Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help BG Lives Matter

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Brian I started up the sprinkler and its doing around 50 gpm and seems to be working pretty good. But I have a small problem with the run time. Sprinkler is set up with a Honda pump and will run for four hrs until it runs out of fuel. I will be looking on how to set up a larger fuel tank, a 24 hr run will be what I'm looking for. Also the oil burn in the Honda will be greater when run time is 24 hrs, I have to give some thought to that. Good thing is the Honda pump will shut down on its own if oil gets low. great feature on the Honda pump. And Peach, the venturi air system should be fairly easy to do and should work. I will try it soon near the end of the plastic pipe, the pipe is pretty expensive and is costly to repair so I don't want to loose or repair any of this pipe. Both of these suggestion should help when it comes to adding water. I am also considering reducing run time to night only on the diffusers, it's going to be really hot this week, in the 100's. I will report, I Hate losing these fish because of low DO

Tracy

Tracy, to save on costs do you have a way for the water to simply splash over some rocks or cinder blocks? The end of my 2" well-water line is about 4' from the waters edge and splashes over a cinder block spraying the water upwards and into the pond. I know you mentioned the water splashes before entering your pond, but maybe not enough?

In the beginning I made a "T" using a 4', 2" PVC with holes drilled in it, again spraying the well-water in the air before hitting the pond. Rigging up something like this would save on your pump and fuel and still get a good spray.

Then again, maybe I'm way off base on this.

This was my backwoods fountain but just having the "T" attached to your well water line with the holes spraying upwards would seem to give the water time to absorb O2?

Tracy do you feed your fish?

Are the red sores from O2 stress?

I do remember Bill speaking about adding medication to floating feed in a zip lock bag. Let the feed adsorb the medication and feed the feed by hand to the fish.

Just a thought.

Cheers Don.

Tracy, you may also want to stop feeding. Overfertilization could be an issue in such hot temps.

Tracy, any cheap boat fuel tank can easily be adapted to work with your Honda. A six gallon tank would probably get you close to the 24hr mark if you are using the engine mounted tank now. Most of those use a 1/4" fuel line anyways I believe. Make sure you get line rated for fuel. You might have to get a cheap pump for it, don't know how big your Honda is and if it has a pump...smaller ones won't.

Also most of engines like that are filled with straight grade 30wt oil. If you are going through it, get a gallon (smallest you can get I think) of mystic 15w50. It is a HD semi synthetic oil that would be better in this heat than the straight grade 30wt. Don't go cheap on the oil as hot as it is, and this is going to be a constant duty cycle so it will be hard on it. Might think about some type of shade if possible also. Watch the air filter also, dry can be dusty at times.


Just some thoughts.

I checked into Honda pumps at the dealership. They don't have a fuel pump and cannot be adapted to a boat tank unless you install some type of fuel pump. Simply doing a gravity feed will upset the needle and float, since the weight of the full tank of fuel will be more than usual, causing more pressure from gravity feed. Outboard motors that work with remote tanks have a simple fuel pump. The dealership said it would be very involved to install a remote tank from scratch, but there is an aftermarket kit for Honda pumps called a "hurricane" setup for extended run with the largest available remote tank. I have the same problem with my pump, when refilling my pond after a dry spell. The tank only runs about 85 minutes, and I have to refill it about five times in a typical pumping session, and it is a hassle.

Four hours run time would be a very good amount for me, only one refill.

I found a 2" semi trash pump by Northern Tool that has a Honda engine and a three gallon built in tank for a 10 hour run time. If I buy another pump it will probably be that one.

BTW, my current pump is a cheap Harbor Freight 2" that has over 170 hours on it now, and still runs like new. I change the oil after each approx. 20 hours run time, and it has never used a detectable amount. But, the small fuel tank is a curse in my case.

You should be able to use a separate, gravity fed tank with no problems, especially if it's less than 10 gallons or so.

You could also just buy a cheap impulse pump, around 20-25 bucks, and plumb it in.

You are probably right on that, but Honda told me that any gravity fed tank with a fuel level that is higher than the built in tank will cause excess pressure on the float needle. IMO that may or may not cause problems, depending on how well the needle seals. The cheap impulse pump method sounds better, then the tank could be located well away from the pump, and even safely refueled while the pump is running.

Yeah, the thing with dealerships is that same old nasty liability. They don't know if the guy asking the questions knows which end of the screwdriver to hold on to, or if he or she is mechanically competent. So, they take the easy way out....."won't work, can't be done" That lets them off the hook if you burn up your pump while trying to follow their advice.

Ever wonder why the additional gravity system will somehow force the needle off its seat, yet the increased pressure of a pump is alright?

The only possible problem I can see is that if the carb floods, and the motor stops, a gravity feed could drain the fuel tank, and a pump system probably would not do that. But, that could happen with a built in tank, but it wouldn't be over a half gallon of fuel on most pumps, vs 5 or 6 gallons with a remote. These possibilities are likely very remote.

Thanks for all the recommendations guys. Well, the last two days I have reduced the amount of well water going into the pond and have had little to no fish kills since doing that. I have started using the sprinkler and have been adding around 8,000 gallons per day or a 2 hr run time. I have not had the opportunity to run the pump for 4 hrs because of me not being able to be there for that time period and did not want the well water running without the sprinkler. And so I am leaning toward Sparkies recommendation on a separate fuel tank and will try a gravity system. So, well see Sparkplug I am one of the guys that have a hard time with tools And as peachgrower suggested I started a venturi air by drilling a 1/2" hole into the plastic rolled tubing and then I added a 4" steel pipe by driving it into a pre drilled hole. I did this about 12 feet from the end of the rolled tubing pipe. Please remember this is 1/4" thick 2" id plastic pipe. The 4" steel pipe has most definitely added air to the water, I can see the different look of the water at the end of the pipe and I can feel the venturi suction when putting my finger over the air intake. I am not sure if it adds enough air when pumping 50 gpm of water, but like I said u can see the difference.
Fish are actively feeding at the 3 TH feeders. the water clarity is @ 18" of fertilized water. And I have not seen the red sores on any of the dead fish, but did have one suspect out of 20 t0 25 dead fish. And one more thing is I have now lifted up the Kasco diffusers from the bottom of the pond. 3 by placing diffuser on a small plastic swimming pool (upside down) and 2 on cinder blocks. All of them are now 6" of so off bottom. I am attempting to reduce the clays that are being disturbed by the air bubbles. I did this because I did see a fish or two having problems near the bubbles.

Thanks again, will keep u posted on what is working with the water additions.

Tracy

Tracy,

You may also see about testing the well water for something other than low DO that is causing the stress. Even if you have tested it before, it can change.

Good luck on no more fish dying. At this point, I can only imagine the stress and heartbreak.

Cmm

Tracy,
I have been told by experts that your diffusers should be 18 inches off the bottom if you are trying to not pickup clay from the bottom. You can also use a pan to "sit" on to stop the clay from being picked up.

Any air being added to the well water is going to help a lot.

I think the gravity feed tank like spark plug said would be fine. I have a hard time seeing damage to float or needle with that setup ,even with six gallons. There really isnt anywhere for the float to go once the needle is seated. There wont be much if any additional psi. The small fuel line will restrict the psi from being a problem. Is it a greyhound? We have used a number of jonda copies with great success. Had trouble with one. Harbor freight replaced no ques asked. Glad to haear things are looking better!

Pardon my DA guys but in consideration of a supplemental or separate fuel tank for the Honda pump, and when using a boat fuel tank the fuel comes from the top of the tank and not the bottom of the fuel tank, and the fuel line has a bulb pump to get fuel to the outboard motor. Will this same setup work on the Honda? This system can furnish fuel to the engine even when the fuel tank is lower than the engine. I told u guys I was a DA when it comes to things like this And if this does not work then I am wondering how the fuel would travel uphill or from the top of the fuel tank to the Honda. I know the setup of the boating system but I am thinking I would have to drill a hole in the bottom of the tank and add a petcock and gravity it to the Honda, is that the correct way to set this up? Help I don't have to do this but I hate the pond dropping every day in the summer and we all know a pond likes new water additions when a pond has a lot of fishes.
Thanks for the help guys
Tracy

Tracy,

To demo this to yourself, get a see through milk jug, fill it with water, use some air line to act like the fuel line, and start a syphon while the milk jug is above the simulated engine level. Water will flow to the simulated engine until you brake the syphon. Now try the same experiment with the milk jug below the simulated engine's height, the water will flow back into the milk jug and fail to feed the engine. Further, the bulb is there to "force" the fuel to the engine on a boat, then its fuel pump does the rest of the work pulling the fuel thereafter.

Does this help?

What he said. The bulb is to prime the fuel system. I think the siphon will work, but I have not ever done it myself. I see where it might seem as though it would not pull it from the top. As said earlier you might have to get a small fuel pump.

Got an idea, this is a bottom feeding portable fuel tank. It is 15 gallons. That would run for a LONG time. It is steel. You could adapt from the 3/4" to 1/4" or whatever is on your engine with brass fittings. With the bottom feeding tank, you can put it on a table of some kind, use gravity feed, have it a safe distance away for filling, and not worry about a fuel pump. It is kind of pricey but, after the purchase of it, a few brass fittings and fuel line you would be done. I bet 15 gal could run for 24 or more hours easy.

fuel tank

Just another thought.

Brian, you and peach confirmed my thinking. So my next little project is to buy a fuel tank and adapt it to gravity flow using a petcock added to the bottom of the tank for a gravity feed line to the Honda. I am pretty sure I can get this done even with my lack of tooling skills. Peach, that is a nice tank but I am sure I can build a 10gal set up or at least a 6 gal for way less than the one pictured, but that is a nice tank. And another day has gone by with no floaters @ the pond. Great feeling for sure. Water well with low DO and aeration moving bottom pond water with low DO and mixing the two does not work to well for the fishies.

Tracy

Tracy, search for the thread "No spill gas cans"....I posted a photo there that shows a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to obtain a bottom drain in a plastic tank.

Thanks you Sparky, will do. I was out and around yesterday looking for a way to get it done, but I was thinking I needed something I could get my hand in so I might be able to back up the petcock. 5 gal bucket maybe if I can find the right one.

Tracy

Tracy,

Any updates? Getting any rain?

Brian, thanks for the support I have not had a chance to build the fuel tank, but still in my plans. I have been running the Big Sprinkler a couple of 2 or 3 hrs per day in this heat we have had. It helps but does not replace the evaporation of 1/2" of so per day. And yep been getting a little rain but nothing big and I have had no more fish floating. And that is a Great feeling I lost around 25 to 30 large BG and one 13" Lone Star Legacy LMB going through the learning curve of diffusers with water well additions. You mentioned that moving the diffusers up to maybe 18" off bottom might solve the clay disturbance caused by the diffusers, but, because of the summertime lower water levels, if I move the diffusers up off bottom 18", that would put some of the diffusers in 4' of water depths and I understand 8' is desired so I have been thinking "Pan" but I am not sure what design or material to use for a Pan. u got any ideas on a Pan? Thanks

Tracy

PS, how is that Nice lake of yours doing? U been using the excavator lately? This rain in August has stopped my plans on a second pond because it is real muddy where I want it. Afraid I would plant the rental excavator

Water heater pan?

Tracy,

Sorry for the long delay, been busy.

Our big pond is still letting water out. It is amazing to see. A water heater pan wold be a good plan. It has the surface area needed to "show" the diffuser a clean bottom. It should work well.

The excavator has been busy this summer. It has been working on several projects. I am hoping to get the new brood ponds built soon but I have had several setbacks this summer. As the list gets cleared, the brood ponds will get new attention.

The best thing I have seen is the water temps. We are down for the 89.8 degree water we saw at the end of July. The fish seem a lot happier. I can't wait to see the growth rates this year.