Hi All - this is my first post and I am so happy I found you all. I have learned a lot already while looking through the various topics. I am in the process of finishing the digging of my pond and received my Savio Compact Skimmerfilter, Savio Pump, Underlayment and Liner today. I also have a Tetra Bottom Drain on the way and a Waterfall Filter.
My question is about bottom drains...
My dad is helping me with installing all of my equipment and the bottom drian is stumping us a bit. I want to connect it to the skimmer but we are unsure of where to connect it? I am assuming we would need to drill a hole in the skimmer to connect the piping at water level, is this right? Could someone please help us by explaining how to go about this?
Thanks!
Laurie
Installing Bottom Drain
Savio makes a mid water intake line to hook up a bottom drain but I think it is made for the full size savio skimmer, not the compact. I was going to do the exact same thing till I realized this. Might be a way to still hook it up to the bottom of the compact though, would have to drill a hole and add a bulkhead, probably a valve too. I think you will have to clean it out a lot though, because the compact won't hold as much debris.
Instead I decided to dig a small liner settlement pond for the BD to dump into before going to the filter, pump, and back to the waterfall.
Good luck!
Eve
OK guys, explain bottom drains to me. Hubby is going to let me have a bigger pond. I have two small ones now. We are going to rent a small backhoe and he is supposed to show me how to operate it. That should be interesting! LOL Anyway, I know from reading various posts that this it is a very good idea to incorporate one to help with water quality and maintainence. Can you point me in th right direction to learn about how to do this and to read up on it before I start the new pond?
I learned a lot about construction from koiphen.com. Also if you enter bottom drain in the search engine, lots of info should come up.
Thanks! I think we are trying to make things harder than they are. I will check out koiphen.com right now.
Laurie
Great topic! I am in the process of reseaching bottom drains. I would like to know how many with larger ponds have them and how they like them.