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Thu, Jul 9, 09 at 10:24
| Looking for inexpensive pond vacuum. My pond is small, so it's very hard to get a right angle for vacuum suction. I have the Muck-Vac now, but it does a terrible job. Thanks for your recommendations. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by sleeplessinftwayne z4-5 IND (My Page) on Thu, Jul 9, 09 at 19:33
| It seems that the choice is going to depend on what is most important to you. Since I'm not in the greatest physical shape and don't like to spend a lot I am willing to go with the simple and low tech spa and small pool cleaner I found at Wally World. It is $20. It is slow and gives the pond a water change but it doesn't make me hurt too much. I lied. I probably have spent more trying out different inexpensive products than it would cost to hire some one to come and do it for me. I have a good shop vac that does a good job. I just have a problem hauling it out and getting it put back. It gets clogged with the red oak twigs that wind up on the bottom a little faster than the Wally World Vac. There are extensions and longer flexable tubing available. That puts the price over $120. A very good variation is one from an absent ponder named Floyd. It may be overkill for your pond but it does the job. http://members.shaw.ca/floydn/ The python works but the collection jar is too small for debris and too large for small hands. Do a search in the window at the top of the main page of the Pond forum and you will find opinions for almost any tool and device. Good luck. My next pond will have a bottom drain and I am looking for a dredger for those blasted branches. Sandy |
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| I have 12 gallon shop vac. But I'm afraid it will suck fish as well, too much power. |
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- Posted by bradley787 8 (My Page) on Fri, Jul 10, 09 at 17:33
| I love using my 8 gallon Shop Vac. I just wish it had an outflow, rather than having to haul it to other places in the yard to dump it. |
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- Posted by brownthumbia 5aIA (My Page) on Fri, Apr 23, 10 at 14:28
| I have a Shop Vac that I can use to clean the bottom of the pond. One feature I do like, it will pump the water right back into the pond, while gathering the leaves etc. on the bottom of the vac. Sorta re-cycling the water! Ha! It works pretty well, at least I don't have to try pushing the vac through grass to another area to empty it. Needless to say, I can also pump the water into another area of the lawn, depending on the length of the hose I use. One drawback is it is a rather large shop vac---15 gals. so I don't know how large you want to go. BTW I have sucked up some of the smaller fish but it really doesn't seem to have hurt them too much---just toss them back in the pond--sort of a free ride for them for a quick minute or two. LOL |
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- Posted by tootseug 8 (patticavender@comcast.net) on Sun, Apr 25, 10 at 21:33
| Brownthumbia I need to purchase some sort of pond vac. I would prefer to get a shop vac for cost reasons. My concern is the outlet size. If the outlet is a regular hose size, I would think it could get clogged easily. I have a 2000 gal pond, no fish at this point, lots of potted waterlilies. In fact they pretty much cover my pond bottom. But I have lots of debris, and some general muck. Do you find that your outlet clogs? Are you aware of any shop vacs that have a larger outflow? Thanks |
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| Here is a tip for people who use shop vacs to clean the gunk from the pond. Fit an old nylon stocking or the leg of a panty hose onto the inside of the inlet port on the vac's canister. From the inside slip the open end of the stocking/leg through the inlet port and trap it in place with the suction hose. The stocking/leg should hang inside and become a collection bag for the solids that are sucked up. The water runs through leaving the junk behind in the stocking/leg collection bag. It makes emptying the vac much easier. I fitted an 1¼" ball valve to the drain port of my shop vacs canister. It makes it easier to empty and I can also couple an 1¼" sump pump hose to the valve to drain the water away to the garden or run it through quilt batting to filter it and return the cleaned water to the pond. |
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- Posted by brownthumbia 5aIA (My Page) on Mon, Apr 26, 10 at 17:14
| Tootseug, the hose is connected a little higher on the tank so the water is pumped out while the gunk etc. settles to the bottom of the tank. AFter awhile, you need to check to see if you have to dump the solids but I think it should help you out a lot to use the vac. I'm going to pick up some of the leaves etc. out of the bottom of my pond, pump the water back into the filter medium so it can run back into the pond without having to refill it, or at least not take too much water. BTW did you know Horton is a genius at this kind of thing? Who in the world would have thought of the panty hose besides Horton? Betcha I'm gonna use that idea real, real soon. Thanks, Horton. Fantastic ideas you come up with and I appreciate them all. BT |
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| brownthumbia, I wish I could take credit for the idea of using panty hose as a leaf/solids trap in a shop vac. I found that tip, many years ago, right here on the GW pond forum. Throughout all years I have been hanging around this forum there has been some wonderful information and ideas shared by a great number of people. I know I have learned a great deal about ponds and the things that can make it all the more interesting. |
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- Posted by tootseug 8 (patticavender@comcast.net) on Tue, Apr 27, 10 at 16:55
| Thank you for the reply. Is that standard on most connections? When I look at them, it looks like the hose connector is actually quite low on many of the shop vacs. I went and looked at one today. The extension wands are really not very long. I am assuming that you guys stay out of the water while vacumning??? If so, I don't think it will reach. My pond is about 16 ft long and 8 feet wide or so, 2-2 1/2 ft deep. One side I can walk on, the opposite side is hill, which I won't be able to safely, let alone have the vac reach. Options? |
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- Posted by brownthumbia 5aIA (My Page) on Sun, May 2, 10 at 12:38
| I will have to check the vac but it seems to me like the hose connects quite a ways up on the vac. As for the wands I'm wondering if you can buy extra extensions to add on to the originals? and I do not get in the pond, however my pond is not as long as yours. Can you use an extension cord so you can get around the pond as much as possible? Sorry if I am confused about this but I do have to use an extension cord too. It is connected to a gf(?)outlet. Sorry, I don't remember what the rest of gf is --ground fault something. LOL |
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