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Thread: Lee’s New pond build .
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09-03-2019, 10:46 AM #1
Lee’s New pond build .
Hello all ,
Moved into a new house last year and started to do the pond last spring . It’s roughly 10,000 -12,000 litres .
This is were I’m at now , I’m just stuck on a few things before I fibreglass. 1 what’s size pump would I need to power 3 jets and a waterfall and what jets are the best .
2 are there any underwater lights that actually fix to the Concreate and what are the best ones and how many would you have . 3 am I missing anything . Thanks in advance ,
Lee .
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09-03-2019, 11:06 AM #2
I cant help you on most of your questions but as for Jets or returns, most people use 2 inch pressure pipe and then the fiberglasser glasses into the pipe to give a good seal, I also left a gap on the outside so that they glassed around the outside to give it more strength
I would look for a variable pump probably around 20,000 lph but will also depend on what filter setup you are using
It may also be worth thinking about insulating the walls of the pond?
I've never considered lights in a pond, I'm an electrician and I work in the food industry where the wash down a lot, most everything leaks over time and you have to think about whet to do if something goes wrong, how do you fix it? at best all I would do is shine a light into the pond from above4600 Gallon Concrete Block and Fiberglass
2100 mm x 710 mm Infinity Window 32mm thick glass
2 x Aerated Bottom Drains and Skimmer
Filtreau HiFlow 30 Drum Filter
Bio Chamber - 140 litres K1
Bakki Shower - 30 KG Sakura Far Infrared Media
2 x 18,000 lh pumps
Heated from house boiler through a heat exchanger
Idealseal MS290
My Pond Build
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09-03-2019, 12:50 PM #3
dont bother with jets as said use 2" underwater returns all with valves on outside of pond so you can dictate flow,i plumbed my single return into a Y joint followed by 2 valves and 2 pipes,one to pond and one over shower then i can turn shower off and feed straight to pond in winter,as for lights dont bother,koi dont have eyelids so cant shut their eyes,fit lights above pond,i use 20w led floods over mine,in pond lights could also make looking through window hard,oh and they will get covered in algae and always need cleaning,also as roy says get variable pumps, although size will be decided on what filter your using,,,andi
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10-03-2019, 08:34 AM #4
Totally agree about having no lights in the pond, I spent a small fortune on some all singing all dancing ones and after two weeks took them out and fitted them above the pond where they were actually better for viewing the fish.
starting again I would do as John has and buy a couple of led lights cheap as chips and much better light spread.
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10-03-2019, 09:08 AM #5
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10-03-2019, 09:43 AM #6
This is my filter box.
Iv got underwater lights in my old pond and I love them but I will definitely do some research into above lights . In all honesty in my planning (in my head )I’m having lights everywhere . I probably should have mentioned my lifestyle, I work away all week sometimes longer and I need it super easy for my misses to handle ie auto top up and late night chilling ,
Cheers ,
Lee .
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10-03-2019, 11:17 AM #7
I work away all week but sometimes for up to 6 weeks at a time, I travel mainly UK but have done a lot of international work, what made this all possible for me is the drum filter and a skimmer with overflow and an auto top up,
The skimmer sits at water level and the overflow determines the water height, the overflow goes direct to drain in the winter and to the garden in summer for watering
On my drum I have a water supply through a dechlorinator that constantly trickles in this keeps the water topped up and also acts as a water change
I left mine before Christmas for 6 weeks and the wife didn't have to touch it, when I cam home all I had to do was a bottom drain purge
Make sure you put plenty of valves in to allow isolation and purging
I also have a automatic fish feeder and I am working on turning the air on and off as the temperature rises in the pond, it will have a summer and winter setting with temperature data logging as well4600 Gallon Concrete Block and Fiberglass
2100 mm x 710 mm Infinity Window 32mm thick glass
2 x Aerated Bottom Drains and Skimmer
Filtreau HiFlow 30 Drum Filter
Bio Chamber - 140 litres K1
Bakki Shower - 30 KG Sakura Far Infrared Media
2 x 18,000 lh pumps
Heated from house boiler through a heat exchanger
Idealseal MS290
My Pond Build
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10-03-2019, 12:46 PM #8
i worked offshore on the rigs on a 3 on 3 off rota. when new pond was built. i planned on a drum. so the wife only had to throw food in to the pond.
before she went to work. and when she came home from work. the setup took care of its self. as in cleaning the pond water, she purged my bottom drains on a weekend.
and it all worked for 18 months then I retired. as roy said you need trickle in and out for top ups and a 10% water change weekly. by trickle in and out.
a drum made all this possible. my lights are above the pond LED. and they light the pond up good enough. I used to have light in the pond. my old pond . they was just algi collectors.
fred
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10-03-2019, 12:55 PM #94600 Gallon Concrete Block and Fiberglass
2100 mm x 710 mm Infinity Window 32mm thick glass
2 x Aerated Bottom Drains and Skimmer
Filtreau HiFlow 30 Drum Filter
Bio Chamber - 140 litres K1
Bakki Shower - 30 KG Sakura Far Infrared Media
2 x 18,000 lh pumps
Heated from house boiler through a heat exchanger
Idealseal MS290
My Pond Build
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10-03-2019, 01:00 PM #10
this is mine on a night its 6m x 3m and 4ft deep,this is just with 2 10w daylight led floodlights about 4ft above water on roof,,,andi
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10-03-2019, 01:10 PM #114600 Gallon Concrete Block and Fiberglass
2100 mm x 710 mm Infinity Window 32mm thick glass
2 x Aerated Bottom Drains and Skimmer
Filtreau HiFlow 30 Drum Filter
Bio Chamber - 140 litres K1
Bakki Shower - 30 KG Sakura Far Infrared Media
2 x 18,000 lh pumps
Heated from house boiler through a heat exchanger
Idealseal MS290
My Pond Build
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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10-03-2019, 01:16 PM #12
I got 2x 800mm long submersible led battens designed for aquariums from eBay, they were quite cheap and work a treat. They attach using suction cups which I put either side of the window and can't be seen
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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10-03-2019, 01:25 PM #13
they are the 10w daylight ones in at moment but have got 2 x 20w ones to go in in summer,have to get in pond to change so not until weather warms up,just make sure you get ones that re dayliht 6000k rated as these are classed as daylight so full spectrum light,i use these so koi dont lose colours,ive just literally whilst writing this ordered these,so the 20w ones are going somewhere else now hahaha,andi https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-30W-L...oAAOSwgd1az1J3
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10-03-2019, 02:12 PM #14
Regrettably I am very sceptical of manufacturers claims on what is perceived as daylight, the problem is no one quotes CRI Colour Rendering Index, I have a marine tank and the corals need a certain light spectrum, which is natural sunlight. Sunlight in its pure form has a kelvin temperature of around 5,000 degrees kelvin and a colour rendering index of 100
Most lamps you get have a 6,500 degrees kelvin and a colour rendering index of 80, although they don't quote the CRI normally. in sunlight you can view 100% of the true colour a lamp with a CRI of 80 you can only see 80% true colour.
CRI is used to describing the effect of a light source on the colour appearance, so this is what is the most important to look for, and the thing that isn't normally quoted.
So basically its a lucky dip on what works best with colours and what doesn't, also personal preference, anything above 5,000 kelvin to 10,000 kelvin can be classed as natural daylight, but only if it has a CRI of 95 or above
Sorry that was a bit long winded but I've had customers quoted completely the wrong thing based on 6,500 kelvin and the colour was crap, this is for visual inspection lighting, so colour is important
Rant over lol4600 Gallon Concrete Block and Fiberglass
2100 mm x 710 mm Infinity Window 32mm thick glass
2 x Aerated Bottom Drains and Skimmer
Filtreau HiFlow 30 Drum Filter
Bio Chamber - 140 litres K1
Bakki Shower - 30 KG Sakura Far Infrared Media
2 x 18,000 lh pumps
Heated from house boiler through a heat exchanger
Idealseal MS290
My Pond Build
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10-03-2019, 02:36 PM #15
no roy they don t light the full pond up mate. I also have a big flood light above my conservatory if I want the full pond lit up. only problem there is it lights the full garden up. so you lose the darkness. if that makes sense. and right to the bottom. my led lights light up the bottom drain air bubbles which looks affective on a night.
which is what I wanted. if I point both of them into pond and at my window. they light the full window up. which is about 4 feet under water. there remote control. looks good on a night with all the LEDs on around the garden.
I reckon andis light would be the best way to go under a roof. pergola.
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RoyLittle0, andikoi Thanked / Liked this Post
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10-03-2019, 02:50 PM #16
Thanks Fred, with teh shape of my pond I could get 4 x 10watt flood light in the roof of the pergola
4600 Gallon Concrete Block and Fiberglass
2100 mm x 710 mm Infinity Window 32mm thick glass
2 x Aerated Bottom Drains and Skimmer
Filtreau HiFlow 30 Drum Filter
Bio Chamber - 140 litres K1
Bakki Shower - 30 KG Sakura Far Infrared Media
2 x 18,000 lh pumps
Heated from house boiler through a heat exchanger
Idealseal MS290
My Pond Build
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10-03-2019, 03:18 PM #17
That’s a great effect with the shadow on the bottom , I really like that . And with my idea with the lights on a side wall I reckon that will make huge shadows of fish on the back wall . And the fish blocking the light etc . Thanks andi I never would have thought of that , even more to think about now .
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10-03-2019, 03:28 PM #18
This is jets what I thought would be good , I wanted to be able to adjust them to help with the circulation and push the water to the skimmer , are these any good .
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10-03-2019, 04:11 PM #19
As above I wouldn't bother with the Jets, just go with 2" return pipes and valves to control the flow
4600 Gallon Concrete Block and Fiberglass
2100 mm x 710 mm Infinity Window 32mm thick glass
2 x Aerated Bottom Drains and Skimmer
Filtreau HiFlow 30 Drum Filter
Bio Chamber - 140 litres K1
Bakki Shower - 30 KG Sakura Far Infrared Media
2 x 18,000 lh pumps
Heated from house boiler through a heat exchanger
Idealseal MS290
My Pond Build
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10-03-2019, 04:13 PM #20
only things from experience i have learnt from keeping koi is this,if it can be knocked over like plantpots it will,if the koi can scrape themselves on it they will,i would be worried about putting things in they can rub or catch themselves against,andi
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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....