Do ponds need bottom drains?
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- My personal opinion is that a beautiful functioning pond can be created without a bottom drain.In saying that i think there are some advantages to having a bottom drain.
If you want to check out some of my homemade filter videos here's a handy playlist- • OZPOND DIY POND FILTER... - Навчання та стиль
im building my first backyard pond and waterfall. your videos are simply explained, to-the-point, and packed with info. thank you!
That wonderful to hear 👍
Your point about cutting a hole in the liner for the bottom drain is a good one. If the bottom drain should fail for any reason it will be difficult to repair without completely draining the pond. And if it should fail while you are away, you might return to an empty pond (with dead fish). I drain my pond once a year (in the spring) and pump out the bottom muck. Haven't had any pond problems that I thought a bottom drain could fix. But I also add bacteria every week during the spring and summer to help breakdown fish waste, so my bottom muck accumulation is minimal. (Good video. Haven't seen anyone deal with this subject before.)
Using your videos I built a brick damb 1/3 of the pond. Pull water and waist from bottom and feed into what I call my bog. Filled it with rocks and plants. I've never had a clearer pond and I've had it for 10 years. I now can see my sunfish. Thanks
Fantastic!! Well done 👍
Great explanation. Really enjoy you’re videos. I finally have my 40 gallon pond stabilized thanks to
These great videos. My plants are thriving. Cheers Jon.
Awesome to hear 👍
I love your commentry on this. I was building a 5,000 aquaponics system with the pond built with a bottom drain. The bottom drain moved and leaked so I ended up having to concrete the bottom and make it waterproof which has been a huge amount of trouble and really more than it was worth. I do take water from the lowest point but I now use a simple pipe with grate attached to bring water to the pump housing using water pressure. My filter is the grow beds and the fish are to be eaten eventually but their lives are very very important to me as happy fish in a good environment are healthier.
Well done Alexander. I love what you are doing 👍
You have done an amazing job with each pond I have seen from you, thank you for sharing them with us here on YT! Your waterfalls are great man 👍
Thanks mate 🍻
@@Ozponds 🍻
Kev, your content is exactly what I like to learn about... I would watch a channel with just your content. HBO, Fox... Ozponds!
😂 thanks mate 👍
I already have a pond that I built two years ago. It’s about 12,000 gallons. Rubber liner, 3-6 ft deep. No rocks, sand , or soil in the bottom. Only along the top edge of the water line to keep the liner in place. No bottom drains.
I also have a wooden trough with cobble stone for a waterfall. I have grown several different plants in it. Currently pennywort. I’ve even cloned lavender by just placing cuttings in the waterflow.
I have another submersible pump inside a 55 gallon skimmer that I made which has a layer of matala filter material to catch string algae and debris. It feeds a system of two 2’ x 8’ hydroponic trays stacked with plants growing in them which drains back to the pond. Also the skimmer feeds a two barrel filter with only coarse matala mat in each and both are bottom fed with an overflow pipe back to the pond, and have large drain valves for easy cleaning.
I have water lotus, mini cat tail, and rush growing on 1-2’ derp ledges. I have about 50 koi between 1-2 years old.
The main problem I have is having to pull the pump out of the bottom to clean off debris from the intake screen.
Sounds awesome 👍
Going with both bottom and intake bay after watching this. Thanks for your videos!
Awesome 👍
Nice video. Thanks for making it. :)
Your pond is fantastic. That said I use a bottom drain or at least one that sits on the bottom upside down sucking from the bottom. I will one day make this into a proper bottom drain when i make my pond deeper. If you keep gold fish the type of pond you have is ideal. If you keep koi not very hardy and needing as good water quality as you can give them. Then filtration needs a step up and you thought you were lazy i am lazier i use a drum as i really don't like cleaning sponges from traditional filters. I don't have plants my pond could just as well be a swimming pool just a boring rectangular shape as are many koi ponds. I had a lack of space which forced my pond to be built between two retaining walls in my garden which is terraced hence the shape. However i enjoy my koi and love watching them grow. If i had goldfish like you i would try to emulate a pond like yours. I also wanted a cheap pond The total cost was around three thousand english pounds which for a koi pond with a druim filler and two 300 liter boi chambers is cheap in the uk.
Nice. Sounds like a good setup.
Kev we would love to see you take on th challenge,you are a good teacher
Maybe if I get lots of money and I move to a bigger property 👍
your videos are always helpful. I have a 22 gallon barrel pond and your advice has been priceless. I am having 12 rice fish and 1 stickleback (i would love to donate her) currently cohabiting and doing well.
I would like to be breeding them, but the stickie is the problem i believe.
Maybe you need just one more pond 😉
Great update Kev like you say it comes down to choice as I keep koi I have both a bottom drain to my nexus filter and a skimmer to my bog filter hopefully the best of both worlds but with the hot weather atm and still being new I got abit of a algae bloom again so I’m cleaning the nexus twice a week but hopefully this will be get better as the pond matures. Hope all is going well with your new pond build. I have to admit tho cutting into a perfectly good liner for the bottom drain was scary but simple enough 👍
Awesome Sam. Yes the pond should get more resilient as it matures 👍
I build a pond with bottom drain and connect it with a big bog filter. The skimmer will only be used for separate leafs from the surface and suply a waterfall.
Cool 👍
I love that you admit being lazy about some things. Same thing here.
A bottom jet would help as it blows the debris up to be sucked by skimmer. Adding scavengers (shrimps maybe) might help to effectively breaking down debris too.
Flow is absolutely the #1 key for good filtration. Yes, the scavengers can help avoiding “dead spots” is paramount which allows the scavengers to only feed on the lesser remaining detritus creating a more natural ecosystem. When scavengers are introduced to a large food source, they explode in population. If they fix the problem, then they face mass starvation. But yes I agree with having the scavengers after implementing your first point of using the flow to kick up the debris to the skimmer and let them eat the leftovers.
Yes I did this in my dream pond 👍
@@mike2687 Would adding the scavengers to the pond at the same time as the fish allow them to properly regulate their population do you think?
Hi, I've been watching your videos for a while now and paying attention to your bog filters. Although I don't have a pond I'm curious to know if I can turn my 20 gal. sump into a bog filter. Thanks in advance and really enjoy the beautiful work you do on your ponds.
You certainly could. It would be a mini bog. Just remember bogs need a slow flow. Most aquariums have a high turnover rate.
Thanks for getting back to me and yes that's what I've been getting from your videos. I'm going to try as it wouldn't hurt, as I ready spent a year with Dr. Novak bcb baskets, I have 2 in the sump plus a plenum but stuck at approx 20 ppm. Your theory on bogs and how they work makes a lot of sense without getting into detail water needs to pass through all media to get full benefits. I'll be getting back to you with the change over in detail and the results. Thanks again!
Would it be feasible to have a pump on the bottom like you mentioned, but have it pump up water up into the skimmer? Would be nice to also keep the muck off the bottom but I imagine that would lead to some clogging.
Thanks for all of the help in your videos!!
But from the skimmer where would the water go? In a normal set up the skimmer sucks the water in and delivers it to the biological filter. There’s nothing wrong with having a pump on the bottom and delivering that water to a biological filter. In that case I wouldn’t use a bog filter, I would use a high flow filter with sponges to collect all the sediment you are collecting.
@@Ozponds I'm planning to follow all of your instructions for a bog filter, and thought maybe you could pump from the bottom to the bog. But that's good to know; will just stick with a skimmer. :)
You can pump from the bottom to the bog, you will just need to clean/ flush it more often.
@@Ozponds Makes perfect sense. :) To hop on the bandwagon, it'd be great to see a video on specific pump recommendations, piping, etc.!
It’s already published 👍
How do your fish go in Winter Kev? My pond got to 7 degrees celsius the other night in Western Australia as it doesn't get any sun in Winter unfortunately. Wonder if I should build a black pipe heating system to sit on my patio roof to pump the freezing water up to and back in the pond for the longevity of fish health...
They do fine with the temperature. 👍
Could also create an aquaponics system, probably with a pump on the bottom of the pond
Yes. I’ve done that before 👍
What if i implement both systems to take cleaner water to the pump which then takes water to the the bog for a water fall or stream
There’s no reason you can’t. The cool thing about building your own pond is you can take design elements/ filter concepts and tweak them to suit your needs. 👍
hey Kev ..lm finally getting around to building my pond.. where did you find the best prices for liners?
I only use epdm. I just recently bought from Rock around the block for my latest build. Not sure if it’s the cheapest, but I’ve used them in the past and always been happy. Liner is the one thing I don’t skimp on.
@@Ozponds thanks for the quick reply mate very much appreciated...to ensure l dont pay to much..what can l expect to pay per mt for a quality liner..?
It varies depending on the thickness. I like the geo guard- www.rockaroundtheblock.com.au/3-05m-wide-firestone-pondgard-epdm-rubber-pond-liner-1-02mm-priced-per-lineal-m this is what I purchased about a week ago.
If you have a high orp, it do not matter whether you take the recirc from the bottom or the top. The bottom organic matter will be converted to inert detritus
I don’t know what I high orp is? What is it?
@@Ozponds oxidation reduction potential is measured in milivolts mv. Ponds with an orp higher than 150 mv should have no problem. The nice feature about a bog filter is that the anaerobic and anoxic bacteria take care of the nitrogen compounds like ammonia, nitrate, nitrite and convert them into nitrogen gas which is stripped out of the water column
Awesome 👍. That’s been my theory I just didn’t know all the science. Thanks for the clarity 🍻
My theory is bottom drains are ok for those that can afford it. For me nature has dealt with ponds without a bottom drain needed. So it makes sense to use what nature intended.
3 months ago someone while I wS in hosp they urinated and poison 43 of my kois. Very large well taken care of beauties.
Why they dud it has caused me a stroke. I'm just now calm Enough to suddenly talk abt it. I'm going to put new liner and start my project.
Yes i wasn't home but 2 days later 1 of the vandal came admitting bc I had a camera which they took knowing I knew who they were. I only had camera but no name just what they did being as she sd kids. Im interested in help starting over. I'm 75 and able to get it back working with a tent aerators a fountain and overflow. Thanks I can't believe I scrolled onto this vlog. Callie
What a horrible story. I hope you get everything back together.
Hope you're okay with your current meds .