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06-09-2019, 02:29 PM #1
Question about return(s) placement?
Afternoon all,
Apologies if this isn't the right sub-forum...
Having read lots of things over the years and browsing this site/forum, I'm now in the process of building my first koi pond. I have a question about the returns from the filter to the pond; what's the current thinking for placement and number? I was thinking of having two returns, both on the shorter side towards the top of the wall (under the water level), with valves so I can choose which one to use (i.e. change direction of return water in the pond). Do I need a high return and/or mid return? Is 2"/50mm the preferred size?
A bit more background/detail on my plan so far (all pretty standard stuff tbh):
External size is approx 13'x11'x6' (4m x 3.3m x 1.8m) - Aiming for around 4000 gallons (18k litres)
Block built and fibre glassed
Part under ground, part above ground with a window on one side
12" aerated bottom drain with 4" pressure pipe
Nexus 310/320 (second hand), with maybe a sieve/drum in the future once fish have grown and funds have been saved up.
Skimmer.
Air pumps - tbd
water pump - tbd
UV - tbd
not heated
The hole is already dug out, bottom drain and pipes installed with concrete slab poured. Next stage is to buy some blocks and get building the walls. I'm not planning on fibre glassing and filling until next year but had to dig the hole now whilst we're having a minor extension done and we had access for a digger and dumper into the back garden, a grab lorry and a concrete pump that the builder was using. It was a case of now or never!
Regards,
Kris.
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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06-09-2019, 03:33 PM #2
Just finishing a pond, in fact I fill it tonight... but this was something I spent a bit of time and research on speaking to various 'experts' with my recent build. As with a lot of things you'll find a lot of differing opinions but the only thing I could find an agreement on was 2" is the "standard'... that said, I've used 1.5" before but 2" can push a lot more water through.
As for placement, the one thing I learnt from an earlier pond is that you can get dead spots which are difficult to fix after you've built the pond so I'd recommens putting as many in as you can which you feel gives you some control. JBR plastics seem to be the go to if you want a return with a face plate, otherwise just concrete pipe in leaving some sticking out until you get to fibreglass.
On my recent pond I put in 5 returns, the pond is shaped like a D so I put 3 returns at 45 degrees to push around the curve (top, middle and bottom) plus one 90 degrees at the bottom of the straight part of the D which then has a return at the opposite end. I'm hoping this will give me enough control, time will tell!
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06-09-2019, 10:52 PM #3
Theres no right or wrong, and you will get a different answer off most ppl, my input would be at least 1 return on opposite sides, 1 to the right and one to the left so it moves the water in a circle motion and have them around mid water. all you want is the water to circulate around the pond, that being said on my grow on there is a shower on the end as the only rtn to the vat and that return is a 1.5 inch elbow just above the surface that pushes water against the edge of the vat and that is enough to spin the water
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07-09-2019, 07:18 AM #4
Make sure you chamfer the corners.
That will stop dead spots as well.
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Kris Thanked / Liked this Post
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09-09-2019, 10:42 AM #5
Thanks for the replies, I'll keep having a think about it.
Freddyboy: Yes, corners will be chamfered, thanks.
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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09-09-2019, 10:45 AM #6
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09-09-2019, 10:55 AM #7
I have my returns 2 foot of the bottom of pond 6 foot deep.i have one going one way
And one the other way. I swap them around once a week. Both ball valve.
The reason I swap them around is because I would get a dead leg. And bad bacteria if I did nt do this. I never took that into consideration. Until a mate Lee on here mentioned it to me. So that's something to consider.
Fred
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Kris Thanked / Liked this Post
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