Rob,

By my calculations, I am used to US measure, your ponds will hold about 3000
liters (750 gallons). I like to have at one turn over of the complete
system every two hours or quicker. That means the minimum size pump would
be 1500 LPH or about 400 GPH. At that flow rate, I would guess the stream
would only have about 3 mm of water depth flowing down it, if it is 0.3 M
wide. It will probably end up that the water will be slightly deeper, but
traveling around rocks as it traverses the stream bed. A 3000 or 6000 LPH
pump would probably give better results. I would not run taps back into the
stream. Use the entire length of the stream as a filter. The stream will
probably provide more than enough surface area to provide excellent
biological filtration. But anything that floats on the top pond will skim
over the surface of the waterfall/weir and go down the stream to the bottom
pond. The bottom pond will accumulate a considerable amount of debris
fairly often. To keep the pump from being clogged, and recirculating this
mulm, a good prefilter should be installed to trap the debris and make it
easy to clean out. For the overflow, I would use a waterfall type weir
arrangement, and if needed a flat rock bridging it making a narrow slot. A
pipe type overflow with a screen will clog the screen and then it won't act
as an overflow. If you are planning on having koi, they grow to be about
0.8 M and really need a minimum of about 1 M depth, you should look at
enlarging the size of the pond significantly. I have seen them in smaller
ponds, but the maintenance of the pond becomes a real nightmare.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"Robert" wrote in message
...
hi all
I have been lurking in the back ground and have read many posts and got
lots
of answers but some questions still need answering..

I have plans for a pond or two... (don't tell the wife)
header pond = 1.5 x 2 x 0.3 m
main pond = 2.5 x 3 x 0.6 m
creek to join the two about 0.3m wide 8m in length lined with pebbles
header pond is about 1.5m above main pond
also a overflow (44gal drum) to take care of water drop when creek is
flowing..

Now the Questions come.....
1. what size pump to circulate water to top pond and run creek?

2. Should I tap in to the return line and place inlets back into the creek
at intervals up the creek to get flowing quicker on startup?

3. If creek was running 24/7 would the creek act as a filter. if not how
do
I get a filtering process in to the setup?

4. I plan on placing Australia Native Rainbow fish in the main pond (
garden
plan is for full native garden and koi.. well enough said) . Do I just
place
mesh over the overflow to stop fish getting into the overflow?

5. Any points that I have not thought of that I should...?? before I start
digging...

Thanx in advance for any help on these matters

Rob

p.s. I will get a page going that will show the progress and the final
outcome if this is going to work...

Welcome Rob, and Richtoybox thanks for the excellent response to Rob's
question.

Rob, if I may add, you are nowhere near over your head, you are actually
very well prepared and you sound very intelligent.

--
_______________________________________
"Architecture is the ultimate erotic 'object'."
Bernard Tschumi, "Architecture & Transgression"

http://community.webshots.com/user/godwino
"RichToyBox" wrote in message
news:%vgY9.20435$4y2.1604@sccrnsc04...
Rob,

By my calculations, I am used to US measure, your ponds will hold about
3000
liters (750 gallons). I like to have at one turn over of the complete
system every two hours or quicker. That means the minimum size pump would
be 1500 LPH or about 400 GPH. At that flow rate, I would guess the stream
would only have about 3 mm of water depth flowing down it, if it is 0.3 M
wide. It will probably end up that the water will be slightly deeper, but
traveling around rocks as it traverses the stream bed. A 3000 or 6000 LPH
pump would probably give better results. I would not run taps back into
the
stream. Use the entire length of the stream as a filter. The stream will
probably provide more than enough surface area to provide excellent
biological filtration. But anything that floats on the top pond will skim
over the surface of the waterfall/weir and go down the stream to the
bottom
pond. The bottom pond will accumulate a considerable amount of debris
fairly often. To keep the pump from being clogged, and recirculating this
mulm, a good prefilter should be installed to trap the debris and make it
easy to clean out. For the overflow, I would use a waterfall type weir
arrangement, and if needed a flat rock bridging it making a narrow slot.
A
pipe type overflow with a screen will clog the screen and then it won't
act
as an overflow. If you are planning on having koi, they grow to be about
0.8 M and really need a minimum of about 1 M depth, you should look at
enlarging the size of the pond significantly. I have seen them in smaller
ponds, but the maintenance of the pond becomes a real nightmare.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"Robert" wrote in message
...
hi all
I have been lurking in the back ground and have read many posts and got
lots
of answers but some questions still need answering..

I have plans for a pond or two... (don't tell the wife)
header pond = 1.5 x 2 x 0.3 m
main pond = 2.5 x 3 x 0.6 m
creek to join the two about 0.3m wide 8m in length lined with pebbles
header pond is about 1.5m above main pond
also a overflow (44gal drum) to take care of water drop when creek is
flowing..

Now the Questions come.....
1. what size pump to circulate water to top pond and run creek?

2. Should I tap in to the return line and place inlets back into the
creek
at intervals up the creek to get flowing quicker on startup?

3. If creek was running 24/7 would the creek act as a filter. if not how
do
I get a filtering process in to the setup?

4. I plan on placing Australia Native Rainbow fish in the main pond (
garden
plan is for full native garden and koi.. well enough said) . Do I just
place
mesh over the overflow to stop fish getting into the overflow?

5. Any points that I have not thought of that I should...?? before I
start
digging...

Thanx in advance for any help on these matters

Rob

p.s. I will get a page going that will show the progress and the final
outcome if this is going to work...

"Robert" wrote in message
...
hi all
I have been lurking in the back ground and have read many posts and got
lots
of answers but some questions still need answering..

I have plans for a pond or two... (don't tell the wife)
header pond = 1.5 x 2 x 0.3 m
main pond = 2.5 x 3 x 0.6 m
creek to join the two about 0.3m wide 8m in length lined with pebbles
header pond is about 1.5m above main pond
also a overflow (44gal drum) to take care of water drop when creek is
flowing..

Now the Questions come.....
1. what size pump to circulate water to top pond and run creek?

2. Should I tap in to the return line and place inlets back into the creek
at intervals up the creek to get flowing quicker on startup?

3. If creek was running 24/7 would the creek act as a filter. if not how
do
I get a filtering process in to the setup?

4. I plan on placing Australia Native Rainbow fish in the main pond (
garden
plan is for full native garden and koi.. well enough said) . Do I just
place
mesh over the overflow to stop fish getting into the overflow?

5. Any points that I have not thought of that I should...?? before I start
digging...

Thanx in advance for any help on these matters

Rob

p.s. I will get a page going that will show the progress and the final
outcome if this is going to work...


Hi Robert. Your plan sounds very similar to my set -up, with 2 ponds
connected by a stream and waterfall. I use 2 Titan 8000 pumps placed at
each end of the bottom pond and they pump the water up about 2 mtrs to the
top pond. One pipe passes through a Bioforce filter on the way up.
I have 3 overflow outlets in the top pond, one of which creates the main
waterfall. The other 2 pass through gravel filters before joining the main
waterfall.
The depth of the ponds is 18 to 24 inches and I find this to be an ideal
depth for the Australian climate. ( no freezing over).
My ponds are crystal clear and have never had an algae problem and the Koi
and Gold fish are thriving.
I live in Nambucca so if you want to contact me for more info , you are very
welcome. Les