fredclay
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:18 pm

Unique idea for small pond, technical advice requested

HALLO!

I am in Georgia, and I purchased a woman's orchid collection over a year ago. They're thriving in the basement, but It's just so much to take care of 40 orchids, so I hatched a plan. After spending time in a rainforest in Belize, I got a lot more acute understanding of how orchids truly live in the forest.

SO! I got a small pond. And a pump (which is dead) but they were both free, so that's fine. I have a ton of landscaping drip irrigation tubing and emitters.

I cut down a thick branch 8 feet tall with numerous branchings.. coated the bottom in polyurethane, which I then put into a Christmas tree stand and placed into the pond in the corner of my basement.

Now I'm ready to string up the irrigation, but I'm reluctant to do so without a working pump. What I have is a beckett M350AUL16. Any recommendations on what/where to get, I'm in the metro Atlanta area, but am really hoping for Home Depot as an answer. Is multivariable an option in pond pumps?

I need something that can push water 8 feet up without loosing too much pressure, but I don't want it to drain the pond in a matter of minutes. It will ofcourse be on a timer.

Reposted in a few forums to ensure people see it, if that is not the format of this forum, I apologize, it is my first time posting.

MysticGardener67
Senior Member
Posts: 143
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:31 am
Location: Lexington KY

Seems the pump you have is a 350 gallon per hour model. So I would go with either a Smartpond 500 GPH pump from Lowe's .

Retails at about $45. OR a Beckett Medium Submersible 325 Gph. Pond Pump available at Home depot for $50. The Lowes pump is less expensive with the higher flow rate at a lower lift (8 1/2 feet) While the HD has a lower flow rate but a much higher lift (12 feet). I think I would trend towards the HD pump because the extra 'lift' will translate into better pressure at the emitters.

The HD pumps don't have a flow control so you will have to purchase a 1/2 inch ball valve with barbed fittings. Umm Brass is the one-piece solution but pricey. If you cant find them in the water plumbing section, try over in the propane/gas plumbing section. Umm the valve handles on these are a bit on the small side, may be difficult to turn.

PVC is good and less expensive, but the valves don't come with barbed fittings just threaded so you will also have to purchase the 1/2 inch threaded to 1/2 inch barbed adapters. The valve handles are much larger and easier to operate. Might be worth the cost to purchase some stainless 1/2 inch hose clamps to prevent the tubing from blowing off.

This bit of plumbing will give you much better flow/pressure control is more durable than the stock intake controls.

I also recommend installing a checkvalve into the plumbing. this will keep water in the tubing, preventing both spitting and blowout of the emitters. the smallest that either Lowe's or HD carries is a 1 1/4 inch. They run around $7-$8 You will have to be creative in the use of adapters to get it to fit the 1/2 inch tubing. But it can be done.

How much the pumps lower the pond's water level isn't dependent on the flow rate of the pumps, but the total volume of the plumbing, the rate of surface evaporation from the Orchids' planting medium ( moss, bark whatever), surface evaporation from the pond, and however much water the Orchids transpire. The only fixed variable is the water held in the tubing when the pump is operating.

So to do this project right, from a plumbing perspective, You are looking at the vicinity of $75 probably less, not likely more.

I am a bit of an armchair Orchid enthusiast myself, so I have a pretty good understanding of the watering requirements of Orchids.

I think the Orchid enthusiasts in the forums would greatly appreciate a list of what Orchids you inherited. They will also be a good knowledge base to help you fine tune this system. I have a sneaking suspicion (I may be a great gardener, but my spelling needs work :lol: ) that this will be a continually evolving system that will have to adapt to each specific orchid's needs.

Um could you keep us posted with pictures of this project? It will be a great help in case you hit a roadblock.

serial_killer
Senior Member
Posts: 122
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:47 am
Location: Ohio

I'm confused, how/where is the water going to come out? A mist into the air, or dripping on the top of the plant or something else? Have you thought about instead of using a timer just controlling water level / pump times with a float in the reservoir?

I'd like to see a picture of your setup.

MysticGardener67
Senior Member
Posts: 143
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:31 am
Location: Lexington KY

SO! I got a small pond. And a pump (which is dead) but they were both free, so that's fine. I have a ton of landscaping drip irrigation tubing and emitters.
So I am guessing he is going drip. I would use a combination, I think. Drip to water, mist or microspray to humidify.
I need something that can push water 8 feet up without loosing too much pressure, but I don't want it to drain the pond in a matter of minutes. It will ofcourse be on a timer.
So I think he will be using a timer to turn the pump on and off.
the pump will be submerged in the pond. I think that the idea will be that the excess water wil drip naturally back into the pond.

I thought about recommending a float valve to keep the pond filled, but I think the OP will have his hands full setting up the basic system ;)

Gardening4Life
Newly Registered
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 12:53 pm
Location: Berlin, Belize, & sometimes New Guinea

I have a hot water heater on my pond. That microhumidifies the plants. My Choy fish thoroughly enjoy the refreshing hot water too. I sometimes like to join them and hop right on in the pond and do some planting in the nude.

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

fredclay,

This is all very interesting, I no nothing about orchids.

Why are we not sending him over to the garden section of Lowes and or Home Depot. You could also look at Dripworks.com He could be using rainbird irrigation parts. Emitters, pressure regulators, filters and battery timers. They all just thread together. Pump with a built in pressure switch.



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