4500 Gallon koi pond in progress (I need some help) :confused:

[taherrmann4]

Denis, I'm with you, If your doing a new install and want a BD, I think your making the right choice. Your going 4" air assisted right?

what is the benefit of air assisted?

 

[addy1]

from what I have read it creates more draw.

 

[taherrmann4]

If I put in a ball valve I will be restricting some of the draw anyway becasue I will be splitting it with the skimmer so it would not benefit me correct?

 

[addy1]

I don't know taherrmann, this is speculative. I have line coming from my skimmer (well when we plumb it) and one from the bottom. With ball valves can choose which draws the most, equal or just one or the other. With the air assist you would still get better debris sucking from the bottom even with splitting the line with the simmer.

 

[Denis S]

It circulates the water more and places oxygen on the lower part of the pond

 

[fishin4cars]

The air stone is on top of the drain cover, as the air bubbles rise it draws water in at the bottom assisting the BD in pulling the fish waste in. Also provides oxygen, makes the temp. more stable in the pond as it mixes the different thermal layers, and it adds additional current to the water which gives the fish more exersise.

 

[taherrmann4]

So I have an aerator already at the bottom of the pond and where I am looking at placing my BD is about 4' away, it will be a retro fit BD as this is an established pond so is it still worth running another aerator to be placed with the BD. Also since this is a retro fit BD like the one Koidaddy built will it still be needed? Thanks

 

[fishin4cars]

KoiDaddy would be better to answer this than me, But if you can put a air stone on top it should help draw much to the drain, But it must be directly above the drain to help. Necessary, NO. There are models that are sold that have this and models that don't.

 

[Denis S]

[ame="[MEDIA=youtube]On863G6A6nw[/MEDIA]"]

here is a link that shows you how it works... just ignore the horrible music lol . sorry U usually don't write a big detailed messages because most of the day I reply via cellphone and I hate typing on there.

 

[KennethO]

I wonder if you left a slight wrinkle in the bottom. Would that help with any settling issues? Would give some spare stretching space before it would tear. Just enough for slack, but bot to much to make a ridge that would catch stuff flowing in.

 

[koidaddy]

What do you mean Denis S, the music in the video was awesome! LOL

I am going to give this some thought. I have a pump in the pond to circulate the water at @900 gallons an hour in a clockwise pattern which ends up at the skimmer. I do like the idea of extra air in the pond and may mess with this today. I will take some pics of what I do.

 

[Denis S]

Awesome, tell me.how it.goes and if you like it.

 

[taherrmann4]

I have a 2" pipe that currently feeds from skimmer to my pump then it leaves my pump in a 3" line and right before my filter there is a "Y" that takes it to my two different filters one for my waterfall and the other for the creek. So my question is if I install a retrofit BD should it be a 2" pipe in the bottom of the pond? There will be ball valves on each line one from the skimmer and the other from the BD to regulate flow.

 

[koidaddy]

My plumbing is 1 1/2" in on both BD and skimmer. 2" out. For what its worth.

 

[koidaddy]

Here are pics of my skimmer. It needs a fresh coat of paint.