VF = Veggie Filter
PF = Pre-filter
BF = Bio-filter
AKCA = Associated Koi Clubs of American
KHA = Koi Health Advisors
Jan wrote: with small settling tanks, they may be easy to
clean due to size, but you will be cleaning them often,
I hope you have no plans of ever being sick or on vacation, cause no one can keep
up the pond better than the pond master builder (that's you).....
BV replied: This may be the most important paragraph that I have read
since I started my pond design.
)
I intended to have a bottom drain and skimmer run to my VF. In the VF, we plan to have a
decorative pot or urn sitting, raises a bit out of the water. I intend to
have the feed from the pond come in thru the bottom of this urn. The urn
will be seperated into two sections by some screening with the pump above
the screen.
You lost me. If I'm reading the above correctly it sounds like you're
thinking the pump is going to pull the water from the bottom drain and
skimmer? Submersible pumps "usually" push water. As on my ponds (and is
also the most highly recommended way of doing it by the AKCA/KHA materials)
the skimmer and bottom drain work by gravity.
This does not mean that if you have a 4 foot pond you need a 4 foot deep
VF. Gravity will still work on piping going uphill as long as it is below
the surface level of the pond.
You just don't want you piping go up, down and up, as bubbles can collect
at the high point before the piping goes down reducing pipe size due to the
trapped air.
* I'd used a 55 gallon barrel as you get more vertical space to keep the
screen off the bottom but also away from the hyacinth roots.
If buried, how do you easily clean it?
This is mentioned in my website, so short form: I clean the prefilter by
putting plugs in the bulkheads between the PF & BFs. Break my syphon (you'd
be turning a valve) lift out the water hyacinths to a holding bucket, grab
the screening and dump on the grass to rinse with a sprayer. Put old
submersible in to drain down to the muck and use my shop vac to suck out
the muck. (I have a full stock/overstock koi pond and I'm still only
cleaning my pre-filter every 6 - 8 weeks, takes about an hour).
I don't mind emptying the VF once or twice a year. I plan to make it
shallow, so that should not be a big deal.
Once a year, is almost a must if you have to winterize.... twice a year or
mid-season, even that might get old. Those pots are heavy. ;o) If someone
was where the winters were mild like zone 8 or higher, using a mechanical
filter before the VF and they probably could go a few years before cleaning
the VF.
The switch is a neccesity. I have a 5 year old and a 2.5 year old. 'Nuff
said?
Hey, water hyacinths will be your worst enemy over kids. I never had a
problem with my boys, but the ponds went in when the youngest was 5.
I'd be more worried about a younger child falling in. ~ jan
See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/
~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
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