Site all-in-one pond pump/fountain on bottom of pond?

[kryten22uk]

I have a simple round pond, and a simple all-in-one pump-filter-fountain. I was wondering whether to plonk the pump on the bottom of the pond (90cm deep) so that it maximises water circulation, or whether to raise it. I thought perhaps raising it would mean that water at the bottom wouldnt circulate as much.

I read the FAQ for pond construction and it said dont put pump on bottom, but from what I gather this is because if there is a leak in the pipework it would drain the pump all the way to bottom. But this isnt applicable for my setup as there is no pipework and the fountain isnt powerful enough to spray the water out of the pond.

 

[JRS]

Another issue would be debris such as leaf litter settling on the bottom blocking the intake leading to more frequent cleaning. Raising the pump mitigates this.

I have my small submersible pumps on the bottom with coarse foam prefilters. I have a threaded fitting on the intake which allows me to angle the intake pipe up directly off the bottom to reduce clogging; although they do shift at times.

 

[kryten22uk]

I wasnt sure, but I had thought perhaps it was one of the benefits of it being on the bottom that it would prevent a thick layer of sludge forming at the bottom, as it would go into the filters to be cleaned rather than accumulating on bottom. But then I'm not so sure.

 

[JRS]

Yes that could be a benefit, depends on your situation. Since it is an all in one why not try in on the bottom which it seems is your inclination and would probably be easier, and if you do have problems you could raise it up later?