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  1. #1

    New member

    Afternoon all

    My first post to introduce myself, I'm from Leeds and have kept fish for nearly 20 years, mainly tropical indoor aquariums. I did venture into a marine set up with live corals and marine going back 10 years, spent a pretty penny but 2 years down the line the light malfunctioned which ended up with the fire brigade at the house! No injuries and minor damage, but the misses insisted I gave the hobby up, so ventured back to freshwater.

    Earlier this year I helped my father-in-law rebuild his pond, that holds a 14 year old tench, 2 14” orf and array of comets. This built my appetite for freshwater ponds. Since then I put two pre formed ponds in the garden, one as a wildlife pond and 1 with a few shubs and comets in. Both ponds are doing well.

    Which leads me to why I am here, for a few months I have been in the planning stages of a koi pond, I’ve drawn scale images of the garden to get planning permission signed off by the wife (although the pond is not to scale and smaller, ill blame my math when its built!)

    And a scale image of the pond itself, work will not start until next year, or maybe sooner funds permitting..
    My plans are and are subject to change, after all this is why I am here;

    The outer dimensions are 3.6m front and back by 2.6m side to side, so an internal dimension of 3.15m front and back and 2.3side to side with a depth of 1.2m.
    Giving a volume of around 7900 litres or 1750 gals, It will be built on a 23cm concrete base dug approximately 65cm down from ground level and build from blocks on their side, so 4 underground and around 8 above ground. Clad in either wood or tiles. I have a pub shed that is block built and clad in wood so will probably do the same with the pond.

    The pond will incorporate a 4” aerated bottom drain to a vortex then to a nexus 220, water then returned to the pond via an adjustable pump with a max output of 10k litres an hour, with a 55 watt UV before the water enters the pond.

    I plan on building a filter house next to the pond to house the filters. The pond will also use a surface skimmer with a pumped return to the pond, to possibly build a shower from this return..
    Having seen ponds with windows this is smoothing I too would like to incorporate, even if it’s a standard 25mm 1.2m by 60cm window. I was initially planning on a 1mm box welded rubber liner but have recently looked into fibre glassing it, I have not yet made a decision.

    Anything of the build I can do on my own I will, digging, pipework building the filter house and even installing the window ect. But I’m useless at block work! So will get in a bricky to construct it.
    Sorry for the long post, but thought I’d better share my plan/idea having gleaned so much useful information from here already! I am actually in two minds to start digging the hole whilst the weathers ok!

    I've probably forgotten something but think the posts long enough already and if you got to here, well done!

    Anyone see any major problems with the initial plan? One I am unsure of is the need for a vortex prior to the nexus and if I need a full concrete base if I go down the route of a box liner.

    Cheers
    Jay



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  3. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jayjt29 View Post
    Afternoon all

    My first post to introduce myself, I'm from Leeds and have kept fish for nearly 20 years, mainly tropical indoor aquariums. I did venture into a marine set up with live corals and marine going back 10 years, spent a pretty penny but 2 years down the line the light malfunctioned which ended up with the fire brigade at the house! No injuries and minor damage, but the misses insisted I gave the hobby up, so ventured back to freshwater.

    Earlier this year I helped my father-in-law rebuild his pond, that holds a 14 year old tench, 2 14” orf and array of comets. This built my appetite for freshwater ponds. Since then I put two pre formed ponds in the garden, one as a wildlife pond and 1 with a few shubs and comets in. Both ponds are doing well.

    Which leads me to why I am here, for a few months I have been in the planning stages of a koi pond, I’ve drawn scale images of the garden to get planning permission signed off by the wife (although the pond is not to scale and smaller, ill blame my math when its built!)

    And a scale image of the pond itself, work will not start until next year, or maybe sooner funds permitting..
    My plans are and are subject to change, after all this is why I am here;

    The outer dimensions are 3.6m front and back by 2.6m side to side, so an internal dimension of 3.15m front and back and 2.3side to side with a depth of 1.2m.
    Giving a volume of around 7900 litres or 1750 gals, It will be built on a 23cm concrete base dug approximately 65cm down from ground level and build from blocks on their side, so 4 underground and around 8 above ground. Clad in either wood or tiles. I have a pub shed that is block built and clad in wood so will probably do the same with the pond.

    The pond will incorporate a 4” aerated bottom drain to a vortex then to a nexus 220, water then returned to the pond via an adjustable pump with a max output of 10k litres an hour, with a 55 watt UV before the water enters the pond.

    I plan on building a filter house next to the pond to house the filters. The pond will also use a surface skimmer with a pumped return to the pond, to possibly build a shower from this return..
    Having seen ponds with windows this is smoothing I too would like to incorporate, even if it’s a standard 25mm 1.2m by 60cm window. I was initially planning on a 1mm box welded rubber liner but have recently looked into fibre glassing it, I have not yet made a decision.

    Anything of the build I can do on my own I will, digging, pipework building the filter house and even installing the window ect. But I’m useless at block work! So will get in a bricky to construct it.
    Sorry for the long post, but thought I’d better share my plan/idea having gleaned so much useful information from here already! I am actually in two minds to start digging the hole whilst the weathers ok!

    I've probably forgotten something but think the posts long enough already and if you got to here, well done!

    Anyone see any major problems with the initial plan? One I am unsure of is the need for a vortex prior to the nexus and if I need a full concrete base if I go down the route of a box liner.

    Cheers
    Jay
    hi mate and welcome. bottom drain is a must. if your dead set on a nexus and not a drum. I would go a sieve on a balance line. gravity feed. instead of the vortex. sound like a nice build . put a skimmer in as well. you could also put a draco drum in the nexus further down the line. funds permitting, that's what I have put in my nexus. enjoy mate looking fwd to the build
    Last edited by Feline; 18-09-2019 at 03:22 PM.

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  5. #3
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Forgot to add the photo. This is with 2x pumps. Outlet on the nexus is larger pump then the one on the sieve

    Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

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  7. #4
    Cheers Freddy,

    I have seen the image before when researching a 'pre filter' for the build, its a question of what funds I have available at the build stage. Thanks for the input Ill take it on board.
    Jay

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  9. #5
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jayjt29 View Post
    Cheers Freddy,

    I have seen the image before when researching a 'pre filter' for the build, its a question of what funds I have available at the build stage. Thanks for the input Ill take it on board.
    Jay
    Nice one mate. That's the way. Do your homework. Understand about funds. It ain't cheap this fish keeping lark

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  11. #6
    As I am finding! The budget has already doubled, it it will grow more no doubt!

    Jay

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  13. #7
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jayjt29 View Post
    As I am finding! The budget has already doubled, it it will grow more no doubt!

    Jay

    Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
    It always does. But the thing is to get it right first time around. Cheaper in the long run.

    Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

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