Thread: Pond Return locations

Hi all, building a koi pond 5x4x1.5m

2 bottom drains

Running 2 x 2" returns from my drum filter back to pond, both will have ball valves so I can isolate and adjust flow if required etc. (pumped via 30000 vari)

I'll also be running a pumped skimmer, this will have its own return (short run) via 10000 vari on 1.5" pipe.

My questions is regarding ideal locations for the return pipes.

This is current plan, they will be about 12" from edge and mid way (depth)

Screenshot 2023-05-29 at 11.33.41.jpg

Any feedback welcome - thanks.

H

Looking at both of those drawings I think either the skimmer or the return for the skimmer are in the wrong place. Surely you want the skimmer return as far from the skimmer as possible to get the best circulation. Also I wouldn't have the filter return that close to the skimmer either as it could be directing water flow away from the skimmer even if it is below the surface? When I fitted my skimmer I directed the returns towards it from the opposite side of the pond to help push the surface flow towards the skimmer. Even with the way I had mine set up you could see stuff flow towards the skimmer and then get pulled away by the current under the surface. It still removed a lot of surface muck though.

That's better than what you had before

I had skimmer to a pump to a Tempest to a Tornado 2 protein skimmer then back to the pond. I had a Y with valves between the Tempest and the protein skimmer so if required I could bypass the protein skimmer and also had the bypass T'd into the protein skimmer return. That was just to save having extra returns that weren't needed plus kept the flow from the skimmer going the same way. As this was all pump fed I fitted an NRV between the pump and the Tempest plus a bypass on the Tempest which made cleaning it all much easier as I didn't need to turn the pump off which meant going into the shed every time.

The Tempest would collect a lot of muck and saved a lot of cleans of the protein skimmer.