Pump recommendation please?

I'm 'thinking' of adding a small water feature to my garden incorporating a water fall but not to powerful. The idea I've had is to have two pools one higher than the other and the higher continually filling with water and over flowing in to the lower pool. I would like to maybe depending of a few factors keep fish in the lower pool but gold fish not koi.

I would like to know what I would need to do so i'e what size/type of pump is required. Will I need a filter water filter? What precautions are needed if I'm to keep fish in there?

Thanks.

 

It depends on a few factors.

How big are the ponds, how high one is above another and how much
water you want to see going over the waterfall and whether you want the pump to run 24/7. "Flowing" requires quite a lot of water.

With enough oxygenating plants and not too many fish for the ponds, you won't need a filter. But be prepared to get "green water" occasionally in the summer.
Make sure your lower pond has a built in overflow. This will enable you to gradually "trickle change" the water over-night if it gets too "soupy" in the summer.

The specification of pumps give the volume of water they will pump, which is dramatically reduced the higher they need to lift it.
With any pump "pipe work" the shorter the distance it has to be sent/raised the better. Always incorporate "sweep bends" if it has to turn corners, right-angle bends reduce the pressure.
A good tip is not to position the pump on the bottom of the pool. Sit it up on a brick or bricks, this will reduce the height the water has to be raised and prevent much of the gunge that will inevitably collect in the bottom of the pool from blocking the pump's small filter too often.
I've presently an Oase pump in my koi system, it's run 24/7 for at least ten years. All others I've had never lasted longer than three.

 

Thanks for the speedy reply.

I'm thinking of having the upper pool just a few inches above the lower one maybe 6. I'm only after a trickle to give my quite silent garden some volume. The pools would be located in a very shaded area of my small garden. One of the reasons for attempting this is to put a focal point in the area I struggle to get anything to grow in.

I'm going to get drawing and measuring to give you some idea of dimensions.

There are a few pond shops around me but in the past my dad went in to a few and they all tried to sell him there most expensive set ups. I only found this out when my dad spoke to an old mate who used to live in the area who knew his ponds. He said to tread very carefully because there as bad as car garages when clueless women go in. lol

 

Pond / filtration
There is a lot more to even “a goldfish pond” than meets the eye.
(A well looked after goldfish can live for 10 years)
They need to be a reasonable size (Depending on number of fish and allowing for the fish to grow)
A lot of digging is not unusual.
A filter and UV is not an option, it’s a must for a small pond (We can debate that one another time)
Most (not all) aquatic plants do not like moving / splashing water
Filters and UV’s need regular cleaning

Pump
A pump should be chosen according to what it has to do, how high it has to pump to and how wide the water is (since its a waterfall)
Oase pumps are the best, but they are expensive (But as doghouse riley said, his has so far lasted 10 years, you do get what you pay for)
When the dimensions are known then a pump can be suggested

Suggestion
Why not build a water feature instead.
Less looking after,
No plants to trim
No fish to feed
Does not need to be on 24/7 (A biological filter and UV do need to be on 24/7)

Since you mention water fall, why not a water blade

There are of course other types of water features, its just you mentioned waterfall, and a water blade is a waterfall without the grief and is relatively easy to install.

 

I echo what Watergarden has said.

Obviously a filter and UV is advisable, but for goldfish as long as you've an adequate volume of water and plenty of plants and you haven't "flowing" water over your waterfall and there's not too much disturbance around the plants, as there would not be if the pump is sited under the point where the water enters from the waterfall, they'll do fine, but you will occasionally get green water.
The problem comes when people start to get "adventurous" which is only natural and start adding more fish than with what the system can cope.

It's better to err on the cautious side, that's why I have such a large volume in filter capacity for the volume of water I have.

Pond building when I built mine wasn't cheap and it's horrendously expensive now to get it "right." I wouldn't contemplate creating a pond without first installing a concrete collar and all the time and expense consuming ancillary stuff required, to make it look "natural."

However, I wish you well with your enterprise.

But I'll leave you with a common phrase I heard when discussing pond building with established koi keepers before I got into this (one of many!) expensive hobby.

"If I were to do it again, I wouldn't do it this way!"

 

I'll take that all on board and I'm already considering just doing a water feature as mentioned. I'll keep you posted.

Incidentally if I wanted to build a blade style water feature what volume/power pump would suit?

Thanks.

 

Please allow me to explain, its not as easy as saying "that one" Although people think it is

As already mentioned a pump should be chosen in order to meet certain criteria.
In the case of a water blade, the height it will be mounted at, in relation to the top of the catchment area, the width of the water blade.

A pump can only pump X amount of water to Y height.

So for example your water blade is 4 feet above the top of the pool and the pump you buy can only pump to a height of 3 1/2 feet, its not going to happen.

Then as the water gets higher and higher the pump can only pump a specific volume to that height.

Or put it another way.

You can run up a 45 degree slope easy, I now give you some weights to carry , not so easy is it, then I give you more weights. etc etc. Eventually you have to give up.

A common assumption is that a pump can pump to whatever height is required, they can't that is why they make such a variety of pumps. (Apart from, are they solids handling etc)

To avoid all this grief pumps have a "pump curve" on the box. This shows how much water a pump can pump and to what height. You use these figures to choose the pump for the task.

Also if buying a water blade, most suppliers will suggest a pump and to what max height it will work at.

 

I don't want to add more problems for you, but it is likely that you will require a mains voltage pump. This will mean a waterproof 13amp socket if it is to be installed outside and any external supply to the socket will require protection.
The regulations regarding electrical installations now will necessitate that this work is carried out by an accredited electrician.

 

Thanks guys I'll look around.

 

Doghouse riley is referring to building regulation "part P" which means any additional work carried out in a special location requires a part P registered electrician to carry out the work or you have to get you local BCO to certify the work if some one else does it. A special location is a garden, kitchen or bathroom.

Basically its to prevent you from killing yourself or someone else with bad wiring practices.

However there is said to be a way round it by using



Other suppliers of outdoor socket kits are available.

The main thing being that the cable that connects to the outside socket is steel wire armoured and you canâ??t cut through that with a shovel the next thing is it connects via an RCD plug. Which will save your life if you cut the cable.

It may seem to be harder than you may have first thought, but trust me, persevere, do it right and it will be worth it.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

I've ordered a 2000l/h pump with a 10m cable. 10m is long enough to reach my shed. The feature is going next to the shed and its fully powered.

I'm going to make a slate tower sitting on a bed of slate. I shall run a length of 0.5inch pipe up the tower through a hole I'll drill so the water runs down.

Wish me luck.

 

I take that to be a tower made of individual pieces of slate each with a hole drilled in it?
If so I suggest you don't put a piece of 0.5 inch pipe up the centre.
The most common 0.5 inch pipe is hose pipe. Hose pipe is not rigid and as such will not stop your tower from falling over.

If you look at



You can clearly see a 15mm copper pipe in the centre, this gives the feature some support.

What ever you do, take pictures and post them here.

 

I'd still think about protecting the cable.

My tea-house is supplied by a cable from a double-pole fused switch in the shed. It travels for about twenty feet, about a foot down in the side border hard up against the edging bricks. It's runs through a length of alkathene water pipe which is pretty much "spade/fork resistant," it's been no trouble for nearly 25 years.

 

Thanks for the heads up WG. I'll do that. I was going to use 0.5" reinforced hose as I use it alot with work but your right 15mm copper will probably be better.

I'll definitely post photos and probably do a how to flow chart as I go so if I make a mistake you can see where it was.

I'll do that. I've tons of conduit in the shed will do the trick fine. Thanks for pointing that out.