Snooze
April 12th 06, 10:57 PM
> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Do ya'll actually talk about ponds? I need some advice as to whether to
> do it myself, get someone else to do it and which pump and filter gives
> you the best bang for your buck.
> I want to put in a pondless waterfall with a shallow pool and a stream
> (no fish). I have done quite a lot of homework about gallons per hour
> etc, but have heard lots of conflicting comments about what is the best
> choice for a low maintenance, swiftly moving stream and falls on a
> natural decline.
The higher the waterfall, greater the waterfall sound, except neighbors
might not appreciate the waterfall sound at 3am. . Remember to consider head
height when specing your pump, the higher you have to pump the water, the
lower the flow rate.
If you terrace the waterfall, for example a 3ft water fall that falls into a
small splash pool, then flows into a little stream that is broken up by
river rocks, you should have an acceptable flow rate and sound. I think
about 150 gph-300 gph at your desired head height should provide sufficient
flow for a 1 ft wide waterfall.
Before you buy a pump, why not take a 5 gal bucket, fill it half halfway
(2.5 gal), then pour that out at over 1 minute. That's 150 gph, then fill
the bucket completely and repeat to compare 300 gph. Desirable flow rates
are incredibly subjective, because everyone has a different idea of what
looks and sounds nice. Keeping in mind the bigger the pump, the faster the
power meter spins.
As for maint, flow rate doesn't really mater, mud and leaves will build up
at the same pace, algae will grow no matter what, though faster flow rates
can reduce mosquito larva growth. But you are going to use mosquito dunks or
chlorine tablets, right? So design your setup such that you can hide a
chlorine tablet somewhere.
Oh HGTV I once saw a water feature design that looked really nice when new,
but I feel sorry for whoever has to clean that thing. The pump was buried
under a thick layer of river rocks, so someone has to dig out all the river
rocks, to clean out the mud and leaves that build up over time.
-S
oups.com...
> Do ya'll actually talk about ponds? I need some advice as to whether to
> do it myself, get someone else to do it and which pump and filter gives
> you the best bang for your buck.
> I want to put in a pondless waterfall with a shallow pool and a stream
> (no fish). I have done quite a lot of homework about gallons per hour
> etc, but have heard lots of conflicting comments about what is the best
> choice for a low maintenance, swiftly moving stream and falls on a
> natural decline.
The higher the waterfall, greater the waterfall sound, except neighbors
might not appreciate the waterfall sound at 3am. . Remember to consider head
height when specing your pump, the higher you have to pump the water, the
lower the flow rate.
If you terrace the waterfall, for example a 3ft water fall that falls into a
small splash pool, then flows into a little stream that is broken up by
river rocks, you should have an acceptable flow rate and sound. I think
about 150 gph-300 gph at your desired head height should provide sufficient
flow for a 1 ft wide waterfall.
Before you buy a pump, why not take a 5 gal bucket, fill it half halfway
(2.5 gal), then pour that out at over 1 minute. That's 150 gph, then fill
the bucket completely and repeat to compare 300 gph. Desirable flow rates
are incredibly subjective, because everyone has a different idea of what
looks and sounds nice. Keeping in mind the bigger the pump, the faster the
power meter spins.
As for maint, flow rate doesn't really mater, mud and leaves will build up
at the same pace, algae will grow no matter what, though faster flow rates
can reduce mosquito larva growth. But you are going to use mosquito dunks or
chlorine tablets, right? So design your setup such that you can hide a
chlorine tablet somewhere.
Oh HGTV I once saw a water feature design that looked really nice when new,
but I feel sorry for whoever has to clean that thing. The pump was buried
under a thick layer of river rocks, so someone has to dig out all the river
rocks, to clean out the mud and leaves that build up over time.
-S