Interesting, I've been considering a settling tank myself—sounds like it made a noticeable difference for you. Did you find it tricky to set up or maintain? I'm all for simpler solutions, but I don't want to trade one maintenance headache for another...
I've been thinking about the settling tank option too, but honestly, I'm still on the fence. A friend of mine set one up last year, and while he swears by it now, he did mention it was a bit of a hassle at first—mostly figuring out the right size and placement. He said once he got past that initial hurdle, maintenance wasn't too bad. Just occasional cleaning to remove sediment buildup, nothing crazy.
Personally, I'm leaning towards a simpler setup because I know myself—if something's too complicated or time-consuming, I'll probably slack off on upkeep. I've heard some folks just use basic filters or screens to catch debris before it hits their main storage tank. Seems like less fuss overall, but maybe not as effective in the long run?
Have you looked into any simpler pre-filtering methods? Curious if anyone here has experience with those mesh screens or leaf diverters...are they enough to keep the water reasonably clean without adding extra chores?
I went the mesh screen route last spring, mostly because I wanted something quick and easy. Honestly, it's been pretty decent. It catches leaves and bigger debris well enough, but finer sediment still sneaks through. Every few months I find myself scooping out a thin layer of sludge from the bottom of my main tank—not terrible, but not exactly hands-off either. If you're okay with occasional cleaning, screens might be enough...but if you want crystal clear water, a settling tank probably does a better job.
Mesh screens are decent for quick setups, but yeah, fine sediment always sneaks through eventually. Settling tanks definitely cut down on sludge buildup—less scooping, more relaxing weekends...depends how much you value your free time, lol.
I've noticed settling tanks help a lot too, but I'm curious—has anyone tried adding a simple filter after the tank to catch the really fine stuff? Wondering if that'd be overkill or actually worth the extra hassle. Seems like it might save even more weekend scooping...or maybe just create another thing to clean, lol.
