GREAT idea for saving money and assuring aeration and water flow, but I have to ask why are we complicating it?

Wouldn't you get almost exactly the same effect by using an aquarium coop sponge filter? Basically that's what I am using in my tub ponds with great success.

We don't see one running for comparison, so I guess I am left wondering if there is really any value-add by modifying the tubs with plumbing?

Like with many of the things that we try in the aquarium hobby, you can achieve similar results in different ways. Just like we can choose between a sump, canister, HOB, under-gravel, sponge, Matten, box filter, internal, deep gravel, plenums, natural, etc., this is just offering another variation for filtration.

The appeal to this method could be a waterfall effect, the ability to control the direction of the flow, or just for the enjoyment or experimentation of trying a different filtering method. Another benefit that I can see (as I have an indoor mini pond in my office with a sponge filter) is the control of splashing. With rising air bubbles from a sponge filter, you get more "popping" at the surface vs. a flow of water down into the pond (where you will still have splashing, but less popping). In my case, I actually have duckweed splashed onto my wall because of the popping bubbles. This would help mitigate that.

[Damo.Lo]

On 7/29/2022 at 5:53 AM, Zenzo said:

Like with many of the things that we try in the aquarium hobby, you can achieve similar results in different ways. Just like we can choose between a sump, canister, HOB, under-gravel, sponge, Matten, box filter, internal, deep gravel, plenums, natural, etc., this is just offering another variation for filtration.

@Zenzo aaaaand now I have to research all the filters I never knew existed 😂 see you in a few days…

 

[modified lung]

Dean's tub setup would be much easier on surface dwelling fry compared to running a spong filter because it forces the water current down instead of up and across the surface in all directions. 

An HOB would do the same thing but most of those would be too powerful. Fry would also be much more likely to survive being sucked through an airlift tube like Dean's than an HOB. Plus you can run way more air stones per power outlet than HOBs.

 

[Scot]

@Zenzo

Can you do me a favor and see if you can facilitate an answer from Dean or Cory? I mean I am surprised Cory didn't actually contrast the two.

Like anything where you add more moving parts, I see more room for error or the setup just not working as expected.

[sumplkrum]

I agree a sponge filter would be easier, and I have a bunch outside setup like that.

But if it was in my living area, I'd want something a little nicer.
The blue bucket isn't exactly decorator eye-candy, but you can adapt the method to much nicer containers and create interesting ponds.

I wouldn't mind them creating some fancy-looking ponds with simple plumbing and making a video about that.