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  1. #1
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion Ajm's Avatar
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    Retro bottom drain

    Are the retro bds any good I have pump in pond at the minute and always seem to be out with the vac . Can't really justify ripping pond apart at the moment . Pros and cons please.
    Cheers Johnathan

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    Freddyboy the legend

    "we are water keepers first"

    Johnathan

  2. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Jussai Djstiles999's Avatar
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    I had an aerated one in a liner pond and it was pretty good for a radius of about 5ft. Probably best on rigid pipe, I played around with flexi initially and it could develop a mind of its own!

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  4. #3
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion Ajm's Avatar
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    Thanks for saying about piping never even thought of that

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    Freddyboy the legend

    "we are water keepers first"

    Johnathan

  5. #4
    Senior Member Rank = Nanasai Skoosh88's Avatar
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    I have a 2” retro drain for sale if you are interested bud


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  6. #5
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion Ajm's Avatar
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    Cheers mate would have had it and did see it but it'll be a couple months yet before I start need to get the pennys flowing again

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    Freddyboy the legend

    "we are water keepers first"

    Johnathan

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  8. #6
    They work ok, better then a cage
    , but i had one hard piped in and the blanket weed was a nightmare, clogged it up all the time .

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  9. #7
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion Ajm's Avatar
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    Are people using solvent weld on them or will push fit work ?

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    Freddyboy the legend

    "we are water keepers first"

    Johnathan

  10. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Ajm View Post
    Are the retro bds any good I have pump in pond at the minute and always seem to be out with the vac . Can't really justify ripping pond apart at the moment . Pros and cons please.
    Cheers Johnathan

    Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
    I have this one - https://www.koigarten-mueller.de/Umg...er-Bodenablauf

    very happy with it - but as I have AquaForte DM Vario 30.000 pump on it, I have installed it with Oase side cage bottom pickup to facilitate strong enough flow.

    In our in the ground 24.000 L pond - conversion from concrete swimming pool extended by additional shallow zones along two sides and with 2mm welded in PWC liner I could not justify ripping it all apart to install proper bottom drain and gravity fed filter system - so this was the only option left - working well.

    Pluses - installs easily in any pond in pumped setup
    Minuses - you see the hose and pump on the bottom and need to purge it time to time - I have the pump from this bottom drain on timer - once per week switches off for one minute - than water from Easy Drum dirty side 15m away and 1.5m above pond water level flows back and purges this retrofit bottom drain fully. Do not have big issue with blanket weed - but have heavily planted shallow natural zones with robust growth of mainly water lillies and Pontederia Cordata - so a lot of leaves plus pine needdles from our neighbours pine tree next to our pond is going through it - wwithout this purging regime it would clogg.

    Ideallly you would install proper bottom drain - but if ripping off your pond is not an option like in my case it is second best solution.
    You get what you pay for - or better - what you make yourself.

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  12. #9
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion Ajm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by milaz View Post
    I have this one - https://www.koigarten-mueller.de/Umg...er-Bodenablauf

    very happy with it - but as I have AquaForte DM Vario 30.000 pump on it, I have installed it with Oase side cage bottom pickup to facilitate strong enough flow.

    In our in the ground 24.000 L pond - conversion from concrete swimming pool extended by additional shallow zones along two sides and with 2mm welded in PWC liner I could not justify ripping it all apart to install proper bottom drain and gravity fed filter system - so this was the only option left - working well.

    Pluses - installs easily in any pond in pumped setup
    Minuses - you see the hose and pump on the bottom and need to purge it time to time - I have the pump from this bottom drain on timer - once per week switches off for one minute - than water from Easy Drum dirty side 15m away and 1.5m above pond water level flows back and purges this retrofit bottom drain fully. Do not have big issue with blanket weed - but have heavily planted shallow natural zones with robust growth of mainly water lillies and Pontederia Cordata - so a lot of leaves plus pine needdles from our neighbours pine tree next to our pond is going through it - wwithout this purging regime it would clogg.

    Ideallly you would install proper bottom drain - but if ripping off your pond is not an option like in my case it is second best solution.
    Thanks for the link and the comments . Proper bd is possible bit of a ball ache pulling all insulation liner undermining founds when I know in a year or 2 I'll want a whole new pond twice the size (dam this koi curse) . After all comments I'll be getting a retro next month to tide me over until I get my dream pond mk4 I think it'll be ha cheers johnathan

    Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
    Freddyboy the legend

    "we are water keepers first"

    Johnathan

  13. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Ajm View Post
    Thanks for the link and the comments . Proper bd is possible bit of a ball ache pulling all insulation liner undermining founds when I know in a year or 2 I'll want a whole new pond twice the size (dam this koi curse) . After all comments I'll be getting a retro next month to tide me over until I get my dream pond mk4 I think it'll be ha cheers johnathan

    Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
    I fitted a retro BD with 4” pipework a few years ago and wouldn’t consider changing it for a “proper” one now.

    This is what I’ve got:
    RetroDrain, Retro Drain, Aqua Art

 

 

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