scs0 wrote:

I was curious if there's a good book out there on defensive pond
design. I have been having numerous problems with my latest pond
involving the technology that supports it. For example, I've had
problems with:

I don't know of specific books, but:

1) The pond draining because the filter overflowed

Filters should be designed so that if the primary exit becomes choked, they
should overflow back into the pond. This isn't terribly difficult to do.

2) Fish dying because the pump stops

There's two reasons that immediately come to mind. Either simply too little
oxygen for the fish load - and the only cure for that is lower load - or
water that heats up too much if left standing (which is closely related,
because warm water contains less oxygen), which is best handled by having
lots of plant coverage.

3) UV clarifier that died for no reason

The best defense against that is to eliminate the UV. I don't consider them
worth the trouble.

It's basically been an entire season of BS for me with the pond. The
thing I'm tired of the most is the pump stopping on me. It's not
clogged because the thing is enclosed in a large pump protector.

A "large pump protector" hardly means it can't be clogged. Algae can get in
and clog impellers, or the "protector" itself could be clogged.

If
the power goes out for just a fraction of a second I'm at risk of the
pump deciding not to turn back on when the power returns. Overloads
and GPF issues are not in play here because the other device on the
outlet continues to work and the pump comes back online when I pull out
the plug and plug it back in again.

Sounds very odd that it _won't_ come back on if the power goes out, but it
_will_ come back on if you unplug it. From the pump's point of view,
they're the same thing! Anyway, it sounds very much like a pump with an
overheat protection switch. Which could be caused by either of the above
possibilities.

I also have a Laguna Filter Falls waterfall and it has overflow holes
at the top. Unfortunately those holes can't be connected to a tube,

I'd use through-bulkhead fixtures in the holes - big enough to fill the
hole, fasten plumbing to them and you're done. Of course, if you've got
loose "stuff" plugging your current outlet, it's likely to plug them too.

What I need are a book of tips to prevent BS with things like:
1) Use foam instead of filter balls because the balls will just clog up
the filter's tubing

I don't think that's really an improvement. Foam clogs too. Filters need
to be cleaned occasionally - depending on fish load, perhaps even weekly.

3) Look for XYZ when choosing a pump so that you don't risk returning
to a pond of dead fish after returning from a trip

LARGE bores. I used a pump that could pass 3/4 inch solids (yet was still
only using 215W) in my 5000g pond. Practically nothing could clog it
(including fish - fry may have gone in, but if they did they went right
through the plumbing). I used no pre-filter and never had to clean it
mid-season.
--
derek