Hello from the UK

[Lisak1]

(our waterfalls leak but that is almost by design)

Your waterfall leaks "by design" - expound on that if you would. I'm intrigued! And nine ports - again... intriguing!

 

[Mmathis]

@carolinaguy When you said “bulwark fittings,” did you mean to say “bulkhead?”

 

[Newbieponderuk]

Excellent observation. The smallest surface areas of a 3 dimensional shapes are a cube or sphere. If the pond were 12 by 4 by 2.5, the surface area doubles. More surface, more exchange. If you stick with your original dimensions, add a lot of aeration. Aeration forces oxygen depleted water at the bottom to rise to the top and be reoxygenated. Make sure you have a bottom drain because with this depth, the bottom will become a septic tank without the necessary digestive material to convert the waste. I’ve seen ponds at this depth without a bottom drain start killing fish in a matter of months.

I think I'm probably going to think again with regards to depth. I'm not putting Koi in it, just goldfish and maybe a few other small species, so from what I've read there's really no need for that kind of depth.

A bottom drain is what I was researching last night actually. Seems like a very smart idea but I'm not entirely sure how it works. Well, I get the overall idea of course
But naturally it would entail puncturing the liner? Which seems so counter-intuitive. I've seen tapes and other products but I'd love to get a really good idea from someone experienced of how to go about that.

 

[Newbieponderuk]

Hmmm... having never installed a skimmer, I can't say how easy it is. We built our pond without one. (We have a negative edge on our pond that acts as a skimmer though.) But to me, nothing is ever as easy to do after the fact as it is from the beginning, if that makes sense.

I'm not much of an equipment expert - perhaps someone else will chime in with some answers there!

I think I'm going to pass on a fixed skimmer.
Maybe put a free-floating one for a couple of hours each week to give it some benefit from it but given how small a footprint this is going to have overall, I'm concerned about making things too cluttered.

I'm a biochemist by trade so I'll keep an eye on the water quality in whatever way I can and hope I won't come to regret it!

 

[Mmathis]

I think I'm going to pass on a fixed skimmer.
Maybe put a free-floating one for a couple of hours each week to give it some benefit from it but given how small a footprint this is going to have overall, I'm concerned about making things too cluttered.

I'm a biochemist by trade so I'll keep an eye on the water quality in whatever way I can and hope I won't come to regret it!

If your pond is no more than 6’x4’, you might not even need a skimmer — just a pool net to scoop stuff out manually. I have an OASE Swimskim, floating skimmer. It works well for me. But there were times when I moved it temporarily into my 300 gallon quarantine tank. Yes it worked well, but you also mentioned that you didn’t want things cluttered...... A floating skimmer, in your size pond, will interfere with any plantings (such as water lilies).....even if you only put it in temporarily.....which seems like your time could be spent scooping with a net instead.

And skimmers, if planned into your pond’s design from the beginning......not going to look cluttered at all. Just MHO.

 

[Newbieponderuk]

If your pond is no more than 6’x4’, you might not even need a skimmer — just a pool net to scoop stuff out manually. I have an OASE Swimskim, floating skimmer. It works well for me. But there were times when I moved it temporarily into my 300 gallon quarantine tank. Yes it worked well, but you also mentioned that you didn’t want things cluttered...... A floating skimmer, in your size pond, will interfere with any plantings (such as water lilies).....even if you only put it in temporarily.....which seems like your time could be spent scooping with a net instead.

And skimmers, if planned into your pond’s design from the beginning......not going to look cluttered at all. Just MHO.

Thanks for the advice.
In that case, I'll either pass on the skimmer all-together or I'll incorporate one in the design from the start.

 

[sissy]

never had a skimmer and never missed it and my pond is 5000 +gallons

 

[mogsie]

hello, i have never used a skimmer either, not needed in small medium sized ponds in my opinion, i wouldnt bother with one, i would incorporate a waterfall, as this will provide aeration and good circulation of water after filtration. my pond i 1 meter deep, here in cumbria it freezes over at winter for short periods but that is sufficient depth that the fish have never taken any harm, and my pond is half sunken and half raised also. on your budget i would say what will cost the most will be the building materials for your supporting walls, a decent liner for that size pond will probably set you back about £50, and you wont need a very large pump for that size pond either.

 

[Lisak1]

Let me add a different perspective to the skimmer question. Even if you don't have large debris falling on your pond, every pond will get dust, pollen, and other tiny bits of debris that land on the surface. A skimmer keeps all of that stuff off the surface as well. To me, a pond with a skimmer has a certain "sparkle" to the surface that you don't see in a pond without one. Just an opinion and maybe it's more psychological, but it's an observation I've made.

 

[addy1]

I put a skimmer in my pond, on the prominent downwind end of the pond. the wind pushes things nicely to the skimmer. Apple flowers, leaves, seeds etc.

Aids nicely in the circulation of the pond.

 

[GBBUDD]

There are many who claim crystal clear waters are next to impossiblke to achieve without a skimmer or a negative edge. For just the reason lisa mentioned primarily the dust and pollen. I know I have shut down the skimmer while the duckling was small so we didn't have a dead duck. but now where he has tripled in size the skimmer is back on and there's a clear difference. pun intended