Filtering system for fish ponds

A filtering system for use with fish-containing ponds and bodies of water is disclosed. More particularly, the filtering system includes chambers for harboring micro-organisms which clean organic waste from the water flowing therethrough from the pond. The chambers include by-pass conduits so that a given chamber may be taken out of service for cleaning without interrupting the flow of water through the rest of the system. Further, movable walls are provided so that several chambers contained in a single structure may be varied in number and in size according to a pond's requirements. Also included is an air manifold for use in supplying air to the micro-organisms.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention disclosed herein relates to filtering systems for filtering 
the water in fish ponds. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
With the passage of time and continued introduction of labor-saving 
devices, man has found time to pursue interests not related to the mundane 
task of earning a livelihood. One such interest is the keeping of fish 
such as the well known goldfish and lesser known but more expensive, koi. 
As is well known however, the keeping and cultivating of fish is not 
without its problems. One such problem is that the man-made ponds in which 
the fish are kept require regular maintenance. More particularly, the 
water must be circulated continuously through a filtering system to remove 
dirt, debris and more importantly, fish waste. 
Filtering systems currently in use employ one or more active filtering 
chambers containing a filtering media; e.g., gravel, marble chips, lava 
rock and mats of synthetic material. Water from the pond is pumped through 
the media which removes the solid matter. Further, the media supports 
beneficial micro-organisms; i.e., bacteria, which biologically removes 
undesirable material from the water and insures that ammonia and nitrite 
levels are maintained below toxic concentrations. In addition, it is 
common to employ a passive filtering settling basin in between the pond 
and filtering chamber to allow larger matter to settle so as not to clog 
the filtering media prematurely. 
Whereas filtering systems as now in use are generally effective, they in 
turn must be cleaned on a regular basis which in some cases may be weekly. 
This means that the micro-organisms are repeatedly destroyed or worst, 
none gets established. Where more than one chamber is used, the time 
period between cleanings is lengthened, which permits more effective use 
of micro-organisms but the cleaning task becomes substantial. 
Further, contemporary filtering systems having a plurality of chambers are 
formed as a single structure. Thus, an already installed system cannot be 
reduced or expanded readily nor economically. 
Still another problem in contemporary filtering systems is that the 
micro-organisms either receive inadequate air through air stones randomly 
located or the bottom of the chambers or no air at all. 
It is now proposed to provide a filtering system incorporating alternate 
flow paths so that a given chamber can be isolated and cleaned without 
disturbing nor interrupting the flow of water through the other chambers 
and the pond. It is further proposed to provide a filtering system wherein 
the number of chambers may be conveniently and readily reduced or 
increased in number and in size. It is still further proposed to provide 
an air manifold which may be positioned in the bottom of each chamber so 
that air is evenly distributed through the media harboring the 
micro-organisms. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the invention, a filtering system for fish ponds is provided 
which includes a plurality of biological chambers containing 
micro-organisms for scavenging organic waste matter from the water and 
bypass conduits whereby a selected chamber may be isolated for cleaning 
without interrupting the flow of water through the rest of the system. The 
invention further includes chambers, contained in a single structure, 
having movable intermediate walls whereby the chambers may be varied in 
number and size as required. The invention also includes an air manifold 
for positioning in the bottom of the chambers whereby air will pass up 
through the media uniformly. 
The invention therefore comprises a filtering system for filtering the 
water in a man-made pond of the type containing fish with the system 
including means for defining a plurality of chambers including means for 
harboring micro-organisms for scavenging organic waste matter from the 
water entering the plurality of chambers from the pond, wherein said 
plurality of chambers are positioned in a single structure having end 
walls, side walls and a floor, said chamber defining means also including 
intermediate walls between, and common to, adjacent chambers, said 
intermediate walls including hollow enclosures devoid of water, inlet 
means for directing water from the pond to said single structure, outlet 
means for directing water from said single structure to the pond, first 
conduit means fluidly connecting each of said plurality of chambers and 
being disposed in each of said hollow enclosures and means for bypassing 
at least one chamber whereby the flow of water through the system may 
bypass at least one chamber. The hollow enclosures may be defined by dual 
axial angular extensions at each end of a vertical planar central portion 
of the intermediate walls cooperating with the side walls of the 
structure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical drawing of a typical filtering system 10 for 
fish pond 12. System 10 may include either a vortex unit 14 or a settling 
basin 16 or both. These two components mechanically clean the incoming 
water from pond 12 of non-organic debris; e.g., leaves and small stones. 
System 10 also includes one or more biological chambers, for example, 
chambers A, B, and C. These chambers A-C contain biological support media 
(not shown) on which micro-organisms can attach and grow. As is well 
known, the micro-organisms or bacteria feed on undesirable organic 
material in the water; e.g., algae. Such media include a man-made matting 
and naturally occurring material such as zeolite, canterbury spar and some 
kinds of lava rock. 
As is well known, a pump (not shown), is required to move the water through 
system 10. The,. location of the pump is dictated by consideration not of 
importance here and details thereof are omitted. Generally, however, the 
pump is located between pond 12 and the first unit, e.g., unit 14. 
Water from pond 12 first moves through the mechanical cleaning units 14, 16 
and then through the biological Chambers A, B, C. 
With reference to FIG. 2, chambers A-C are shown within structure 24. Side 
walls 26, floor 28, end walls 30, 31 and intermediate walls 32 define 
chambers A-C. Intermediate walls 32 include an elongated center section 34 
and at each end thereof a pair of panels 36, 38. As indicated in the 
drawings, a capital letter A, B or C is added to the panel's reference 
numeral to show the panel's association with a given chamber A-C. Panels 
36, 38 are at about a forty five degree angle relative to the plane of 
center section 34 and accordingly are about ninety degrees apart from each 
other to define space 40 therebetween. 
Water from pond 12, unit 14 or unit 16 as the case may be, flows through 
conduit 41 into chamber A through inlet port 42A located in the lower 
portion of end wall 30; i.e., near floor 28 of structure 24. The water 
rises up through the media (not shown) and flows out through outlet port 
44A located in the upper portion of panel 36A. From port 44A, the water 
flows down through conduit 46 located in space 40 and into inlet port 42B 
located in the lower portion of panel 38B which forms a wall of chamber B. 
The water flows upwardly through the media (not shown) in chamber B and 
through outlet port 44B, into conduit 48 in space 40 and then into inlet 
port 42C of chamber C. The water flows upwardly in chamber C and out 
through outlet port 44C in end wall 31 to return to pond 12 via conduit 
50. 
Port 42A is provided with "T"-shaped fitting 52 with one end receiving 
conduit 41 and conduit 54 attached to tee 56. Ports 42B and C are provided 
with pipe 58 projecting out into space 40 but not into chambers B, C 
respectively. Ports 44 A, B and C are provided with pipes 60 with ends 60a 
projecting out into space 40 (ports 44A, B), outside structure 24 through 
end wall 31 (port 44C) and with ends 60b projecting into chambers A, B, C. 
Ports 42 A, B and C are provided with gates 62 on the inside of chambers A, 
B, C. As shown in FIG. 3, gates 62 are hinged over the ports 42 and are 
moved against and away therefrom by levers 64 extending upwardly to 
adjacent the top of the respective chambers A, B, C. Levers 64 may be 
secured by any one of several known means to keep gates 62 stationary in 
the selected position. 
Ports 42 and 44, fitting 52, pipes 58, 60 and conduits 41, 46, 48 and 50 
provide the flow paths for water passing through chambers A, B, C. 
Additional ports 66A, 70B, pipes 60, and conduit 74 provide the means to 
by-pass a given chamber A, B, C so that it can be cleaned without 
interrupting the flow of water through the rest of system 10. Port 66A 
provided with pipe 60, is located near the top edge of end wall 30 and is 
connected to conduit 54. Port 70B is located near the top edge of panel 
38B of chamber B and port 70C is located near the top edge of panel 38C of 
chamber C. Flexible conduit 74 (FIG. 4) is used to by-pass a given chamber 
A, B, C in cooperation with one or more of the ports as will now be 
explained. 
With reference to the diagrammatic drawing of FIG. 4, a given chamber; 
e.g., chamber B, is isolated or by-passed by first temporarily stopping 
the flow of water from pond 12. Conduit 46 is removed from pipe end 60a in 
port 44A and port 42B is closed off with the gate 62 (not shown) 
associated therewith. 
Conduit 74 is placed in chamber B and one end is passed through port 70B in 
panel 38B and attached to pipe end 60a in port 44A. The other end of 
conduit 74 is attached to pipe end 60b in port 44B. System 10 is restarted 
and the flow of water goes directly from chamber A to chamber C through 
by-pass conduit 74 and conduit 48. Chamber B is now ready to be cleaned. 
Returning chamber B to service requires temporarily shutting off the flow 
of water while conduit 74 is removed, conduit 46 is reattached to pipe end 
60a in port 44A and reopening inlet port 42B in chamber B. 
Chamber A may be by-passed by attaching conduit 74 to pipe end 60b in ports 
66A and 44A, both within chamber A and shutting off inlet port 42A. 
Chamber C may be by-passed by replacing conduit 48 on pipe end 60a in port 
44B with one end of conduit 74, passing conduit 74 through port 70C in 
panel 38C of chamber C and attaching the other end to pipe end 60b in port 
44C. Inlet port 42C is closed by gate 62 associated therewith. 
Structure 24 may be fabricated with intermediate walls 32 as an integral 
and permanent part thereof. Alternatively, intermediate walls 32 may be 
separate components thereof as shown in FIG. 5 and indicated therein as 
reference numeral 132. Gasket 152 located along the side and bottom edges 
154, 156 respectively seals off adjacent chambers. The advantage of having 
movable intermediate walls 132 is that chambers A-C may be varied in size 
as desired. 
FIG. 6 shows a unit 200 in which chambers D, E and F have walls 202 which 
slope inwardly to floor 204 (FIG. 8) so that base 206 (FIG. 8) is reduced 
in area relative to the opposite open end. 
FIG. 7 shows air manifold 208 which may be positioned in a chamber; e.g., 
chamber D as shown in FIGS. 8, 9, so that air may be distributed uniformly 
up through the media (not shown) for the benefit of the micro-organisms 
(not shown) growing therein. Manifold 208 includes center section 210 
which is hollow and a plurality of hollow arms 212 attached to and 
extending outwardly from center section 210. As shown, arms 212 are not 
necessarily spaced evenly around section 210 as a space may be required to 
receive a discharge pipe (not shown) Nipple 214, projecting upwardly from 
center section 210, receives thereon tube 216 (FIG. 8) coming from an air 
source (not shown) outside the chamber. Each arm 212 is preferably 
perforated along the length thereof as indicated by reference numeral 218. 
Further air stones 220 may be attached to the free ends of arms 212 as 
shown. Blocks 222 may be attached to the undersides of each arm 212 near 
the free ends to position manifold 208 off floor 204. 
As shown in FIG. 8, air coming into manifold 208 through tube 216 leaves 
arms 212 through perforations 218 and air stones 220 and bubbles up 
through the media (not shown), as indicated by reference numeral 224, to 
supply oxygen to the micro-organisms (not shown). The location of manifold 
208 and the inherent tendency not to move around insures uniform 
distribution of air through the media. 
FIG. 9 is a view looking down on manifold 208 on floor 204 of chamber D. 
Manifold 22 shown in FIG. 10 has been modified by the free ends 228 of arms 
212 turning up obliquely so that they extend into the area of chamber D 
over sloping walls 202. Accordingly, air leaving arms 212 will bubble up 
through the media (not shown) adjacent sides 230 of chamber D. Air stones 
(not shown) may be attached to arms 212 if desired or the end faces (not 
shown) may be perforated. 
As can be discerned, a filtering system for fish ponds has been disclosed. 
The system includes mechanical units and biological chambers through which 
the water from the pond flows to remove both inorganic debris and organic 
waste. The biological chambers may be separate units or housed in a single 
structure. Separate openings are provided in each chamber so that a given 
chamber may be isolated and cleaned without disturbing the flow of water 
through the other units and chambers. Further, movable, intermediate walls 
are provided for chambers housed in a single structure so that the chamber 
sizes may be tailored to meet specific requirements. Further disclosed is 
a manifold for uniformly distributing air through the media in the 
chambers.