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Thread: Sleeper Pond Extension!
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11-12-2018, 11:11 PM #1
Sleeper Pond Extension!
Built my Sleeper Pond between Feb and April 2018. 7000 litres. The build thread is here:
https://www.koiforum.uk/pond-constru...ond-build.html
The missus wasn't keen on a pond, and more so disliked the idea of me taking up too much garden, so I was restricted on size.
Soon after the build, I bought her a Shiro and now she's decided the pond is too small and its not going to grow to its full potential. Permission for extension granted.
Hoping to have the extension completed by the end of February. Its 10 days work, but the main build will be determined by a mild spell of weather when I can move the Koi to a shallow pool with minimal stress.
Still keeping it as a sleeper pond (don't want anything too permanent as I doubt this is our forever home). New total size will be 4.7m x 2.4m x 1.2m.
Items purchased so far:
Sleepers and fixings
Rebar
Box Liner & underlay
Temporary Pool and cover 2.6m x 1.7m x .65m
New Pump
Jebao 13,000 litre Pressure filter (for temporary pool)
Sand / Cement
Wood for shuttering
Shopping list:
MS Polymer Sealant (EPDM to EPDM for bottom drain)
Tank Connectors (in case I break one removing old liner)
Heavy Duty Flexi pipe (for temp pool filter)
Powder coated 2" mesh to cover the extended part of the pond.
Concrete cutting disc (to cut the concrete collar out at what is currently the end of the pond).
Have put 2 days work in so far, 1 day putting shuttering together and a 2nd day hand mixing the cement for the new collar which is 10" deep in places due to sloping garden.
Pond on completion of first build:
IMG_3089.jpg
Shuttering being assembled for extension (this is now completed and concrete poured):
IMG_20181202_154843.jpg
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Skoosh88, Frimley Koi keeper Thanked / Liked this Post
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13-12-2018, 04:24 PM #2
Forecast is heavy rain all Weekend so unlikely to get more done.
Managed to get home in daylight today so I removed all the bio-balls from the new Jebao Pressure filter and put them in the Nexus. Whilst unlikely to do much in current temps, the idea is to start maturing them to give the temporary pool filter a head start. Last thing I want to be doing is fighting parameters whilst doing the pond extension work.
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Skoosh88, Frimley Koi keeper Thanked / Liked this Post
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16-12-2018, 02:26 PM #3
have you finished it yet lol,andi
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RS2OOO, Frimley Koi keeper Thanked / Liked this Post
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16-12-2018, 05:26 PM #4
If we had 10 days of weather like today I'd have it done in no time!
Skimmed over the concrete collar as it wasn't quite level in places and dug out half dozen more sacks of soil:
IMG_20181216_133717.jpgIMG_20181216_133734.jpg
Took cover off and threw in around 20 earthworms as I was digging and all got gobbled up.... well, most of them by the Shiro but a few others managed to get 1 or 2. Some Koi are scared of the worms and either don't attempt it, or violently shake their heads and spit them back out!
MVIMG_20181216_133744.jpgMVIMG_20181216_133835.jpg
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12-02-2019, 07:35 PM #5
The fact that my build thread was almost on page 3 might imply I've not been working hard enough.
But the fact is I'm still digging most nights after work in the short period of remaining daylight and when its dry.
Tonight I removed 9 sacks of soil before sunset.
I don't have any new photos but if you look at the tiny hole in the picture posted above, and now imagine that hole being a lot bigger, you'll be half way there to picturing what it looks like now.
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16-02-2019, 06:05 PM #6
Just to prove I've not been lazy.
At the right depth but need to remove a couple more inches for the sand bed and underlay.
Couldn't do right up to the pond as the soil is supporting the existing pond wall. Got a Week off at the end of the Month to get the whole thing done.... just hope a Week is long enough as its taken 2 Months just to dig this far at approx. 8 - 15 sackfulls after work 3 nights per week.
IMG_20190216_165219.jpgIMG_20190216_165200.jpg
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16-02-2019, 07:43 PM #7
I admire your determination, I hate digging!
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17-02-2019, 04:17 PM #8
More digging done today. That's it now, can't do anymore until the pond is drained.
Went out the front this morning and noticed there was a load of soil / clay missing. Looked back on the CCTV and sure enough in the middle of the night a van pulled up and 2 blokes stole around 30 sacks!
Why they want sacks of stoney clay is beyond me, but it'll save me 3 trips to the dump!
Worse than the theft itself is the fact that I added more than 30 more sacks to it today so the drive still looks a mess.Last edited by RS2OOO; 17-02-2019 at 04:20 PM.
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17-02-2019, 06:35 PM #9
[QUOTE=RS2OOO;286026]
Went out the front this morning and noticed there was a load of soil / clay missing. Looked back on the CCTV and sure enough in the middle of the night a van pulled up and 2 blokes stole around 30 sacks!
Why they want sacks of stoney clay is beyond me, but it'll save me 3 trips to the dump!
Haha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha
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17-02-2019, 06:51 PM #10
put a sign out saying soil free,they might take the rest lol,andi
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17-02-2019, 07:01 PM #11
That won't work... But I could put a sign out saying £3 per bag, and it'll all be gone in no time
Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
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18-02-2019, 06:15 PM #12
They are getting more brazen, came back just after I left for work this morning and took another 13 sacks!
Wrote down the reg number this time from the CCTV just in case they get other ideas.
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18-02-2019, 06:48 PM #13
Hopefully they will take it all for you.give em a tenner and say thanks lol...andi
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22-02-2019, 10:54 PM #14
In my head I can get this pond extension done and dusted in 2 days.
In reality..... Went into the garage to put the temporary pool together and set up the pump and filter at 18:30. Half hour job tops I thought.
Just finished and came back into the house to the absolute shock of it now being 21:45
IMG_20190222_214043.jpgIMG_20190222_214055.jpgIMG_20190222_214130.jpg
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23-02-2019, 08:43 PM #15
Transferred my gang to the temporary pool today.
Unfortunately noticed some issues with the Doitsu Sanke which I've started a separate thread for, but all in all the transfer went well.
IMG_20190223_112001.jpgIMG_20190223_111939.jpg
Pond is emptied into a couple of paddling pools and the intex pool, Nexus still bubbling away and I've been adding pure ammonia to keep it mature and 60 more sacks of soil dug out.
Tomorrow I'll hopefully get the digging finished, then remove the liner and sleepers ready to bolt the new sleepers in position on Monday, hopefully get the new liner in on Tuesday and start filling it up on Wednesday.... if everything goes smoothly!
Really hoping to have it all done and the fish back in by next weekend.
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23-02-2019, 09:48 PM #16
have you got some mature media from your nexus in that pressure filter ?
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23-02-2019, 10:13 PM #17
Yes. Had the pressure filter plastic media bubbling away in the Nexus since November. Will be checking parameters twice a day just in case it's not mature enough, but also won't be feeding at all while they're in the temporary pool.
Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
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24-02-2019, 08:58 AM #18
Your doing a great job there Rs if I was near you I would give you a hand got plenty of spare time.
Like the holding tank,was it off Amazon?
And is that your Rs next to it?
I read your thread on your Sanke going red,I had one similar go like that just after I bought it,I had it in my grow on and with a little heat it was ok,it too was very quiet but it's up with the others now and fine so you should be ok,very nice koi one of my favourites the Sanke as are your others,a lovely collection Rs.
Good with the build.John
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freddyboy, Frimley Koi keeper Thanked / Liked this Post
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24-02-2019, 09:23 AM #19
Thanks John.
Erm.... You was near me, but you moved as far away as you could
Yes, that's baby number 1 in the corner of the pic. Baby number 2 has been delegated to the driveway which caused me a sleepless night last night as my daughter had a pizza delivery, then later on the delivery lad came back to look around the car with his hood up. You can probably tell after all the soil/clay getting nicked I get a little paranoid with people snooping around.
I hope too the Sanke turns out to be ok, but I've had him 3 Months now which I'd have thought is plenty of time to get over any stress. Will scrape her just to be sure but if it is stress that'll probably stress her even more.... I hate scraping them!
In agony from yesterday's digging and now about to commence another day's worth
EDIT: Yes the holding tank was from Amazon, 2.6 x 1.6 x 65cm and it is a really good quality and sturdy piece of kit... Currently just £59 and larger ones aren't much more:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1Last edited by RS2OOO; 24-02-2019 at 09:41 AM.
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freddyboy, Frimley Koi keeper Thanked / Liked this Post
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24-02-2019, 09:35 AM #20
You have two Rs,lucky you,and I know what you mean as I am paranoid with my property and seeing any suspicious people lurking about.
Hate doing a scrape myself in fact I hate catching my koi as I feel it stresses them,but sometimes it is necessary.John
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Best plants to remove Nitrate
pug has a very impressive veg filter on his pond, have a look at some of his his youtube videos....