• Amused
  • Angry
  • Annoyed
  • Awesome
  • Bemused
  • Cocky
  • Cool
  • Crazy
  • Crying
  • Depressed
  • Down
  • Drunk
  • Embarrased
  • Enraged
  • Friendly
  • Geeky
  • Godly
  • Happy
  • Hateful
  • Hungry
  • Innocent
  • Meh
  • Piratey
  • Poorly
  • Sad
  • Secret
  • Shy
  • Sneaky
  • Tired
  • Page 1 of 8 1234 ... LastLast
    Results 1 to 20 of 159

    Thread: Bottom drain to skimmer?

    1. #1
      Subersibo is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Apr 2018
      Location
      California
      Posts
      251

      Bottom drain to skimmer?

      Can a bottom drain be plumbed to a skimmer?
      Would this be enough or do I need a separate filter/settlement chamber as well?
      The pond I am planning to build will be 12’x8’x 3’ deep.
      Also, if I do need a separate filter would it matter if it was situated close to where the skimmer is? Maybe just a few feet beside it.

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    2. #2
      yorkie's Avatar
      yorkie is offline Supporting Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      Geeky
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2007
      Location
      Grand Rapids, MI
      Posts
      695
      I would not recommend it but yes a bottom drain can be plumbed to a skimmer box.

      Yorkie
      A true pondaholic!
      40,000 Gallons, 45 koi




    3. #3
      Subersibo is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Apr 2018
      Location
      California
      Posts
      251
      Quote Originally Posted by yorkie View Post
      I would not recommend it but yes a bottom drain can be plumbed to a skimmer box.

      Yorkie
      Thanks but what is the disadvantage of going directly to a skimmer?

    4. #4
      kimini is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Oct 2007
      Location
      SoCal
      Posts
      1,694
      Yes it "can" be done, but the flow has to carefully balanced to be what you want, and there's no way to separate them. In general, any time parts of a pond are combined, it makes maintenance more difficult, is less efficient, and the consequences of failure worse.

    5. #5
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      Math says about 2100 gallons . Why do You want to combine the two together ?

    6. #6
      kevin32 is offline Inactivated
      is chillin
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Aug 2014
      Location
      Brentwood, ca up north
      Posts
      8,029
      I think you asked the question the wrong way. A bottom drain and skimmer circuit can be combined but with separate pipes feeding the prefilter like a sieve filter. My friend has 2 bds and a skimmer feeding his us3 sieve and works great

    7. #7
      Subersibo is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Apr 2018
      Location
      California
      Posts
      251
      Just curious because I saw an installation of a bd into a skimmer using a flex pipe.
      Any suggestions for a filter and external pump for the size pond I’m planning? I am looking into acquiring a biofalls/filter as well.

    8. #8
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      I would skip the biofalls and make Your own using a 55 gallon barrel found for about $20 . Are You a DIYer ?
      Is the pond built yet ?

    9. #9
      Subersibo is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Apr 2018
      Location
      California
      Posts
      251
      Nope, I’m just in the planning stages. Yes, it is completely diy.
      You mean make my own waterfall/filter? Sounds interesting but I am getting overwhelmed by all the filtration/bottom drain info out there already.

    10. #10
      dragonfly1976 is offline Senior Member
      is 행복해Ꮫ
      6;
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Aug 2010
      Location
      Western New York
      Posts
      675
      Yes it can but it is fruitless. I did it on my second pond years ago and it didn’t work. The skimmer will ALWAYS outpull the bottom drain. In reality even with valves or skimmer door adjustments, it won’t pull squat from your bottom drain. It would be way more effective to plumb the two separately to your first point of Mechanical filtration with ball valves to adjust flow from each if needed or to shut off if needed.

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    11. #11
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      Quote Originally Posted by Subersibo View Post
      Nope, I’m just in the planning stages. Yes, it is completely diy.
      You mean make my own waterfall/filter? Sounds interesting but I am getting overwhelmed by all the filtration/bottom drain info out there already.
      Dont worry , we will help . A water fall filter is not necessary , and you can build a filter that feeds the waterfall , is far more efficient , and will save You a lot of money .
      I suggest that You share pics or a drawing of the area that the pond will go , including dimensions , elevations etc. Include the area that the filter will go , or possible areas in the yard where filtration could be hidden .

    12. #12
      Subersibo is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Apr 2018
      Location
      California
      Posts
      251
      Thanks, I’ll get on that asap (pond layout,etc).
      So I need a skimmer, a pre-filter and a filter which feeds the waterfall. Is this accurate?
      The bd can be plumbed to the pre-filter and then from pre-filter to filter? Are all these things hooked up to the same external pump?
      Can these filters be put in the ground and covered up by a faux boulder perhaps? I don’t think I have much space left in the yard.

    13. #13
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      Yes , bottom drain , and skimmer can both feed the prefilter . One pump can do the job . A system can be designed to be mostly low profile , but some of it will have to be above ground , especially if You want to use only one pump , and feed a waterfall .

    14. #14
      tbullard is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Sep 2010
      Location
      Augusta,GA
      Posts
      1,397
      One question we always forget to ask is what is the budget for filtration? Suggestions will vary greatly if its $1000 vs sky is the limit as long as its the best.

    15. #15
      Subersibo is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Apr 2018
      Location
      California
      Posts
      251
      Name:  IMG_E5404.jpg
Views: 2651
Size:  132.8 KB
      Here is my poorly drawn layout. I could probably extend the pond a little further and go to 11 ft in width so part of it would be under the deck, I've always like that look.
      As for budget for filtration, I didn't know I needed a separate filter aside from the skimmer and falls/filter until yesterday. I don't want it to be too expensive though. A basic skimmer and pre filter (sieve or settling chamber) will do. The simpler the better.
      I would like to connect the skimmer to the existing house drain somehow in case the pond overflows.
      The waterfall could be up to 2-3 ft in height with a cascade. I am looking into the Artisan 2 external pump. Would this be sufficient for my needs? (power for the falls, filter, bd).
      Name:  IMG_5401.jpg
Views: 2583
Size:  266.1 KB
      Last edited by Subersibo; 09-06-2018 at 01:12 PM.

    16. #16
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      The reason I suggested skipping the waterfall filter , is because of price , and efficiency. The waterfall filters are basically just a plastic drum that holds media, and they are designed very poorly . A 55 gallon drum that cost’s about $20 , can be built Yourself with many plans found Here ,and will be far more efficient. It does not have to be mounted behind the waterfall. Wait on the pump decision , design the filtration first .

    17. #17
      Subersibo is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Apr 2018
      Location
      California
      Posts
      251
      I type barrel filter but can’t find any. Can you point me in the right direction?
      So if I have a barrel for a filter, what do i use for a a waterfall?

    18. #18
      tbullard is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Sep 2010
      Location
      Augusta,GA
      Posts
      1,397
      Here is a Sand and Gravel Barrel Filter https://www.koiphen.com/forums/showth...-Gravel-Filter

    19. #19
      IAmHolland is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Jul 2018
      Location
      Land of Infernos
      Posts
      102
      .
      Last edited by IAmHolland; 09-20-2018 at 01:11 AM.

    20. #20
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
      catfish whiskers is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC President
      is Looking forward to a better
      year
       
      Feeling:
      Friendly
       
      Join Date
      Dec 2009
      Location
      So Cal
      Posts
      3,358
      Quote Originally Posted by Subersibo View Post
      I type barrel filter but can’t find any. Can you point me in the right direction?
      So if I have a barrel for a filter, what do i use for a a waterfall?
      Many ways to flow into a waterfall .
      A barrel filter can be against the back wall , and can gravity flow through pipes to the top of the waterfall . You do not need a spillway at the top of the waterfall , pipes can simply dump at the top of the waterfall , and be hidden by rocks .
      A barrel filter can also be mounted behind a waterfall , just like the waterfall filters that You considered , and attached to the liner the same way that the waterfall filter does. The advantages would be that Your DIY project would be far more efficient , and save You lots of money to buy a good sieve , and pump .
      As far as a prefilter , a settling chamber for Your size would need to be about 200 gallons .
      Your short on space , you could bury a settling chamber , but settling chambers other than needing to be large , are not as easy to clean. A sieve is far easier to clean , takes up less space , and removes debris larger than 250-300 microns from the water column, making all filtration after it easier to clean , and more efficient.
      A gravity fed sieve would be buried in the ground , a suction sieve can be above ground . They both cost about $1200 ish plus shipping.
      The advantage to a suction sieve , is better flow control. Your going to want most of Your flow to come from the bottom drain , and a skimmer works much better under suction , rather than gravity flow.
      A good system would be to feed both the skimmer and bottom drain to a sieve , then pump the water to 1 or 2 55 gal S&G filters (depending on flow ) each S&G filter is good for about 2,000 GPH. Then from the S&G filter(s) , gravity flow to a bio filter (s) . Two types of DIY bio filters are shower filters , and moving bed filters . You can do one or the other bio filter , or even both together . Depends on the waterfall or other pond returns

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    Page 1 of 8 1234 ... LastLast

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •