This forum deals with ponds which have been built mainly for koi similar to those featured on the KOI Cymru website. Even if you have not built your pond yet then your views are welcome. This is a chance to discuss your ideas and views with other koi-keepers. Please mention the country,and state or county,as in different parts of the World we have different methods and climate. If you are responding to a message already posted then please use the response button on the bottom of the message, and it will then appear as a subsiduary of that message and so easier for others to find.
A good site for health is KOIVET by Dr Erich L Johnson and it can be found at www.koivet.com
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timber walled koi pond
by
i have a small "in the ground" koi pond in my garden, containing 5 koi approx. 12ins. in length. i lost the biggest koi last year in the heat of the summer.the fish have outgrown their pond, but the remaining fish are all very healthy. i have a external home made box filter, uv unit and hoselock in pond mains pump.
i have recently dismantled my 8x8 ft. greenhouse which had a 1 ft. brick base on concrete forundations. i hope to use this site to build a new pond.
i have spoken to a local builder about the construction of the "traditional" concrete block pond with raised wall sides.this has the advantage of being above ground level, preventing the washing in of soil and other muck, during periods of heavy rain.the only problem i can forsee is that this form of construction is very permenant, and may be a problem if i decide to move house, as the buyer may not require such a structure in the garden!
after a lot of thought, i am considering building the walls from housebuilding timber,6"x"2" or greater, top and bottom rails at 8ft. length with upright studs of 2-3ft.bolted and rebated into the top and bottom rails at 1ft.intervals. this frame bolted to the existing wall top. the inside face to be lined with exterior ply 1ins. thick, extending down the inside surface of the brick base to the concrete foundations. after preparing the base, obtaining a box butyl liner securing same to the top rail,overlaping with decking boards arround the edge.inlet and outlet pipes can then be positioned in the walls of the pond, before filling the cavities between the ribs with insulating foam, and finnishing the sides with more decking planks.any comments please?
Posted on Feb 4, 2006, 1:31 AM from IP address 62.252.32.14
Martin I have built a similar pond or tank in my garden for the quarantine of new fish.
The size was 8 ft x 4 ft x 4 ft. I made the frame from 4x4 treated timber and one beam at the top one in the centre and one at the bottom on all sides . This was lined with 1” marine ply for the full 4ft of the depth and an extra ¾” for 2 ft from the bottom because of the pressure. I then fastened ¼” ply on the outside this allowed me to insulate it. I would have thought that you could do away with the ¾” re-enforcing and just use the 1” ply sunk 18” into the ground. My design is great and suffers from no bowing. All the struts are half butt joints and bolted, this way the strains are working against each other.
I did find that this was not a cheap option but well worthwhile as a quick and convenient movable option.
Good Luck
Posted on Feb 8, 2006, 6:00 PM from IP address 172.215.82.13
Sorry Martin forgot to mention that the coners were each made of 3 uprights of 4" x 4" all bolted together before bolting the cross members.
A lot of bolts but I don't have any sleepless nights about wether it will be there tommorow.
PS
Posted on Feb 8, 2006, 7:38 PM from IP address 172.143.99.252
I have built a timber pond and have had good sucess
I built the walls using railway sleepers, the Oak ones, that were pre used.
They come in at about 6inches by 10 inches, and 8 feet 6 inches long, about 25 pounds each.
My pond is 1.3metres tall.
all the sleepers were joined by drilling through, and hammering a 1/2 inch rebar down through.
All my corners were made using simple lap joints, and i made them more complicated by making them 45 degree corners.
the inside was lined 1st with galvanised steel, 0.5mm thick nailed in place, (to stop mice and vermin) and then 1 inch polystyrene. in hindsight plywood would also work as well.
Finally i had a butyl liner made to fit. Capping on top of the sleepers, and securing the liner was oak boards, 1 inch thick.
bottom drains were installed, and installed through the liner.
I have heated the pond, and have an oversized bubble bead filter. It all works very well, very solid. As long as you do not go deeper than 1.5M normal expanded polystyrene will not get crushed.
I cut all the joints with a chainsaw, although a hand saw could be used, but will kill your arms!
I would be able to send some ics if you need, or can suggest sleeper supliers in somerset, and steel and polystyrene suppliers in Bristol if you wish.
I do know of a place that will supply new oak sleepers without holes or creosote for £35 plus vat each, it would be easier to work with, and it would depend on the finish you wanted, and of course budget. The beauty of oak is that no way will it rot!
Good luck!
Gary
Posted on Feb 8, 2006, 10:38 PM from IP address 195.93.21.70
Hi Gary,
This sounds like an interesting pond build.
If you would like to email me some photos I can make up an article on the Koi Cymru website as this will probably be of interest to many koi-keepers. You can send as many photos as you like as I have broadband, but if there are a lot of photos then please send them in several different emails. Eric
Posted on Feb 9, 2006, 7:05 AM from IP address 86.128.93.93
It was an epic build! the worst part was excavating 3 feet down through existing concrete into very hard clay and down to bedrock! however the construction method would lend itself to an existing concrete base, providing the existing base would take the total wieght of the pond that is.
It has been more or less comleted for the last 2 years, and unfortunately I did not take photo's during the buld.
I can however take plenty more and describe the process, but it will take me a week or so, as i will be away on business next week.
I have made some modifications over the initial design, as I had originally installed a large 4 chamber filter box, only to discover it was difficult for my wife to maintain whilst I was working away, hence the rather pricey bubble bead filter now in place.
I can write the history of the build and of the lessons learned as well. I can go through the calculations of wieght/pressure etc that i used.
Due to the location i have a few problems i need to still sort out, due to shade and lighting, however with the actual pond, and construction I have had no problems at all
I did find it was for me easier to build than a concrete pond, as my blockwork is pretty shambolic, and working in wood more satisfying!
My personal email address is garyharrisonuk@aol.com
Best Regards,
Gary
Posted on Feb 11, 2006, 9:13 PM from IP address 195.93.21.70
Hi
We are emigrating and have a number of koi and other fish to sell. The local garden centre offered to take them off our hands (for nothing) no kidding!!!
Would anyone be interested in buying them, a fraction of the cost of that garden centre. We hate to let them go, but they just won't take to flying!
We live in the newport area.
Many thanks
julie
Posted on Feb 6, 2006, 9:43 PM from IP address 83.104.91.49
The colours are washing out even after feeding them Spirulina rich foods, they are still fading fast.
The fish are all 4 years old.
I am thinking that it may be because the pool gets no direct sunlight, and is in a shaded courtyard.
I need to know what type of artificial lighting i need? exactly what type of lamps etc, there are many UV lights on the market for different purposes, and I dont want to give them all sunburn!
Any help would be appreciated.
Gary
Posted on Feb 7, 2006, 6:27 PM from IP address 195.93.21.70
hi dont know if your problem is cuased from the shade .my pond has a cover over it which lets in no light at all i have it lit up by ordinary garden spot lights which is no substitut for sunlight this was done for my own viewing purposes my koi are all healthy and colour patterns are strong with new colour coming through all the time . as for what bulbs i dont know most of the bulbs are usually for plant life
Posted on Feb 11, 2006, 8:42 AM from IP address 81.79.5.231
I have the opportunity to obtain a fibreglass trailer roof measuring 12 feet x 24 feet so i am trying to make a circular pond. I have dug out my 9 wide x 3 deep and intend to lay a circle on sand at the bottom and a strip to line the walls and so on. Where is the cheapest place to buy the fibreglass matting and resin so I can seal the seams.
Posted on Feb 10, 2006, 7:09 PM from IP address 82.42.122.84
Hi could anyone out there help me with the design of the Ideal plumbing for a Nexus 300. I want to use 2 bottom drains and any purge draining will have to be pumped as the mains drain is higher. I want to put everthing in at the begining so that in a few years time I will not look back and wish I'd done that. This includes all plumbing for the perfect pond. It should be around 5'000 gals when finished but as everyone knows things (especialy Koi ponds) have a habit of growing.
Cheers
Phil
Posted on Feb 6, 2006, 5:53 PM from IP address 172.200.79.75
I have 2 sturgeon that have been living with my koi for 11/2 years now and I have a 4" bottem drain in my pond, but the sturgeon were about 12" when I bought them ,I had some small sturgeon in my other pond but they did not last,got caught up in blanket weed and died. After that I was advised not to buy the smaller sturgeon as I was told that they don't always survive at the young age that some dealers sell them at. If you get them too small I think that they would try and get into the bottem drain, like some of my smaller koi did ,it didn't seem to do them any harm but you never saw them
Look on the web for Grahams site ,have used him and he is very helpfull and very knowledgable, and the sturgeon love his own made up food.
Hope this helps
John
Posted on Jan 31, 2006, 8:54 PM from IP address 62.255.32.14
How big is your "albino stugeon", can you tell me if you think that they stand out more when you look down into your pond, I have 2 sturgeon about 19" long but some times it is hard to spot them on the bottom of the pond was wondering if I would be better getting an Albino next time, not seen one in the flesh only pictures and they are usually in the blue baths
Would like your input on this if you don't mind .
John
Posted on Jan 31, 2006, 9:02 PM from IP address 62.255.32.14
I bought an Albino Sturgeon/Sterlet for that very reason ... I wanted to see him and, yes, he doesn't half stand out ... everyone is fascinated with him and not a bit interested in my Koi!
I think I'm right in saying that Albino Sturgeons are blind (being pale and pink-eyed) ... he certainly appears to be ... by swimming into things and doesn't see my hand right by him in the water. I throw his (Graham's) food in at night so the koi are as blind as he is and he feeds well.
I've had him for 2 years now and he has to be 24"+ ... I think they (Sterlets) grow to about 30"? One thing I do remember, though, is that he was twice the price of the normal dark ones and was imported from Portugal.
Sue
Posted on Jan 31, 2006, 11:08 PM from IP address 195.93.21.70
My story is similar to Johns in that I too once had 2 sterlets from a young age but the dreaded blanket weed accounted for one of mine.
The other lives quite happily even though I have a large bottom drain. He actually helps to gently stir the koi waste towards it so it can then pull.
Unfortunately he lost the end part of his nose when I once caught him in the koi net and he got it stuck between the mesh holes and as he wriggled out he ripped it off (ouch!) but it doesn't seemed to have effected him as he feeds well and barges under the koi as they try to beat him to the pellets.
He is approx 18 inches (45cms for our european friends) and is easy to see..........in a blue bowl !!
Posted on Feb 6, 2006, 2:48 PM from IP address 213.120.71.165
Can anyone give me some ideas/support as to what my showas growth could be?
He has one on the tail and a couple on the other side of his body only smaller.
To me it doesn't look like the carp pox which my chargois have had over the last couple of winters, although no sign of it this year.
My pond is heated to 10 degrees at present and I have just started feeding small amounts of wheatgerm based pellet after fasting them since new year.
Any help greatly appreciated
Posted on Feb 6, 2006, 12:19 PM from IP address 213.120.71.165
Im upgrading my pond filtration i dont need an old fibreglass filter, its a Kockney Koi 4000. I was considering converting it to a trickle tower, with a drip plate over the top, filling the four chambers with flocor, and having the drainvalves as outlets. The drop will be around 18", but the filter is 36" long so would this make up for the lack of height the water has to drop? Would it work well enough to help lower nitrates(reduce blanket weed)?
Thanks
Posted on Feb 2, 2006, 10:55 PM from IP address 82.38.197.142
i've just lost 2 fish in 3 days. i have turned off the waterfall since the start of the winter to keep the temp down and had a pipe running from the outlet to half way into the pond to keep the circulation going. i think its due to the freezing weather although the larger koi had a bloated underbelly. the smaller fish was a large goldfish (8"). any experts out there with any advice i need to carry out to stop any others goin the same way.
Posted on Jan 29, 2006, 7:10 PM from IP address 80.42.45.105
The only thing that I can surgest is test your water ,if you don't have the tests yourselve go along to any Koi place etc and they will test it for you. I have not been keeping Koi that long but what I have leant is that it is wise to get your own testing kits and keep testing the water when anything odd occurs ,like fish flashing or any signs of distress and treat accordingly.
From past experiences I know that Koi /gold fish etc are at their most vurnerable this time of year.
I find that doing small water changes every other week seems to keep my pond in good order.
Hope this helps
John
Posted on Jan 31, 2006, 9:12 PM from IP address 62.255.32.14
hi, i have just plumbed in a 300 nexus and find that when i open the small valve to purge the inner waste chamber, the outer chamber with the media in also empties? is this normal? first experience with this type of filter so any pointers a great help.
Posted on Jan 24, 2006, 8:53 PM from IP address 62.253.64.17
i,m no electrition. could some one please help me work out the above.the reason for my confusion is regarding phase 1 & 2? my short list is badutop8 2850gph .33kw. ora dolphin 33m 2816gph 1/3 hp . also is there any equivelant pumps that other pond keepers would recomend.i hope to run from my b/d into anexus 300/sand filter /55w uv then returned to the pond .i also have a skimmer i intend to power with a sequence approx 2000gph and at a later date add a vortex or a seive before returning .my pond will be aprox 6k when full,great site ,loads of info .thanks in advance
Posted on Jan 22, 2006, 11:15 AM from IP address 195.93.21.70
Hi,I run a Dolphin 33m on my bead filter it certainly has plenty of power but I got 2 differant electricians to check it with power meters and wattage came out at 726 watts,thats expensive to run.
It's about time something was done about false/inaccurate info on pumps.
I am now looking at the wave 1/4 hp pump which gives 6000gph for 300 watts and these have been tested by some koi keepers in the UK.
Have a look on www.koiquest.co.uk under pond gizmos then click on wave pumps.
Tony.
Posted on Jan 22, 2006, 2:02 PM from IP address 86.145.187.138
If I start with phases first.
Power in the uk is distributed in three phases with a commoned Neutral/earth bond. Uk households tap into one of these three phases with regard to Neutral for a 230V supply. So many houses in each street tap into a specific phase so the load on the 3 phases is ballanced. In industry, we use all three phases with either gives us three seperate 230V supplies with respet to Neutral, or 380V across any two phases. Each phase is 120 degreees apart which makes sense when you think about the turbines turning in a circle generating an electrical field in each phase.
You do not want a two phase pump on your pond. You won't have a 2 phase supply so the pump won't get the energy it needs to perform efficiently if you try and run it on a 230v single phase supply. You need a single phase pump designed for 230V supplies instead.
The power is expressed in Watts normally and this could be avarage, peak or midway between the two. Most 10,000 litre pumps use 250 watts approximately so look for a pump with the lowest watts quoted and you should be ok.
Alan.
Posted on Jan 23, 2006, 11:15 AM from IP address 213.120.101.21
Hi Alan,thats our problem the wattage stated by the majority of pump manufacturers are not whats in the box.
Nearly everyone has a 230 volt single phase supply.
In my case with the Dolphin 33m the wattage stated was around 300 + watts but under load was actually running at 726 watts,more than double. I contacted my supplier and told him that the watts were way above what was in his literature and on the box. His reply was that applies to most pumps sold today and it wasn't his problem. That attitude changed when he got a letter from my solicitor informing him that I was considering legal action against him.Within 24hrs I got a call informing me that he would remove any referance to watts from future literature on pumps,to his credit he has too.
We have now resolved the problem and I am still running the Dolphin for now as I have a Bead filter so need the power and as I said earlier I am currently looking at the Wave series pumps from America which I think some UK dealers are testing at present and look promising.
Posted on Jan 24, 2006, 9:08 AM from IP address 86.139.210.225
The manufacturers state the watts consumed to turn the pump over and deliver a given amount of water at zero head. The manufacturers don't know how much load the end user will apply, how many bends there are in pipework etc or how high it has to lift through this pipework so they cannot really quantify the consumption in all scenarios.
If the figure quoted by the manufacturers don't match reality (At zero head only) it would be a rare event. For safety reasons, (fuse values, cable ratings etc) they are obliged under EU & UK standards to quote accurate figures.
I would test pumps at zero head and see if it differs significantly from the manufacturers specs. If it does, complain to trading standards. If it does not, the spec is correct and any additional consumption under load is to be expected.
Alan F.
Posted on Jan 29, 2006, 12:40 PM from IP address 213.120.101.21
Hi all anyone else in the south west just built a Koi pond i live in a place called Yate 10 miles north of Bristol as i have built my pond with the sole help of this website i was wondering if anyone local or otherwise had done the same,Swop some pics ect and see how they have built thers.Filter setups ect I am about to heat the pond as i dont like my babies out there freezing there fins off and putting my Favorite mate "Eric" by the fire to keep warm would make him not very happy.
Thanks in advance
Steve.
Posted on Jan 29, 2006, 4:00 AM from IP address 81.86.112.120
This is a good idea and I hope someone takes you up on it.
In the meantime why not send me some photos and description of your pond and maybe we can get some discussion and ideas going on this Forum. We could look at the different way people do things, and this could also help people about to start building a pond.
I have broadband so you can send me emails with 3 or 4 photos at a time. If you prefer I can email you my address and you can post them to me on a CD or the photos themselves if you do not have a digital camera.
I have just done one for Tony and Sharon of Kent, and you can see it at http://www.koicymru.co.uk/ponduk06.htm
Posted on Jan 29, 2006, 7:21 AM from IP address 86.128.167.178
I am new to Koi keeping, am just designing my pond. I have had recommended to me the Advantage bead filters can anyone tell what they think of them as they seem to be a very good product.
Posted on Jan 28, 2006, 12:51 PM from IP address 82.163.154.50
I`m getting ready to make a bigger pond this year and I`m concerned as to how to seal the drain pipe in the concrete.Is the pipe just painted with unibond before casting or just buried in concrete or what ? Thanks
Posted on Jan 25, 2006, 8:10 PM from IP address 88.111.19.98
You just pour the concrete around the bottom drain and the pipe.
Would you please add the first letter of your surname after your Christian name as we may have another Richard posting on the Forum. This also applies to everyone else.
Posted on Jan 26, 2006, 6:45 AM from IP address 86.128.167.178
Thanks Eric ,It might have seemed a daft question with an obvious answer to you but it`s sods law that if I`d just cast it and it had leaked and then found out I needed a seal or something.Any way thanks a lot .This forum looks like it`s going to be very useful in the coming summer months. Sorry about my I/D so I`ve changed it slighty.
Posted on Jan 26, 2006, 8:57 PM from IP address 88.109.44.48
The whole idea of this Forum is that people can ask any query they have, and hopefully prevent them making mistakes which are difficult or expensive to correct.
It is always useful to have someone to check with, and our readers have plenty recent experience of building their ponds.
The pages on the pond construction on the Koi Cymru have to be fairly general as there are so many ways of doing the same thing.
Posted on Jan 27, 2006, 7:26 AM from IP address 86.128.167.178
Hi James
Looking at the demensions for the size of your pond you are looking at around 3,000 gallons or there abouts, I would recomend the Aquamax 10,000 or the sequence (750) now know as the 10,000. Both of these pumps have been very reliable for many people over the years and served them well.
The Sequence is a pump which has to be run dry, Where as the Aquamax can be run submersed or as a dry pump. I must point out the Aquamax 10,000 is the old model which has been replaced with the 8,000 or 12,000 pumps but i have heard it say a lot of people prefered the older models.These older models can still be purchased at a few koi dealers up and down the country at a very reasonable price now.
I have 2 Aquamax 5,500 on my pond which i run dry and a Aquamax 10,000 on the skimmer which is also run dry.No problems yet but then a again mine is a new pond and only been up and running for the last three months.
The reason i put two 5,500 on the filters instead of the 10,000 was because if there was any kind of pump failure on one of the pumps,i still have one running while the other one can be repaired. Iknow the initial out lay was more but in my opinion was well worth it for peace of mind.
Forgot to mention the Aquamax has a 5 year guarantee and 10 metres of cable.
The Sequence has a 1-2 year guarantee i think but dont quote me on that,may be someone else on here could confirm that.
Hope this helps.
Regards Shaun F.
Posted on Jan 25, 2006, 4:13 PM from IP address 83.100.238.117
Hi shaun thanks for your reply ! Is there a way that you can calculate the size of pump you need by the volume of water you have in the pond by how often it needs to circulate ?
Posted on Jan 25, 2006, 5:30 PM from IP address 81.19.57.146
Hi James
Yes as a general rule of thumb you want to be turning the entire volume of your pond over once every two hours, The Aquamax and Sequence pumps i mention have a out put rating of 2,000 -2,1000 gallons an hour on the box but this is at zero head,But by the time you take into account the length of pipe work, bends,and the UV it has to go through you will be more likely to looking at around 1,250-1,400 gallons an hour,which would be ideal for your pond if it was around the 2,500-3,000 gallons.
As a general guide to pumps i find their do around 2/3 of what is says on the box.
Hope this helps
Shaun F.
Posted on Jan 25, 2006, 8:19 PM from IP address 83.100.132.218
Hi James
Looking at the demensions for the size of your pond you are looking at around 3,000 gallons or there abouts, I would recomend the Aquamax 10,000 or the sequence (750) now know as the 10,000. Both of these pumps have been very reliable for many people over the years and served them well.
The Sequence is a pump which has to be run dry, Where as the Aquamax can be run submersed or as a dry pump. I must point out the Aquamax 10,000 is the old model which has been replaced with the 8,000 or 12,000 pumps but i have heard it say a lot of people prefered the older models.These older models can still be purchased at a few koi dealers up and down the country at a very reasonable price now.
I have 2 Aquamax 5,500 on my pond which i run dry and a Aquamax 10,000 on the skimmer which is also run dry.No problems yet but then a again mine is a new pond and only been up and running for the last three months.
The reason i put two 5,500 on the filters instead of the 10,000 was because if there was any kind of pump failure on one of the pumps,i still have one running while the other one can be repaired. Iknow the initial out lay was more but in my opinion was well worth it for peace of mind.
Forgot to mention the Aquamax has a 5 year guarantee and 10 metres of cable.
The Sequence has a 1-2 year guarantee i think but dont quote me on that,may be someone else on here could confirm that.
Hope this helps.
Regards Shaun F.
Posted on Jan 25, 2006, 4:15 PM from IP address 83.100.238.117
once spring arrives i am planning to reconstruct my waterfall. i currently have a 5" fall which will stay the same but it is quite noisy. if i make up layers of slate so the water runs a longer distance will this decrease or increase the noise.also can i use sand/cement to permantely fix the layers of slate. All help appreciated as i have never done anything like this before.
(pond size 2000 gallons)
Posted on Jan 17, 2006, 4:21 PM from IP address 80.42.47.188
The water running a longer distance over slate will not make any difference to the noise.
The five inch height that the water falls into the water makes most of the noise.
This will increase or decrease depending on how much water you are passing over the waterfall.
You can use sand and cement to fix the layers of slate, but you will need to paint the cement when it is dry with something like G4 or Koi-Kote.
Posted on Jan 25, 2006, 7:27 PM from IP address 86.128.167.178
Hi, I wondered if there is anybody else as daft as me to convert their outdoor pond into a tropical pond. My pond houses a redtail catfish approx 44 inches long and probably 40lbs, a channel catfish approx 36 inches long about 15lbs, a giant pacu approx 30 inches long about 10lbs and three large koi. The pond is heated to 20 centigrade, housed with glass and brick walls and lots of insulation around the filters. I would love to hear from somebody else as daft and yes the heating bills are astronomical!!!
Posted on Jan 24, 2006, 12:10 PM from IP address 62.254.0.48
My pond is 4,500 galls and I have just installed a trickle tower measuring 5ft x 10 ins. I have filled to the top with alfagrog and am wondering if these specifications are correct for the size of the pond.
John
Posted on Jan 21, 2006, 9:31 AM from IP address 81.131.31.230
You should find your TT is ok. Taller and thinner is just as effective as shorter, wider versions. If your pond in unheated, you probably won't see it working fully until the spring.
Alan F.
Posted on Jan 23, 2006, 11:02 AM from IP address 213.120.101.21
hi, i have filled my new 2800 gal pond and turned on the air to the spindrifter and dont get so much as a bubble? i have a medo la 45 directly to a 10mm pipe through a 1 inch duct onto the spindrifter, duct is about 3 metres long and pond depth 4 feet six, air line is clear so im stumped , i was assured the medo would pump enough air at that depth but theres nothing, any ideas? thanks,danny.
Posted on Jan 23, 2006, 8:56 PM from IP address 62.253.64.17
