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Old 07-01-2016, 06:25 PM   #1
spidy
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Default 1st attempt to design my koi pond

After 2 not so satisfying experience with 2 landscaping companies that claim to be "expert" in koi pond design and build, I am thinking of taking things into my own hand on the design of my 3rd pond.

I keep 9 koi average 50cm and a couple of gold fishes since my kids wanted variety.

Due to space constraint, the dimension of the pond I plan to build will be 2.14m (length) x 1.74m (width) x 1.5m (deep). This works out to be around 5.5 ton or 1500 gallon. The pond will be in the ground (vs my current pond which is above ground)

Decision 1 : Material of pond.
I have decided to use FGT instead of cement and epoxy. Have read in few forums if cement w epoxy is not properly build after sometime it will "peel" and give problem. Since the builder I am engaging this time round is Not any koi pond "expert" I decided to play safe.

Qn : Are there any unfavorable effect using FGT vs cement (epoxy) like health, growth or color of koi being affected etc ? From maintenance point of views, any challenges down the road and also the "longevity" of the pond ?

Decision 2 : Filtration
Due to the longish dimension (rectangular) and also considering more "swimming space" for the growing koi, I am thinking of dropping the 4 chamber biological filtration design and go for external compact pressurise pump (aka Laguna Pressure Flo type). Current pond I have to sacrifice around 1/3 of the pond for the filter chambers and I found maintenance very "siong" (hard labour). Also now that the new pond is in the ground that mean I have to flush the chamber dry before I can climb inside to wash. So an above the pond filtration solution is more ideal.

Qn : Am looking at various brands of Pressurise filter (mechanical + biological + UV). This is new territory for me as my last 2 ponds are all 4 chamber biological filtration system. Anyone been using Pressurise filter please share the pros and cons. Koi tend to poo a lot more and my concern is can a pressurise filter with it compact size and filtering material cope with it ? Also do suggest other filtration solutions if you have tried and tested them, however space is a premium here so anything that takes up too much space (compare to pressure filter drum size) is also out of the question.

I am working on the design diagram like inlet and outlet, surface skimmer etc. Will share my journey as I make progress.

Hope to have liked minded hobbyist input and advice along the way.

Cheers
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Old 07-01-2016, 07:44 PM   #2
huashao
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Bro..

1.5m deep ?
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Old 07-01-2016, 11:58 PM   #3
john ng
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hi bro, had a 8-9 tonne pond before, also used fgt as it was the cheapest option. if it is going to be in ground and outdoors do remember the overflow piping to drain off excess rain water.

also do invest in at least 35% to be part of the filter. will save u a lot of effort and i almost never cleaned it, but water was always clear. remember to incorporate those valves that will drain off the dirty filter water into the drain.. do it regularly and u will hardly have to clean your pond.
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Old 08-01-2016, 01:27 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by john ng View Post
hi bro, had a 8-9 tonne pond before, also used fgt as it was the cheapest option. if it is going to be in ground and outdoors do remember the overflow piping to drain off excess rain water.

also do invest in at least 35% to be part of the filter. will save u a lot of effort and i almost never cleaned it, but water was always clear. remember to incorporate those valves that will drain off the dirty filter water into the drain.. do it regularly and u will hardly have to clean your pond.

It is part of my front porch which is shelter so no more rain water issue.

Before I introduce koi, my pond can last 6mth before I need to clean but now with the koi growing I need to clean every 2 mth. And I am think not to sacrifice 35% for filter chamber that's why am looking for external compact filtration system.
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Old 08-01-2016, 08:30 AM   #5
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The adventure is on!

1. Make sure you have an aerated bottom drain put in your FGT. Bottom drains are an absolute requirement for modern ponds. This should be a drain with an integrated diffuser. For a pond this size, you should need only 1. If your pond is going to be fabricated outside and lowered into a pit in the ground, you could have the drain and piping pre attached.

2. Tangential returns. These are return pipes in the walls of the pond used to circulate water around the bottom drain. one in each corner will be desirable. These can also be pre-attached to the FGT before it is put into the pit. 1" outlets should be adequate. These are usually fed by a tee off the pump return, and are controlled by a valves. Since your pond should be a regular rectangle, you should need to valve only the main feed.

3. Surface skimmer. Provision for a skimmer. Not much point if you can't see your fish due to the scum floating on the surface If you use a shower filter, you will get foam. That foam needs to go somewhere! A no niche unit like the one I am using will probably be easier to plumb than an in wall unit for a fabricated tank as the bottom piping can be pre installed.

4. Compact filtration is very possible!

If you are not adverse to importing the filter hardware, check out the Zakki pressurized sieve. Simple maintenance and suberb water clarity. It has quite a small footprint for the amount of water it can filter. This is the only sieve type unit on the market that can operate above the water level without chopping up fish waste. The unit is about the size of a 55g drum.

http://www.deepwaterkoi.com/Zakki-Si...akki-Sieve.htm

This would have been the system of my choice if I decided not to spring for a rotary drum filter for my mechanical stage.

You just need to feed a Bakki or Zakki shower with this. No need for brushes, no need for mats. As the system is a pressurized unit, it can be installed above ground level. You will need check valves in place for that to work of course.

Filtration can be as simple as bottom drain -> Zakki sieve -> pump -> shower.
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Old 08-01-2016, 10:03 AM   #6
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One very important thing to note about using fiberglass is that KH needs to be managed very well. Pond biological systems are carbonate gluttons, and Singapore water has almost 0 KH. You will need to provide an ample amount of carbonate source like oyster shell, and consider dosing sodium bicarbonate regularly.
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Old 08-01-2016, 01:22 AM   #7
spidy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by huashao View Post
Bro..

1.5m deep ?
Yes. but will fill up water to around 1.2m (approx 4ft)
Heard koi like more than 3 ft of depth.
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