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I've been holding off building my 300-gallon outdoor pond, but with school ending soon, I'm going to start. I will be using a ~50-gallon drum (is this a bit overkill?), and am looking for a good 550 GPH pump to hook up to it. (As opposed to my 100 gallon stock tank, which currently has a 5-gallon DIY bucket filter with a 256 GPH pump).

Here are my questions: 1) Will a 550 GPH pump be a good match for such a large drum, or should I try to find a 30 gallon (maybe a half-wine barrel)? 2) As for the pump itself, I'm seeing some great reviews for the Tetra Water Garden Pond Pump (550 GPH), and it's on sale at Amazon.com. Does anybody have any experiences to share (good or bad) with this pump?

I have no clue about pond filters but I think a few people use Pondmaster, build their own or modify a canister to work outside. Wine barrel sounds pretty cool, though I think a lot of time people will opt for a smaller stock tank.

Thanks, Steve! I will also be building my own--I'm designing one with a friend of mine, based off of other pond-ers' successful models. He has easy access to the 50-gallon drums, so I was just wondering whether or not that is a good size match for that Tetra pump.

That will depend on how the filter is laid out... what kind of media you are using. There is a huge difference on GPH rating depending on the media and arrangement. For example, FX6 is marketed for 400 gallon aquariums and the pump output is 925 GPH but we recommended this for 150 gallon tanks.

That's very interesting. My filter will be pretty basic, just kind of large. I'll basically be filling a 50-gallon drum with (from top to bottom) thick mechanical filter pads, probably followed by a mixture of lava rock and several (netted) bags of PVC shavings, as those are probably the most economical choices to buy in bulk. I will probably include a layer of carbon, but eliminating smells won't be as crucial outdoors. Again, the enclosure is 300 gallons and the pump is 550 GPH.

Is there is any kind of general formula used to evaluate the GPH/media relationship?

Carbon will also remove chlorine. Would the PVC shavings be necessary? Most filter media can be bought in bulk, you will have a lot of options to fill a 50 gallon drum. As for any formula, I'm not aware. We tend to over filter compared to the needs of other aquariums, so I would probably look into something more powerful.

I suppose I could switch the shavings for cut-up floor buffer pads, as I have seen other hobbyists use those with good success rates. I may also use lava rock with nylon bolt (I think that's what it is called). I will also start looking for stronger pump options.

Check out http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/

I'm always iffy when people substitute stuff like pads. You never know if there are other chemicals in there or not.

Thanks for the link! The supplies look great.

Sorry, there's one more thing that I think may be important. The fellow I bought the drum from just told me that it's made of Teflon. I know that's dangerous food-wise, but what about as "filter housing"?

It's safe depending on how it's used and it's condition. Do you have a pic or link for this?

I will have to ask him for a picture--it's a local pick-up, and I'm planning to do so this weekend. He did tell me that it's in great condition, as it was just used to send him some soil and shipped straight from the original supplier.

This isn't the wine barrel?

Oh, I never had a wine barrel. That was just an idea I saw mentioned somewhere, I apologize for being unclear there. The only barrel I have access to is a 55-gallon Teflon drum.

Is it food-safe? What did the previous owner use it for? Does it have one of those codes on the bottom?