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  1. #1
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Cool freds new pond build

    03.jpg

    this is photo of my old pond before rebuild Notice my New nexus and ultra sieve 3 to left of pond in photo

    hi all. the build started 3 weeks ago. dimensions are length 13.5 feet. width 13 feet depth 6 feet. base with bottom aireated bottom drain
    2x windows one from atlantica 4 sided frame. and one is going to be infinity window.
    skimmer to pod
    nexus 320 to upper pond
    bottom drain to ultra sieve 3
    all the best fred

    start of build first tree removed broke my heart to cut this down. but had to be done to complete my dream Before cut down.
    01.jpg

    Now the dream begins moved this tree for summer house ooh yeah
    this is the reason i am going 3 foot above ground my new grandson Ellis James. i had to carry my other children around the garden or lock doors.
    15a.jpg

    now the big dig. digger moves in. had to move part of fence. Not to bothered though. as having six foot walls all round to replace the fences
    15.jpg








































    do not know why photo is on its side i uploaded the right way up.
    dug out 25 ton of soil and clay

    now to get rid of soil and clay. i had a mate to get rid off it with his wagon. but his wagon was off the road for a week
    so i hired a grabber truck. after talking to Shaun the builder Clear Water Aquatics from Hull. that's where i am from. it would have cost about £1200 for skips.grabber truck cost £306.00
    had to be done cheap at half the price. we also needed another half day on the digger. to complete the dig. so up nice and early for grab truck 0600.


    13.jpg


    14.jpg

    Dig now complete 16 ton of soil taken away Shaun gluing 1" inch air pipe to bottom drain
    don't know why photos are uploading on side ways also photo of 4"inch pipe being glued. also has been tested

    09.jpg

    11.jpg

    bottom drain and pipes ran to filter house thats where my ultra sieve 3 will connect so not a long run on pipes. drain tested
    12.jpg
    now for the concrete to go in for base.Fibres where added for strength and it was pumped straight in from concrete lorry
    down a long tube the lads brought with them i was away on the oil rigs when this was put in.
    half hour after the 8"inch base was put in and laid the heavens opened with rain and snow
    and it was soon under 4"inch of water. lucky it still went off and hardened .i kept getting updates from the missus and photos

    15c.jpg

    you can see water here

    15f.jpg
    Blocks loaded down to bottom of pond for laying. Blocks when cemented in will be belly down for strength still lot of water
    notice on the right of photo my inner wall has started this i where my upper pond and filter house will run off.and be tied in
    15 j.jpg
    Building and start of wall for pond eventually this wall willn carry on all around the garden six feet high
    15 i.jpg

    where there at now with wall about 30 feet and 4 foot high notice ties of the wall thats where upper pond and filter house are coming off
    shaun with his dog. goes every where with him. lucky it gets on with my dog bailey a staffie bull terrier

    20160324_105006.jpg

    Laying if blocks
    15 m.jpg

    15 n.jpg

    Notice the red brick work on bends quarter bricks also i went for old looking bricks. i did not want the same all round the garden and pond like my conservatory
    also wheer the brick ends this is where my atlantica window is going to sit. thats what the brick has been placed for to show were it will fit.
    there will also be another course of bricks on inside then rendered
    17.jpg
    you can see one of my pond returns i am having one going one way and the other going the other way. not ran at same time
    one for one week and other the next week. so as to push mess on bottom around one side then the other for bottom drain to collect
    separate ball valves these will run from skimmer and easy pod
    19.jpg
    Long view off where we are at notice block work that is the upper pond inner wall going up
    20.jpg


    Attached Images Attached Images
    • File Type: jpg 13.jpg (348.4 KB, 217 views)
    Last edited by freddyboy; 27-03-2016 at 05:45 AM.

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  3. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Cool Thanks water hog

    here is what i fell in love with and my dream began except i am having 2 x windows

    20151111_134943.jpg
    with window love it
    20151111_134952.jpg




    Thanks waterdog for the reply. I have tried all of them.still cannot get them to upload. it then went to manage files an two was in there pressed go and there still not on my thread where do they go to. And I keep getting advert coming up.how do you stop them. Thanks again fred now getting them up loaded thanks again.
    what type of set up do you have and where you from i live in Hull all the best freddyboy

    when emptied pond i put my fish in holding tank on air and easy pod filter. they have been in there for 4 weeks now
    06.jpg
    do not know why some pictures go on side ways. uploaded the right way
    some plumbing done for filter house bottom drain air and two TPR returns

    20160324_113902.jpg

    another delivery of ballast 2 off these and 2 sand and 2 cement plus another 2 pallets of bricks notice 2 returns in pond
    20160324_105214.jpg

    a new type of fish a dog fish ha ha. we had to put him in there so as not to get out through the fence while it was took away for delivery.

    20160324_105412.jpg
    here is a photo of the bottom of my skimmer box. it needs to be converted to 3"inch for filter easy pod
    i will be having a super fish 15000 pump on this line notice it has been marked for drilling a ninety bend will come of this
    it was one and a half inch
    20160324_114151.jpg



    one of my new dry self priming pumps i have two of these speck badu 12 top and a 14 top
    30.jpg
    two of these air pumps 130 LPM for nexus clean and an 80 LPM for bottom drain i also have a an 80 for easy pod EVO air
    20160121_104046.jpg
    my new electric box for pumps and lights digital it warns if pumps are dry. plus i believe it switches pumps off
    i got this recommended to me. have not done much home work on this yet. armour cable running from my main switch board in the house to filter house

    31 (2).jpg


    My skimmer bought with intention of fitting blocks easy you can raise plate so as to what level on opening.
    20151105_142220.jpg

    thinking of getting one of these put in but have not made mind up yet.might wait a year and let kaldi mature
    Draco Drum they look the business more affordable then the stand alone drums just drop in and plug and play a couple of pipe to join up once easy has been taken out

    06 draco drum.jpg
    they lookn the business
    07 draco drum.jpg
    controller

    09 draco drum.jpg


    • Dimensions are 495mm X 310mm X 540mm deep (drum only). 340mm from base of drum chassis to nominal running water level (user adjustable + 15mm, -50mm). Height above water level 210mm
    • Filters down to 58 microns
    • Can be used without a pressure wash pump - wash cycle runs off a normal garden hose with a minimum pressure of 2.5 bar with good flow.
    • Power used when active - Standby 11.5 watts. Active 35 watts. Active with optional pressure pump 78 watts
    • All electrics on the drum itself are low - 9v for the sensors and 12v DC for drive and water control, including the optional pressure pump.
    • Drive system comprises direct gearing to the back of the drum minimising complexity, the sealed motor unit is mounted on a single pivot swing arm as a safety feature to stop foreign bodies jamming the system
    • Simple installation via multiple types of adaptor plate which are interchangeable
    • Single, pre-wired connection from controller to drum. Just plug and play
    • Ability to site controller up to 4 metres away from the unit
    • Status of controller is available via simple, high intensity, colour coded LEDs
    • Easily accessible water level sensors that can be adjusted to accommodate any situation
    • All parts are modular and are replaceable in the event of any damage or failure
    • Wholly designed and built in the UK by DracoDrum


    The DracoDrum Solution
    Why a drum at all?
    Although traditionally more expensive than almost all other forms of purely mechanical filtration, drums have 2 redeeming features - the ability to consistently filter out particles down to around 50 to 90 microns and to vastly reduce maintenance and cleaning on any filter system they are fitted to. Because they take so much debris out of the water at the beginning of the filtration process, it allows the "back end" or biological part of the filter to work far more efficiently as it doesn't have to cope with low levels of muck building up on the bacterial surfaces. This also reduces the risk of bacterial infection on your fish as there are fewer places for "bad bacteria" to propogate. The results are almost akin to getting a whole new filter.

    Why DracoDrum?
    Dracodrum was designed as a more affordable drop in solution that is easy to use. Initial price of a drum was always very expensive and then there were the hidden costs of plumbing a standalone unit in, usually involving lots of expensive 4 inch pipe and just the pure hassle of having to move everything around to physically fit them in to any existing system. Sometimes this scenario alone ruled out drum installs for most. Also there seems to be a bit of an "arms race" of extra features going on and on face value this seems to make them more complex for the user to install and use. There must be a simpler way.


    From the absolute start, DracoDrum was designed to fit in the front of an ERIC filter to replace the subjectively high maintenance brush box system used in these units. The brief was to come up with a product that could drop in without a single modification to the original filter. It then had to be extremely easy to "wire up" and commission and then it had to be easy to maintain, with everything easily replaceable. It also had to have all the features needed to make a drum work but keep it within the chassis of the drum to allow it to be installed in almost any situation, no matter how tight.
    The result is a drum that not only fits in an ERIC filter, but fits the 300 series Nexus units and single inlet vortexes over 33 inches in Diameter. We are also looking at multi chamber units but on a case by case basis as there are so many different types. Spring 2016 will see the introduction of a standalone unit and a smaller drum for nexus 200 series filters and smaller vortexes and larger multibays.
    The remotely sited controller has start / emergency stop buttons and a knob allowing you to change the length of wash. It also has 2 leads - one to plug in to the mains supply (110v and 230v, auto selectable) and one to plug in to the drum. Status of the unit is via 4 colour coded LEDs. We didn't think we could make it any simpler than that. Low voltage, sealed water valves and drive units utilising an extremely low geared direct drive system mean that only 12 volts is anywhere near your pond water. It is also designed to run without a noisy and power hungry wash pump in most circumstances, so on standby the unit can use less than 12 watts and in full wash mode, use 35 watts. It is entirely possible to run it off a car battery for prolonged periods of time.
    For those of you who like to have some bling, unfortunately the DracoDrum does not have anything shiny on it but does come in a rather fetching polished black polypropylene with a striking logo on top and not forgetting the dapper red drum seal which will certainly make it stand out from the crowd...

    well folks hope your learning of the thread i know i am. also of this site with some of the info i have gathered up
    my pond build is on hold now until Tuesday after Easter holidays .all the very best freddy boy.




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    • File Type: jpg 03.jpg (403.5 KB, 248 views)
    Last edited by freddyboy; 27-03-2016 at 07:07 AM.

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  5. #3
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Mature Champion AdamKoi78's Avatar
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    Looking good freddy.��No pond build would be complet without a dog in the pictures.( rhodesian ridgeback or hungarian vizsla? )

  6. #4
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    my dog bailey and thanks

    20150612_062138[1].jpg

    THANKS for the Reply Andy your pond looks very nice i hope mine looks half as good.how long di it take to build. i wish i was 10 years
    younger i would have liked to have had a go at it. instead of getting a firm in. i probably would have saved half at least with my own labour.
    me and the wife fully concreted the garden and pond together ok it was in ground but it has done us proud over the last seven teen years
    i am sixty now plus i work on the oil rigs so i am away 3 weeks on 3 weeks off. so would not have had time. plus fitness. mind you shaun and matty know there stuff.
    take care mate all the best fred

    just had a look at your build your filter house is like a front living room. smart mate bet your proud of your build.. nice dogs as well mate. how long did you wait after fibre glassing before filled with water. then
    how long before you put you fish in.nice fish by the way. i remember reading your build as it was going a long. mine aint even half your gallonage should be 5000 gal in main pond and so much in upper pond.aint calculated that yet, all the best fred

    wish i had a garden as large as yours i would have a swimming pool for my fish ha ha take care fred
    Last edited by freddyboy; 27-03-2016 at 11:54 AM.

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  8. #5
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Mature Champion AdamKoi78's Avatar
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    I think I waited only a few days before trying to fill my pond after fibreglassing Fred. I had a problem with a patch of the flow coat which set it back a little but was sorted. I think I waited roughly a week after filling and heating the water to 15°c/16°c before putting in any fish. I used a EA dechlorinator when filling.

    Keep the pictures and updates coming.

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  10. #6
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    i aint having heating on mine, so i do not have to spend time heating it up. i only lost one fish in 17 years of koi keeping.and that was my fault i fed in winter
    and it mucked its livers up. Learned a valuable lesson there. so now i do not feed under ten degrees. thanks for the info on declhoinater . one of the lads who is doing the pond build matty. he
    does the water side of things for there firm clear water aquatics. he has degrees in marine biology. when they build ponds he looks after the water parameters. so i will have an expert to start it all off.
    mind you i have done it myself over the years. my pond has been fully emptied at least four times with leaks in liners. and relined. Did you put EA declaring tor in the build.or was this on your garden water hose at first pond fill up. I might a acquire one of them to attach to garden hose on fill up.nice one mate. That's what this is about. Ideas
    best fred
    Last edited by freddyboy; 28-03-2016 at 02:16 AM.

  11. #7
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Nanasai waterdog's Avatar
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    Hi freddyboy,

    Glad you got the pics sorted, keep them coming Takes me back to my build(s). Now planning rebuild number 3 lol.

    I'm based in sussex but there are quite a few on here near you, shout up and you will get lots of help and advice if you need it.
    Be good to hear your thoughts on the drum as I've been thinking about one for my nexus.

    Cheers

    Waterdog

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  13. #8
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Hi there water dog thanks for all your help with the photos mate. The Draco drum. I have had a few e mails going with Tony's at Draco. All he wants to do is help. We will see say in 2 years. When it has been tried and tested.

    what I like about it is some one is taking on the big boys. I think the price is more realistic £999.00 and extra for fittings say £120 .the average wage earner can afford this. I mean what you paying for a drum. With ripping out plumbing and re plumbing. For a stand alone. I bet it ain't. Fa r of two and a half grand to three grand.

    so look at it this way what you got to lose. Put it straight in the nexus after taking easy out. Three pipes inside nexus to plumb in. Water right from your garden hose. If pressure is 1.95 bar. No ripping out pipe work. I think it is a no brainier. They reckon it can be fitted in an hour. It's supposed to be that easy.

    what I do not like though is it is like trickle fed. Because what it dumps to waste has to be replaced. So you need either trickle system and over flow. Or auto top up.

    i am getting auto top up and over flow built into my new build any way . That was planned before I saw the Draco.

    and to end it off Yes I think it is brilliant bit of kit. Just think no more cleaning. Go on holidays and not worry. And to top it off parts are British. And easy to get. Tell me what you think of it mate. You have my opinion. Brill
    best Fred

    forgot to add. I was planning my build for 8 months. Build should have started in November. But the firm who are building.had that much going on.i had to wait patiently for them to finish over jobs.and now it's started. It started middle of February.so making slow progress.
    its the weather it's slowing everything up. Take now while I am typing this thread out storm Katie is ripping into us.and its belting down with rain. Build number 3. What you made of money. How come mate. Bigger or did not get it right the first two times. Or is it you want another design for garden. This is my lot after this build. Oh by the way I will be working on the missus all this week for my Christmas present early. Ha ha you got it Draco drum
    best fred
    Last edited by freddyboy; 28-03-2016 at 02:26 AM.

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    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Gosai digger's Avatar
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    Loving this build Fred. Good luck with it mate.

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  16. #10
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    thanks digger i was reading your build thee other night. nice pond mate. nice size. did yourself proud there mate
    the weather is holding us back a bit now. But will get there in the end. like i said earlier in the thread. i have been patient
    up to now.. so will wait a little longer for it all to complete.have you still to finish of your garden this spring. i want mine finished for the start of the summer.
    it was supposed to be completed for april may. i am doing mine in two parts. the pond builders are doing the pond plus walls all a round. also paving up
    to where the tree was. once this is completed i will then go on to next project.with another builder to put base down and have summer house put in with hot tub for the wife.
    so she can have hot tub partys. that was part of the deal. glad you like the thread. the builder should start again tomorrow weather depending. i think there laying the base for filter house and upper pond.
    plus some more brick work. i wish i was going only 2 and a half feet above ground. but with grand children. have to go 3 feet. all the best and glad you like the build. starting to get excited now. coming together slowly just looked at your new TV like the fish some nice looking fish there mate.
    all the best mate fred
    Last edited by freddyboy; 28-03-2016 at 10:54 AM.

  17. #11
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion pondwithnoname's Avatar
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    Great documentation of your build Freddyboy thanks for sharing, wish I could get vehicle access to my next build I'm going to have to borrow everything a couple of hundred foot and down three different sets of terrace steps.
    Alias PWNN - Steve
    My favourite and recommended web site is......
    http://www.mankysanke.co.uk/
    http://www.freewebs.com/koikoi/

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  19. #12
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    to pond with no name or steve. thanks for the kind words mate. i also have bad access. where you see the grabber is a doctors surgery
    i have to have everything delivered early. my home was the doctors years ago.i have been in here 25 years now. they aint to happy. because of car build up in the car park
    plus its locked up at weekends. big iron fences plus cctv. i have to have everything lifted over with lorry cranes. cannot use my front way no access because i had an exstension built on the side of the house.
    not as bad as yours though. if we had to barrow to skips it would be about 70 meters. another reason for grabber truck. thanks for reading good look with your next build best fred

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  21. #13
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    hi everyone just a update had to pump out five inches of water out of the new build pond
    lots of rain here in hull. also my hold vat for fish. had to pump out about four inches of water
    have to keep an eye on the fish holding vat. don't want my fish on the ground.

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  23. #14
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion lee63's Avatar
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    freds new pond build

    Must say your build looks really well freddyboy. Glad to have another local on here too we have had some rain today mate.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Its always a work in progress

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  25. #15
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Gosai digger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by freddyboy View Post
    thanks digger i was reading your build thee other night. nice pond mate. nice size. did yourself proud there mate
    the weather is holding us back a bit now. But will get there in the end. like i said earlier in the thread. i have been patient
    up to now.. so will wait a little longer for it all to complete.have you still to finish of your garden this spring. i want mine finished for the start of the summer.
    it was supposed to be completed for april may. i am doing mine in two parts. the pond builders are doing the pond plus walls all a round. also paving up
    to where the tree was. once this is completed i will then go on to next project.with another builder to put base down and have summer house put in with hot tub for the wife.
    so she can have hot tub partys. that was part of the deal. glad you like the thread. the builder should start again tomorrow weather depending. i think there laying the base for filter house and upper pond.
    plus some more brick work. i wish i was going only 2 and a half feet above ground. but with grand children. have to go 3 feet. all the best and glad you like the build. starting to get excited now. coming together slowly just looked at your new TV like the fish some nice looking fish there mate.
    all the best mate fred
    Cheers for your kind words Fred... Got plenty on your hands pal by the sounds of it. Will you and the Mrs be sitting in the tub/summer house whilst gazing and the koi?

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  27. #16
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Thanks lee. By local. Do you live in hull. Or are you a Yorkshireman like myself.
    thanks for the reply on my build. It's getting there slowly mate. How's your pond and fish. All running good I hope. Thanks. Fred

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  29. #17
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    yes your right digger lots and lots to do I won't be going in the tub
    mate not my thing. Mostly woman in the family will use it.thats why I am having the second window put in.so we can view at the other end, near summer house. The second window will be abou four feet from my seat in the conservatory. We have even lined it all up so I can see right in there.also bottom drain lined up to. All the best Fred
    Last edited by freddyboy; 29-03-2016 at 01:26 AM.

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  31. #19
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion lee63's Avatar
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    Im in bilton now freddyboy but a north hull boy by heart yeah all mine are doing well and grow ons doing ok too


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    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Cheers mate I read your thread on build a while back. Nice build. Thanks for the comments mate. All the best fred ghost did you say you are starting new build. If so good luck with the build mate. Best fred
    Last edited by freddyboy; 29-03-2016 at 04:21 AM.

 

 
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