Filter questions

[hjweber123]

I have a small 500 gallon goldfish pond and am planing a rebuild to about 1250gallons, hoping to work things out so i could get a few koi. My main question is if i run the bottom drain pipe to a 55gallon drum buried so that it is top is just above pond level could i make the 55 gallon barrel into a filter that almost completely operated on gravity? Just having two submersible pumps on the top of the barrel pumping clean water out?
The idea im thinking of would have the pipe from the bottom drain attatched to the bottom of the 55gal barrel then a 10inch or so gap for some settling area, after that a grate and then filter media till 15in or so from top, another grate with submersible pumps sitting on top

 

[j.w]

hjweber123
Sorry don't know the answer to your question but somebody will I'm sure

 

[johnnyi]

The flow of water goes from higher to lower period. If the water level is lower in the barrel than the pond, then there will be flow. Once the levels are correct the only thing that could get in the way is the diameter of the pipe not supporting the flow needed by the size of the pump you put in the barrel to pump the water back into the pond. The top of the barrel can be higher than the surface of the pond but the water in the barrel is what has to be lower than the pond.

Hope that helps (and that I understood the question ).

John

 

[sissy]

welcome and not sure why you would want to try that but hope you can figure it out .