Intake bay questions

[30Adam]

Hi all.

I'm in the planning stages of a backyard pond that will be about 7' x 15' and 2-3ft deep. Going to be doing two medium sized above ground bogs using heavy duty storage totes that will feed a small waterfall.

My question is about water intake for the bogs. I'm bouncing back and forth between an intake bay vs. just a built in skimmer box. For the intake bay, how big or deep does it need to be? I was thinking of an area about 3' x 3-4' wide and 2-3' deep. I just need an area to pull water and capture surface debris correct? I'm going to use an external pump, so a smallish drafting chamber that can house the pump intake and an autofill. Am I missing anything?

Thank you in advance!!!

 

[j.w]

@30Adam
I don't have a bog so can't help ya there but glad to have you here.

 

[Lisak1]

I'd do some searching on YouTube for ponds with intake bays. I know lots of pros are including these in new builds and they have some great content posted. I'm intrigued by the idea but since I've never really seen one built or in action I hesitate to answer your questions.

 

[Mmathis]

What is an intake bay?

 

[GBBUDD]

Hi all.

I'm in the planning stages of a backyard pond that will be about 7' x 15' and 2-3ft deep. Going to be doing two medium sized above ground bogs using heavy duty storage totes that will feed a small waterfall.

My question is about water intake for the bogs. I'm bouncing back and forth between an intake bay vs. just a built in skimmer box. For the intake bay, how big or deep does it need to be? I was thinking of an area about 3' x 3-4' wide and 2-3' deep. I just need an area to pull water and capture surface debris correct? I'm going to use an external pump, so a smallish drafting chamber that can house the pump intake and an autofill. Am I missing anything?

Thank you in advance!!!

I have a skimmer the Helix which works great but it's a little too good and where i travel from time to time having the mrs have to clean out the skimmer isn't the greatest option so i am building a negative edge and a disappearing waterfall to a rain capture system.

Some very impressive pond builds

https://whttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TOMbsvXjX8 ww.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc36HtktJD0

www.gardenpondforum.com

 

[addy1]

I have a skimmer on my pond with a ball valve to be able to dial down the draw. I used to turn it to full draw when the maple spinners were falling, turn it down once they were done. That huge maple died a few years back, so I keep the skimmer on 1/2 draw, it does a great job without sucking in fish or other critters.

My bog is direct fed from my external pump. The skimmer and pond draw are on a T both feeding the pump. My pump is external.

 

[30Adam]

I have a skimmer on my pond with a ball valve to be able to dial down the draw. I used to turn it to full draw when the maple spinners were falling, turn it down once they were done. That huge maple died a few years back, so I keep the skimmer on 1/2 draw, it does a great job without sucking in fish or other critters.

My bog is direct fed from my external pump. The skimmer and pond draw are on a T both feeding the pump. My pump is external.

Where is the other half of the pond draw? Bottom? Is it prefiltered?

Thanks!

 

[Lisak1]

What is an intake bay?

Essentially it's an area in a pond that, like a real bay, it's surrounded on three sides by land and has an inlet. There's an area built under the bay that houses the pump and generally - from what I'm seeing - some Aquablox, which are then covered by stone. I've seen some modifications where one side of a block is cut out and the pump is actually inside one of the blocks. If you were to look at the area from inside the pond, you may be able to see the side of one or more of the blocks. Some people leave them exposed on the pond side; others create the bay as a separate walled off area from the rest of the pond with the edge facing the pond just slightly lower to allow the water to be pulled over.

The pump then pulls water toward the intake bay - just like a skimmer - but any debris is pulled into the "bay" where it can be easily scooped out.

I know you like pictures @Mmathis but I'm terrible at drawing! Hopefully I've drawn a picture in your mind!

 

[addy1]

Where is the other half of the pond draw? Bottom? Is it prefiltered?

Thanks!

I have the pond draw about 3/4 of the way down in the pond, about 1 foot off the bottom. Around the piping (2 inch pvc) I have a lowes blue bucket with a lid, the pipe goes through the lid, the bucket has a TON of 1/4 holes drilled in it. The holes reduce the draw which helps save the tads, the fry etc. I have a leaf basket before the pump, but seldom remove anything from it.

 

[GBBUDD]

Heres the visual for you I fully understand seeing is believing

 

[Mmathis]

Oh, wow! I never knew! Thanks, @GBBUDD for sharing! @Lisak1 don’t you have the negative edge on your pond? I never understood what that was! Now....more decisions to make when my build takes shape!

 

[Lisak1]

We do have a negative edge - but @GBBUDD is taking it to a whole new level. When we built ours, we were just kind of hoping it would work. We liked the idea of being able to save rainwater, we wanted a pond, so we combined two existing ideas into one. Every professional we talked to said "nope. Bad idea." Aaaaaaand we did it anyway. haha! Story of my life!

Not having a skimmer basket that requires emptying is probably one of the best parts of a negative edge. This is a regular spring time event
in our pond - the crabapple blooms... and then it drops allllllll those blossoms in the pond. That goes on for 4 or 5 days. I would be emptying a basket multiple times per day. With our set up, we don't have to worry about it. I scoop it out when I'm ready to scoop it out.