| Thanks for follow-up, I apologize for all the questions. I probably can add more to the pond and will take a look at the site and do a redesign. I have the capability of making the pond at least 2600 gallons with the 45mil liner I purchased. If this was your pond, what pump would you recommend with a Biofalls- size pump and biofalls? My main concern is my daily energy draw. I'd like to stay around $25.00 extra a month or less. But purchasing a quality pump and biofalls is also something I want.
Sorry for all the basic questions.
Andrew,
The size of the biofalls you choose will be governed by the flows it can handle. As a bioconversion device, it is too small and too inefficiently designed to contribute significantly to the health of your koi. For that you'll need to depend on a separate set of devices, including a pre-filter to get the large junk out of the water, a high surface area-to-cubic footage bioconverter using an efficient media and a UV sterilizer to eliminate unicellular floating algae. Other useful add-ons include protein extractors (removes dissolved organics)and in-line heaters (too expensive to contemplate).
The best thing you can do for your fish is go deep and steep. The depth (5 feet has been excellent for us) confers thermal stability and room for the fish to swim, the steepness (5 feet deep EVERYWHERE, no shallows!) foils raccoons and herons. If you go deep, plan on a bottom drain and hook it to a separate pump and filter array.
Your key purchases here are your pumps. I prefer external pumps (Wave, Sequence, Dragon, Artesian) for their reliability, long life and efficiency. Most of these operate at fairly low pressure heads but are incredibly efficient, many drawing around 1.5 to 2 amps. Select pumps that can deliver double your expected pond volume through your filter arrays once an hour. Your biofalls are just a box to catch the purified water and dump it into the pond. You can have more than one or build your own!
Get a copy of the new AKCA Guide to filtration, a copy of the new Aquatic Eco-Systems catalogue, and the time to read all the articles and FAQs on our website about filtration.
Bob |
