Dan,

Need? I don't know if I would say that they are mandatory, but I believe
both are highly desirable. The skimmer will catch leaves, pollen, dust, and
a lot of the other stuff that hits the pond before it has a chance to
settle, and that means less mess on the bottom. The bottom drain will
constantly be working to clean the bottom for you so that you don't have to
get in and do it with a net, or broom and shovel. Both should have some
kind of catchment to catch the debris before it goes into the pump, whether
it is a lower pond, a strainer basket, or a settlement chamber.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"DAN" wrote in message
om...
Hello everyone. I'm a newbie to pond construction. So please excuse
my questions if they sound dumb. I'm planning to put in a liner
pond.. about 15 x 20 x 2.5 Do I need both a skimmer and a bottom
drain. My pump is only 1.5" diameter. Will this work for a bottom
drain. Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks.