To many GPH?

[RATTIE]

I have a 100 gallon pond with 4 single tail and 3 double tail goldfish. Right now I have 2 filters on it but there is only 430 gph. That was fine at frist but they are growing fast so I built a skippy filter but still have to buy the pump for it but I am worried about my double tail goldfish getting sucked to the filter intake. One is a ryukin that has swim bladder issues so it can't swim very good. What can I do to prevent it getting stuck to the intake? I will be getting a 1000 gph pump.

[Diana]

Here are 4 ways to reduce the pressure at the intake yet still have lots of flow:

Put a large sponge over the intake. The larger the surface area of the sponge the less pressure per square inch might be holding the fish stuck to the sponge. Use a piece of PVC that is drilled full of holes inside the sponge. 1" PVC, a foot long, with LOTS of 1/4" diameter holes.

You could also split the intake into several parts, and put sponges over each part. You can do this with PVC Tees and other fittings. For 1000gph I would use at least 1" PVC for each intake, and they might all come together into 1-1/4" pipe (depends on how the pump is plumbed, and the layout of pipe inside the pond)

Another way to make this work is to make the intake of a piece of PVC that is drilled full of holes and bury the intake in the gravel (if it is gravel).

The fourth possibility is to screen off part of the pond with some screening and put a sheet of foam there. Then the intake is behind the foam.

[RATTIE]

Thanks I'll try those.

[Diana]

Here is an 'All In One' illustration: