Why Koi Ponds Need Bottom Drains

[DoDad]

 

[Dave 54]

Wouldnt drain it that much but it shows just what happens to detritus it simply disapears before your very eyes , all you need do then is drain the vortex and top up the pond .

rgrds

Dave

 

[DoDad]

This is a Nexus filter that has a vortex built into it with two 4" bottom drains going to it. I switch the knife valves each day.
I clean the Nexus once a week.

 

[dieselplower]

The pump near the bottom of my pond would never allow that much build up. Granted it would be nice to open up a bottom drain and eject all that straight out into my lawn rather than pumping it all into a filter.

 

[DoDad]

The pump near the bottom of my pond would never allow that much build up. Granted it would be nice to open up a bottom drain and eject all that straight out into my lawn rather than pumping it all into a filter.

Where does your pumps water go?

 

[Dave 54]

With our setup , what isnt in the 4" pipe is being drawn into the vortex 3500 gallons imperial per hour where it drops to the bottom
Then once a week we simply purge the drain and the vortex and all is clean.
No detritus is on the bottom of the pond for long because of this constant currant drawning it through from the bottom of the pond.
The bubbler or spindrifter bottom drain cover also assists this constant movement of detritus down into the bottom drain and thus into the vortex, which at 32" diameter is huge as vortex's go.


rgrds


Dave

 

[dieselplower]

Where does your pumps water go?

Into a filter.

 

[Dave 54]

Weve been clever here because we ran a pipe from aour filters to a central pipe that when purged takes all soiled water from the filters direct to the nearest drain and then on into the sewerage system with an almighty whoosh as it powers down the pipe around the bend just above the drain cover and into the drain
Never had a block in the sewrage system through some inconsiderate neighbour putting either disposable nappies or wet whipes down the toilet which is a major plus because in my eyes there is nothing more offensive that a blocked and over flowing sewer. "yuk totally gross".

rgrds

Dave

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Into a filter.

What kind of filter.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

My last pond had no bottom drain, but it did have sloping sides and I did have a couple pre-filters like the one pictured below.
The pre-filters did catch a lot of the gunk, however much of the gunk still ended up settling on the very bottom of the pond and still needed to be periodically scooped out manually. But really, the worst part was cleaning the pads in those pre-filters out. It required turning off the pumps hauling those filters out of the bottom of the pond, taking out the filter pads and spraying them down until they were clean again, and of course putting it all back together again. It was a messy time consuming job, and when the water was cold it was no fun fishing them out of the pond. After a few years messing around with that, and reading about the virtues of bottom drains, it was clear there was an easier way.
My new pond now has a bottom drain and a settling chamber, and it really is much easier to maintain. No turning off the pumps, I just open a valve to empty out the gunk, and the one screen, that catches the rest of the stuff that doesn't settle to the bottom, sits at the surface of the settling tank, so it's simple to remove (no diving to the bottom of the pond), and it only takes a light quick spray to remove the debris from it. The difference is like night and day.

 

[dieselplower]

What kind of filter.

2 barrels filled w rocks.

 

[Dave 54]

Our pond has three 32" vortex style filters supplied by a 4" bottom drain then into a barrel filter via two 2" pipes
The photos bellow are of our original four 32" vortex style filter prior to the fourth being removed because it sprang a major leak at its base that just couldnt be fixed no way no how as it was tried and each of the six attempts failed to stem it but you'll get the idea.









rgrds

Dave

 

[DrCase]

Weve been clever here because we ran a pipe from aour filters to a central pipe that when purged takes all soiled water from the filters direct to the nearest drain and then on into the sewerage system with an almighty whoosh

Never had a block in the sewrage system through some inconsiderate neighbour putting either disposable nappies or wet whipes down the toilet

rgrds

Dave

I make a lot of money from inconsiderate neighbors like that
I run my pond drains through my garden

 

[Dave 54]

I make a lot of money from inconsiderate neighbors like that
I run my pond drains through my garden

Ours runs over what will be Vals disability garden dips down under the wall that retains it, sufaces again in the gravel of the path, does a 90 degree, turn runs alongside the wall of the flat and down into the drain.
Our original inlet to the pond now the everflow runs down into and under the ground, under Vals Disability garden through the grael and down the drain.
Last but not least the QT tank will come out of its bottom drain sharp right and down the drain.

rgrds

Dave

 

[Mucky_Waters]

I make a lot of money from inconsiderate neighbors like that
I run my pond drains through my garden

Hey! there are rules against promoting and advertising your money making schemes in this forum. :nono:

Still,,,, I am curious how you make money from neighbors plugging up the sewer system??? :dunno: