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  1. #1

    Bottom drain in anoxic pond... what to do with it?!

    I've got a 4" bottom drain (not aerated) in my anoxic pond. It's currently plumbed to the drum filter as it's the koi's temporary home. I'm getting close to the point that the main pond will be finished and the koi transferred and I'm not really sure what to do with that bottom drain.

    My original plan was to just disconnect the anoxic BD from the drum and cap it off (close to the anoxic) with a valve and reducer, so I can occasionally purge it onto the garden with a length of 1.5" hose. I'm now a little worried that leaving the BD in place, full of static water, is not a great idea unless it's being purged regularly, which I don't really want to do. There will probably be a few minnows left in the anoxic after the transfer, but nothing larger so there shouldn't be too much waste.

    I wonder whether it might be better to leave the anoxic BD connected to the drum? I've only got two inlets and need those for the two BDs in the main pond. I might add a third (2") for my skimmers but I'd rather not add a fourth (nervous enough about adding the 2"). Would it be feasible to stick a valve on the anoxic BD pipe and tee that pipe into one of the main pond BD pipes? More accurately, because of the layout, the pond BD would tee into the pipe from the anoxic. The valve on the anoxic BD would allow me to reduce the draw from the anoxic. It would be a doddle to set up... just wonder whether it's a good approach? Or should I just worry less and go with the original plan?



  2. #2
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Mature Champion pip895's Avatar
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    I would worry less and stick with plan A. I purge my Anoxic BD once a week - mine gets pretty messy but that's because I have a lot of plants and wildlife in the pond. An additional issue with having continuous flow in there is that if you have cat litter escape it can be welded into a sort of reef in your pipework by blackfly larva.
    6000g in ground koi pond
    +3000g lily/Anoxic pond attached
    29 koi (40 to 65cm)
    Bottom drain, Mid water & Skimmer to Drum
    JBR boichamber->Blue eco 500 pump ->below surface return.
    Blue Eco 240 -> Large MB -> Waterfall -> Planted Anoxic pond (25 baskets)

  3. #3
    Thanks Pip. I seem to remember you mentioning the 'reef' before... I'd forgotten about that

  4. #4
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Mature Champion pip895's Avatar
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    I am a bit of a skinflint when it comes to wasting water ( we are on a meter) but flushing the bottom drains doesn't take all that much. You may be better of digging a small sump which will hold a full "flush". You can then discharge full throttle via the 4" into it, then using a sump pump, pump out to the drain or onto the garden as required. You will flush out the waste much more efficiently that way.
    Last edited by pip895; 05-11-2018 at 10:41 PM.
    6000g in ground koi pond
    +3000g lily/Anoxic pond attached
    29 koi (40 to 65cm)
    Bottom drain, Mid water & Skimmer to Drum
    JBR boichamber->Blue eco 500 pump ->below surface return.
    Blue Eco 240 -> Large MB -> Waterfall -> Planted Anoxic pond (25 baskets)

  5. #5
    That sounds like a great idea Pip, but it would be a little awkward to implement at this stage unless I drain down the anoxic pond. I'm contemplating replacing the liner with a box-weld, possibly next year, so maybe something I could do then...

    The main pond liner arrived yesterday so I need some moderately good weather over the next week or so. I'm not hopeful!

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  7. #6
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Mature Champion pip895's Avatar
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    A large tub or a drum external to the pond was the sort of thing I had in mind - somewhere to hold the water you lose when flushing the anoxic bottom drain. It's just that you want to flush at full throttle rather than stepping down to smaller diameter pipe.

    ps. Another possibility is as you suggest to T in to the drum but rather than run it continually just open it up for a few minutes every few days. This wouldn't suit me because the anoxic gathers so much gunk but might be fine in your set up. Because it's static most of the time you won't have an issue with the bugs.
    Last edited by pip895; 08-11-2018 at 12:49 PM.
    6000g in ground koi pond
    +3000g lily/Anoxic pond attached
    29 koi (40 to 65cm)
    Bottom drain, Mid water & Skimmer to Drum
    JBR boichamber->Blue eco 500 pump ->below surface return.
    Blue Eco 240 -> Large MB -> Waterfall -> Planted Anoxic pond (25 baskets)

  8. Thanks freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
  9. #7
    That's kind of what I envisaged... I'd really want to sink the drum in the ground so it's realtively hidden. At the moment I'm really trying to focus on getting the main pond up and running... think I'll worry about how best to purge the anoxic once that's done! Thanks for your thoughts though... very much appreciated

  10. Thanks freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
 

 

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