retro drain

[LizardBreath]

Quote: Originally Posted by gregbickal # of drains, depends, How big is the pond, how many pumps do you want to run? A single 4" drain to a Sequence 3600gph pump is a good fit.

I went to Huges Water Gardens in Portland and wanted a piece of liner so I could make a ten by ten by five foot deep pond (20x20). He had a piece that was 21x25 (same price as the smaller piece) so I am going for a pond that is 10x15. It will be five feet deep too. My hub and I ran out and rented a tractor thingie with a bucket and front scoop on it and have the hole almost all the way dug. It should be about 5600 gallons.
He said we should look up and see how many ponds we can have. I hope to make my big pond that i have now which is about 3800 gallons bigger. It is sooo balanced and happy now though.
I am making another half in half out pond too that will be 8x8 by three with two feet of it underground. I have a bunch of pumps laying around. I would love the biggest pond to actually be as easy to maintain as my the 3800 is now. The 3800 has two pumps. The Savio Solid (2400gph) for the bottom "drain" and a 3600 GPH for the skimmer (submersible) which flows through a bio falls before entering the UBERMONGOUS filtration system.
I have no idea what size pump to get and what kind right now. Suggestions?
Tiredbutstillneedingabiggerpond

[tom&zuma]

Are you planning a rectangular pond? If so you'll run out of liner with the dimensions you posted. The corners will use up another 2 feet each. If you go oval with a well rounded bottom at 5 feet max depth you "might" get away with the liner you have. If so, you'll get more like 128 sf of surface area (figure a 10 foot circle + 5 x 10 in the middle) x 4 ft avg depth = 3850 gallons at best. Liner is cheap...you can use the smaller piece as underlayment on the edges...

We cast our own retro bottom drain, using concrete in a plastic koi tub. Use pipe caps for feet, set for a 1/2" gap all around. We cast in two 2" pipes, low and to the side (we have a roll of 2" PVC flex already), and also an air line pipe & elbow for a 9" disc diffuser on top. This really helps the drain's efficiency, as the rising column of air and water "sucks" the waste along the bottom and into the drain. It weighs 50 lb, I don't think any fish are getting under it. The plastic drains need rocks or something for weight - ewww.

Good luck, Tom

[koiczar]

Liz

Tom is absolutely correct about the liner. You'll want a good 18" - 24" overlap all the way around when you place the liner. That piece of liner would net you a pond of 7' wide by 11' long by 5' deep. That would get you approx. 2900 gallons of water plus your filtration.

Will you be at the Portland show? If so, I'll be at the Peters and Sons Koi booth. Love to meet fellow Bito members.

Mike