"Offbreed" wrote in message
...
DAN wrote:

Thanks for all the advice. I've read that the bottom drain is for mid
to large ponds. Is this true? Would the size of my pond be
considered small or mid?

Wrong question.

Right question: "How do I want to empty this thing?"

Skimmers and Bottom Drains are by no means a requirement for a pond, but
they do help in reducing maintenance in addition to other features. IMHO,
you probably don't need a bottom drain for a pond that is small enough to
allow you to reach the bottom easily. For example, if you had a two foot
deep pond, a BD would probably be overkill. In my case, my pond goes down
nearly 4 feet. My BD is in for two reasons. It feeds my filter from the
bottom of the pond, and the return is at the top of the pond. I get very
good circulation this way. I did not install my diffuser last year, so my BD
is not doing much in the way of cleaning, but as soon as the water warms up,
I plan to get the diffuser in place, and then it should help to maintain a
clear bottom.


--
BV.
www.iheartmypond.com