Plumbing the pond with a big?

[RedRunner]

This pond is already built but it was my first pond and things didn’t work out as plan. I hoping things still might turn out. I have a 22” biofalls about 1.5’ above pond surface, 7’ from pond. My piping is 1.25” and from my skimmer the original 3200 gph pump goes to a T then ball valves on both sides. The one side is is 24’ to waterfall the other is 15’ to the bog. The problem is when I have the ball valve fully open to waterfall and crack the bog side waterfall stops or slows drastically. There’s no solution to dialing in the ball valves. So I was told to up the pump from 3200gph to 5000gph. It did not fix the bad engineering, just made the waterfall more awesome. My thoughts are to redesign the plumbing in the bog or route the big plumbing somehow to another pump.

I’m also thinking about installing a uv sterilizer in the future. I’m wondering if plumbing it into the biofalls would work.

 

[poconojoe]

I'm surprised the 5000 gph pump didn't cure the problem. You should be able to regulate each with their respective valves. What happens if you open both valves all the way? Essentially, just using it as a "wye". Oh, are you using a "tee" or a "wye" fitting? A "tee" might give too much resistance, where as a "wye" would flow better. A "tee" might cut down on a lot of the pump's pressure. Just think...all that water slamming against the back wall of the "tee". With a "wye", it just cuts in half and splits two ways.
I assume you still have the 3200 gph pump. You could always run both. Separate the plumbing and have one pump for the falls and one for the bog.
Looking forward to your response...and pictures always help!

 

[RedRunner]

I agree with you on the T, I’ll have to order a wye. Only issue with running the second pump is it would have to be in the pond instead of being in the skimmer, no room. Plumbing would be tricky. The pipe in the bog filter is slotted every inch or so, I was falling the directions for a pump to bog only situation. I’m thinking of replacing that pipe with new pipe but only drill holes every 3 inches. I’ll try the wye first.

 

[poconojoe]

So your thinking there are too many slits, so too much flow?
If I recall correctly, the recommendation on the spacing of the slits in the bog manifold is 6" apart. Most people say slits are better than holes.
Go for the wye fitting that might help. Plus PVC fittings are cheap and can be bought at local hardware stores or the big box stores.
Keep us posted...

 

[RedRunner]

Here are some pics

 

[poconojoe]

Looks great!
I'm trying to figure out that 4th picture. It looks like a pipe with slits is sticking out above the gravel. Or are those just lines drawn on the pipe? I can't tell.
The manifold pipe with the slits in it should be located at the very bottom of the bog, then completely covered with the gravel. The water then flows up through the gravel. The water level in the bog should be maintained at a height where the roots of the plants can feed on the nutrients in the water.

 

[RedRunner]

I took the gravel out because I needed it somewhere else and I had to dig the plumbing out to fix it. Those are slots cut in. The part coming out is supposed to work as a clean out. Needless to say this side is not finished.

 

[RedRunner]

I added the wye and water seems to be flowing correctly. I put some foam inside the pvc of the bottom drain. I need to add more plants to the bog and if could would like to add a stronger pump.

 

[RedRunner]

I’m running into a problem so some of the fish are being sucked into the skimmer basket and the skimmer sometimes goes dry because it pumping into the bog, and my guess since I don’t have rocks cover the shallow water surface in the bog the water is evaporating very fast. I am going to put rocks there but is there anything I can put in front of the skimmer, chicken wire?

 

[addy1]

skimmer sometimes goes dry because it pumping into the bog,

Once you pump the bog full of water and the pond is full of water, the skimmer should not be going dry. Are you losing water via a small leak? How often does it go dry, daily, weekly? I wouldn't think it would evaporate that fast. But it might. This time of year I add every day, have a lot of plants sucking up the water.

 

[mgmine]

On the second from the last picture where are each of three the pipes going to? Which one is coming from the pump?

 

[RedRunner]

On the second from the last picture where are each of three the pipes going to? Which one is coming from the pump?

The black rigid hose from center top is coming from 5000gph pump in the skimmer. The right is going through 24’ of hose to an 22” waterfall. The left is going through about 5’ of hose to about 15’ of pvc pipe with slots in the bog.

 

[poconojoe]

Your electrical outlet should have an in-use cover. It's a plastic cover that allows you to close it (while you have things plugged in), protecting the outlet from the weather. There's a removable notch on the bottom of the cover where the wires can exit.
I see that your outlet is not a GFCI. Is it perhaps protected by a GFCI circuit breaker or feed by another GFCI outlet? A GFCI protected outlet is a must and is required by code. Please tell me it's protected...

 

[RedRunner]

Once you pump the bog full of water and the pond is full of water, the skimmer should not be going dry. Are you losing water via a small leak? How often does it go dry, daily, weekly? I wouldn't think it would evaporate that fast. But it might. This time of year I add every day, have a lot of plants sucking up the water.

Well the pond didn’t go according to plan. There is a retaining wall that was built inside the pond on a shelf. The wall was supposed to hold back water and come over a cut in about 3” from the top of the wall. It just fills up to about 6” from the top of the wall and slowly leaks through the wall. So it stills works though.

 

[addy1]

Retaining wall for the bog? Over time it will get full of muck, debris and then the water flow out will slow down.