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View Full Version : DIY Bottom Cleaner and Water Stirrer



Winscene
11-12-2017, 07:31 PM
A few years ago I built a 7,000 gallon, 45 mil EPDM-lined, Koi Pond, and did not use any loose rocks or pebbles on the bottom (but did use field stones to build sidewalls, atop a 2 foot cinder block base) because I wanted to make it as self-cleaning as possible.

I have very good water turnover, Artesian 2 HH, with 3 TPRs doing a slow swirl with returned, filtered water, and a Rhino bottom drain as source water (also have a side-wall, backup water source to leaf pre-filter). My pond stays generally very clean.

However, I also wanted a way to kick up, or swirl, any small debris off of the pond bottom so that particulate matter would get recirculated and removed via the bead filter. I wanted to stir up the bottom with a water hose, and needed something stiff to put in and move around the pond.

So I took a leftover 10 foot, one-inch pvc pipe and added a smaller, maybe 2 feet, piece on an angle. I attached a water hose to the end.

I then did a variation on the theme, and also used the pvc arrangement to hook up a long suction hose, connected to a wet vac, and used it to suck up any small stones or pebbles that may have fallen into the pond. Duct tape connected all of the pieces. (I think I will upgrade this to eliminate duct tape, actually gluing pvc pieces together), and maybe using velcro to hold either the water hose or suction hose.

Stirring or sucking out particles will make the bottom of my pond immaculate.
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Ronfire
05-14-2018, 09:58 PM
What about using a central vac hose and wand connected to the suction side of the pump to vacuum the bottom clean?

richtoybox
05-15-2018, 08:27 PM
I used swimming pool hose with https://express.google.com/product/15634156662908048132_396649506014214937_1699011?ma ll=WashingtonDC&directCheckout=1&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=product_ads&utm_campaign=gsx&dclid=CJXq7vb7iNsCFcILDAodtR4FYg attached to my skimmer plumbing to do my vacuuming. Worked great for getting the eggs out of the pond following a spawn, also rocks, sand, and other debris. Just be sure that the swimming pool hose fits the leaf trap, and will fit inside the plumbing. I also used the same system with a series of plumbing fittings to make it fit a sub pump, recycling the water to the pond, instead of sending it to the filters.