Need pump advice
 

Well, my one half-barrel pond is turning into three. I decided to do it
the way I REALLY want and have more water and space for critters and an
interesting layout. I'm going to run an electric cord from the porch
light the way someone suggested to get a pump going so I can have
adequate filtration for the shebunkins I wanted in the first place. ;-)

The barrels will be set on different height cinder blocks with a
spillway from barrel to barrel and a pump to filter and return water
from the lowest barrel to the bottom of the highest. Trailing marginals
and potted plants will hide the cinder blocks. I found these great
Calpump barrel filters that have sponge prefiltering and can be filled
with bio balls, carbon, or whatever I need. I got 2 and put them on a T
fitting and they'll be on the intake of the pump.

The spillways are going to be black 2" ID PVC cut in half, screwed into
a hole in the lip of the barrel, and covered with the liner I've
discovered I need. (The barrels leak.) The spillways will be gently
sloped with 4" drops between barrels.

All told, I will have 60-70 gallons to circulate and 25" of head from
the bottom of the lowest to the rim of the top barrel. The guy at the
pond shop recommends a Pondmaster Pond-Mag 5 pump with a 7 food head but
I'm concerned that it will exceed the flow rate of my 2" spillways since
it's rated at 415 gph at 2 feet of head! I think maybe a Pondmaster
Pond-Mag 3 at 325 gph with 3 feet of head would be better. I did buy a
ball valve for fine-tuning but my understanding is that I can damage the
pump if I have to turn the flow back by more than 1/4.

I'd sure love some help deciding, and also your opinion on Pondmaster
versus other brands of pumps.

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__

On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 06:11:29 GMT, Elaine T wrote:

I'm going to run an electric cord from the porch
light the way someone suggested

That would have been me. :o)

All told, I will have 60-70 gallons to circulate and 25" of head from
the bottom of the lowest to the rim of the top barrel. The guy at the
pond shop recommends a Pondmaster Pond-Mag 5 pump with a 7 food head but
I'm concerned that it will exceed the flow rate of my 2" spillways since
it's rated at 415 gph at 2 feet of head!

Ask him if it ends up being too much flow, will he exchange it, he should
have no problem with that? Though I think you'd be fine with the Mag-3.
Pondmaster's are a good brand so you're okay there, imo.

If you have trouble with the filter clogging up too fast, let us know, we
have ways of dealing with some of these commercial filters that can
sometimes be more trouble than they're worth. ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

I really do not think there is such a thing as too much pump or
filter......Period. You can restrict a pumps cpacity and taking it
down to 25% of its original volume will not hurt a thing, as long as
its restricted after the intake.......so put the valve in the
discharge side. The extra pressure that these pumps will produce when
restricted will just bypass around the volute and impellar and not do
any damage.......No matter how free of flow or how restricted the
flow is the pressure output is going to stay pretty darn close to its
original intended design spec. Its when a pump is working against
pressure is when its hard on them........no so in the case of most
typical pond pumps, which are designed for flow / volume as compared
to pressure.

On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 06:11:29 GMT, Elaine T
wrote:

===Well, my one half-barrel pond is turning into three. I decided to do it
===the way I REALLY want and have more water and space for critters and an
===interesting layout. I'm going to run an electric cord from the porch
===light the way someone suggested to get a pump going so I can have
===adequate filtration for the shebunkins I wanted in the first place. ;-)
===
===The barrels will be set on different height cinder blocks with a
===spillway from barrel to barrel and a pump to filter and return water
===from the lowest barrel to the bottom of the highest. Trailing marginals
===and potted plants will hide the cinder blocks. I found these great
===Calpump barrel filters that have sponge prefiltering and can be filled
===with bio balls, carbon, or whatever I need. I got 2 and put them on a T
===fitting and they'll be on the intake of the pump.
===
===The spillways are going to be black 2" ID PVC cut in half, screwed into
===a hole in the lip of the barrel, and covered with the liner I've
===discovered I need. (The barrels leak.) The spillways will be gently
===sloped with 4" drops between barrels.
===
===All told, I will have 60-70 gallons to circulate and 25" of head from
===the bottom of the lowest to the rim of the top barrel. The guy at the
===pond shop recommends a Pondmaster Pond-Mag 5 pump with a 7 food head but
===I'm concerned that it will exceed the flow rate of my 2" spillways since
===it's rated at 415 gph at 2 feet of head! I think maybe a Pondmaster
===Pond-Mag 3 at 325 gph with 3 feet of head would be better. I did buy a
===ball valve for fine-tuning but my understanding is that I can damage the
===pump if I have to turn the flow back by more than 1/4.
===
===I'd sure love some help deciding, and also your opinion on Pondmaster
===versus other brands of pumps.

WINDSONG......the ability to play musical tunes by farting!

This is worth repeating for benefit of al newbies!
Jo Ann asked Dr. Solo to remind people that while she has retired from selling GF (and sold
the business to Ken Fischer http://dandyorandas.com/) she has NOT retired from
helping people with sick GF and koi FOR FREE. 251-649-4790 phoning is best for
diagnosis. but, can try email put "help sick fish" in subject. Get your fish at Dandy Orandas
Dandy Orandas Dandy Orandas........you guys got that DANDY ORANDAS

~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:
On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 06:11:29 GMT, Elaine T wrote:


I'm going to run an electric cord from the porch
light the way someone suggested


That would have been me. :o)


All told, I will have 60-70 gallons to circulate and 25" of head from
the bottom of the lowest to the rim of the top barrel. The guy at the
pond shop recommends a Pondmaster Pond-Mag 5 pump with a 7 food head but
I'm concerned that it will exceed the flow rate of my 2" spillways since
it's rated at 415 gph at 2 feet of head!


Ask him if it ends up being too much flow, will he exchange it, he should
have no problem with that? Though I think you'd be fine with the Mag-3.
Pondmaster's are a good brand so you're okay there, imo.

If you have trouble with the filter clogging up too fast, let us know, we
have ways of dealing with some of these commercial filters that can
sometimes be more trouble than they're worth. ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

Thanks, Jan - for both the porchlight suggestion and the pump advice. I
went ahead and ordered the smaller Pond-Mag 3. I've got the spillways
built now, so just have to get barrels lined and filled.

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__

~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:
On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 06:11:29 GMT, Elaine T wrote:


I'm going to run an electric cord from the porch
light the way someone suggested


That would have been me. :o)


All told, I will have 60-70 gallons to circulate and 25" of head from
the bottom of the lowest to the rim of the top barrel. The guy at the
pond shop recommends a Pondmaster Pond-Mag 5 pump with a 7 food head but
I'm concerned that it will exceed the flow rate of my 2" spillways since
it's rated at 415 gph at 2 feet of head!


Ask him if it ends up being too much flow, will he exchange it, he should
have no problem with that? Though I think you'd be fine with the Mag-3.
Pondmaster's are a good brand so you're okay there, imo.

If you have trouble with the filter clogging up too fast, let us know, we
have ways of dealing with some of these commercial filters that can
sometimes be more trouble than they're worth. ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

Thanks, Jan - for both the porchlight suggestion and the pump advice. I
went ahead and ordered the smaller Pond-Mag 3. I've got the spillways
built now, so just have to get barrels lined and filled.

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__

Thanks, Jan - for both the porchlight suggestion and the pump advice. I
went ahead and ordered the smaller Pond-Mag 3. I've got the spillways
built now, so just have to get barrels lined and filled.

When you get it going, let us know what you think of the flow. ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~