new pump and its causing filter overflow

[junglegeorge12]

I agree with you clay, I am just tired of the same bs from the same gang. I will try to be nicer.

Maeda has expressed publicly before that he likes to see 2-3x/hr turnover. From the general gist of all I am aware of they have expressed, the more the better for the water condition. He has his distributors recommend 2-3x/hr turnover for the bakki system, especially if used standalone. The oxygenation and water flow is proven to increase metabolic rates, boost immune systems, and increase feeding, resulting in more growth is the idea.

[koiczar]

Okay guys, let's step back and take a look at the ORIGINAL issue in this thread.

First, the pond is AROUND 2000 gal.

Second, the only known filter in use is a Cyprio 2500. They are rated for a max of 1600 gal. I know because I currently have one running as part of my system on the Q-tank of 1250gal. I'm using an AquaFlo 1/15HP pump and still have to divert 1000GPH to a TPR and the filter is maxed out.

Third: There is no bottom drain on this pond. How would this much power keeping the waste in suspension, not to mention that the impeller is grinding it all up, help anything?

To all of you who think that a Sequence Primer 6000 is okay for THIS POND, please re-think your positions.

Now, if she is not strapped for budget, then yes, I would ad an Ultima 6000 and another Cyrpio or maybe a shower set-up to absorb more of the flow and you could still have TPRs with about 1000-15000gph running through them.

Don,

Why, all of a sudden, are you coming on and bashing people who don't agree with you? I didn't think that was your demeanor when I met you!?!

Rich,

I too thought she was on a low dollar budget until I re-read her original post. There's nothing in it for us to think that. Soooo.......

Okay, who's turn is it to bash me?? I'm waiting!!LOL

[Clay]

Koiczar, you make some good points. One of which is the lack of a bottom drain in Julia's application. In my original post to this thread I recomended the addition of a retro bottom drain of some kind and provided a link with two options that are better than no bottom drain. Looks like we agree that the addition of some kind of bottom drain pickup would help this small pond.

The other point that she made was that she already bought the pump and has run it. Most dealers aren't going to let her return it. Should her investment just sit on a shelf. I don't think so. I also think that she could have made much worse selections on a pump when she admitted the possibility of upgrading her filtration. The high turnover isn't going to hurt the fish and I believe she will find it beneficial. Even a DIY shower with throw away lava rock (don't get all wound up over lava rock that would not be my first choice but it is cheap and she could run it for a year and throw it away). Split the output between her current filter, a DIY shower and a TPR and her pond would be in a better place than it is today. Is it a koi kichi install no but her pond, her koi and Julia herself will notice a difference.

On pond turnover rates - one more comment before I move on. In 1980s pond design it was often quoted to target something like a 2 hr pond turnover rate for most ponds that the average keeper would have in the backyard. Larger ponds could make due with less turnover. Guess which pond structures benefited the most from more turnover per hour - Bingo smaller systems. In my current construction 15,000 gallon plus pond (if it ever gets done!) will have a target still under once per hour.

I had a conversation with Tim Waddington one evening over a beer in a wonderful establishment where he was speaking of adding skimmers to current pond designs that would have no filtering whatsoever. These skimmers were in the design just to add water movement. Skimmer to TPR return and nothing inbetween except the pump.

If you disagree with me, guess what - it's OK. The point is there are many valid examples of higher turnover rates than once every 2 or 3 hours. If you choose a slower rate, that is fine with me. Have fun guys.

[PapaBear]

Keeping strong currents under control is obviously something to factor in but, small ponds need very little in the way of temperature change, rainfall, the addition of a single fish... to dramatically alter the water chemistry if they are operating on the margins of "ideal" filtration for the particular pond in question. In my book, the smaller the pond the more the filter should be oversized to absorb those little changes.
That being said, even though the higher volume pump will consume a bit more electricity than she really needs, the addition of a simple shower or TT, retrofit BD, and flow diverters as needed can only be beneficial in the long term. IMHO the quality of her water will only improve and she won't have to go through the hassle of trying to exchange what is now a "used" pump. It would probably cost less to put together a simple DIY shower than she stands to loose on the pump exchange.

[junglegeorge12]

For the record, I agree with Clay. More flow is better, up to 3 or 4x/hr depending on the pond and load. Bottom drain, tpr's, and skimmer are also excellent low cost ideas.
A lava rock shower is fine until BH can be afforded. Just test it prior to using in a barrel for a week or two to make sure there is nothing funky about it, unless you have used that brand before or seen it used. With that amount of flow a nice waterfall could be done easily too, and look and sound really nice.

Let us know what you decide and do Julia.

[julia22]

Well. I didn't expect such good input from everyone. I appreciate all comments. Sorry so long to respond, but I was on vacation. Well, I decided to buy a retro fit bottom drain and a 2.5 Alpha One filter (Aquabead). Looking into the possibility of a skimmer. I was thinking of dumping the pump, but when I read up on the Aquabead it was paired with a Wonderflo pump 1/4 that had 5280 gpm, that is not much difference in the Seq 6000 at 5,400 gpm. That is a personal opinion. Someone mentioned a Ultima 6000. I will look into that and compare with Aquabead. The pairing of pump and filter was on Mccathur's web site and it sold as part of entire system set up on a pad. Thanks again for input. I plan on placing a T and having it go to the filter and 1/2 +- to my waterfall.