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Thread: Gravel/ pea shingle
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12-12-2019, 01:04 AM #1
Gravel/ pea shingle
Hi every one , new to the koi game , so asking all you experts, i am digging my first pond , 4metres x 2 metres x 1 metre deep, going to put a firestone pond liner in it , should I put some gravel on floor or just leave the liner , also was going to put a nexus 210 or 220 filter on , is that good enough, will be looking for a second hand one , pump fed , with a 55 uv , as I have limited room , any advice would be appreciated
kind regards
chris
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12-12-2019, 01:16 AM #2
Go deeper. No way at all of putting bottom drain in?. And gravel is a no no to me it's just asking for trouble giving all the crap and nasties some where to hide and grow
Sent from my F5121 using TapatalkFreddyboy the legend
"we are water keepers first"
Johnathan
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12-12-2019, 03:26 AM #3
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12-12-2019, 08:46 AM #4
Agree with AJ. Bottom drain. And go deeper. 4 feet minimum. And gravity feed to filter. Nexus 220 . A lot better. An in pond pump will mash the crap up. I would put a sieve before nexus. As machanical
Clean first. With balance line. 2 pumps.
Like this
And welcome mate.
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12-12-2019, 11:43 AM #5
Duel gravity fed )v
Thanks fo help , no gravel then , as my pond is in the ground, and the nexus will be above ground, would pump fed be the only option, so no bottom drain ? I am sorry very new to all this set up
Last edited by Cjew4; 12-12-2019 at 01:24 PM. Reason: Spelt wrong
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12-12-2019, 12:25 PM #6Freddyboy the legend
"we are water keepers first"
Johnathan
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12-12-2019, 05:24 PM #7
Thanks I will look in to it more
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12-12-2019, 05:53 PM #8
My biggest regrets about my pond are
I didn't research enough
No bd (bottom drain)
Not deep enough (4 foot but wish I had gone 5)
. Please ask any questions there isn't a stupid question and the help on here is first rate. We've all made mistakes and most are on mrk 2 or 3 ponds haha
Sent from my F5121 using TapatalkFreddyboy the legend
"we are water keepers first"
Johnathan
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12-12-2019, 06:15 PM #9
You can pump feed. Mate. Lots still do.
But it isn't as good as bottom drain.
You could put a retro bottom drain in. Draco drum builders do one.
Dracodrum Bottom Drain pond filter solution
Heres a photo.
Fred
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12-12-2019, 08:14 PM #10
Hello and welcome.
Why not dig a pit next to your pond and install a sieve and a pump
The pump will then be pumping clean water to your nexus which will mean easier cleaning5000 Gallon Fibreglassed Pond With 54" x 27" Infinity Window
BD300 Drum Filter
Artesian 0.5hp - Aquadyne 4.4c Beadfilter - PS4 Protein Shower
Badu Eco Touch - EP20 UV Sterilizer - ASHP - Venturi
Hi Blo 60 - Medo 45 - Spindrifter Bottom Drain
Wide Mouthed Skimmer
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12-12-2019, 08:37 PM #11
Gravel/ pea shingle
I am also new here. Installed my pond this summer. I went for a bottom drain after the research I did. Also went 6ft deep. I was limited with available surface so went deeper. it was extra pre work but it was worth it. I also wanted 360 access to the pond so I dug the pit a bit further away. I used the firestone liner, 1mm it’s great quality.. make sure you use a decent underlay would be my advise.
I went an extra sleeper higher in the end.
6 months in and now just getting over new pond syndrome.
But you can see the filter pit here, I really recommend putting in the extra hours now it will make for more enjoyment later
Already planning the next project. it’s additive
Just wish I got involved in the forum before / while in the build work as I’m sure I would have made better informed decisions. Guys here are great! I would definitely say bulk out your bio filters this is one of my downfalls. I was working to a budget and the equipment is far from reasonable. Sourced used where possible. Just make sure you give anything used a good clean with PP. I still have not sorted a solution for pond returns was thinking jets, but then I thought shower.. I’ll just waiting it out as it’s not mandatory right now.
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12-12-2019, 08:56 PM #12
Bottom drain
Thanks very much for all the advice, that people are giving me, very much appreciated, it seems every one are pushing the bottom drain , being really new can I ask why a bottom drain is so much better, rather than just a pump going in to a nexus, I am also on a budget, ain’t we all so will go for second hand equipment, already bought a air pump off a member of this forum , the biggest problem I have and I really don’t understand, maybe I am thick, if I need to get the water from the bottom drain up in to the nexus which is 5 foot above the bottom of the pond, how do I do it , do I connect a pump, if so are there diagrams, or videos on utube which will give me ideas
Thanks again
chris
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12-12-2019, 08:57 PM #13
That’s really nice,good job
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12-12-2019, 09:12 PM #14
Every one was new mate. The water surface has to be level with the water hight of the nexus. Water is lazy and will always find its level. Having it gravity like this means the nexus will catch all of the crap in bigger pieces making it easier for the filter. With in pond pumps they smash all the crap up in to fine tiny bits. And with having the the pump after the filter would open it off to use a shower at a later date if so desided
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Freddyboy the legend
"we are water keepers first"
Johnathan
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12-12-2019, 09:28 PM #15
Gravel/ pea shingle
I personally see a number of benefits for bottom drain. Aesthetic and functional.
You don’t see pumps and pipes in the water.
You more effectively clear the pond floor of waste
The waste is removed from the pond intact so can be filtered out easier
How gravity fed works.
Imagine two baths next to each other with the plugs plumbed together if you fill bath 1 with water bath 2 will fill to the same level.. then if you pumped water from bath 2 to bath 1 the water will be continuously moving between the baths..
Of cause the top of the baths need to be at the same level but could be meters apart.
I hope this helps..
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkLast edited by Mikeh83; 12-12-2019 at 09:32 PM.
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12-12-2019, 11:42 PM #16
Is it the top of the Nexus that's 5' up from pond bottom or the bottom of the nexus?
If its top your only going down a foot to be level??
If your talking about the bottom of the filter being 5' up from pond bottom then that's a fair strain on the pump.
The flow would probably be halved,
So your 8m3 pond would be good for a 8000lt pump for a one hour turnover, maybe 9 or 10k to allow for losses, that's on the level.
I am pumped but regret not doing sufficient research first, if I get chance I want to go deeper, bigger and bottom drain.
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13-12-2019, 12:51 AM #17
It is five foot from bottom of pond to to bottom of nexus
regards chris
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13-12-2019, 07:08 AM #18
You also have to take into consideration bends 45s or 90s bends. Length of run.
Size of pipe. Normally gravity fed is 4 inch.
Pond returns 1/2 inch or 2 inch. 2 inch is better.
You get friction loss. So if it was me. Buy
Variable pumps. 15000 pumps. And you can alter the flow. Yourself. The photo I put up with the nexus sieve balance line.
Has 2x pumps. One behind the sieve and one after the nexus. Remember one of them pumps has to flow faster then the other.
You asked the question on what's the difference from pump fed to bottom drain
Pump fed as said will only gather crap from about a foot around the pump. Also
It mashes the crap up. And your water clarity will not be as good. And debris on the bottom will just lay there. Unless you pond vac the bottom all the time.
Bottom drain gravity fed. How it works.
If you put mid returns in the pond. And an air flow of the bottom drain. This keeps the water continually moving and it gets sucked to your filters. No hoovering and no debris. Less maintenance. The pond looks after its self.
Your mid pond returns cause a current to move the water around and the air swirls it
So eventually all sucked away.
And also if you have a skimmer that takes
Muck of the top lol
Hope this helps in your thinking lol
Fred
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13-12-2019, 12:14 PM #19
Thanks very much Fred you have been a great help
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13-12-2019, 03:15 PM #20
anytime mate. if you buy a pump it will say 10000lph. there was a thread on here. where people tested there pumps. so I tested mine by bucket testing and timeing it on my watch.
and everyone was the same. I had 2x time s aqua 8000lph pumps. and both where pumping only between 5000 to 6000lph so a loss of 3000lts ph.
what I am getting at is don t believe what you read on the box. plus factors include what I mentioned earlier. so I ended up changing them for 2x15000lph. more cost.
lots of people on here with a lot of knowledge. you will get your answers on here mate.
fred
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