pump and filter suggestions for ~6700 gallon pond

[damian]

Kind of a duplicate post to the one I made in intros, but I figured this is probably the better place for actual questions.

I just started my first pond after thinking about it and planning for about 3 years. I've been kind of learning as I go along but I've reached a point where I don't think i want to continue without getting some good advice. It's time to purchase liner/skimmer/pump and I'm guessing this is the most critical stage.

So i thought it would be easy to just do a little bit of research and pick out a 7000 gph external pump and a skimmer/filter and be all set, but it turns out the more i read, the less i seem to understand.

Basically, the larger triangular portion is the main pond and is a little under 6000 gallons. The part my wife is in will be raised about 18" and is a little under 800 gallons. There will be a short stream dumping into the main pond. To the left of that is going to be a waterfall about 3' high that dumps into the raised part. My plan is to have an external pump hidden behind that, and a skimmer/filter buried on the left edge of the main pond.

Any suggestions for pumps and skimmers? How about any giant glaring mistakes that jump out at you?

 

[addy1]

What is the upper area going to be? a smaller pond, a bog, a plant filter? That will look great when you are done.

You state the water fall and skimmer both will be to the left, if I am reading this right. You should have you skimmer opposite of the water fall, or on the edge downwind from your dominate wind direction. This will aid in it picking up floating stuff.

For a pond that size, I don't think just a skimmer filter will keep it clean imho.

I asked in the into thread, how deep? and where are you located.

I can see plant shelves, do you have herons? where you are at, they aid in helping the birds eat your fish.

Looking like a very nice dig.

 

[koidaddy]

WOW! Someone who actually researched ponds before digging the hole. Wish I would have done that. LOL Looks good.:regular_waving_emot

 

[damian]

What is the upper area going to be? a smaller pond, a bog, a plant filter? That will look great when you are done.

if you mean the area my wife is kneeling in, it will be a smaller pond/holding pool.

You state the water fall and skimmer both will be to the left, if I am reading this right. You should have you skimmer opposite of the water fall, or on the edge downwind from your dominate wind direction. This will aid in it picking up floating stuff.

the first waterfall will be in the far back left corner, but it will fall into the smaller pool. then water will fall from that pool from a second stream/waterfall into the large pond in the upper right corner. the skimmer will be on the lower left of the large pond, so basically there will be flow from the upper right of the large pond to the skimmer at the lower left of the large pond.

For a pond that size, I don't think just a skimmer filter will keep it clean imho.

probably not, so i'm considering other options. after reading about the diy barrel filter, i was thinking of maybe putting one of those in the far back left corner as sort of a waterfall filter. i haven't read enough about them yet to know if that's possible though.

I asked in the into thread, how deep? and where are you located.

deepest point will be 36". we are north of detroit, zone 6b.

I can see plant shelves, do you have herons? where you are at, they aid in helping the birds eat your fish.

there are heron's in michigan, but i have never seen one around here. but there are ducks, and raccoons and such. i am planning on putting in some sort of fish tunnel for hiding.

Looking like a very nice dig.

thanks!

 

[j.w]

Herons, if you build it they will come I made my plant shelves deeper as they don't like to just jump into deeper water. They like to wade in and if you have shallow shelves they can just step in and have easier access to your fish.

 

[damian]

so would a skimmer -----> external pump -------> doc bio filter --------.> waterfall be sufficient for this pond?

 

[damian]

although the price on the laguna 4200 on this page (8400 gph) does look tempting...

http://www.webbsonline.com/pond-pumps.html?gclid=CPaIxaaI3agCFZQbKgod4XTxBw#laguna

 

[CometKeith]

Hi Damian, I would make your deepest part at 4.5 feet. It could be only one area in the middle and doesn't need to be that depth the whole pond. Your fish will be happier in the winter. You will get a bubble of 38 degree water at the bottom and they will be very comfortable there without any kind of heater. You will only need some sort of bubbler or airstone to keep a hole in the ice. Also having it a little deeper in one part will keep them safe from most predators. Sorry to bring up winter when it's almost 100 degrees today in the Midwest!

 

[addy1]

Damian, mine has a 5 foot deep area for the fish in the winter.

and the skimmer, external, filter, waterfall will do great.

You have really planned this pond well! great job

 

[damian]

okay, looks like i'll be adding a foot or so to the deepest section and a couple feet to my liner size!

 

[addy1]

With as cold as you can get, your fish will love you for it!

 

[damian]

so any pump suggestions? from what i can tell, submersible pumps that can actually move 6000+ gph seem to be very limited. in fact i'm not sure i've come across any that don't lose gph significantly if you have even a 2-3 foot head height. should i pretty much focus on external pumps?

 

[damian]

this rundown seems pretty thorough:

http://www.webbsonline.com/pond-pumps.html?gclid=CPaIxaaI3agCFZQbKgod4XTxBw

and the only submersibles that seem to fit the bill are the calpump T10000 and the alpine cyclone PAL8000

 

[koidaddy]

I would go external for ease of cleaning. Check with DoDad, he has Cascade Pond Supply and just hooked me up with a Sequence that I am more then pleased with.

 

[addy1]

I have read that externals tend to use less electricity to move the same amount of water.