Water feature

[dwbeckett]

I plan on adding a small water fall feature to the DN ver10. I plan on using this kit along with a 64 gallon tub as catch basin

 

the pump output is 200 gph . will this be enough to give me the fell of a small late summer water fall ?? more then trickle and less then a ragging river. The kit contains a 6 ft. x 6 ft. liner. I don't plan on having pond  much bigger 18 x 12 x 10 deep since the tub will hold the pump and filter. my high point will be less then 36-42 inch's above the pond and 72-78 inch's above the bottom of the tub. Any suggestions would be helpful

Thanks

Dave

 

 

 

 

[ttrigg]

Dave: A simple test might give you the answer about the flow of water. Get a 5-gallon bucket and time how long it takes to fill the bucket with your water hose. Use your calculator to find the gal/hour from your water hose. Average household water pressure provides about 7 gallons per 5 minutes, roughly 84 gallons per hour. The 200-gal/hour pump will deliver about twice your water hose, allowing for the “water lift.” In my Koi pond I have a 2,000-gal/hr pump. At full output it provides more water than wanted but a ball valve between pump and waterfall allows adjustment of flow. DO NOT put a valve between the water storage and pump. Restricting water flow TO the pump will cause the pump to burn out. Pumps can deal with restricted output with no problem. Before you buy, read the “output flow vs. lift” chart. The chart for my pump shows a 480-gal/hr loss for the 48-inch lift of my pond. Recommendation: Oversize the pump and regulate the flow with a valve. My pond is in its 13^th year with no problems.

[dwbeckett]

TTRIGG thanks for the info, But I should have checked with the park service ( Wife ) first. I cannot do the water feature as planed to many concerns about bugs and critters getting in the holding tank..

Dave

 

[ttrigg]

Dave: Couple of options to present to Dept of Parks and Recreation.

 

Disappearing river: (lots of digging required) Place a 55-gal open top plastic drum in the ground with the top several inches below ground level. Cover the drum with a heavy-duty plastic grid (plastic waterproof sheeting goes directly in the drum below the grid.)  Cover the grid with small rocks 3-6 inches deep. Riverbed will be a dry river until you turn on the pump. Adds a bit of interest for the bridges. No bugs or critters. Add a bit of liquid chorine (bleach) every few months to control algae growth. Check with your pond store as to quantity needed for your local microclimate.

 

Small lake (pond): I have Koi in mine; if you put in some fish they will do all the bug control you need. Do not feed the fish more than they will eat in 5 minutes. They do not need much and too much will give algae problems. Keep the water flowing at least 12 hours per day; best if you can let it run 24. If you have winter freezing, check with your local agriculture district, I get about 50 little mosquito eaters for a buck. Very few bugs will habitat running water. Best if you have water fall leading to the lake (pond) with a river leading from the pond to a hidden water collection point (skimmer or hidden drum.) River from pond to collector allows positive water content if an external leak occurs in plumbing. If you use a skimmer it will collect any debris that might fall into the water and includes filtering.

[dwbeckett]

Parks Dept. will not budge on this one we have west Nile every year in the area so I just have to give in.

Dave

 

[Andrew Simpson]

It has been announced that in Australia, after our floods but I have yet to see a report in writing, mosquitos that bring fevers, disease, etc, live with in 50 meters (150 feet) of person being infected. Apparently that is there "territory".So any problems will come from your area neighbourhood. So even though you have no water features, keep your eyes open for still water in your area & conditions that will breed any problems.

In regards to your Parks Dept, happy wife = happy life!

Andrew

Sandbar & Mudcrab Railway

[Grims]

you know it is possible to have a waterfall that dosent  have any kind of liveable water for insects or anything else you can run antifreeze (the safe one for dogs)in your water nothing will breed also if your water feature is running most of the time mosquitoes cant lay or hatch unless the water is absolutely calm

  I for one refuse to live in a bubble and im not going to have what i have or do be dictated by a bug.

i live in the land where the bugs can carry you off and i live on a river and have a water feature that includes three ponds a stream three sets of waterfalls and a tunnel under one for the RR. mosquitoes cant breed there and i shut it off each night 

im sorry i didnt mention i live in maine

my opinion only Ed

[M_Parsons]

You need to look at the specs on the pump box and see the maximum "lift" height.  But for every inch of lift, with the type of pump you have, you get a very reduced flow of water.  200 is a VERY LOW flow under any circustances.  There are "fountain" and "pond" pumps; fountain pumps can get the quoted volume of water up higher.  I would suggest a 400 gph pump with a substantial lift rating to get a water fall that gushes enough to make some noise.  You will also want to use some sort of adhesive to stick rocks onto your liner on the "drop" part of your water feature.  IF you are in a warm part of the country (at least in the summer) be prepared to occasionally add chemicals to keep the water clear.  Some water plants will also go a long way to accomplish the same.  Some "pond dunks" are a natural way to keep misquitos under control in the summer.   I strongly suggest you visit some folk's installed ponds.  You may decide that you really want a much bigger pond, or one with a higher drop and a broad lip.  Good luck.

[EPCguy]

If the waterfall is emptying into the pond you should be alright. My initial set up was somewhat similar in the use of the same kit and having roughly the same vertical dimensions above the pond. Much has changed since that initial installation but it lasted a good 5 years.

[mark Perreault]

Looking at what you have there, you essentially have enough to make your 18 x 12 x 10 pond (using the liner)  and that pump is a fountain pump.  All those pipes in the front are fountain pipes.  The one directly beneath the pump is adjustable to give you what is called a bell pattern .  this in itself, will provide enough turbulance on the surface of the water to prevent mosquitos from breeding.  If that doesn't help, there are mosquito donut thingies that you can throw in the pond and it will kill and living (or perceived) larvae.

Don't bother trying a waterfall with this kit.  You will be disappointed.  The pump will not move enough water.  Mine is 3200GPH and this year I'm doubling it to nearly 7000GPH.