new pond build

[houstonderk]

So starting the design of a new 6'X16' and either 5 or 6' deep rectangle shape. About 2 feet above ground and the rest below. I have already bought most of the parts such as a 4600 gph external pump and Ultima II 4000 bio filter with a big bahama pro series skimmer(PS7000) and a rhino aerated bottom drain

The main question I have is I have seen multiple pipe routing designs and am stuck between having the bottom drain and skimmer going to a y then to the pump, or to run the bottom drain to the front bottom of the skimmer and then a fitting on the back of the skimmer to the pump. I am pushing towards the second, but just making sure it would get the proper suction to be effective or not. Thanks

Derek

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our group! from another marylander.

I don't have a bottom drain, but do have a skimmer that t's into my feed from the pond. I have a ball valve on the skimmer line so I can adjust the flow to either full skimming or just light skimming depending on the time of year. With a bottom drain and skimmer, you might want them separate or a way to direct more pull to the simmer or to the bottom drain as needed.

 

[houstonderk]

That is what more pictures I find are going towards, just wanting to make sure the bottom drain doesn't need to go to the skimmer to clear out the junk it collects. They way mine sits right now, the only thing between the pump and drain is the primer pot on the pump which still has a basket. Just like this picture, except without the sieve.

 

[addy1]

I have a huge leaf basket before my pump (looks like you do too), you can also buy inline leaf baskets to put before your pump to collect stuff. I would keep your bottom drain draw and skimmer draw separate.

 

[houstonderk]

Gotcha, thanks for the help.

 

[addy1]

I have two inline leaf baskets I am not using, can send you one, think i paid 40 bucks you can have for 20 or check on line see what the price is and I will 1/2 it. Only used one season then I redid things again lol

Two inch openings, I think, need to go down and check

 

[pecan]

Welcome!

I have been doing a lot of research about bottom drains. Don't have one myself but may when I re-do the pond in the years to come. I have read you shouldn't put T's on a bottom drain. I would suggest a separate pump for the skimmer and bottom drain.

With the bottom drain I would do a 4" pipe to a settling tank. You can either put your pump directly in the settling tank (suspended about 3/4 of the way up so it doesn't suck the muck) or have the settling tank piped into a mechanical filter and put your pump there. Run the hose back to your water fall or directly back into the pond.

Then I would use a smaller 2000 GPH pump to run your skimmer.

The benefit to having two pumps is both the bottom drain and skimmer will work better with their own pumps and I can tell you from experience, pumps go out. When you have two at least you have one still working while you replace the other. Instead of just having standing water and having a crisis on your hands.

BTW, I don't use skimmers and likely never will.

My new pond design (when I get around to it in years to come) will have two bottom drains run to two separate settling chambers, piped to two separate mechanical filters which will house the pumps. Pumps will run to the bog, where the water will over flow down a small waterfall and back into the pond.

I will have shutoff valves just before the settling chambers and just before the bog so I can simply close them off in the winter, drain the tanks and Bobs your Uncle

 

[sissy]

I :cheerful: didn't put in a bottom drain because I felt I could not do it right .So better to use a pool net and scoop stuff out .

 

[houstonderk]

Started doing some pipe fittings for the main heart of the system after getting all the parts ordered. Didn't realize how big things are till they came in! The last picture is somewhat similar to what I plan on doing the plumbing.

I had tried a small pond with skimming the top and cleaning every other week but want something more I guess. I got all the wood I need for the construction and just need to schedule when I will make the whole since I will probably rent a backhoe for that and ripping out a couple of stumps in the back yard.

 

[sissy]

I used retaining wall block no troubles with rot and easy enough for me to handle .I got some of them off craiglist at 25 cents a piece as long as I took them out .
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[houstonderk]

I thought about doing it that way, but that last hole I dug had a large gopher hole about 3ft down so I want to make sure I don't have some gopher scratching through my liner if its 5-6ft down. I guess the hardest part was finding the 2"x6"x16" pieces that are ground contact, but now I got that done. Unfortunately I have to wait for the deck to be built before starting.

 

[sissy]

gophers will chew through wood also .I had one chew right through my deck in NJ .He had a nest under the deck and must have smelled the grill with the grease trap as that is what he took when I caught him .He had a tunnel under the deck .Worse was that the house was up for sale and I had to fix it fast

 

[j.w]

Derek
Nothing fancy like what you are doing w/ your filtering so can't help ya but hope it all goes well for ya :cheerful: