Ponds and Pumps
 

Earlier this week Jim was kind enough to send me some plants for my
veggie filter.(Thanks again Jim) What I noticed within a few days; the
container holding the plants (Veggie filter) That water became MUCH
clearer. I realize it a matter of time before the rest of the pond
does the same.

My pond is 3200 gal and the pump im using for the mechnical filter/
water fall is just fine. I'd like to put a fountain in the center for
the decrative look as well as the aeration bennifits. I would likem to
know how much GPH do i need for this and also how much water should I
pass through the Veggie filter (GPH).

Thanks again

Ponds and Pumps
 

On Jul 14, 12:20 pm, wrote:
you are pumping the water from your pond thru the veggie filter, right?

Yes water from the pond to the Veggie Filter an it trickles back into
the pond

Ponds and Pumps
 

I am glad your plants are clearing up your water.

We have a 45 minute goal for the veggie filter. The water takes about
45 minutes to go through. We calculated that by emptying it, letting
water in and tracking until it began to run out. With all the roots
in the pond, most of the floating material stays in the veggie
filter. The pond clears fairly quickly once the veggie filter plants
have grown. I love that! Now that summer has hit in full, I pull
armloads of hyacinth out each week. They are recycled fish
waste...that exits the pond cycle for the compost heap.

Let us know how your pond does as it clears.

Jim

Ponds and Pumps
 

Phyllis and Jim wrote:
I am glad your plants are clearing up your water.

We have a 45 minute goal for the veggie filter. The water takes about
45 minutes to go through. We calculated that by emptying it, letting
water in and tracking until it began to run out. W

If one wants a slow flow veggie filter AND an active waterfall, what is
the best way to attack that? Two pumps, one- large volume but slow flow
and two- smaller volume but high flow. Or can that be achieved w/ one
large pump and adjusting various valves and pipe sizes in the plumbing?
I would guess both ways may work, but I would just like to hear
experiences. Thanks

Chip

Ponds and Pumps
 

Chip wrote:

Phyllis and Jim wrote:
I am glad your plants are clearing up your water.

We have a 45 minute goal for the veggie filter. The water takes about
45 minutes to go through. We calculated that by emptying it, letting
water in and tracking until it began to run out. W

If one wants a slow flow veggie filter AND an active waterfall, what is
the best way to attack that? Two pumps, one- large volume but slow flow
and two- smaller volume but high flow. Or can that be achieved w/ one
large pump and adjusting various valves and pipe sizes in the plumbing?
I would guess both ways may work, but I would just like to hear
experiences. Thanks

I use one pump with a pvc manifold with 5 valves. [one to the falls,
one through the bog, one on the UV light- and 2 for future features]

I've read a good argument for using 2 pumps so if one goes, you can
still circulate the water while waiting for a replacement. Rather
than change my plumbing- I just have a replacement standing by.

Jim

Ponds and Pumps
 

I suspect it would be cheaper to run a single pump. You could check
the power useage.

We run a single pump and have 3 upflow barrels feeding our two berm
pond sets and two waterfalls. You can easily regulate the flow with a
T and valves between the pump and the veggie filter and falls. Our
pipes are 1 1/2 inch (another time I would go with 2 inch upflow pipes
to reduce the resistance). We have ball valves that we simply adjust
until we have the flow we want. They are set up so that we can run
all of the water anywhere we want (all the pipes are 1 1/2 inch). In
the winter, we run the veggie filter flow by pipe to the base of the
waterfalls. That avoids ice on the falls. In the summer, we have
both berm ponds taking the 45 minute flow rate to grab nutrients and
to do mechanical filtering. The rest of the water is shunted to the
falls or to the bypasses.

If we had one veggie filter and one waterfall, I would split the line
before them and allow for full flow to either. The outflow from the
veggie filter would be easy to run over the falls as well. I would
also set up to be able to bypass the falls if you plan to run the
filter in the winter. Our pump is a pondmaster 2400 gph. It loses
some power by lifiting the water about 4' to the berm and by passing
through a fairly complex pipe and valve system with more 90 degree
turns that it really needs. Still, it holds just fine for our
system. I am set up to be able to put on a second pump (thought I
might need it), but never found it necessary.

A few other thoughts:

1. Have your intake for the pump in the lowest part of your pond.
That way muck settles, fish move it with their tails and it goes up to
your veggie filter. You then have very little cleaning to do in your
pond. Our intake is in a 5 gal bucket with as many 1/2" holes as i
could drill in it. It has mild flow at each hole and nothing too big
for the pump can get into the line.

2. Have your pump outside the pond, Outside is easier to change when
needed. Our first pump was at the bottom of our deep well (old septic
tank) and it meant snorkeling to change it when it gave out after
nearly 14 years. I can do that now, but it will be harder in 14 more
years. Our new pump is immersible and useable outside the pond. I
can change it sitting next to the line. We have a ball valve between
it and the pond to stop the flow if we have to pull it. It has
fittings on either side to allow me to unscrew the fittings and remove
the pump. EASY CHANGE!

3. Have the pump below the water level but above the bottom of the
pond. Below the water level allows the pump to be primed by normal
gravity flow of the water. Being above the bottom means a break will
not drain the pond and strand the fish.

4. Have the pump where its noise will not be a major problem.
Immersed pumps are quiet. Our external installation makes very little
noise and I have baffles to pick up the noise.

Our system is on our webpage (cf Google profile). I don't know if it
is helpful, but it is there. The pics are old, but the plumbing is
still the same.

Enjoy your project!

Jim

Ponds and Pumps
 

Our manifold must be similar to yours. Our system can survive without
its pump, tho it like it. Our set up allows for a quick replacement.
That makes better sense to me than twopumps...especially costwise.

Jim