My pond build from this past summer

[mp3coupe]

Here is a pond that I did this past summer. I had a 220 gallon insert prior to going bigger. It was home to 55 gold fish - over crowded.

The old pond became a holding tank

While I was waiting for a backhoe to show I dug a 4x4x4 hole under the staircase for the settlement tank. The tank is 275 gallons

3 feet deep

I had some problems getting the settlement tank into the hole. The staircase needed to be lifted only a few inches.

 

[mp3coupe]

The soil was like powder due to the root system. It took some work to work the roots and walls.

Started toying with a wall for the stream, it didn't pan out - looks wise.
The 4 inch bottom drain was plumbed in to the 275gal settlement tank. 1 1/2 pvc runs out by the shed from the tank to flush the fish poo. Also a 3/4 pvc line was ran for air supply to help draw in crud into the drain.

This is my DIY filters - 55gal drums - sand and gravel filters.

gravity return roughly 18 inches from pond bottom (TPR)

I used some old carpet to protect the liner, I also plumbed in a walmart pool, skimmer. Opposite side of the skimmer you can see a return from the sand and gravel filter.

the lower port under the skimmer is another return (TPR) and above that is a mid level pickup

liner in and getting filled

Within 20 minutes of turning on the pump it poured rain and well the water quailty got nuked. The pump is a es4500 (gph)

worked the wall for a small stream, ran 3in pvc pipe out to the filters min headloss.

 

[mp3coupe]

275gal settlement, 2 55g sand and gravel filters, NO UV, pond went green to the point you could only see 2inches down, cleared up within 2 weeks, bottom drain is 3 feet down

My first koi

 

[FlamingFury5]

thats impressive. it'll be cool if u have some monsters in there

 

[mp3coupe]

Thanks
The only monsters I'll have are koi, hope to see them grow 25-30 inches. The goldfish are getting rehomed this spring.

 

[Muske]

2 foot Koi in that pond will be no problem.

How is the little skimmer w/the Maple above the pond?

 

[Pharaoh]

Great looking pond.

 

[ceeej31]

thats a really nice build, if i were you i would add a few oddballs in with the koi, like a few chinese banded hifin sharks

 

[mp3coupe]

The skimmer works pretty well for what it is and cost. It was only 40 bucks. During the pond season (summer) it worked good. I was getting away with once a week maintenance - cleaning the basket. Before the fall season started I had picked up 14x14 netting from homedepot. I believe it's used to protect plants from the animals, cheap material. That saved me a lot of grief. This spring should be interesting with those dang falling helicopters. I don't think the net will block all of them nor those red buds.

I was going to drill out the bottom of the skimmer so it would accept a 3in PVC electrical connector (those screw together tight by hand unlike the white ones) The original plan was skimmer with no basket gravity flow into a drum with a removable net and then to the pump. I just didn't have much room with the settlement tank, pump and plumbing.

^Thanks everyone^
sharks with koi? I've never seen a Chinese banded hi fin shark.

 

[Dr Joe]

Ok, so that was last summer...What's up for this summer?!


On another note: You've done a great job there, something to really be proud of.

How are the filters working out? Would you change anything with them?

The settling tank is a grand idea, any problems with algae in it?

I didn't notice any heating, how did the fish over-winter?

Dr Joe

.