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  • Results 1 to 10 of 10

    Thread: Skimmer/ bottom drain question

    1. #1
      evesta's Avatar
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      Skimmer/ bottom drain question

      I am building a small goldie watergarden around 1200 gallons. I know it isn't ideal but because of space issues I would like to try and run a bottom drain to my skimmer instead of a settlement tank. I have an Oase biosys skimmer. Would if be better to run the line into the side or the front? There isn't a lot of room underneath the rigid basket. Will it just gravity feed or can I use a submersible pump in the back? Thanks!

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    2. #2
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      I don't think it makes much difference. I would put it where ever it will fit the easiest. What brand of a skimmer is it?

      Dale
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    3. #3
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      It is an oase biosys. Another option I am considering is running the bd to a skippy stock tank filter/waterfall but I'm not sure if the settlement can also be your filter? With my last pond I just had a settlement pond for plants and gravity flushed the pond during my weekly cleaning so I'm at a loss. I was always planning to dig a pit with settlement but ended up moving to a new house before having the chance. I don't have the room to do much of anything now because my pond is squeezed between deck, sidewalk and garage with trees next to it. I love the site but it is tight! I want a bottom drain because I have seen all the nasty stuff it pulls from the bottom but **** my life would be so much easier if I could just slap a liner down lol

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      The Oase Biosys has a very efficient skimming weir door. Are planning on plumbing a retro-bottom drain or a regular bottom drain? If retro, it'd be just as easy coming thru the front. If a regular bottom drain, I'd plumb it thru the side.

      The trick however, is IDEALLY keeping it above the skimmer basket. The Oase Biosys' leaf basket = the entire footprint of the skimmer & you'll need room to pull it out for regular maintenance. There's some give to the box itself, but not if it's 100% back-filled & packed on both sides (right & left).
      Attached Images Attached Images  

    5. #5
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      Thank you that was very helpful! I was planning on doing a regular bottom drain. So the issue would being able to pull the basket up with the bulkhead and valve in the way. Hmmmmm..... Is there a skimmer that would work better? One that is good to use with a bottom drain? I would like to use this one since I already have it, got it cheap and seems like a good little skimmer for my size of pond. Otherwise I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'll have to ponder this some more Thanks!

    6. #6
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      The valve can be on the outside of the skimmer box ... hidden inside a rectangular or cylindrical irrigation valve box. Then it's just the flange from the bulkhead that may be slightly in the way.

      Name:  Biosys Weir 03.21.11.jpg
Views: 2534
Size:  82.9 KB

      The Oase Biosys is an excellent unit because primarily because of the entry-weir-flap is amongst the most efficient for true skimming. 100% of the water enters over the weir edge & 0% seeps in thru the sides of the weir.

      There are many others skimmers that can be plumbed for a bottom drain but the issue falls back to % of water capable of passing thru the weir & % of water capable of passing thru the bottom drain.

      Name:  EP Skimmer for EP & BD 03.21.11.jpg
Views: 4697
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      This is one that's handy in smaller pond applications for easy external pump connection as well as easy bottom drain port connection.

    7. #7
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      Wow that was even more helpful! Is that an easy pro skimmer for external pumps?

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      Quote Originally Posted by evesta View Post
      Wow that was even more helpful! Is that an easy pro skimmer for external pumps?
      ... yes, the 2nd picture is. -- 6" weir door on that one.

    9. #9
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      I think a spam post made it past the moderators?

    10. #10
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      Quote Originally Posted by Pond,James_Pond View Post
      I think a spam post made it past the moderators?
      Mike

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