In anticipation of moving forward with my pond this year, I thought I’d
post a draft of the plans for my filter plumbing. I’ve tried to
incorporate everything I’ve learned here over the years and yes, it’s
turned out looking like an engineering schematic worthy of Doc Brown.



The pond that this will be servicing will be 10-12,000 gallons, gunite,
2’ raised wall, total of 7’ depth, 2 4” aerated BDs, 2 skimmers. In
addition to the main BD/TPR returns, it will have a number of adjustable
water features from the skimmer line, including a main waterfall,
secondary waterfall, “water feature” (such as bamboo or vase returning
to the pond), and a line to a concrete column “island” in the pond. The
TPRs are gravity-fed from the bakki shower.



The filter will be about 20’ from the pond, under a raised deck. With
the exception of the bakki shower, it will be below grade in a covered
pit. If not for the desire to keep it this way, I might have gone with a
couple of S&G filters instead of a bead, but I don’t want them
above ground and there’s nowhere to hide them near the pond (the
waterfall will not be tall).



This design incorporates:



? Cleanout pipes on incoming bottom drain and skimmer lines

? Bypasses on bio filter / polishing filter

? One cetus bypass to allow the pump to directly drain the pond, if required

? “Pump bypass” line between the two BD pumps that will normally be
closed, but allow me to remove one pump for servicing and still run
both/either BD circuit with the other pump.

? “Purge lines” on BDs and skimmer lines that go directly to waste.

? A mid-water intake that uses two input pipes into a single line for
safety, so that fish or children aren’t caught on a single pump-pulling
line

? A “conformal eduator” exercise line that can be run to create a strong current for the fish on occasion

? The flexibility to use this same return as a winter bypass, if the skimmers are run during the winter.

? The ability to drain the skimmers and water feature lines in the
winter, if desired, by having their lines slope down to the filter pit.



I’ve tried to incorporate flexibility for the future. The exercise
input/output, for example, could be repurposed in the future for a
flux-capacitor bio filter. In general, the skimmer/exercise returns can
be configured in many ways, such as using the exercise output as a
waterfall bypass in the winter (with the exercise pump off), or the
exercise input for additional waterfall flow in the summer. I probably
won’t initially have a lot of the skimmer line components initially, but
will phase in the UV, then the bead, then the skimmer cetus. Timing
will depend on how the budget for everything else goes.



Some things I’ve considered but don’t think I’ll need: checkvalves after the pumps, 4” gate valves after the shower.

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