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  1. #1

    Question Dimond Koi Pond Project Planning

    Hi Guys
    I have been wanting to build a garden koi pond for several years and hopefully next year will finally start. Over the past few months I have been researching and planning and now think I’m finally happy on this design previous versions differed in shape and sizes. Now I would like to get some further advice and comments.
    So, I have thrown together a CAD drawing in google SketchUp its not perfect by a long shot but hopefully will give you guys an idea of what I am planning. It’s a odd shaped garden on multiple levels so decided to go with a raised pond with the back edges buried. All the filters and equipment is going into a 10x6 insulated shed.




    Here is the back of my garden at the moment, I have tried to keep it a little tidy but the wooden raised bed is rotten and I don’t think It will last much longer. I have had theses trees for a few years in pots grown getting ready to be planted. To provide a bit of a screen at the back as my garden is slightly overlooked. I have a feeling this isn’t going to go down well as there are many posts that discourage overhanging trees. When I bought the house, it had a raised area and the space is a little hard to use so this is where I intend to build the pond. I think its mostly soil under it once the (badly laid) slabs are gone, it’s going to be a lot to dig out.




    So now a little bit of detail. The pond itself is diamond shape roughly 3.4m(12ft) x 3.4m(12ft) x1.65m (5ft) deep approximately 18000lt(4000ga). Solid concreate base with rebar reinforcement. The walls of the tank and bedding area are bade of standard hollow concreate blocks that will be filled with further rebar and concrete. There is a lot of underground piping that will be buried deep enough not to freeze in the winter. The Soakaway Create is not linked to the pond in any way it just provides drainage to the raised bedding.



    The Jets I hope to direct to give a anticlockwise flow in the pond circling a central bottom drain that also has a air stone built in. The base of the pond will have a slight gradient to help direct the heavy waste into the drain. The Skimmer (pink part) I am still not 100% convinced on but hope to have a fixed skimmer but not built into the wall. Due to poor access from the back side of the pond.



    The Shed is going to have a good solid base may to support the filters full of water. Most of the Piping I’m going to have come directly up through the floor so I don’t have any exposed pipes outside. Though I haven’t don’t the exact final piping you can see where there going to come up, on the right is the output from the filters and on the left is the input. An Air pump and UV filters will also be in there with plenty of space for other equipment. This will be also where the mains power will coming in via a under ground cable. I was thinking of getting a mains water supply but that’s quite a bit of extra work and wondering if its actually worth it.

    I hope to have it fiberglass coating inside, an 1800(6ft) x600(3ft)window with a stainless-steel frame. The concreate blocks I will cover with a stone cladding and top stones, also a simple modem style waterfall fountain at the rear.
    I hope to rent a mini JCB to do most of the digging and a few friends have already offered to help. I think I will order in the concreate ready mixed and delivered as there is so much of it and do most of the blockwork and piping myself over a few weeks.
    So what do you guys think? Is there anything I could improve are there any foreseeable problems or anything I haven’t explained that well? This is all new to me and haven’t build a pond let alone a raised concreate pond before.




  2. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Nanasai Handy Kenny's Avatar
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    Samaus,

    You cannot beat an in the wall skimmer for efficiency. The skimmers working height is water level. If your water level is higher than the rear raised bed you will have room (vertical height) for a skimmer even if the skimmer body is sunken below ground level slightly. My own skimmer is stainless steel (since it is kind of on view) with a 2" pipe attached. To stop the flow from the skimmer before I had added an on/off valve I used a bit of 40mm pipe with self amalgamating tape on the end, stuffed it in the skimmer exit hole and since the pipe came above water level the flow of water stopped.

    Plan in on/off taps/valves/slide valves on every piece of pipe at both ends. Make all your pipework bigger than you really need as when it is buried it is too late. Use pressure pipe, it is less expensive than you think and all the valves/bends etc are available. I get my pipe from Plastic Pipe | Water Pipe | MDPE | PVC | Pipestock Plan in pipework for lights. Your waterfall may be noisy and annoy the neighbours or cause your water to cool down in the winter, think about diverting the flow through some pipework (which could be under the waterfall) into the pond so you can switch off your waterfall.

    A good bottom drain comes with an aereator attached.

    It will take a lot longer than you are planning!!

    Kenny

  3. #3
    Looks like you’ve put a lot of thought Into your design however I would suggest the following.
    Skimmer - lots of tress = lots of leaves. Skimmer will get shot of the floating ones.
    Mains water - required. How else are you going to provide water changes/trickle in/out or provide water for your drum flushing pump?
    Have you thought about water purification?
    Have you considered how you’re disposing if you will dispose of waste from the drum and a pond overflow.

    JBR are about the cheapest place for pipework and fittings plus they don’t have exorbitant delivery charges.
    Coastal Koi are reasonable for valves.

    You could have twice the bio filter capacity for less money if you lose the OASE bio chamber and had something made by JBR or another plastic fabricator.




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  4. #4
    Thanks for your quick replies, I will look at adjusting the design to account for a in wall skimmer.

    This is what I was originally thinking for a skimmer. Due to it being a fraction of the cost and easer to fit, but as you mentioned there is going to be a lot of surface leaves from the trees so may not be up for the task.

    https://www.oase-livingwater.com/en_GB/water-garden/products/p/aquaskim-gravity.1000079398.html




    Good idea about planning the values I would want them inside the shed and out of sight. That looks like a good place to get the piping and valves from. The redirect for the waterfall I will add in to the plans , I think I may need to have the pipe for that all the way to the shed due to the lack off access from behind the pond.

    I was worried about the mains water supply. If you say its something that will be required then I got to do it. I didn't really consider much about the trickle in, hoping to just top it up with a garden hose when needed. overflow and waste from the drum filter I was planning to output behind a nearby flower bed, alternatively possibly into a buried container that I can empty manually when needed. I haven't shown that In the 3D designs.

    The filters are expensive I have consider a range of items, I have got some spare room in the shed but not a huge amount. Theses Proficlear filters seem to be capable of a lot in a smallish size.

    The pond works out to be about 18000lt , The info sheet states the filter will turnover 16500 l/h is this a bit optimistic? should I consider an additional filter for bio material or something completely different.

    https://www.water-garden.co.uk/prod/proficlear-premium-compact-gravity

    The pump chamber is a crazy price for just a empty box. Saying that It has got everything in the right place, I did consider non-submerged pumps but reading up using submerged types help with keeping the motor cool extending its life and the water helps reduce the noise too.

    https://www.water-garden.co.uk/prod/proficlear-compact-pump-chamber

    I haven't see coastal Koi before, looks like they have some good items and I make some adjustments to my design, Thanks again.

  5. #5
    I have a skimmer setup almost exactly as you've drawn. 4" pressure pipe all the way to the skimmer that's attached with a rubber boot (without jubilee clips, and doesn't need them).

    It's been running nearly 2 years, and can't fault it TBH. I actually think they look neater than an in wall one. If you measure the diameter of the skimmer, it's about 15", and it really works well, even with just a gentle pull on it.

  6. #6
    Some further points to consider.


    For £1500 you could get a proper drum with a UV and JBR bio chamber, the £500 you save will buy all your valves and pipework.
    If your have budgetary constraints look at AEM/Draco but get the chamber made separately you’ll save a couple of hundred quid.
    If you’re keeping koi you will be changing at least 10% of the pond volume in water every week. This could be a consideration if you are on a water meter.
    A drum will use a few litres every flush.
    Your 10% might flood the flowerbed
    Your bottom drain will need an air pump, as will the bio chamber.
    Your assumption about pumps is a bit off. You can get a reasonable “budget” pump from Fishstreet for £100 odd and they’re designed to be dry mounted and really aren’t noisy. Saved you a few quid there on an unneeded pump chamber.
    The OASE stuff is obviously very well thought of but there are other alternatives that are more cost effective imho.
    Don’t forget, the welfare of your fish must come first otherwise what’s the point?



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