bottom drain question.....

[Davsatch1]

Hey guys.....this is my first post. I am starting construction on a 10,000 gallon above ground pond that will wrap around my back deck. I plan on installing two 4" gravity fed bottom drains. I plan on putting all my filtration system below my deck as it is elevated - concealing it nicely. In doing this I wont be able to get my settling tank to exactly pond level. The water level of the pond will be about 2' above the water level of my settling tank.

Is this a big problem? What problems will it cause? Everything I read about gravity fed bottom drains/settling tanks say they need to be at same level. Help!!

 

[ZmanArt007]

Well, yes. This will cause a problem. The way a gravity filter works is it equalizes the water level between your pond and setting tank. If your settling tank is two inches lower than your pond, the settling tank will overflow until the pond itself is two inches lower than it should be. Unless your outflow allows enough water to go out quickly enough that it doesn't overflow, which is hard to do, this will be a problem. If I'm incorrect someone correct me but this is how I understand it based on my dad's 1000 gallon indoor tank with a gravity filter.

 

[Davsatch1]

Well, yes. This will cause a problem. The way a gravity filter works is it equalizes the water level between your pond and setting tank. If your settling tank is two inches lower than your pond, the settling tank will overflow until the pond itself is two inches lower than it should be. Unless your outflow allows enough water to go out quickly enough that it doesn't overflow, which is hard to do, this will be a problem. If I'm incorrect someone correct me but this is how I understand it based on my dad's 1000 gallon indoor tank with a gravity filter.

 

[Davsatch1]

Thanks Z! I was afraid of that. I would actually be 2 feet lower in settling tank. I have ample space under my deck to hide all barrels and such so I really want to make it work this way. I understand the physics behind it all but just wanted to get some opinions. I am planning on running into a 300 gallon tank then into a series of two mechanical barrel filters then two bio barrel filters then pumped back into pond. I understand the overflow principles. ....would if help if I ran two series of mechanical/bio filter systems instead of just the one.....effectively doubling my output. Could this keep me from overflowing??

 

[Dave 54]

Hey guys.....this is my first post. I am starting construction on a 10,000 gallon above ground pond that will wrap around my back deck. I plan on installing two 4" gravity fed bottom drains. I plan on putting all my filtration system below my deck as it is elevated - concealing it nicely. In doing this I wont be able to get my settling tank to exactly pond level. The water level of the pond will be about 2' above the water level of my settling tank.

Is this a big problem? What problems will it cause? Everything I read about gravity fed bottom drains/settling tanks say they need to be at same level. Help!!

Thanks Z! I was afraid of that. I would actually be 2 feet lower in settling tank. I have ample space under my deck to hide all barrels and such so I really want to make it work this way. I understand the physics behind it all but just wanted to get some opinions. I am planning on running into a 300 gallon tank then into a series of two mechanical barrel filters then two bio barrel filters then pumped back into pond. I understand the overflow principles. ....would if help if I ran two series of mechanical/bio filter systems instead of just the one.....effectively doubling my output. Could this keep me from overflowing??

Yes I have to agree with Zman on this issue we have an above ground pond and its on a level with the Vortex and the rest of our filters.
However we had a devil of a job getting it just right and in the end stood our filtration units on flag stones cemented to just the right level to match the two up .
Weve had no problems with it since we built the pond and recomend you take time leveling the two off against each other .

Dave

 

[Big Lou]

Welcome Dave.

 

[texmaster]

Welcome Dave.