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Thread: All ideas welcome
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27-09-2016, 09:55 PM #1
All ideas welcome
Hi all
A question for all the die hard koi nuts!
I've kept fish in tanks for years and years but never had a pond til early spring 2016.
A house I moved into had a lovely but poorly constructed pond, by poorly I mean no bd, no skimmer, poor filteration, half the topping stones were not on so a lot of liner was showing, I think you get the idea by now 😁
After the last owner cleaned his manky fish out and drained his poison out of it, I tested the water and his parameters was all over the place, I did tell him but can't teach a old dog new tricks situation occurred so he left me with some old box filters and a empty hole in the ground, so my journey started cleaned the whole pond out, filters and everything blah blah blah.
Filled back up and started seeding the filters and all was good, started filling with fish and kept a good eye on my own parameters and had a really good summer, parameters looking good, fish looking really good all was going really well until today, misses comes back from picking the boys up from school to find the patio like a lake, the pond has dropped about 7-8 inches in depth.
I get home from Work to have a look around and couldn't see anything or anywhere it could of come from. I'm assuming a leak in the liner
Sorry to waffle on but giving you a little background info and stuff might help
My question for the koi nuts is
#1 do I rehome my koi and start again, with proper knowledge on how to build a better pond
#2 as I'm a ex fibreglass worker shall I rip out the crappy liner and replace with fibreglass?(I can still get nice and cheap gear plus have the knowledge to lay it so wouldn't cost a lot)
#3 should I install a bd but I don't think it could be gravity fed because of location of filter so not sure where to go with that
#4install a skimmer?
#5 would like to fit a window into existing wall, I have stainless steel welders at my current job so would be cheap for me
Sorry if this waffles on but would like to hear your thoughts, ideas, complaints I'm easy so hit me with what you have got!
Much appreciated
Adam
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27-09-2016, 10:03 PM #2
Hi and welcome. To answer your questions in my opinion.....
1. For ease it would be ideal to move the koi on and start from scratch. You would probably have to give them away as I doubt anyone would offer much for them.
2. Yes! Liners are evil
3. Gravity fed through a BD is best way. Have a scout around for locations and plan every detail (plans will usually change)
4. Yes to skimmer, it gets rid of surface debris which you would otherwise need to fish out with a net.
5. Windows don't necessarily need to be in a frame, you can cut a rebate in the wall and it will fit in it.
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27-09-2016, 10:13 PM #3
As Laura says, sound advice.
keep us all posted as I'm sure you'll get support here regardless of what course of action you take.Alias PWNN - Steve
My favourite and recommended web site is......
http://www.mankysanke.co.uk/
http://www.freewebs.com/koikoi/
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28-09-2016, 08:23 AM #4
Could you give some info as to why you think a gravity system is not possible ?
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28-09-2016, 09:00 AM #5
Hi all
Thanks for your replys
I will give a more detailed report when I get home from London today
I'm only assuming it can't be a gravity system because my garden is in 3 tiers
My pond in in the middle tier and the higher and lower tier is between 2-4 foot difference and my lower tier has no room for my chamber filter.
Could I have a gravity pre filter as it were, like a sieve or a vortex then pumped up to my filter?
Any ideas welcome
Thank you
Adam
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28-09-2016, 01:21 PM #6
Hi Adam, yes you could have a sieve or vortex gravity fed next to your pond then pump this to your filter higher up which could then gravity feed back to your pond.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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28-09-2016, 04:04 PM #7
Before you do anything drastic, try and find out exactly where the leak is on your current pond. Assuming the water level is now stable and above ground level, then that should help narrow down where the leak is. It might be an easy fix with a small patch and you could be back up and running straight away. Then you can start planning your upgrade whilst still enjoying your fish and without having to spend months looking at a big empty hole in the ground.
19,000 litres
Nexus 320 with Dracodrum and submersible UV
Blue Eco 320
Eazy Pod on skimmer
Dura+ 10kW Heat Pump
15 koi
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28-09-2016, 05:13 PM #8
Hi all
Just got back from London to find it has dropped about 6-7 inches again but no wet patio? God knows where the water has gone but it's not in the same place as last time!
I have spoke to the old owner and he has informed me the liner is about 12 years old. So do I hold out for a while and still see if it drops or start planning a rebuild?
Hardest part will be figuring out this gravity bd feed situation dilemma I have.
Also a skimmer placement as it's not square
I would like to give you some photos but not quite sure how to
Thanks
Adam
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28-09-2016, 05:21 PM #9
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28-09-2016, 06:19 PM #10
Any idea how to post photos? I'm new here
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28-09-2016, 09:17 PM #11
Have your tried switching your pump off for a couple of hours and draining out the pipe work/ filter to ensure a leak isn't coming from there? you could mark the liner with some coloured tape or chalk and take a measurement to check the water level before and after doing this.
If there fish are nice or you are happy with them then don't think the only option is to move them on, just get a pool to keep them in until the work is done. You already have a mature filter so will just need to re plumb it onto the temporary setup.
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29-09-2016, 04:06 PM #12
Hi there
I have checked my main pipe because if that would have split it should empty my pond in a hour! Not that it's a good thing thou 😬
We have a marker on the pond and it's only dropped 3-4 inches today so it's slowed down a bit
I think I worded it wrong in the first place as I was talking about getting a kids paddling pool in the garage and swapping it all over for winter because it would be heated in there.
My main problem is looking for all the equipment I need.
Could anyone tell me, would the vortex/sieve need to be at the height of the bottom of the pond or just the height of the water?
Thanks Adam
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29-09-2016, 04:12 PM #13
If you went for a Ultra Sieve iii then the top would need
to be 1cm minimum above the water line but not to much more if gravity fed.
if your money will stretch to it go for a Drum, I already wish I had
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29-09-2016, 04:31 PM #14
What sort of money are you talking for a drum?
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29-09-2016, 05:03 PM #15
A lot more then what you can pick a sieve up for, cheapest I think iv seen is starting aprox £1300 for a Aquaforte then going up depending on brand and their benefits of each unit.
Not cheap but does offer supreme clarity from machanial filtration but much more then a sieve
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29-09-2016, 06:26 PM #16
That's seems a lot of money for what I want it to do, I only need something to take the real big stuff out, my filter can handle the rest.
What is everyone's turn over rate?
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29-09-2016, 08:04 PM #17
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30-09-2016, 07:12 PM #18
Hi guys
The full rebuild is going to take place, persuaded the other half and she said do what you want! As you could imagine red flag to a bull moment 😁😁
I'm after your thoughts
#1 do I relocate koi into paddling pool now and start stripping out or wait til spring and smash it out quicker?
#2 would this work;
Aireated bd in sieve, pumped into uv, plus maybe a heater, through my kk 18000 and into a bakki shower? My flow rate through filter would be 11000lph then gravity into bakki?
Thoughts?
Should I, shouldn't I?
Any tweaks or niggles you have please let me know, I'm open to ideas
Thanks Adam
Aquaforte Dm vario 20000 pumps
Still for sale. Postage available for cost Sent from my SM-S901B using Tapatalk