Pond pump recommendation

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Trying to plan a small water garden with a waterfall. no fish. Looking for a pond pump recommendation. The fiberglass liner we're looking at is 8 feet 6 inches x 5 feet 9 inches x 20 inches deep and has a 415 gallon capacity. We would like to add a cascading waterfall that we are guessing will be 2-3 feet high.
We found the following info online and don't know how accurate it is: "For a 400-700 gallon pond will need a 350 gph pump for minimum water circulation, add a waterfall and general rule of thumb go one size up = 450 gph pump". Does this sound reasonable for our pond plans?
We would like a top rated, energy efficient (mag drive?) compact submersible pump. We're not sure where to start. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated!
 

sissy

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they tell you minimum but always better to go slightly larger to get better flow and you can put a splitter and a ball valve on the pump and send water some where else .Or just leave the hose loose in the pond to circulate and clean the pond better .You can go on a comparison sight to compare prices on the internet .Remember to look at warranties also ..Places like shop .com give you money back for shopping with there retailers .Amazon is a good comparison sight also .I try to buy locally this way if there are problems I can take it right back to them .A hot summer your pond can't go with out a pump .I use 2 pumps in my pond if one ever goes out I have back up .I used to use 1 but had a nightmare 6 years ago when it was a 100 degrees out and pump went out and had to rush around to find one .Not easy in a rural area to find .
 

DrCase

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I just ordered a small pump for my Lotus // baby pond
its around 250 gal got a Laguna 600 for 73$ 32 watts Ebay
 

koiguy1969

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i gotta agree about laguna pumps.( my 2150gph laguna uses 128 watts on a kill-o-watt meter) you will be hard pressed to find a pump with better electrical consumption ratings. and they have some of the best warranties. fishmate/petmate brand are also a very economical pump to run. (my 865gph fishmate pump only draws 44 watts max). and the fishmate is in its 7th year of service.
 

HARO

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I'm also a big believer in the Laguna brand pumps. 600 gph would be my MINIMUM recomendation, and make sure the pump is made in Italy! Unfortunately, Laguna has introduced a cheaper, made-in-China line, and the quality just isn't there. I sell these pumps, so I know what I'm talking about: I no longer carry the Chinese ones!
John
 
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Thank you all so much! It's nice to have a good consensus on brand recommendations. I'll definitely try a laguna pump from italy and thanks for the gph advice too.
 

sissy

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Thing is how do you know if you are getting one from china as none of the sights I look at state where they are made .Guessing you would have to call to order it and really even then they can tell you any thing .You would have to get it locally to know .
 

herzausstahl

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An option sissy would be to check model numbers on their site, or perhaps John can tell us which model numbers come from italy since he carries those, because I do plan on ordering a Laguna pump when my stream pump fails. Can find sellers on EBay offering an extra year on the warranty even.
 

HARO

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The PowerJet and Max-Flo pumps are Italian-made. The Max-Flo are designed to move water to filters, falls, etc., while the PowerJet come with the riser, fountain heads, and whatever is needed to set up a fountain. Both have clamshell type strainer baskets, but the spaces on the PJs are smaller to prevent the fountain heads from clogging, while the M-Fs baskets let larger particles through (1/4" to 3/8" depending on pump size). PowerJets also come in smaller sizes without the strainer basket, and one designed to sit in a skimmer. The Chinese pumps are sold as 'Submersible' or 'Circulation' pumps, and do not carry the PJ or M-F designation.
My reasoning for not recommending the Chinese pumps is that the plastic used in their impellers is so soft that in some cases it wears out in a very short time, in the case of one pump I sold, the impeller lasted only FOUR DAYS! I've been in touch with our Area Rep, who has forwarded my concerns to Head Office, and will keep our members posted if anything improves.
John
Sorry for the looonnnggg explanation!
 

herzausstahl

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John,
That was a perfect explanation in my opinion! Thanks for the free knowledge, I'm using a 5100 gph Smartpond pump right now to run my stream (before I put an outlet on my 2" flex PVC pipe, the water would travel through about 45' of pipe rising about 5-6' and it would shoot a stream of water 6' high), so when it dies I plan on replacing it with the Laguna 4200. I know it will be less flow, but I can handle that for the energy savings. Thanks for all the info! Is there an easy way to connect a max flo pump to a PVC pipe?
 

HARO

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Unfortunately, Laguna's quick-connect couplers only work with their pumps and filters, but you can put a short piece of flex on, and a hose barb on the PVC. A bit of a pain, I know. :grumble:
John
 

herzausstahl

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Thanks for the reply John, kind of figured I would have to do that, but in retrospect, could make connecting/disconnecting the pump easier. See if you can get the reps to come out with a PVC attachment! Lol long shot I know, but can't hurt to ask.
 

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Our area rep is really great, I can call him any time, he drops by often, and really knows the business. He's been with Rolf Hagen (Laguna is a branch of RH) all his working life, and is now semi-retired. I'll suggest it next time I see him.
John
 

herzausstahl

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Thanks John,
I'd even be ok if they only sold it as a separate attachment. But understand if it can't be done, I'm sure there could be a significant cost attached to designing/producing something like that.
 
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Hi John,

Clearly, I'm new to pond setup, so this might be a silly question. I'm checking out the laguna max flow pump line and I would like a waterfall spillway filter. For easy first-timer setup, do I have to get the laguna brand spillway filter or could I use another brand, like tetra, with the laguna pump?

Thanks for all of the help!
 

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