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  1. #1

    So I said I wouldn't but here we are another pond build

    Evening all decided to pop up a diary as I am building another pond....!

    Bit of background, I was a very keen koi keeper with multiple ponds indoor & outdoor even had one in the house! At 34 I had a small stroke which was a shock. Wife put the foot down and I sold my shares in my company to my business partner. Following that Mum got ill and sadly passed away. Tough times but the suffering is over for her.

    After this I decided to sell our house and downsize, we have gone from acres of land to a postage stamp garden. I kept only my personal select Koi and shortly after the move I decided I need more land. So I was happy to keep my koi in a large holding tank I have with bottom drain good filtration and heated so no dramas. Mad thing is when we had so much land I hated gardening, now I love it lol.

    Anyway after a message from Chris Masters I decided to hell with it lets build another pond, bare in mind it only has to do me 2 years as I plan on moving and renting this place. So no fibreglassing No concrete base!

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    This was the garden when we bought the house, sure to say the previous owners where like me and not keen gardeners, the best thing is the electric supplies I have as they had a hot tub on the decking!

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    I am no Monty Don but it looks better, anyway on with the pond.

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    Decking lifted footings dug and shuttering in place ready for concrete collar.

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    Little bit of hardcore & rebar with 8 inch collar in place, owe this to my old man. He has been a total grafter making concrete for hours lol

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    Then came the dig back breaking work as it is solid clay and it was dug by hand 2 foot down from top of concrete. Plenty of earth removed, skip advised me they couldn't make it for a few days so we dumped it on the front drive. When we where nearly done the skip turned up! Not impressed having to move it twice!

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    Electrics already sorted as said so wired a few boxes in as well. Block is arriving tomorrow and the plan is to channel a bottom drain under the concrete collar to filters. Sort the base with sand which will be fine as it is solid clay! Boxweld liner and we are done more or less!

    Not bad for a few days work.....

    9.jpg10.jpg

    Beer and something Cuban from the humidor is required! Internal dimensions will be 11ft x 5ft x 5.5ft deep, so just a little one but enough to service the hobby for now.

    Anyway cheers for popping in and will let you know what tomorrow bring


    Built not bought!

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  3. #2
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion anne's Avatar
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    John's going to love you Dave welcome back and sorry to hear about your Mum, remember when
    you said she wasn't very well, life can be cra at times but we bounce back.
    good luck with the build and don't get to stressed...………..sure the wife will keep her eye on you .

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  5. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by anne View Post
    John's going to love you Dave welcome back and sorry to hear about your Mum, remember when
    you said she wasn't very well, life can be cra at times but we bounce back.
    good luck with the build and don't get to stressed...………..sure the wife will keep her eye on you .
    Thanks for the kind words. As long as the wife is on hand with food and coffee I will be fine haha

    To be honest my old man is the drive behind this I am in no hurry but he's like "C'mon we have started lets get it done I need a beer n BBQ on this decking next to a nice pond" So I will let his motivation drive me haha

    John always messaged through the forum asking how things where hes a good egg and the new pond is stunning. Best bit is the shower filter of course hahaha
    Built not bought!

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  7. #4
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Great to see you back Dave and building a new pond !!!

    So dads off his hols and you have him grafting allready,I like his incentive to get it finished and get the barbie going sounds like me.

    Really pleased for you Dave as I know you love your koi and this pond which isn't that small will get your inspiration back.

    Looks like your building old school,and it works a treat.
    Takes some graft thought you would get a mini digger in as I did.
    Truck grabs are the way to go as opposed to skips much cheaper.
    Those blocks tomorrow will keep your dad busy for a while while your mixing the concrete.

    Keep the pics coming Dave and I am sure it will be a lovely pond.
    Still have the Goromo here if you want it
    John

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  9. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by john1 View Post
    Great to see you back Dave and building a new pond !!!

    So dads off his hols and you have him grafting allready,I like his incentive to get it finished and get the barbie going sounds like me.

    Really pleased for you Dave as I know you love your koi and this pond which isn't that small will get your inspiration back.

    Looks like your building old school,and it works a treat.
    Takes some graft thought you would get a mini digger in as I did.
    Truck grabs are the way to go as opposed to skips much cheaper.
    Those blocks tomorrow will keep your dad busy for a while while your mixing the concrete.

    Keep the pics coming Dave and I am sure it will be a lovely pond.
    Still have the Goromo here if you want it
    John,

    Yes it's old school but will do for now. I want a natural pond eventually when I move.

    As for dad I mentioned building another pond and he decided it was getting started when he returned from Corfu! Still no goromo in my pond lol. Thank you for every kind offer but I need a new home built first and for the first time ever have fluke!!!!

    So no new additions until things are sorted.

    I will be the labourer tomorrow while the old man is the brickie. The man is a grafter forgets how old he is sometimes!

    Will update with pictures as and when as always.

    Thanks for stopping by.

    Sent from my BBF100-1 using Tapatalk
    Built not bought!

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  11. #6
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion RS2OOO's Avatar
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    Progress looks slick and that concrete collar looks as smooth as a worktop!

    Many site searches have landed on your posts and I've read lots of them but didn't know why you were no longer on the forum. I'm sorry to read what you've been through.

    As for gardening, Like yourself I've never had any interest until getting my first garden 3 years ago.... I love it, we both do, it was an overgrown mess with rubble and bricks everywhere. The house is also a dump, but we've got so into the garden that we've not done much with the house! Each winter we count down the weeks till we can get back into the garden!

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  13. #7
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Nice one dave. Good to see you back.
    Good to sed you have your pond mojo back

    Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

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  15. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by RS2OOO View Post
    Progress looks slick and that concrete collar looks as smooth as a worktop!

    Many site searches have landed on your posts and I've read lots of them but didn't know why you were no longer on the forum. I'm sorry to read what you've been through.

    As for gardening, Like yourself I've never had any interest until getting my first garden 3 years ago.... I love it, we both do, it was an overgrown mess with rubble and bricks everywhere. The house is also a dump, but we've got so into the garden that we've not done much with the house! Each winter we count down the weeks till we can get back into the garden!
    Thank you bud, I spend more money on plants than I do anything else. Even have a raised bed veg patch for the guinea pigs lol no idea what's happened to me.


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    Built not bought!

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  17. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by freddyboy View Post
    Nice one dave. Good to see you back.
    Good to sed you have your pond mojo back

    Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
    Cheers fella it's nice to be back. Seeing everyone's Progress and new fish its great. Loads to read through.

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    Last edited by dave_vr6; 31-05-2019 at 07:34 AM.
    Built not bought!

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  19. #10
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Morning Dave,hope your feeling fit this morning ready for grafting.

    How old is your dad?
    He sounds he has loads of energy to keep going all the time and he has done a great job with the footings.
    Hope the weather stays fine for you today and you have plenty of Peroni in the fridge
    John

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  21. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by john1 View Post
    Morning Dave,hope your feeling fit this morning ready for grafting.

    How old is your dad?
    He sounds he has loads of energy to keep going all the time and he has done a great job with the footings.
    Hope the weather stays fine for you today and you have plenty of Peroni in the fridge
    Already out at it. Been here for an hour. Hopefully great the back of it today.



    Sent from my BBF100-1 using Tapatalk
    Built not bought!

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  23. #12
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Plenty of photos Dave.
    John

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  25. #13
    Early start late finish thanks to delivery of the block.........!

    First job of the day was bottom drain, placement, dig and concrete. Somehow manage to tunnel a hole under the ground and up into the decking. No room to swing a cat!

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    All in and done, while sorting the drain the builder merchants called and said the block that was due at 9am might not come at all due to a breakdown there end. I was ready to go and load the truck manually when they called back and said 3pm was the new eta...

    Old man Bradley decided this would give us enough time to clear all the soil from the drive into the skips. So a lot of back breaking work and the waste was hand balled into the skips!

    Wife will be happy the driveway is almost back....!

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    Going to have to look at the settings on my phone as I have rotated these images but it isn't playing ball..

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    So when the block arrived we managed 2 courses so only another 7 to go! The old man was not impressed as I hadn't cut the decking away far enough which may have given him a kink in the wall......!

    Anyway thats it guys thanks for dropping in, a few more block bit of a sand base and boom its boxweld liner time!

    However it is beer time now!
    Built not bought!

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  27. #14
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Hey Dave that bottle hasn't moved for two days dont you drink it

    Good job today at least you have cleared the crap away and got it a bit tidier.
    Wont take you long now to finish the blocks and get the liner in.
    Have you a drum Dave?
    John

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  29. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by john1 View Post
    Hey Dave that bottle hasn't moved for two days dont you drink it

    Good job today at least you have cleared the crap away and got it a bit tidier.
    Wont take you long now to finish the blocks and get the liner in.
    Have you a drum Dave?
    Old man is 65 in response to your last message.

    The beer is a new brand hahaha had a nice midleton rare Barry crocket legacy last night!

    No drum bud will be connecting one of the nexus in the shed. Possibly put an eazypod on a skimmer if I decide to fit one.

    Nexus will feed shower or mid level return as the heater will follow.

    Not buying a drum until I get the pond I want and I don't have the room for that here.



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  31. #16
    So had another day on the pond, not much to report 6 courses of block in 3 more to go tomorrow...

    Once they are in I will order the liner and popped in mid level return today for the colder months to make heating easier and create a small current.

    Not far off completion, 7-10 day turn around for the liner, I had a 4" bottom drain in my box of fittings but it was missing the sealing ring. So I installed that drain and ordered another and they sent me the completely wrong one.... Not what I ordered so I think thats the first issue.

    The wife's rescue moggy checking the bricks are level..

    k.jpgl.jpg

    Anyhow thanks for popping in...
    Built not bought!

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  33. #17
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    That bottle is still there

    Dave the sealing ring is it the 4ins plastic ring on the Inside of the Pond as I may have one,or I may have thrown it out when I had a clear out,let me know.

    So you had an easy day just six courses,your dad must have laid them one hand and a bottle of Corona in the other.
    John

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  35. #18
    Didn't start until late, too many beers last night. Yes just the ring for the bottom drain. As said I have ordered another unit so it will come eventually.

    Will finish blockwork tomorrow and order the liner. Won't be long now

    Sent from my BBF100-1 using Tapatalk
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  37. #19
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Any more headway Dave?
    John

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  39. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by john1 View Post
    Any more headway Dave?
    Nothing much really to report John, did a couple more course of block Sunday leaving only 1 to go. The old man was shattered so I sent him home and had a tidy up. Wife was away at a craft show so I spent the day with the kids.

    Ordered the liner today 1.0mm Greenseal Gordon Low 11 x 5 x 5 £365 and underlay £37.95. With 6 inch extra lip. I thought this was pretty cheap from Richard at Koi Zone.

    That will have 5-7 day turn around. Have a ton of sand waiting to bank the base. Next weekend could see water going in!

    Was out there tonight enjoying a Proper Twelve and was thinking "John would like this whiskey". Any Bush fan would like it. Have you tried it?

    whiskey.jpg
    Built not bought!

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