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  1. #1
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    water flow issues!

    not been on here for ages but had some really good advice when i was constructing my pond last year so thought I would try here first for advice.

    I am struggling with the levels on my pond and filtration and cant make sense of it.

    The sieve is constantly running at its lowest level even though the water level in the pond is way over this point (if i stop the pump the water rises to the very top. this then causes the pump to struggle and suck in air as there is not enough water in the sieve reservoir.

    I dropped the sieve about 2 inches a couple of weeks ago thinking this would solve the problem but it is now doing the same thing again.

    the pond has not dropped and the sieve has not risen so I cannot understand why I am having this issue???

    any advice greatly appreciated.



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  3. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rapleyr View Post
    not been on here for ages but had some really good advice when i was constructing my pond last year so thought I would try here first for advice.

    I am struggling with the levels on my pond and filtration and cant make sense of it.

    The sieve is constantly running at its lowest level even though the water level in the pond is way over this point (if i stop the pump the water rises to the very top. this then causes the pump to struggle and suck in air as there is not enough water in the sieve reservoir.

    I dropped the sieve about 2 inches a couple of weeks ago thinking this would solve the problem but it is now doing the same thing again.

    the pond has not dropped and the sieve has not risen so I cannot understand why I am having this issue???

    any advice greatly appreciated.
    What sieve is it. I have a ultra sieve 3.
    Have you got the adjustable dam set right for your pump size. I had a problem with water hight and sucking air. When adding larger pump. I had to change the slot for the dam to go into for the size of the pump volume.
    Hope this helps
    Fred


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  5. #3
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    it is the midi sieve which is paired with an aqua forte DM- Vario 20000 which feeds into a bead filter.

    my thought was that if the weir door is at its lowest then that should be providing the maximum amount of water but it isnt.

    i literally only have about 1 inch of drop in levels now before the pump starts struggling which is going to be an issue when the sun is out and water is dropping faster.

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  7. #4
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    For got to add. You may have the dam set right.
    For what your pump says on the box. Like lets say a 12000lph .
    But because of bends friction loss
    Head hight. You may be pumping
    Say 9000lph. So make sure you know your flow. On what the pump is really sucking or pumping.
    Mine was 8000. But when i did tests
    It was in reality 5000lph
    Thats why i changed the pump and slots.
    Fred

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  9. #5
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rapleyr View Post
    it is the midi sieve which is paired with an aqua forte DM- Vario 20000 which feeds into a bead filter.

    my thought was that if the weir door is at its lowest then that should be providing the maximum amount of water but it isnt.

    i literally only have about 1 inch of drop in levels now before the pump starts struggling which is going to be an issue when the sun is out and water is dropping faster.
    Mine flows to uv then top pond. Not another filter like the bead filter.
    Don t know anything about them beads.
    Someone who has had one maybe can help.
    All i know is when my weir was the same. 1 inch . And pump then sucked air and shut down. I altered the slots for the dam. And it worked
    Better for the levels of the wier and water.
    Fred

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  11. #6
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Also the dam . I have a bit of water in mine to give it weight.
    Try playing with that. It makes it flow in faster from gravity feed. Or take some water out the dam. To make it lighter.
    Apart from that. Thats all i know to help.
    On your levels for evaporating water.
    Trickle in and out. Its the best way.

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  13. #7
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion andikoi's Avatar
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    silly question but when did you last give bead a good clean out,checked for whats called a beadcake,this is when beads clump and form a solid mass,also when was last time your sive screen was taken out and cleaned,they build up a bio film on both sides which can slow flow down,and lastly where does your pump pull water from,when i ran sieve and bead mine pulled air and i found that by extending a pipe inside sieve to behind where the water fell through screen and putting a 90 bend on this facing more down to sieve bottom it stopped,you will lose a lot of your pumps flow through the sieve as it has to push harder,,,,,andi

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  15. #8
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by andikoi View Post
    silly question but when did you last give bead a good clean out,checked for whats called a beadcake,this is when beads clump and form a solid mass,also when was last time your sive screen was taken out and cleaned,they build up a bio film on both sides which can slow flow down,and lastly where does your pump pull water from,when i ran sieve and bead mine pulled air and i found that by extending a pipe inside sieve to behind where the water fell through screen and putting a 90 bend on this facing more down to sieve bottom it stopped,you will lose a lot of your pumps flow through the sieve as it has to push harder,,,,,andi
    nice one andi I don't know dot about beads.

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  17. #9
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    thanks guys

    i cleaned it out last week but might be a double one as i do have some blanket weed which may have caused a build up.

    i have turned the pump down to 60% and it is now not struggling.

    will report back once all cleaned and see if that was the issue.

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  19. #10
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion andikoi's Avatar
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    reason i got rid of mine was,i got sick of cleaning the sieve and the bead becoming a bacteria bomb as someone once called it,i was cleaning my sieve and my powerbead pb200 (supposedly good for 5000g heavily stocked) every other day,bought a nexus and never looked back,,,,now run 2 drums a bakki shower and the nexus 200 on 5000g,but thats cos ive lots of koi lol,,,,andi

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  21. #11
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    i have thoroughly cleaned the sieve and bead and still no improvement.

    it seems like there is not enough water coming in from the 4'' bottom drain (as nothing else has changed since last year when the pond was constructed) but the only thing could be a blockage and only option is blanket weed. i have treated for the blanket weed and will give it another couple of days to do its thing and see if thats it. the bottom drain has a hinged door on it so will try and open that with somthing and see if it clears/

    the pump is now running at 50% and still the weir door is bottoming out

  22. #12
    I have a very similar problem but into my drum and it is that the BD has become blocked with blanket weed. Luckily I have a 3 inch skimmer line that is clear. I have also treated but pipe is still partially blocked. Going to try a different treatment if the CBA hasn't worked in the next 3 days.

  23. #13
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    might have to go for a swim by the looks of it!!! my pond is 1.8m deep so cant really access from above properly.

    i think i will restrict the pump until the temparatures start to increase!!!

  24. #14
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    pretty sure it is a blocked bottom drain as i had a go at fishing around last night and there were clumps of blanket weed sitting on it and the flow increased briefly. i had the drain made by Avenue fisheries and it has a hinged cover but i couldn't get anything down there with enough pressure to open it up and dont want to use anything to heavy duty with the liner and seal around drain in mind.

    might have to go for a swim at the weekend

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  26. #15
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Just reading through your thread and sounds like a blocked bottom drain.
    Maybe put a hose pipe down from your seive,with everything turned off,and try back flushing even with a pressure nozzle on the hose but mind it doesn't get stuck.
    Worth a try.
    John

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  28. #16
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    seems really blocked so a swim might be needed. i shouldn't have let the blanket weed get to the state it did. it would be good to get a rake and go at it but not possible with a liner

    i think if i can get down there and open to door on the drain cover it will pull through to the sieve and the rest i can collect by the handful and remove manually.

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  30. #17
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    i purchased a Karcher pressure washer drain cleaner hose and ran it through the bottom drain upto the sieve and it has completed cleared it and water running perfectly. £20 fix and took 2 mins so happy about that!

    thanks for the help.

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  32. #18
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rapleyr View Post
    i purchased a Karcher pressure washer drain cleaner hose and ran it through the bottom drain upto the sieve and it has completed cleared it and water running perfectly. £20 fix and took 2 mins so happy about that!

    thanks for the help.
    Nice one glad you sorted it out

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