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- Apr 19, 2012
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I'm starting a build for my first pond - a garden/natural pond that will not house Koi (we are aiming for frogs, turtles and either small native fish or goldfish). I'm planning ~1800 gallons with small waterfall and bog. I have a 2500 gph skimmer and a biofalls filter to install and I'm using a Danner HyDrive 4000 gph pump. It will have to move water down about 20 feet of 2" flex tube and up ~3 feet so I should end up with around 2,000-2,400 gph total flow. I have a good understanding of how to plumb pvc for indoor reef tanks. I am trying to figure out the best way to run the plumbing to split some of the flow from the falls to an upflow bog and keep everything as winter proof as possible.
1) How much flow should an upflow bog have? I am planning a 2x4' peagravel bog, elevated about 2" above pond level, that is mostly intended to grow plants. The extra filtration will be appreciated but my filterfalls is supposed to handle way more bioload than I anticipate in the pond.
2) Where is the best place to split the flow from the pump? I think that the ideal plan is to split it in the skimmer box, immediately after the pump, with a T and ball valves on both lines. However, there isn't much room. Alternatively, I could run a single line up to the filter falls, with a T in the falls - an open end of the T would supply the falls and the far end of the T would have a ball valve and pipe feeding down to the bog. If I took this second approach, then I plan to have a check valve immediately on the outer side of the skimmer box. it would be buried, but I could flip it open by reaching through the box.
2) I am unsure about winter. I am zone 5 and I would like run the system all year if possible. I'll be burying the piping a few inches deep. As I understand, with sufficient flow, the main risk is of the falls icing over and spraying water out of the liner, rather than the plumbing freezing. Alternatively, assuming that I pull the pump, I know that I'll have to drain the lines. This is easy to visualize for the line to the filter falls, because I'd just open the check valve at the skimmer and there should be a more or less continuous downhill grade from the falls, but what about the bog? The pvc will angle down into the pea gravel and so won't drain by gravity. It might freeze within the bog. Moreover, I'm especially worried if I have the bog plumbed straight from the skimmer pump that water could slowly run down the line and freeze the check valve.
Please let me know if you have any thoughts. I've just started digging the hole, by hand..., so I've got some time to finalize these details.
1) How much flow should an upflow bog have? I am planning a 2x4' peagravel bog, elevated about 2" above pond level, that is mostly intended to grow plants. The extra filtration will be appreciated but my filterfalls is supposed to handle way more bioload than I anticipate in the pond.
2) Where is the best place to split the flow from the pump? I think that the ideal plan is to split it in the skimmer box, immediately after the pump, with a T and ball valves on both lines. However, there isn't much room. Alternatively, I could run a single line up to the filter falls, with a T in the falls - an open end of the T would supply the falls and the far end of the T would have a ball valve and pipe feeding down to the bog. If I took this second approach, then I plan to have a check valve immediately on the outer side of the skimmer box. it would be buried, but I could flip it open by reaching through the box.
2) I am unsure about winter. I am zone 5 and I would like run the system all year if possible. I'll be burying the piping a few inches deep. As I understand, with sufficient flow, the main risk is of the falls icing over and spraying water out of the liner, rather than the plumbing freezing. Alternatively, assuming that I pull the pump, I know that I'll have to drain the lines. This is easy to visualize for the line to the filter falls, because I'd just open the check valve at the skimmer and there should be a more or less continuous downhill grade from the falls, but what about the bog? The pvc will angle down into the pea gravel and so won't drain by gravity. It might freeze within the bog. Moreover, I'm especially worried if I have the bog plumbed straight from the skimmer pump that water could slowly run down the line and freeze the check valve.
Please let me know if you have any thoughts. I've just started digging the hole, by hand..., so I've got some time to finalize these details.
