New project, will take a long time

[Yanbbrox]

add the space...u can always filled later, but digging it out later will be tougher

ya... whats a couple more wheelbarrow loads of clay after all you've done so far.

I've just reread this, now I see what you guys are saying, sorry bad time to post when I'm running late for work. Dig the filter hole to twice the size then if(probably when) I do upgrade it next year the space is already there ready to go right?

Sure, what's another 30-40 barrow loads between friends Seriously I see your point though, I'm going to sit down tomorrow and have a total rethink on the filtration, as in there must be a better way of doing things. I may as well take a day out to design everything right first time

 

[chesterthehero]

thinking isint going to dig the hole

good call on rethinking.. youve done a lot of digging... even my back hurts.. id hate to see you have to do extra

 

[Yanbbrox]

thinking isint going to dig the hole
Thanks chester but the main hole is dug

good call on rethinking.. youve done a lot of digging... even my back hurts.. id hate to see you have to do extra

Right then, I've been to a specialist koi place near us today who very very helpful considering 5 minutes in the chat it was obvious that I wasn't going to re mortgage my house to purchase what I'm sure are very excellent products, they should be at those prices

However, they had some really nice fish considering it's a relatively new company and were waiting for the main fish stock. Some of the prices for their large fish were unbelievably good and I will go back to purchase some whenever this stupid idea of mine is ever finished.

On top of the visit I've spent the best part of 4 hours on the net reading, pricing up etc. and to be honest my head hurts, I've found a company all be it on the other side if the country that seems to fit the bill but I'm stopping now until I can ring them tomorrow and if what I have planned will work(need to speak to them first) then I'll order what I need in the morning and get going again.

Here is the new plan:

Only one drain fitted but with an air diffuser attached, costs more but this is offset by having just one drain. This will run into a large vortex 42 inch deep, 30 inch diameter, this will then run into 3 smaller vortex units, matting in one, bio media in the second and third fed into the return chamber to be pumped back into the pond. The problem is the inlets into the units, the large chamber is a 4 inch inlet but the smaller units only accecpt 3 inch intakes are are only rated at 900 gph where as the large unit will accpect 2100 gph, my pump runs at 1950 gph so I need to make sure the small units will handle the extra pressure. As all this is gravity fed I can't see how there can be a problem other than reducing the 4 inch pipework to 3 inch, how a gravity fed system can only handle 900 gph is beyond me hence why I need to make a phone call to find out.

My head is gone now on all this so I'm taking another break and putting my feet up for the rest of the night, the phiscal work was easy compaired to the mental working out of all this

 

[Yanbbrox]

Should look against the pond

The filtration design has changed again need to speak to some dude about tomorrow and then it will be ordered

 

[Red Devil]

Should look against the pond
View attachment 228967
The filtration design has changed again need to speak to some dude about tomorrow and then it will be ordered

now your even working at nighti love those slate tiles you have down on the patio floor...beautiful ...

 

[Yanbbrox]

now your even working at nighti love those slate tiles you have down on the patio floor...beautiful ...

If you can call drinking a bottle wine whilst looking at the hole working

 

[Yanbbrox]

After spending 2 days trying to buy the vortexes, pipework, sealants and drains from the same place at the same time locally so I can have a chat with the dude who owns the place, always good for a bit of advise, I gave up. I simply won't spend 3 times as much cash on a fibreglass model that does the same thing as a heavy duty plastic one, yet for some reason the plastic ones are seemingly impossible to find. Yes, over the years sunlight can damage plastic but they are both going to be in the ground on concrete and covered, once they are installed apart from the waste clearance every now and again, I'm hardly ever go see the things anyway. Plus I've had that plastic container in the garden(planned pump return) for 10 years or so and still holds water and I'm sure spent another 10 years before that sat in my folks garden.

So, like I said I gave up and ordered the vortexes only, spoke to a guy I found on the web about 150 miles away who worringly had to ring me back to check the price(displayed on the website) as he thought it was wrong. Anyway after an hour or so he rang me back to tell me they'd gone up in price from the manufacturer by £40 per unit but as they were advertised at a price he'd sorted it out and would sell them at the web price. Anyway they are on the way with free delivery, the drains and pipework will have to wait.....

I thought I better dig out the planned bio filter, last seen at my folks several years ago, went around to get it and it was not in good condition, spent the best part of an hour cleaning it up. It looked like is was taken out of a system years ago and then left for many years with the water that was in it The bio media is well past it and will need replacing and added too with modern media that will be more up to the job.

Here is the filter after clean up, wheel barrow for scale and by pure coinicidence:




If it was full, do you think it's enough bio filtration baring in mind there is 2 chambers before it hits this one?

 

[Yanbbrox]

Forgot to mention it's an old all in one filter that I'm not going to have foam etc in just full of bio media

 

[Red Devil]

If you can call drinking a bottle wine whilst looking at the hole working

Thats perfect.. you need down time to study your next move... and what better way then a fire and a glass of wine... a little R&R

 

[Yanbbrox]

Thats perfect.. you need down time to study your next move... and what better way then a fire and a glass of wine... a little R&R

Thanks Liz, the next move is obvious, dig another hole for the vortexes to go, does photoshopping the pictures down to fit the site whilst drinking a glass of wine count as R&R?