eliminating muck in the QT

[bighatbulls]

We finaly got all the parts to get the wood QT pond set up with a bottom drain. I am happy to have the pump out of the water again. However I have a muck zone that I would like to get rid of.

This is what I have, the qt pond is 5x10x3.5. The bottom drain we are using is a 2 inch tetra vaccum drain. It sits in the middle of the pond. There is about a 2(?) foot length of 2 inch pipe that goes to the back wall then a long 90° elbow that connects to a 5(?) foot length of 1 and a half inch pipe. This runs up at a 45° to the leaf catcher (LC). Fromt the LC water moves to the pump (1800 Pondmaster), UV, and filter then heads out a 2 inch pipe. The flow is pushing everything clockwise but seems to peter out where all the plumbing to the vaccum drain is. Atleast this is where the muck build up is forming. We agitate that area during water changes to try and keep it clean, but well not to be punny but its agitating.

Anyone have suggestions on how to fix this?

I was thinking about maybe modifying the BD for air. How would I do that?

[bighatbulls]

Here is a diagram so you can get a better idea what I am up against.

[bighatbulls]

I could shorten the length of pipe from the bottom drain to the slow 90° This would put the driain closer to the "muck zone" and possibly eliminate the problem.

[eds]

As an immediate measure I'd try just putting the airstone on top of, or very near, the bottom drain. This should work a bit like an aerated bottom drain as I've done this in my pond rather than spend £60 on a conversion kit and I found that an air ring collected too much rubbish! It works fine and cost nothing as I had the airstones already!

As a longer term option you might want to consider changing the flow patterns in the tank over. Using a long air diffuser you could have a curtain of air rising at one end of the tank. This would make the water rise at one end and fall towards the other and tumble over like in a streamflow pond. You could set up your return from your filter to further encourage this pattern by returning in a downwards direction at the opposite end from the air diffuser. Your bottom drain could then go near the air diffuser end where the dirt should collect before being carried upwards again.

[bighatbulls]

Thanks Ed we'll start with option one since we allready have a air stone set up. Your other suggestion sounds like something worth experimenting with.

I failed to mention that the reason why we went with the tetra vaccum BD was because we made the QT tank to be dissassembled, its a large bottomless box. Right now the QT tank has all the koi in it because we are upgrading pond one.

[bobbysuzanna]

I just bought a Sacramento concrete bottom drain with air from KoiPondSupply. It weighs about 12-13 and has worked great, just sit overtop of the drain hole. The column of air generates a vortex of water to push things into drain. It could help prevent your muck collection.