Creating circulation with a pump, how much is too much?

[fisharefishy99]

Hello, I recently increased my 500 gallon pond to a 2,000 gallon pond and I have a problem. Since I am going to be using a skippy bio filter I don't really feel that it will provide adequate circulation in the pond and I fear that the water will be stagnant. So I decided to split my pumps flow and just put a tube underwater for pure circulation with a T handle to adjust the flow.

So my question is what would be an appropriate amount of GPH to create healthy circulation in the water?

My pond is not a perfect shape but the main part is 13 ft long, 6 ft wide, and about 3 ft deep. Then I have the original pond attached to it in kind of an L shape, the original was 8 ft long and 4 ft wide.

I just basically want to move the water and keep it aerated but not have a fish blown to the other side of the pond if they get too close. I haven't purchased my filter yet so I have to take this into consideration.

Currently if I don't include splitting the flow I need a filter that makes 1,200 gph at 10.5 ft head to keep the skippy filter in good working order. I am using 2 inch flexible PVC also.

Is there any better ways to circulate the water? I have to keep the electric bill down so I can't add any more pumps.


https://www.gardenpondforum.com/gallery/image/1519-2011-10-11-110205/

 

[fishin4cars]

Ultimatly you want to have a turn over rate in the pond of 1-2.5 times per hour. My pond is 2500 gallons and I'm running a 2000 gph pump for the circulation and the bog filter at 0 head, and a 3600 GPH pump through the primary filter and the stream at 2' of head, so it may be reduced down to actually pumping around 3000 gallons per hour. It doesn't blow the fish around, they even actually enjoy the areas that the water is flowing the fastest. A easy test to make sure your not getting stagnant areas, get a bottle of mythlene blue or malacite green medication, (Both common medications for parasites in aquaria and ponds) drop a drop in the pond and watch it for aprox 1 minute, it should disappear in that amount of time, if it;s still a strong color after a minute since you dropped it in the pond that area does need more circlation.
Another thing you can do is add a air pump and airstone in calm areas, this will increase oxygen levels and help reduce stagnant areas with liitle extra electricity being used and lots more benefit.

 

[fisharefishy99]

Thanks for the air pump idea! I didn't know that they used so little electricity. You mentioned that the turn over rate should be at least once per hour, however with a skippy filter I can only have up to 750 gph coming out using gravity feed with a 2 inch pipe. Do I need to add another filter? So far the plan was to have just a skippy filter be my mechanical and biological.

 

[koidaddy]

I have a @ 900 gallons pump circulating my water in my pond(2500 gal). Like fishin4cars mentioned, the fish love the current and will play in it for hours. It sits about 12" under water so I get a small ripple effect on top of the water. During the cold months I will turn it off. The biggest issue I have is the current water makes it harder to take clear pictures as the camera wants to focus on the ripples.

 

[taherrmann4]

]During the cold months I will turn it off.

I had to laugh at this koidaddy, cold in Florida????

 

[fisharefishy99]

Thank you koidaddy, so it sounds like somewhere in the ballpark of 700 gph is what I need to add to keep my pond circulated properly.

I am slowly but surely learning! Right now my setup seems to be a submersible pump that has a split flow, one flow going to my 150 gallon skippy filter with about 1,000 gph and the second flow at around 700 gph for underwater circulation.

The submersible pump will have a diy prefilter with a bunch of matala pads to act as my mechanical filtration.

Does this sound like enough filtration for a 2,000 gallon koi pond that will be heavily stocked?
Any suggestions to improve my filtration?




Also if the pump isn't adding enough circulation I will add a few airstones.

 

[koidaddy]

I had to laugh at this koidaddy, cold in Florida????

LOL Yes we have a few cooler months. Were still waiting though. haha

Thank you koidaddy, so it sounds like somewhere in the ballpark of 700 gph is what I need to add to keep my pond circulated properly.

I am slowly but surely learning! Right now my setup seems to be a submersible pump that has a split flow, one flow going to my 150 gallon skippy filter with about 1,000 gph and the second flow at around 700 gph for underwater circulation.

The submersible pump will have a diy prefilter with a bunch of matala pads to act as my mechanical filtration.

Does this sound like enough filtration for a 2,000 gallon koi pond that will be heavily stocked?
Any suggestions to improve my filtration?




Also if the pump isn't adding enough circulation I will add a few airstones.

I would get an external pump for the long haul. You will be cleaning that prefilter at least twice a week and if its in the pond it will be a PITA. Been there done that. Your submersible pump is still usefull for other water features, thats what I did with mine. I use mine to run my fines filter now. Its a Mag Drive 1800.

 

[fisharefishy99]

If I went with an external wouldn't I need to put the prefilter in the water anyways to keep fish waste from being chopped up?

 

[LIKOI]

99 why don't you set up a water fall at the other end of the pond away from the pump with your unused split end? That's how I have mine set up.

 

[koidaddy]

If I went with an external wouldn't I need to put the prefilter in the water anyways to keep fish waste from being chopped up?

I have a leaf/primmer basket on mine to catch the large stuff. Anything small goes into my 55 gallon barrel and is flushed once a week from the bottom.