Pond waterfall

[j.w]

@michaelsf90
First before I did anything I would go over to the closest neighbors at night and listen to what you hear.

 

[brokensword]

View attachment 132776@michaelsf90
First before I did anything I would go over to the closest neighbors at night and listen to what you hear.

there you go @michaelsf90 ; @j.w has offered to come over and do a pre-check for you...

 

[j.w]

Sure I'll be right over...........oops tho don't know if they will let me in the country due to the covid rules!
Guess I can't make it, what a shame

 

[brokensword]

Sure I'll be right over...........oops tho don't know if they will let me in the country due to the covid rules!
Guess I can't make it, what a shame

I'm sure if you protest something there, it'll be okay...

 

[michaelsf90]

The water is filtered before the falls. The pipe runs up behind the rockery and into the filter. Then out the filter it goes into a little reservoir at the top of the falls. I placed the output pipe under the water in this reservoir. Will this be OK? I don't want to restrict flow. Il upload some pictures later on of what I've done and you guys can tell me if its OK and good or not. So run a pipe off the pump to the surface of the pond to create movement? This wouldn't be filtered tho. Also is roughly 2000 litres an hour enough for a 1500 litre pond?

 

[brokensword]

What you're saying is your filter output then is the input for your falls, right? What I have is two feeds FROM my pump; 1 goes directly to my wfall without any filtering. The second goes directly to my prefilter and then to my bog. Each has a valve. So, I think I'm suggesting rethinking exactly how your setup is. The main reason would be for ease of cleaning the filter, the other would be to set up what I've outlined in that you can then moderate each of the flows to get either more filtering or less noise/flow to your falls.

If you'd rather not rethink, then you're pretty much bound to having either less filtering and therefore less noise, or more filtering and more noise. The only way to circumvent this would be to split the OUTPUT from your filter and add a valve to each, then take ONE of these leads and put it in your basin for the falls while the other then extends down/outside your falls and then into your pond proper. If you do this latter, I'd have this one lead be just higher than water level in your pond so you get more agitation.

But I'd consider how easy it is to clean your filter with it being at the top of your falls, both from a filtering capacity standpoint and an ease of maintaining it. That's why I have mine split--so I can do both.

The general rule of thumb is to turn your water over 1 to 1 and a 1/2 times per hour, so you're probably on the minimum. For that size pond, I'd probably have gone with (2) 1000 lph (or larger; I like redundancy). Adding another pump is another way to go to augment this, and it's also a good idea because then if either pump goes down, you still have one to keep circulation/aeration going until you replace it. Either send more water through your filter (and here's why I'm suggesting you modify your system and create a larger and more accessible filter) or just have the output hover at water level, creating more surface turbulence.

And of course, if you've not noticed, GPF tends to like bog filtering for ease and effectiveness. Consider if you could add something like this which would give you another reason for adding the second pump. It would also then give you more control over your feeds to the falls as you could either ignore the wfall filter or still use it. The bog feature would do far more good and be more or less maintenance free.

 

[michaelsf90]

I'm pretty much nearly finished now. The filter has 40mm input and one 40mm output. How would I split this? I could run another pipe down to the pond but how would I branch off the output? I want as much filtration as possible. This seems like the best idea to me. That way if its too much flow as you said I can adjust. As for the filter cleaning I've made a box to go over the top of the filter. Turn everything off. Go round the back and give it a clean etc. How often is cleaning required?

 

[michaelsf90]

That's my setup. I tested today by filling the filter with a bucket. It creates a steady flow emptying from the filter. Even the maximum flow rate it can cope with wasnt too bad! My question now is is 2500 litres enough flow. Its 0.5 metre head height. I ideally want the hozelock aquaforce as it has a wildlife protection system! It says flow rate at 0.5 is 2180 litres an hour. The next one up is 4000 litres an hour which is way too powerful. Also does my setup look OK?

 

[brokensword]

I'm pretty much nearly finished now. The filter has 40mm input and one 40mm output. How would I split this? I could run another pipe down to the pond but how would I branch off the output? I want as much filtration as possible. This seems like the best idea to me. That way if its too much flow as you said I can adjust. As for the filter cleaning I've made a box to go over the top of the filter. Turn everything off. Go round the back and give it a clean etc. How often is cleaning required?

You can add a wye to the output and send one into your basin and one alongside the waterfall and back to the pond. Add valves if you want to control sound/quantity. This will give you the most filtering based on your system. Cleaning will vary by pond; the more bioload, the more often. The bioload will be determined by how many/size fish, how much you feed, and any decaying plant matter that exists. It won't take long for you to figure this out and in time, it may be more often as fish grow and the pond matures. Just keep in mind the bog idea as it may save you a lot of headache later down the road.

 

[brokensword]

That's my setup. I tested today by filling the filter with a bucket. It creates a steady flow emptying from the filter. Even the maximum flow rate it can cope with wasnt too bad! My question now is is 2500 litres enough flow. Its 0.5 metre head height. I ideally want the hozelock aquaforce as it has a wildlife protection system! It says flow rate at 0.5 is 2180 litres an hour. The next one up is 4000 litres an hour which is way too powerful. Also does my setup look OK?

There's two things to consider when filtering; bio filtering and mechanical filtering. I believe your type of filter has some sort of pad(s) ((mechanical)) and some sort of bioball/shavings/etc (bio). The larger area you have of each, the better. If you have a lot of suspended particulate, the pad will fill up fast. If not, it may be a while (again, varies on the pond). The bio part is what does much of the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate conversion, so you can see the more you have, the more latitude you have when parameters go bad as the bacteria (in the bio filter part) lags behind the ammonia/nitrite buildup.

You may find with too quick/much of a water input, that your filter pad is less effective. I'm not sure what containment measures that filter has if the pad gets filled up--hopefully it can overflow/exit into your basin and waterfall. So slower input isn't necessarily bad and it is better for the bacteria colony too. Sounds like you'll be okay; just monitor and learn how your particular pond is going to adjust. Even if you get a stronger pump (which isn't a bad idea), you could split the output at the pump and send one line to your filter/wfall and the other create more aeration and/or cirulation for the pond. At 1500 l, that's not a large pond so you should be okay, imo.

 

[michaelsf90]

If the filter overflows it won't return to the pond. Whatever overflows would just be wasted. I think it will be fine with the flow rate il get with the 2500. Im gonna put a net over for autumn/winter to catch the leaves. The filter will be covered so only way il know if the filter or pump is clogged is a very weak waterfall

The sponge filters debris and the balls are like biomax in an aquarium. Am I better cycling with no fish? Im going to empty the pond and clean it all out yet. Refill. Dechlorinate and then I was gonna leave it all running a week and then add some fish. I wouldn't know how to cycle something as large as a pond. Aquariums are hard enough

 

[brokensword]

If the filter overflows it won't return to the pond. Whatever overflows would just be wasted. I think it will be fine with the flow rate il get with the 2500. Im gonna put a net over for autumn/winter to catch the leaves. The filter will be covered so only way il know if the filter or pump is clogged is a very weak waterfall

The sponge filters debris and the balls are like biomax in an aquarium. Am I better cycling with no fish? Im going to empty the pond and clean it all out yet. Refill. Dechlorinate and then I was gonna leave it all running a week and then add some fish. I wouldn't know how to cycle something as large as a pond. Aquariums are hard enough

Careful of that 'overflows...is wasted'. You don't want your pump/filter system to empty your pond. Any overflow SHOULD go into your wfall and back to the pond, for safety's sake.

You can google 'fishless cycling'; it will tell/show you how using ammonia. Personally, I'd just add a couple of fish and let it get started. Have your pond up and running with some plants in there and you'll get an initial start with the bacteria and the beneficial algae that is going to grow on all the pond surfaces. If you're worried re having an algae bloom (which is very common upon pond startup, but essentially harmless and even beneficial), have your pond coverage at 60% with floating plants/lily pads. It'll help starve the free single cell algae and you'll see your fish sooner. Don't add anything chemically, except for a dechlor (which should be administered as you fill if you have fish, not after filling) if you have chlorine or chloramines in your source water.

Running the pond for a week with plants should do you fine.

If you don't overfeed, which is easy to do for newbie pond owners, you'll be okay. Especially with goldfish. They'll eat at the roots of the floaters, at the algae on the walls, and any insects that fall in.

 

[michaelsf90]

I dont know how to achieve this as the filter is partly buried. So I've like dug behind the resevoir to house the filter. The liner isn't long enough to go round the filter as well. Il look into it and work something out. I would need to try and slope the ground to fill towards the falls without making the filter not level!

I have 3 plants in the wildlife pond. Two drooping sedge and a yellow marsh marigold which I know are more bog plants. I was thinking some pond forget me nots and I need a good oxygenating plant! I have no lillies. The filter has uv. Will that help with the algae? I'm hoping by mid September its done. Add two goldfish before winter

 

[brokensword]

I dont know how to achieve this as the filter is partly buried. So I've like dug behind the resevoir to house the filter. The liner isn't long enough to go round the filter as well. Il look into it and work something out. I would need to try and slope the ground to fill towards the falls without making the filter not level!

I have 3 plants in the wildlife pond. Two drooping sedge and a yellow marsh marigold which I know are more bog plants. I was thinking some pond forget me nots and I need a good oxygenating plant! I have no lillies. The filter has uv. Will that help with the algae? I'm hoping by mid September its done. Add two goldfish before winter

if you can take a piece of liner and form a basket around and under your filter, with the front-pondface side open, if you get any overflow, it'llbe caught and be forced to flow forward toward your falls. You can put rocks around and on to hide it. That's what I did with mine.

The sedge is a good pond filter plant, the marsh marigold IS more a marginal but if there's contact with pond water, will still help. Careful re oxygenators; they DO release O2 during the day but they use it up at night. In a small pond, it might be more harmful than beneficial as those types can take over before you know it. I'd keep this herd of oxygenators managed, not letting it have more than a third of my pond floor, if it were me.

The UV, while it can be effective, is only a bandaid to any real problem. If you have plants and a balanced pond, the UV will be unnecessary. I've never had one and only upon expanding my pond last summer, did I experience 2 weeks of algae bloom from the sudden addition of more than 2/3 volume of new water. It went away and I've never suffered since. This was because I have lots of plants, a bog, 60% surface coverage and don't overfeed. A small pond is much harder to keep in balance than a larger one, so be aware. Your parameters will go out of whack much quicker than mine, so you have to stay up on monitoring fish behavior and a general eye test to make sure nothing is amiss.

The basic idea is to have all the elements you need for balancing, in place. A small number of fish is part of this. If you get an algae bloom, don't sweat it, it'll pass if all the other things are there to eventually curtail this natural problem. See, the fish are actually being protected from the toxic ammonia levels that could exist before any balance is achieved. So, that's why you don't go killing it with UV or chemicals. Time is your friend, time and lots of plants and biofiltering material. That's why you'll see so many here touting a bog filter--lots of plants and even more volume of surface area for the bacteria to colonoize. Without one, all you'll have is the bioballs and your pond surface. Read some of the threads re bog filters and consider putting one in--can't say enough about how beneficial it really is. Solves a lot of problems right from the start. If you keep the fish load low and don't over feed, you should be okay--just realize how quickly it can go bad if you over feed or don't monitor regularly.

 

[michaelsf90]

That's this mornings task. Research bog filter. That is what I'm going to do. A small section will fill up then naturally it will run into the falls. What plants would you suggest then as the three plants I have are quite large. The marsh marigold is massive!

So don't run the uv after adding fish? All this is new to me. I have my aquarium inside down to a tee but how often and how much pond water do I need to change once its cycled? I know about overfeeding, and how easy it is to do. Feel like they aren't getting enough when in reality its like an all you can eat for fish