Simply Koi and More Koi

Hi,

I am looking to build a koi pond of approximately 3150 gallons, and am struggling with the minefield that is filtration! I will have a 4" bottom drain and skimmer etc but I am now stuck and would like some advise from all those people out there who have been in the same position!

What would you suggest in terms of filtration and also, what size of filter bay should I be planning to house all this equipment? The area I have planned at the end of the pond is 8' x 4', but am I way off here?

I am currently using an Evolution Aqua Eazy Pod on a vat which I have my fish in at present - could I include this in my design? My plan was to have it on my skimmer line so I dropped EA Tech Support a line:

"I have an Eazy Pod which I want to use on my skimmer line, but I am not too sure of the best way to connect it up. Would I be right in connecting it up to the 1.5" inlet, then installing a pump after the pod to pull the water through the unit and back into the pond?"

Their response was:

"The method you described below will not work. That type of installation is a gravity fed Eazypod which means you have to use a gravity skimmer. This skimmer will have an outlet of 3"/90mm or 4"/110mm. You have to use a minimum of a 3" feed from the skimmer to the pod in order to keep the pod supplied with pond water. Pond water cannot feed into the pod quick enough via a 1.5" line only. The result is the Eazypod running very low on water and your pump running dry. If you have a standard pond skimmer with a 1.5" outlet then the Eazypod has to be used as a pump fed filter. The 1.5" pipe from the skimmer goes into your pump and then the pump delivers the water to the Eazypod which is installed above the water level. Water returns back into the pond via gravity on a 3"/90mm pipe."

I am well and truly stuck! Any help/advise would be gratefully received.

Many thanks in advance!

EA are dead right. If you're feeding a filter via gravity from a skimmer you need a much wider pipe than 1.5" and you'll probably need to adjust your skimmer to fit a wider pipe. 1.5" would be good for a pump feed and this might be the easiest way to connect your skimmer up using a solids handling pump to pump the water over a raised Easy.

Then the bottom drain feed can then have a separate filter to the skimmer line. The choices for that are many but lots on here would suggest either a Bakki Showers, Nexus, bead filter or a DIY filter based on these or similar ideas. I'd do some searching on those to help you decide which might be the best choice for you.

Personally if I were building a new pond tomorrow I'd have a bottom drain feeding into a vortex with the water then fed over a Bakki shower. On the skimmer line I'd have a gravity-fed static K1 filter to trap fine particles. But that's just one way to do it.

The mine filed of building a new pond. With any new build You should do what is right for You.
Sounds like You have the skimmer sorted. 3inch pipe gravity fed into Your pod then pumped back to Your pond. It is a good idea to put Your uv on this line, as it will give You less friction on the pump from Your main filtration coming from Your bottom drain.
As for filtration thats the million dollar question everyone in Koi keeping will have there own idea. It all goes down to how deep Your pockets are and what You want from this hobbie.
As Eds has pointed out Bakki showers are great, but unless You can pick one up second hand You are looking at £1500 for a four ties shower with bakki media.
For the money I dont think You can get a better bit of kit than Nexus 200 for the size of the pond You are planning. I would fit one of the new Sequence 10000s pumps on this 87 watts. Then on Your skimmer I would go with the Sequence 8000s 83 watts. Use 2 inch pipe work on all Your filter feds back to the pond. This is something I have just started doing and the results are more turn over and less work for the pump. Keeping them running at correct wattage.
Then by the time You have added an air pump to the Nexus (airtech130 88 watts) and a 55 watt UV. You will have a pond You will enjoy for years and wont panic every time the electricity bill lands on the door mat. The whole pond will run on 313 watts Now thats a Eco friendly pond
These are just My views I am sure there will be others
Hope this helps
Justin

obviously gravity is the best way to go
i assume you have already bought your skimmer (or is it already installed)??

the standard skimmer is normally 1.5 inch outlet, the best course is to remove the 1.5 inch outlet and drill and fit a 3 inch bulkhead fitting in its place, then connect directly to the pods inlet. pump then UV on the outlet, back to pond. pod is now gravity fed and is at pond level. much neater

Hi Steve - yes, I have already got the skimmer, but nothing is installed yet as I am still digging!

I asume the 1.5" - 3" conversion is quite straight forward? I am quite a novice at all of this!

Cheers.

Where do you get 3 inch bulkhead fittings? I have searched the net and can only find US sites selling them!

Will

steveW wrote:obviously gravity is the best way to go
i assume you have already bought your skimmer (or is it already installed)??

the standard skimmer is normally 1.5 inch outlet, the best course is to remove the 1.5 inch outlet and drill and fit a 3 inch bulkhead fitting in its place, then connect directly to the pods inlet. pump then UV on the outlet, back to pond. pod is now gravity fed and is at pond level. much neater

look here for connectors
http://www.koicarp.net/pvc_plumbing/connectors.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
there are many other sites you just have to know what to search for...
heres a threaded type but its a lot more £'s
https://www.pisces-aqua.co.uk/acatalog/copy_ ... ector.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;