A big pond means big bills in electricity at least here . I would go a two pump scenario or. The highest end pumps . Because once you hit 1 hp the costs start to skyrock both in use and head pressure drops. If I were you I wouldn't look at much other then the highest of high end pumps they start at 1500 dollars and are huge but they really do spit out some water with low watts.. You pump to the centipede away from the snorkel so debris is flushed toward the snorkel . .When you build the waterfall you can put the pump in the snorkel . But keep it off the bottom. Just remember your pump needs to be at or below water level . They don't like to pull water they pump water.
The recommendation is to turn over the pond once an hour to an hour and a half for bigger ponds those numbers can drop a bit but you'll need more patience waiting for the pond to cycle. . As to the bottom drain seeing as your in a concrete basin . There's a real risk of what we call a hippo. That's where water gets under the liner and lifts the linner . A very ugly senario. But easily fixed in the build by place paths of least resistance from the bottom of the pond to the top a simple pipe or troff to alow the water a way out and not able to build pressure . Along with that I would lean toward after that pipe or pipes are in and you install the main drains that you fill around them with stone and or sand if stone when you get close to the liner level place fabric then some sand yeah it will eat a foot of your depth but for cleaning that's not a bad thing. In the beginning you will vaccume the bottom at a min.. being a builder im not going to get in to your failing concrete areas I assume you know what's got to be done there. You tube YouTube and more you tube. Great videos out there by the pond digger aquascape team aquascape tussy landscape and Atlantis water garden to name a few. I also have a post here some seriously impressive pond builds . Worth looking it up.
The recommendation is to turn over the pond once an hour to an hour and a half for bigger ponds those numbers can drop a bit but you'll need more patience waiting for the pond to cycle. . As to the bottom drain seeing as your in a concrete basin . There's a real risk of what we call a hippo. That's where water gets under the liner and lifts the linner . A very ugly senario. But easily fixed in the build by place paths of least resistance from the bottom of the pond to the top a simple pipe or troff to alow the water a way out and not able to build pressure . Along with that I would lean toward after that pipe or pipes are in and you install the main drains that you fill around them with stone and or sand if stone when you get close to the liner level place fabric then some sand yeah it will eat a foot of your depth but for cleaning that's not a bad thing. In the beginning you will vaccume the bottom at a min.. being a builder im not going to get in to your failing concrete areas I assume you know what's got to be done there. You tube YouTube and more you tube. Great videos out there by the pond digger aquascape team aquascape tussy landscape and Atlantis water garden to name a few. I also have a post here some seriously impressive pond builds . Worth looking it up.
