Hi, I've really enjoyed browsing this group - lots of good advice! I
was hoping someone might be able to help me on expanding my
koi/goldfish pond.

I currently have a 1,000 gallon pond with 3 Koi (8" - 15"), three
bottom feeders and about a dozen or so comet/goldfish. I'm lucky in
that it is crystal clear unless I'm late cleaning the filter, so I'd
like to keep it that way when I expand.

I'm going to expand it to about 3,500 gallons. I already have a UV that
will work for it, I bought a Cal Pump Torpedo 10,000 gallons. I'm
either going to put it outside the pond, and the waterfall will be 6'
up (length about 20'), or in the pond and the waterfall will be 10' up
(length about 25'). I'll be using a flex line so no elbows (except
maybe from the filter to the waterfall, and from a bottom drain if I
use one).

The water from the pump will be split so that about half goes up to the
filter (putting the filter behind the waterfall to hide it) and then to
the waterfall. And the other half will re-route to the new part of the
pond, probably make a spring-like froth or something like that from it.


Questions:

1. Should I put the pump in or out of the water (It says it can't be
put above water level)? If I put it out of the water, I need to buy a
priming pot, never used one before, don't know the pros and cons. If I
put it at the bottom of the pond I need to get to the bottom of the
pond to clean it (which is what I do now, and I'd rather not do that
anymore). Or another option is that I could put it outside of the main
pond, but still in the water (make a little box for it or something).
I'm looking for low maintenance. Any advice?

2. I want get an Ultima II bead filter, but I don't know if I should
get 4000 or 6000? If there is doubt, I'd rather get 6000 and have
clear water, but I don't want overkill if I don't have to spend that
money.

3. Do I really need a skimmer? They are awfully expensive for a
plastic box and the pond currently gets very low leaf volume and only
in the heart of leaf-falling season (which is very short in Florida).
Not much muck accumulates on the bottom, what does usually goes away
through the current bio-filter, although I did clean the bottom twice
(in two years). But most of the "stuff" on the bottom was old sand
from pots that the Koi tipped over. (Don't use sand anymore) If I need
a skimmer, I want to put it in as I make the extension to the pond. If
I don't need it, I really don't want it. What do you think?

4. Do I really need a bottom drain? If I need one, then do I hook up
my pump externally?

4. And last but not least - every pot I've tried in the pond the Koi
tip over. I use pea gravel in an entire 3 gallon pot and it gets
tipped over. I have cat tails on a wire plant holder and they pulled
at it so much, that the wire is all bent and crooked and the cat tails
are really leaning. What type of pot/basket will work? btw- I feed
them Koi & goldfish food and they have duckweed in there in the summer.

You can see pictures of my pond when it was first being built (a lot
more "grown" into now!) at: http://www.narcy.com/pond
(I'll be adding a lot more pond on the left side of everything that is
existing now.)
Any help is appreciated!
Thanks