Water garden pond shaping materials 2

Pool skimmers can be plumbed directly to the front of an external pump, but a prefilter between the skimmer and pump is advised to pull out the heavy solids before the pump. Gravity flow to a prefiltration tank is the better method because the prefiltration tank can be larger and more effective. This can be accomplished with the addition of 3-inch or 4-inch bulkheads for larger lines between the skimmer and pre-filter. Pool skimmers are designed for direct suction-to-pump operation and usually have 1.5-inch or 2-inch outlets. These small outlets are highly restrictive and not suitable for gravity-flow systems, which require 3-inch or 4-inch piping. Gravity-flow application can be achieved by cutting off the lower portion of the skimmer body and adding an adaptor for either 3-inch or 4-inch.

2- Repai kits :

Liner repair include glue , stickers , tape .. etc needed to repair or attach two pieces .. used specially in large scale projects .. Or if the liner damage or tear ..

Example :

- Pond Liner Repair Kit Firestone

3- Pond liner pipes and fittings connections :

Pipes and fittings help you to create the perfect pond for your garden. They are important to connect the pond with pumps and filtration devices ..

here a review of what you need to know about the pipe fittings which is suitable to fit with liner ponds ..

- Flanges :

Flanges used to connect the water side of the pond to the dry side of filtration and pumping chamber or compartment ..

Example :

- Kockney Koi Yamitsu 4"(110mm) Solvent Weld Flange Tank/Liner Connector Pond Fitting

Flanged tank connector suitable for pond liners, water tanks, filter systems etc.
Fits 4" solvent weld pipework
Large flange, give larger surface to seal against liners
Stainless steel screws

Used widely as inlets and outlets to filter systems, returns into the pond and drains the Kockney koi 4" solvent weld flange tank/liner connector is a multi use pond fitting. The flange on this tank connector allows them to be easily sealed against pond liners with the use of silicone. Stainless steel screws are supplied are suiatable for use in water.
Fits 4" solvent weld pipework.

- Pond Plumbing Fittings Flanged Tank Liner Connector 50mm :

Flanged tank connector suitable for our pond liners, water tanks, filter systems. Fits 50mm (2 inch) solvent weld pipework. Large flange, give larger surface to seal against liners. Stainless steel screws. Used widely as inlets and outlets to filter systems, returns into the pond and drains the Kockney koi 50mm (2 inch) solvent weld flange tank/liner connector is a multi use pond fitting. The flange on this tank connector allows them to be easily sealed against pond liners with the use of silicone.

Drain :

Bottom Drains :

courtesy to : www.clarkekoi.com/pond-bottom-drains.html

If you want to maximize the performance and minimize the maintenance of your pond you absolutely need to install a bottom drain. It is not a matter of opinion, they are a fundamental must have - anyone who tells you other wise is either uninformed or lacks objectivity

The term "bottom drain" is really a misnomer. They should be more aptly referred to as a "bottom filter feed or supply." While a pump in the pond is aesthetically unattractive and can't remove large debris, a 4 inch bottom drain can take large leaves, as it continually vacuums your pond. Those time consuming and expensive pond drain and cleans are no longer required

Remember, you pond is essentially a cage. You wouldn't let feces break down naturally in a rabbit or budgie cage so why is it any different in a fish pond? It isn't, you need to keep your pond's bottom clean of both excrement and other organic buildup to keep water clear and fish healthy in the long run

Bottom drains are not difficult to install, and because of the design, a fear of leaking is unwarranted. A flange clamps the liner down to the drain, the liner acting as a gasket. One of our clients didn't use any glue [not recommended] and the drain still did not leak! Many clients have conveyed regret for not installing a drain, and new clients are amazed at the amount of debris that collects in their vortex

Other articles :

- www.bradshawsdirect.co.uk/blog/bottom-drains

- www.stoneycreekequip.com/form/bottomdrain.htm

- www.diversifiedpondsupplies.com/3-bottom-drain-kit-ebd4-drain-includes-3-fittings

Examples :

- 90° Thru-Liner Bottom Drain :

Install a bottom drain to help remove debris off the bottom of your pond or water feature. For use on ponds with pond liners, helps debris to be removed from the bottom of the pond. Connect to pump via 3" PVC, ABS pipe or swimming pool flex hose.

- Little Giant Bottom Drain Kit :

Help filter your pond from the bottom, with a Bottom Drain Kit from Little Giant. The Bottom Drain kit pulls in water from the bottom of your pond into the skimmer filter for more effective filtration. Kit Includes:

2" Double Threaded Bulkhead Fitting.
2" PVC Gate Valve.
Intake Screen.

- skimmers :

One of the key pieces of equipment that should be included in any water garden project is a pond skimmer. Skimmers are a type of mechanical filter, which means that some sort of net, basket or screen is used to capture debris as the water passes through.

How to Choose the Right Skimmer for your Pond

courtesy to : www.pondtrademag.com/choose-right-skimmer-pond/

By Kent Wallace, Living Water Solutions

Published on February 27, 2015

Determining the best skimmer for a particular project and how best to use it can be a challenge. Choices for skimmers come from both the water garden industry and the pool industry. The use of a pond skimmer started with water gardening as a way of moving the submersible pump out of the pond and into a protected space, away from the fish and plant debris. This created a form of pre-filtration with leaf nets and Japanese matting to separate out the larger debris ahead of the pump.

Skimmer Basics :

The primary job of a skimmer is to pull the large, floating debris off the surface of a pond before it has a chance to saturate and settle to the pond bottom. Ponds also generate a film on the surface created by oils from plant debris, fish, food, dissolved organics, et cetera. Even a pond that is completely protected from the elements can produce this film, creating a dingy look to the water’s surface. A properly functioning skimmer pulls this film off, keeping the surface clear.

A skimmer works with the use of a weir: a floating door that pivots at the bottom with a top edge that is suspended just below the surface of the water. The incoming water is forced over the top edge, creating a high level of tension at the water’s surface. The closer the weir edge is to the surface, the better it will create this surface tension. There are many types of weirs, but they’re all designed around the same goal: removing surface debris.

Many water garden skimmers

create poor surface tension and

have poor skimming ability due

to a weir with little buoyancy or

side channels that open up to the skimmer’s interior as the weir opens with water flow. In “skimmer only” ponds that don’t incorporate other water outflow types like bottom grids, bottom drains or mid-water drains, this isn’t a big issue because all of the water exiting the pond goes through the skimmer intake in a high volume. In systems where other outflow sources are in place, however, a better weir is necessary to allow the skimmer to actually do the job of skimming and not just act as an upper water outlet.

Grabbing the Gunk :

Skimmers always contain some type of trapping system to catch the debris as it passes through. Water garden skimmers have a net or a basket to catch the large debris and then have a system of pads, matting or brushes to trap the finer particles and do some initial bio-conversion. Water garden skimmers also have a large area to contain a submersible pump and, in general, are not designed for more efficient external pump systems. Pool-type skimmers house just a basket because there is no bioconversion or fines filtration that needs to be done in the skimmer and because swimming pools don’t use submersible pumps. Each has advantages and disadvantages and all can be modified to some degree to meet the needs of a koi pond.

Koi ponds don’t require skimmer water for the entire turnover rate as water garden skimmer systems do. Although submersible pumps can be used, direct suction to an external pump is generally preferred because of external pumps’ increased efficiency. With water garden skimmers, direct suction can be accomplished using the internal filtration of the skimmer as the prefiltration system, protecting the pump from debris. Add a bulkhead for a 2-inch or larger line directly from the back or bottom of the skimmer to the pump and you’re ready to go. The unused space where the submersible pump would have gone can be utilized by adding more media for increased prefiltration.

If prefiltration is handled down-line, a plate can be designed to fit the shape of the skimmer housing and inserted in place to hold additional pool-type baskets for a higher flow rate. These can be used in conjunction with the original basket or net or as stand-alone baskets. Modifying water garden skimmers in this fashion allows for much larger debris-trapping ability and longer maintenance intervals between cleaning.

Helix Pond Skimmer Custom Installation.

Why a Pool Skimmer?

One advantage of a pool skimmer is the smaller footprint and lid. Pool-type skimmers are a good option when space at the pond’s edge is limited, such as in the side of a raised pond or in a corner. Pool skimmers are much easier to work with aesthetically, and the vinyl liner versions have a mechanical clamping faceplate for use with pond liner or spray-applied coatings such as polyurea. Wide-mouth versions are also available, but aren’t necessary because it is the actual throat size that is important and not the tapered inlet shape to the face.

Series | Best Pond Practices: This is an installment of an ongoing, multi-part series. Read last month’s installment, Bitofiltration | Let Bacterial do the Work

Never leave the basket out of a skimmer. This can be dangerous for fish, and the floating debris must still be removed by hand from the pre-filter tank.

Skimmer Options :

Three pool skimmers on the market have a large basket and are very suitable for pond application. The one with the largest basket and the largest throat size (9.5 inches) of any pool-type skimmer is made by Waterco. This skimmer also comes with a beige lid assembly, which makes a pleasing blend with landscape or top cap easier. The Waterway Renegade series also has a large basket version, and the Pentair Bermuda skimmer has a large basket and also comes in black. The larger basket and gravity flow to prefiltration make these good choices for more formal applications.

Another skimmer option is the “Aqua Niche” skimmer. This is a free-mounting skimmer that is supported by a pipe directly in the pond and incorporates a floating, circular weir. A floating, circular weir is the most “fish-safe” design currently on the market. The circular weir’s shape actually has a weir lip approximately 15 inches in circumference and floats extremely close to the surface. This creates a very high level of surface tension because of the thin water line it pulls from the surface. The circular weir is also fish-safe because it

floats up and down vertically and doesn’t pivot like a conventional weir that can trap a fish.

This pool skimmer was modified for gravity flow with 3-inch outlets.

This is safe for even small koi or goldfish when the water flow is kept at a reasonable rate. The Aqua Niche uses a large, B-37 basket and comes with a 1.5-inch side outlet or a 2-inch, 3-inch or 4-inch bottom outlet.

The newest skimmer on the market is the Helix skimmer, which uses the circular weir technology in an external housing. The circular weir can be adapted to other pool-type skimmers, and eliminating the conventional weir door by the use of a retrofit kit makes them more fish-safe.

Many conventional weir skimmers have been modified to accept horizontal bars just below the water level as “fish guards.” Fish-guard bars should be mounted horizontally and not vertically to allow debris to flow under and over the bars without getting caught. Most of the skimmers I have replaced over the years have been crushed in by the surrounding soil over time. A concrete collar around the surface perimeter can prevent this and is a good practice to put in place when possible. Many pond skimmers get distorted by soil movement created by landscape growth and human traffic.

Fasteners for skimmer faces, as in all pond-related devices, should be stainless steel or plastic. Some popular commercial pond skimmers come with fasteners that are not stainless steel and begin to rust in a matter of days after installation. Be cautious with these fasteners and replace them when you come across them. Stainless steel nuts and bolts are readily available and will prevent fastener failure and the necessary replacement later on. The practice of installing a bottom drain line into a skimmer has become popular recently. This is largely an unsuccessful marketing ploy—and a waste of time unless done properly.

Proper Bottom Drain Requirements :

A bottom drain line into a skimmer is a gravity-flow concept. A 2-inch line will gravity-flow approximately 900 gph with a 1-inch difference between the pond surface level and the water level in the container to which it flows. A 3-inch line will flow approximately 1,800 gph with a 1-inch difference. It is virtually impossible to create a 1-inch difference in a skimmer, although a smaller level of difference can be achieved if done properly. The internal water level drop requires a restriction at the skimmer face and a relatively high flow rate from the pump. The skimmer weir opening must be kept small to restrict the flow and the weir must be very buoyant.

One of the best weirs for this is the old-school bellows weir, thanks to its stiffness. The drain line should be at least 3-inch in any but the smallest of pond systems. While a 1-inch drop is difficult to achieve, a half-inch to quarter-inch drop is achievable. A half-inch drop will allow a flow rate of approximately 900 gph through a 3-inch line. The drain line inlet should be in front of the pads or matting in the skimmer to protect the pump from pond bottom debris, and the line should have a cleanout plumbed into it for regular maintenance. The skimmer door can also be closed for a few seconds each week, forcing all the water possible through the drain line in an effort to flush the line and keep it flowing.

Choosing the right skimmer starts with proper placement and flow. Then considerations are made for fish safety, debris volume, ease of maintenance and aesthetics. Knowing your options makes the skimmer installation fit your pond’s particular needs.

Examples :

- Waterways Renegade Liner Skimmer

Description :

Skim the surface of your pond and prefilter your external pump at the same time. These skimmers are designed for external pond pumps and will blend into your landscape easily.

The Waterways Renegade is designed for external pond pumps and is capable of flow rates of up to 4500 Gallons Per Hour. It features one of the largest debris baskets on the market to aid in reduced pond maintenance.

Outlet to pump is 2″ for maximum flow rates with less restrictions.

- Helix Pond Skimmer :

The Helix is the most advanced skimmer available today. Extremely fish friendly, fits most sizes of ponds, and automatically adjusts to water level inside skimmer.

Video :

Pond Skimmer Installation - How to

Websites :

- Other types of Pond skimmers : www.pondliner.com/pond-skimmers

- www.everything-ponds.com/pond-skimmer.html

- russellwatergardens.com/blogs/news/the-problems-with-conventional-pond-skimmers

- landscaping.wonderhowto.com/how-to/install-pond-skimmer

- Magazine : www.pondtrademag.com/

- Water inlet :

Usually with liner ponds we use the gravity filter /water fall inlet . as shown below or you can use the normal flange connected with pipe topump to return the water to the pond ..

below some photos ,sketches and examples :

Water inlet

There is several fittings can be used to inlet the water to the pond ..
Normally hobbyists and designers use the water inlet stream to create a waterfall(s)

Up is the filter container and water inlet for liner ponds and can be create a waterfall this method called a gravity filtration ..

Below bulkhead can be used to connect the inlet pipes with pond ..

Examples :

- GREEN GENIE 2500 :

A Gravity filter , made by Lotus in Great Britain.
Suitable for use with up to a 1500 litres per hour pump.
One 32mm outlet , with an inlet hose tail for 19mm-25mm with an adjuster tap.

A new version of a very efficient gravity filter with 10 watts ultraviolet treatment lamp.

A pond with waterfall created by using the Gravity filter method

- Blagdon Minipond and Midipond Fountain Pump .. Click for more information ..

Water inlet can take several shapes by using figures and statues :

To expand the water stream you can use the cascade or Waterfall WATER BLADE Cascade which is made by stainless steel and can be hidden with rocks and soil ..