redoing pond - need help

[kaysbelle]

I have a 7' round 3' deep pond. I am going to change my pump to a 1258 gph submersible with a 1" outlet to get more flow to my waterfall. I hope to put a diverter on it to run my fountain and a waterfall. I have a skippy filter (24"x18") at the top of the water fall which is 5' long. My presently pump is connected with a 3/4" line which will be changed to a 1" line. My skippy is approximately 3' higher than the surface of my pond and approximately 7' from the present pump (submersible) My questions are:

Should I change the plumbing of the skippy filter to 1"?

Can the skippy handle the flow?

Should I have an additional filter? If so, how should it be hooked up and please explain the placement.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[DrCase]

welcome to the forum....to get the most out of your pump , run a 1" line to your filter....if your filter gets to much water,,,divert more to your fountain...do you have fish in this pond?

 

[DrDave]

Welcome!
Sounds like you are on the right track. I agree with DrCase.

 

[kaysbelle]

yes, I have 7 goldfish. I don't want my fountain to have too much flow due to the size of the pond so that is why I am not sure the skippy could handle the flow.

 

[DrCase]

you just have to try ,,see the flow ,divert it if you got to,,,it can still go over the water fall ,just by pass the filter

 

[kaysbelle]

I am putting together a plan for a 55 gallons barrel filter for my pond and need some advise/comments on my plan. Here are my facts:


Pump will be 10’ from top of barrel
Top of barrel will be 3 ½’ above water surface
Outlet will fall into three tiered waterfall with
The bottom weir being 7” across.

Here is my drawing: (sorry I didn't know how to put it in the body of the message)
http://adobe.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=129waay5.w4ll19p&x=0&y=-k93tqm&localeid=en_US

The 1” hose from the pump will be hooked to a 2”x2”x1” PVC “T” (to act as a venture), flow down a 2” PVC pipe through a milk crate, wired to the crate 8” off the bottom of the barrel with the outlets (2” elbows) facing in opposite directions. The barrel will be filled with floor pads and scubbies with the water flowing out the barrel through a 1 ½” outlet. The barrel will have a drain as close to the bottom of the barrel as possible.

My questions: With the indentation of the barrel, will the 1 ½” outlet be okay at the top of the barrel in the 4” area as marked on the drawing?
(If not I will have to drop it approximately 6-7” from the top of the barrel.)
Would it be better to have the milk crate 12” tall (at 8” I have to cut it down)?

I thought about turning the barrel upside down and using one of the two outlets on the top for the drain, if I set it on a 6" base.
Any advise/comments etc would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DrDave]

You will want a 2" opening at the top for the overflow back to the pond, not 1 1/2". That also may require a 1/2" mesh screen depending on your sponge material. You don't want it to block the overflow.

The bottom valve MUST BE A 2" BALL VALVE or you will not get a backflush when opened. using sponges and similar materials means you will have to do a major cleaning periodically. With small tubes, that is not necessary.

 

[DrCase]

gravity would like the two inch outlet...top and bottom....i never had to clean my filter with tubes or sponges...i just drain it down and go again...i didnt get nothing from the drawing.

 

[DrDave]

In time, your sponges will require attention. The tubes will never absorb gunk like the sponges will.

In my filter, being built into a waterfall, that would be a major undertaking to get at the media. With the tubes, I know I will never have to overhaul the filter.

 

[kaysbelle]

So, I need a 2" outflow to the waterfall, right? I get that. The 2" would provide more escape room for the water since the inflow from the pond is 1". Explain again the need for the 2" drain valve. I had planned on hooking the drain to a hose so I could direct the flow out in the yard when I flushed out the bottom of the barrel. I didn't plan on emptying the barrel - just drain the worst out of the bottom. My filter material are the floor scrubber pads and the round scrubbies like you get from the dollar store. The scrubbies is what I presently use in my little (20 gallon) skippy filter, which is not big enough for my pond and certainly would not work with the larger pump.

 

[DrDave]

If I have to explain back flush again, I'm afraid you still won't get it.
Will your toilet expell waste with a hose bib????

 

[kaysbelle]

Excuse me.

 

[DrCase]

when you open the 2" valve on the bottom of your filter,you need to let it all run out ..a lot of stuff comes out in the last gush...conect a 2" pvc pipe to put the water were you want it,in the yard

 

[DrDave]

A flush by definition is rapid expelling of water.:banghead3:

A hose bib and garden hose will not perform a flush. Without the flush, you will spend hours getting filthy to clean your filter.:skull::goldfish:

With the flush, it takes 45 seconds and you don't even get wet.:icon_mrgreen:

Is that clear?

 

[kaysbelle]

Thank you - that wasn't hard to understand since it had not been explained to me before.