Best External Pump for Big Habitat Pond with Small Watterfall?

[stu]

Howdy all and thanks in advance for your advice.

I've put in a 25' x 25' habitat pond (max depth 4', total volume ~15,000), below a much smaller ornamental pond that was on the property when I bought the place. The smaller pond empties into a "creek," which runs for about 20' before emptying into the habitat pond. The planned location for the pump's outflow into the smaller pond is ~4' above the surface of the big pond. The total amount of pipe to get there is ~30'-40'.

Based on my poking around, it looks like I want something with around 8,500 gph at 4' of head. However, while working on the pond, I used a sump pump that did 3,800 gph and got flow that was just fine; however, it did have very high head lift capabilities, so maybe it was actually pumping more than that given the shorter lift.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any advice that folks have re a good external pump.

I'm in Sonoma County, so it'll run all year. Was looking at the Calpump T10000, but saw a review from someone that said that they are not that good, and recommending a ShinMaywa.

Cheers,

Stu

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Define habitat pond. Do you mean wildlife pond? Will this pond support a fish population?

 

[addy1]

I have used a pump from these guys for 20 some years now, external, still running great. Mine is around 6800 gph for ponds that have around 10000 to 12000 gallons total water. It wasn't cheap but it has never stopped running. I pull mine every winter, being in a cold belt.

http://wlimproducts.com/dragonSeries.htm

Welcome to our group!

Meyer knows his equipment, I just know what I use and what has worked for me.

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome! I, too, am curious about the term "habitat pond". I'm guessing it means you will just allow anything that chooses to move in to live in your pond... but I may be way off!

 

[sissy]

I wonder where he lives and what may move in .reason would be for this is water snakes .

 

[stu]

Thanks so much for the responses and the warm welcome.

Addy, I'll check out the dragons. If others have suggestions, love to hear them too. I've been surprised and a bit overwhelmed by the number of pump options that exist.

As to what I meant by habitat pond, in summary it is a pond in which we will plant water plants native to the area and of which we will encourage native aquatic and avian life to make use. In the area in which we live, West Sonoma County, California, the principal types native aquatic life that we expect to make use of the pond (other than mosquitoes, which I have no plan to encourage) are pacific chorus frogs (aka tree frogs) and dragon/damsel flies. As for avian life, we're on the Pacific flyway, so it changes depending on the time of year. However, the climate is very Mediterranean, i.e. wet in winter and dry in the summer except for morning fog. Thus, while we have a largish vernal pond in our pasture during the winter, and there is a year around stream along one side of the property, in the summer, water is scarce for wildlife.

Our inspiration in building the pond (in addition to the desire to do something with a corner of the property that left alone is quickly covered in invasive blackberry) was a description of pond built by these folks in our area, who apparently got enormous numbers of dragon/damsel flies after building the pond: http://southwestdragonflies.net/. We're also unapologetic wildlife lovers, and so we liked the idea of bringing more wildlife into our space and doing something for them; further, the area in which we live used to have a far greater number of small water bodies than it does now, so it seemed fair to the wildlife to create one, since we had the space.

I don't want to overwhelm folks with questions, but another one I had is: after I get my pump (please do provide any recommendations you have in that regard), how do I set up my intake so that I am not sucking up lots of tadpoles and dragonfly/damsel larva?

Thanks again,

Stu

 

[RobAmy]

I use the ShinMaywa Norus 50CR2.25S Pump - 4800 GPH and have been very pleased. My pond is smaller then yours but the pump just works.

 

[stu]

Thanks, RobAmy. With ShinMaywa noris, you need to install it in a separate skimmer box, yes?

After doing a bit more poking around, I'm now thinking of maybe trying out an aquascape aquaforce Pro 4000-8000. I like the apparent ease of install. Looks like you just plop it in. Anybody have relevant thoughts re the device?

 

[RobAmy]

With ShinMaywa noris, you need to install it in a separate skimmer box, yes?

Yes, I installed it in a larger savio skimmer with 2" piping to waterfall filter

 

[addy1]

I have a lowes blue bucket with a bunch of holes drilled in it, with a lid. The 2 inch draw pipe (for my external pump) goes through the lid. The bucket sits up off the bottom, the holes keep any one area from being a strong suction which would suck in critters.

We have tons of dragon flies, damsel flies, etc etc . I clean out the leaf basket now and then, usually have very little debris in it.

 

[carolinaguy]

With fish the general guidance at 15000 gallons is to turn over the total volume in90 to120 minutes. Some will say 60 minutes, but we have found that 90 is good enough. As for pumps, that's personal preference. Like picking ford versus chevy. We use sequence, and they last forever. Always external.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

With fish the general guidance at 15000 gallons is to turn over the total volume in90 to120 minutes.

This is greatly dictated by fish load. Regardless of pond capacity for medium to high fish load 1.5 to 2 times per hour with a proportionate level of bioconversion provides that much needed safety factor often needed in any pond.

 

[addy1]

With fish the general guidance at 15000 gallons is to turn over the total volume in90 to120 minutes. Some will say 60 minutes, but we have found that 90 is good enough. As for pumps, that's personal preference. Like picking ford versus chevy. We use sequence, and they last forever. Always external.

I like sequence pumps, have two waiting to be used if my dragon lim every breaks Using the lim since it pumps a higher volume. My pond, no koi, turns over about every 1.5-2 hours , about. The fish do fine, but I do not have a heavy fish load and filter with a huge plant bog filter.