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  • Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
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    Thread: New pond needs suggestions

    1. #21
      koiman1950's Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by vipertom1970 View Post
      Yes, sieves are the next best thing if you don't have RDF but how many S&G filters or bead filter will need to have clear water ?
      That really depends on several issues currently not being discussed here, such as pond design, water movement control, stocking levels and feed rates. Oh, and did I mention, every pond is different even two side by side.

      tom, considering your size pond, your stocking density is not very high so that enters greatly into the equation. Many folks in this hobby can't maintain a low stocking density. The temptation to add just one more fish of a different variety is just too tempting.

      While the RDF is pretty much the best mechanical filter available today, and the footprint for it, considering no other additional units are required for fine mechanical use, is so much more compact, if you already have that many sieves of that quality, AND you have sufficient space for adding additional pieces like s/g or bead filters, I think either would work quite adequately. Sorry for the run-on sentence here!lol
      Mike

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      "Our goal is to assist with emergency and Koi health issues, as well as educate on best practices. Please help us gain a clear picture by giving the original poster time to answer our questions before offering opinions and suggested treatments."

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    2. #22
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      My goal is one fish per 750gallons. Due to over digging, I'm looking at 14,000 gallons +/-... 15-20 fish is fine. (they aren't cheap)
      My turnover rate minus head pressure is 28,500 gallons perbhour.. Two 10,500 gph and one 7500gph.. No idea how much I'll lose to head, I'm guessing 8k gph, or more, but I should still be OK.. Everything, as of now, goes to the shower.. I'm hoping to build a rather oversized shower.. I have 100lbs of bakki now and will use a cheaper pumous or lava to top off the trays, if need be. I also hope to plan my plumbing coming into the filter pit to allow for upgrades down the road.
      Last edited by Southpaw; 05-26-2017 at 11:22 PM.

    3. #23
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      Just ordered two of these.. These are the ones I want?
      How do you convert it to 4"?
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    4. #24
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      Good find. You can throw away the equalizers as you won't use them. Changing the pipe size is a matter of personal taste/filter design and opinion. We install them as they are with the single 2" line from the back two holes and cap the other. This would require pump suction directly from the skimmer which works just fine as the baskets in these are quite large.
      Mike

      check out our website at: http://www.pond-life.net




      "Our goal is to assist with emergency and Koi health issues, as well as educate on best practices. Please help us gain a clear picture by giving the original poster time to answer our questions before offering opinions and suggested treatments."

    5. #25
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      Quote Originally Posted by koiman1950 View Post
      Good find. You can throw away the equalizers as you won't use them. Changing the pipe size is a matter of personal taste/filter design and opinion. We install them as they are with the single 2" line from the back two holes and cap the other. This would require pump suction directly from the skimmer which works just fine as the baskets in these are quite large.
      By pump suction, do you mean an external pump?
      My original plan was to gravity feed to a sieve....I'm rethinking a few things, so am still totally up for suggestions,, as long as I get to use what I already own..
      A few options are:
      2BDs - sieve - shower
      Two skimmers - sieve - pump fed tpr's (maybe plug in a fines filter in this spot in the future.

      2bd's - sieve- shower
      Two skimmers - sieve- shower - waterfall and gravity fed tpr's

      4BD's - to two sieves - shower - waterfall
      Skimmers to pump fed tpr's...

    6. #26
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      Personally, I'd go the last route - 4BDs to two sieves. The sieve with water provided from a skimmer isn't really that beneficial as the finer particulates usually don't get trapped by a 250 or 300 micron sieve screen. Yes, pump suction to an external pump and feed a pressurized filter like an Ultima (my preference) and feed the tprs or showers, whichever you prefer.
      Mike

      check out our website at: http://www.pond-life.net




      "Our goal is to assist with emergency and Koi health issues, as well as educate on best practices. Please help us gain a clear picture by giving the original poster time to answer our questions before offering opinions and suggested treatments."

    7. #27
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      Quote Originally Posted by koiman1950 View Post
      Personally, I'd go the last route - 4BDs to two sieves. The sieve with water provided from a skimmer isn't really that beneficial as the finer particulates usually don't get trapped by a 250 or 300 micron sieve screen. Yes, pump suction to an external pump and feed a pressurized filter like an Ultima (my preference) and feed the tprs or showers, whichever you prefer.
      Yeah... I think this is what I'll do.. I'll start with just feeding the skimmers to the shower and add in a polisher later

    8. #28
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      Shower question:what dimensions and hole size would be best for over 20,000gph?
      Last edited by Southpaw; 05-30-2017 at 04:33 PM.

    9. #29
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      Forms are going up and dirt is piling ... I'm about to order bottom drains.. The ones I had were for liner and plans were changed... Best BD's for shotcrete?

    10. #30
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      Btw... I'm going a bit nuts.. I'm using both the new skimmers and my big savio. The two new ones in the corners and the savio in the center. I'm also going with four bottom drains....

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    11. #31
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      I used the Dream Ponds Koi Toilet 1 BDs in my unite pond.

    12. #32
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      Quote Originally Posted by Southpaw View Post
      Shower question:what dimensions and hole size would be best for over 20,000gph?
      My female pond was 16,000 gallons, 19 females some over 36". my shower was 4 trays holding 16 cubic feather rock flowing 8,000gph. So based on that I would say a 4 tray stack, or two 4 tray stacks flowing a total of 10,000 gph with 20 cubic feet of media (feather rock is my favorite and what I used) would do your pond.
      So two pairs of BDs (4 total), each pair feeding one sieve, each sieve flowing 5000 gph, each of these going to a shower would be perfect.

    13. #33
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      Well, as the Ultrasieve can flow up to 7500gph, yes two 4" drains to each of two sieves and flow both either to a single large shower unit like the Bakki Showers or two smaller units one from each sieve. I really don't think the Savio skimmer will be that beneficial within the design or needed. One thing I would like you to really consider - don't try to force the use of some equipment you already have in to a new design just because you have it. And, the use of a submersible pump in a pond design like this is really kind of counterproductive. They usually require more electricity for the flow rate provided, they don't last near as long as an external pump and cannot be serviced for any purpose/reason.

      I didn't notice the first time I read your post about the skimmers you purchased but I see that the also have threaded fittings in the bottom. We always use the slip fitting units but, it certainly shouldn't hurt provided you use teflon tape on the male fitting threads along with plumbers compound to double insure a good seal. Just tighten by hand and then another 1/4 turn with a wrench.

      There's nothing wrong with gravity fed returns provided you do them correctly! For flow rate of about 7000gph, Zac's medium size shower units with two 4" fittings in the bottom of the unit would allow you to split both 4" lines into two 2" all with valves to feed the 4 tprs. or if you prefer, one to feed tprs and one to a waterfall or such. Either way would work great. The skimmers could be fed to a Ultima pressure filter/UV combo and to either more tprs or the waterfall. There are a lot of combinations of this that will work fine.
      Mike

      check out our website at: http://www.pond-life.net




      "Our goal is to assist with emergency and Koi health issues, as well as educate on best practices. Please help us gain a clear picture by giving the original poster time to answer our questions before offering opinions and suggested treatments."

    14. #34
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      Thanks for all the advice...
      My shell is 8" thick.. The bottom drains that are aerated all seem to come with the 90° hitting about 4" below...
      My question is, are there aerated BD's with a vertical outlet?

    15. #35
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      Ok... Bought four koi toilet II, with the vertical pipe... With the shell being 8", the contractor didn't like the 4" elbow being just 4" below the concrete surface. I couldn't find a BD with a vertical outlet and aeration. Is there any way to convert these to aerated?

    16. #36
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      Here's one:

      https://www.gardenpondforum.com/thre...toilet-1.4078/

      And looking at that you can pretty much figure out how Kent's were modified:



      I brought the air pipe up next to my diy BD and the difuser is just suspended above the dome. Works okay, but nearly as clean looking
      as these mods imo.
      --Steve



      Koiphen 2021 Koi Person of the Year!

    17. #37
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      Feel free to check the project photos on my website. We use the standard Koi Toilet I aerated units all the time. What you do is use two 45 degree elbows to lower the output of the drain to go below the concrete. Technically, all that's required in an 8" thick pour is a covering of at least 4" which is what you'll have. we've never had an issue with this an no one on the gunite/concrete crew stated a concern either. Don't stress over this part as it's done routinely, all the time.
      Mike

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      "Our goal is to assist with emergency and Koi health issues, as well as educate on best practices. Please help us gain a clear picture by giving the original poster time to answer our questions before offering opinions and suggested treatments."

    18. #38
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      Forms are up.. Next stage is rebar. Gettin' Real!
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