anyone use an in pond skimmer ??

I was thinking about getting a nursery-pro in pond skimmer and would like to know if anyone here has one ??
Let me know what you think !

Thanks,
Lisa

We put one in the second season our pond was in....best money spent, besides the bigger filter! We went through 2 wimpy filters in the first season and finally found the answer in a large bead filter.

It really keeps the surface clear of a lot of stuff that would otherwise sink to the bottom and contributes greatly to the clear crystal "vodka" look of the water. It is in the center of the original portion of the pond with a removable basket reached with a hook on a length of PVC. The basket gets cleaned once a week or so in the winter months (our pond is a year round thing here in 10A) and every other day or so in the warm months. The function of the skimmer relates directly to maintaining a clean filter.

Here's a thread from last summer about expanding the pond:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/444582/

My that is a lovely shot, Happenstance. Gorgeous pond!

We have an Aquaclear skimmer box at the edge of our pond. This has a mesh "basket" that we clean weekly, and a dense filter pad under that, on top of the pump system. We have been very happy with the filtration system that we have.

This older picture will show the skimmer box at the left edge. The water cycles thru here and all the way up to the far waterfall.

mel

I also have an in pond skimmer. I wouldn't do without it.

My pond is over 5000 gal and 4.5 feet deep at its deepest. I don't especially like to clean the bottom of it so the skimmer has helped tremendously.

I have many trees and plants in my gardens and enough wind to carry their leaves to the pond. I clean the basket out daily and my pond is crystal clear.

By The Way Lisa, ....nice to see another Montanan here. AND.....I want a green house just like yours!

This message was edited Mar 28, 2005 7:57 AM

Bingsbell, what model of skimmer do you have? My pond-to-be will be over 5000 gallons as well, and almost as deep as yours. I'm shopping for a skimmer and wondering if I want to go with a skimmer/filter combination such as Savio makes. I can put a UV light in these as well, plus they house the pump. Any ideas from you?
Pixydish

I don't know the model of the skimmer but I will describe it for you.

It looks like a black 2lb coffee can with a rim on it. It has a basket inside that I empty and spray the algae out of it with a hose. It is installed on one of the shelves away from the water fall.

My system is this:

I have a small pond above my water fall that has a screen on it....the water in it goes over the falls. The water is fed to it from both the bottom of the pond and the skimmer.

I have an exterior pump, filter(with little black thingys in it) and a UV light all in a pump house. There are a few valves to open and close to control the water. The pump also has a basket to empty once a week or so.

The filter system has a back wash on it so I can clean it by using a couple of valves, and the water is flushed out to my trees. I add fresh water after the backwash...probably 300 gals or so.

I live in Montana where it gets cold enough to freeze the top of the pond. This winter, I let the falls run all the time. The skimmer basket was turned upside down and a rock put on it and that is where 99% of the water for the falls came from. The stock heater was floated a couple of feet from the skimmer and kept it open as well as a good sized hole in the ice for gas release. Although the falls looked like they were frozen at times....they weren't. The water actually flows under the ice and back to the pond. OH...I took the UV bulb out...no need for it in the winter especially using MicrobliftPL.

My pump house is insulated and has a 75watt light bulb on a thermostat to keep it warm enough to not freeze.

If this sounds a bit complicated it is because of trial and error. The first four winters, the pond suffered with frozen pipes and a mess to fix in the Spring. Everything we tried was not successful. This year....all is very well. A little expensive because of electrical costs but well worth it.

I have never lost a Koi to the winter but have to net the pond during the nesting and fledging time of all the Great Blue Heron breeding season. They instinctively know where to find easy catches of fish and my Koi are so use to having tall bodies around the pond, they don't hide when the Heron come in. When the Heron gets one fish from the pond they won't quit until the last one is caught!

I am sure, by now, there are many easier and cheaper ways to make a pond work. I wish you luck and good shopping.

Bell

Thanks, Bell. I did some comparisons today. Compared the Aquascape stuff with the Atlantic Water Gardens stuff and it seems like their skimmers are pretty much equal. Still want to look at the Savio, though it's pricey. Not any more pricey than the Aquascape.