What's the basic setup for a small fish pond? Not talking about koi pond .. just a normal fish pond around 4' x 8' in size.
Do I really need a filter/skimmer? I want to know how the water pipes are setup and if someone has a diagram to show, that would be perfect.
thanks.

A pond is different from an aquarium. And so the filtration needs are different where pond requires better or bigger or more efficient filtration due to exposure to strong sunlight than an aquarium in a shaded house.

The first most important job of a filter system is to remove debris, solid waste. In an aquarium it is the fish food you put in that will eventually pollute the tank, and most of it ended up as solid fish shit and a smaller part of liquid fish waste of which both are toxic to fish themselves. Whereas, in the pond output is more than in put!!! That is to say you put in fish food, the waste produced is more than the fish food you put in. Where these extra comes from? From the energy of the sun! Photosynthesis, algae, the production of food. All living things produce waste including algae and they die too, these added to the waste load in the pond.

Removing solid waste you can use either and not limiting to all of below:

1. sieve
2. sponge like filter media
3. sands filter
4. bead filter

These medias need to be cleaned from time to time before clogging the filter system as it saturated.

Then there is the liquid waste to be removed by the filter system and/or by nature and by frequent partial water change.

The filter systems:

1. An area called filter chamber is to be built filled with matt
2. Sand filter or Bead filter can also function as biological/chemical filter
3. Trickle filter
4. Bacteria House, etc.

By nature:
1. water fall with lots of aeration
2. The pond wall and floor itself with carpet algae and micro organism

By understanding this you will know how you should design and construct the pond and its filter system.

For small pond there is no need for skimmer.

This is a design for small pond, no need to be complicated for small pond.



This is a straight flow design where water flow from one direction, the bottom floor need not be sloping make construction easy. Straight flow is just like normal river flow where water always flow from one direction.

The conventional bottom drains at the middle of pond is out dated. Difficult to build a sloping V or a cone and water flow in circle, far away from nature way of water flow. You fish also swim in circle????

This post has been edited by stevie8: Oct 11 2013, 01:55 PM

how much it cost for such a pond?

Maybe around RM6 to 10K

quite reasonable..

stevie8 ... could you please expand the picture of the chamber to the left of the pond?
I just wanted to know the details. As for the pump, does it need to submersible?

It has to be submersible pump. Of course you can have surface pump but you have to house it so not to be wet and shade against sun. For that reason we use submerged pump.

Which details ? The piping? Actually you can download the diagram and zoom. Anyway if you need details please let me know what area you want to know more

I have seen one pond setup done by an indon. There are 3 chambers - one is for water from the pond that flows to the 2nd chamber for filtering and then flows to the 3rd chamber where water is pumped back to the pond. This is the setup that I would like to know. I think there are many ways of doing it.
What's your way?

On to the pump, I don't like the idea of an electrical thing submerged in water. I can leave the submersible pump out of the water in its own empty chamber right?

You can get that setup from aquarium shops along Jln Sg Buloh. About RM120. Fibre glass chamber that sits on your pond. Pump is submerged in pond. Pump water up, go through filter media, flow back into pond

Submersible pump needs to be immersed in water, because they can get very hot. No water to cool, very fast burn.

I dun like the idea either, because with inferior pumps, there can be current leakage, and get give your a nasty shock if you are directly connected to the earth e.g. wearing wet slippers.

You can try this type of pump-filter for small ponds. Still can leak current, but less likely as most part are not in contact with the water. Gotta clean more often though, due to less filtration area. Or set up secondary filter chamber outside.
Have to find somewhere to hide it and the long hoses, though.

Let me talk about pump first which is not as complicated as chambers.

Do not too worry about electricity when safety measures are in place. Just like driving. Drive your car speed if you must but wear your safety belt and a good maintained car with break, proper tire pressure, etc and of course airbags.

When there is water and electricity it mean extra danger needs extra measure. All ponds whether fountain, fish pond, aquarium, garden water feature, electric instant water heater are advisable to have its own residual-current device or RCD. Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual-current_device . Most modern houses have RCD at the DB (Distribution Box) you just need another for the pond so as you have double protection. In case there is a electric leakage from pond either cause by the pump or other equipment for the pond and your house main RCD malfunction you still have you pond RCD to safe you from electric shock.

Pond need big and durable pump and big pump is expensive and get hot very fast. As someone answered you need water to keep the pump cool. If you use non submergible pump you still have to make sure a good piping that the pump receives water all the time otherwise it get heated up and break down as well and housing it is a problem cause you still need to ventilate the pump so that the air can cool the hot pump. My advise is forget about this unsuitable pump. it is not meant for pond. Just get a RCD for the circuit to the pond.

I talk about chamber later

The 3 chambers will work as you said there are many ways of filtering. Like conventional filtration the water flow down and up from one chamber to the other. For a more proper filtration chambers the chambers have to be a V shape or rather cone shape bottom and another dry chamber. the V bottom is to collect debris. And at the depth of the bottom of the cone V is a drain pipe connected to the dry chamber use for draining the debris one chamber at a time. The dry chamber will then drain water out of your house to the monsoon drain.

In a conventional multi chambers the first chamber suck water from pond bottom drain via gravity to its mid height and this chamber contain brush. The brush is to block or "slow" the flow so that the debris will not flow up and then go down straight to the 2nd chamber. Instead due to the obstruction the debris go down to the bottom of the V and cleaner water go to 2nd chamber. The water fr first chamber will overflow and there is this divider high enough blocking water from overflowing to the 2nd chamber and instead go down to the mid of the 2nd chamber just above the v and it contain like you said matt or filter and then to 3rd and 4th and then the pump chamber.

Now, due to the inefficiency of the design both filtering debris and act as biological filtration which requires it to be 30& of the pond size taking large space, hobbyist use or add other types of filteration like Baki shower which introduce lots of air to the water for better bacteria colonization, some use sand filter and others have added sieve instead of brush. And the latest is do away with multi chambers replaced with bead filter.

As for my pond I only have one chamber!!! There is no divider. Water flow from pond bottom drains to the edge of the front of the chamber and there is a sieve before the filter matt and then the pump. That is all. No need for up down up down or down up down up. In the chamber also a bottom drain and this bottom drain connect to the monsoon drain.

If small size pond really dun have to worry too much. Once the ecology has settled in, it takes care of itself with little maintenance.
I only need to every week (or so) remove extra water plants (tend to overgrow) and change 1/3 of the water and add water conditioner. Every 3 months wash filter.

The key is (i) do not overload with too many fish (ii) do not overfeed

In fact, my best performing small pond, the main filter is just a a tilted ornamental vase fill with bioballs and an activated carbon pack. Water is pump in from bottom and overflow from the top to create a waterfall effect for oxygenation. The three medium size koi inside there are the happiest and the most playful.

I am looking forward to set up two 4 x 6 fibre ponds in my new house. (one for me, with big macho fish; the other for wifey and her cutesy guppies)

But do be careful with the pumps. Buy good ones and change them every year.

That's right.

As for mine, I have no problem with feeding and I have some 13 or more koi. I think once the pond is matured it can take the load.

Any idea where to get artificial rocks? or anyone who can make realistic artificial rock?

Check in fb. JS STAR Construction Services. Might be help.. theres a photo 4 x 8 ft.

thanks Stevie8 and Fazab.
care to show the latest pictures of your pond?
ohhh one more question .... do I need to make sure the pump is on 24x7? Or does it need to be on only for x hours per day?

This post has been edited by lionfish77: May 20 2014, 08:01 PM

For small pond with little surface area, i will do 24/7. Only off during clening and maintence. The most important function of the pump is to provide aeration, either thru bubbling or the waterfall effect.