I have mentioned before that my pond is leaking. I have tested (thanks Wayne), and the leak is in the pond itself. The volume is 8500 liter. I lose approximately 8cm water per day.

I have stopped refilling my pond on Sunday and we are 40cm below surface and still going... And I haven't found/seen the leak. (the top white line is where the normal level is)

I apologise for the quality of the photos, taken early this morning

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The advice I need is: (Please consider a budget and give prices if possible)
1. Should I buy a Porta pool- use it while I fix the pond and where does one buy, or second hand? What size?

2. Pieter's advice was to paint with Hydro Seal products- but then I will need to get rid of the butamin cover- some grinding I suppose. I have mentioned before that the cement is only 1cm thick.

3. I cannot increase the surface size of the pond and cannot move the pond. What is the possibility to break it and go deeper, but I suppose that will be a big job and then to seal it??

4. Someone mentioned fibreglass- any opinions of sealing the pond as it is with fibreglass?

Thanks
Albie

Hi Albie,

I hear you and understand what you are refering too. My pond has a leak too ,it drops approx 2.5inch a day. I have dug up all my pipes and found 2 leak by the biological filter but still leaking. I tried do use your method to stop filling and run dry but it went to far down close to empty. My pond is marbelited charcoal> I have tried putting a sock in the bottom drain and switching of the pump but no luck. Still drops,

A porta pool you can buy from builders new but second hand I dont Know. How did you establish the leak is in the pond?

Hi Albie

According to me a porta pool is a good investment for any koi keeper. You can use it in situations such as this, quarantine facilities when you purchase new koi, etc etc etc.

They really are not that expensive all things considered.

Good luck

Dankie vir die respons. Hier is Wayne se link:

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Honest opinion please- rebuild or try and fix?

Dankie Marius

Mens bly nooit voor met "asset management" nie! Verder ook nog my 2 grootste visse in die laaste paar maande verloor- een met weerlig en een het uitgespring, wat eintlik nooit gebeur nie, en toe ons die aand braai, irriteer die honde my vrou so wat onder haar voete onder die stoeptafel aan 'n been kou- my ander groot koi! Ek sien jy is ook maar baie weg van die huis af- ek is meeste van die tyd in die week weg en net naweke by die huis. Sal in Engels aangaan.

I tend to agree to go deeper, as there is no space to extend the sides. The measurements are 4.7m in length, 3.7 m at its widest, probably 2m at its narrowest and approximately 1m deep at its deepest. How deep would you go? And I suppose one basically demolish the sides and bottom and start from scratch.

A bottom drain is not an option, as this will need to go underneath my waterfall.

I'm just worried about my biofilters during this process, but might be able to connect some of it to a portapool. I have 2 submersible pumps and one swimming pool pump. My water is as clear as can be.

I will start to look at good posts at how to build a pond, but perhaps we can share experiences. If there is a good post, please let me know- I'm lazy now!!

Regards
Albie

What do the guru's say??

While the site is quiet, perhaps you have time for input.

I have decided to rebuild on the same spot, but go deeper (up to 1.5 or perhaps 2m). (Any comments on depth?)

Just to check if my planning is correct. After digging out, place the liner on the bottom (I have copied some photos, hope you havent copyright)

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and concrete the base (app 10cm or more?)

Do I need to add Coprox and/or salt to the concrete mix, and if so, how much?
Then wait 10 days to dry.

I like these sides Wayne, I think I might put liner between the bricks and the soil. Does one need to add cement in the holes of the bricks?

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Then plaster sides and bottom (again how much Coprox/salt should I add to the plaster mix- They will mix in a wheelbarrow)

Then, once dry I will paint with Hydroseal- I think that works well.

Any comments/advice please? Want to start in a week or two.

Any thoughts on this?

Hi Albie, I missed your post.

What you are doing is basically the same as what I did on my last pond, and it worked very well. See Koionline.co.za under pond construction.

I did mine 2 meters deep but in retrospec, I should have done it 1.5 with a larger surface area as I had difficulties catching the fish.

If you go 1.5, the 10 cm slab should be fine provided that you use brickforce and/or proper iron grid. If you go 2 meters, I believe you should increase the depth of the slab to at least 15 cm.

I started to build on the slab within 4 days without problems, however, your should wait for at least 10 days, and wet the slab every day to strenghten the end product.

You should fill at least every second hole of the blocks with soft concrete and your iron reinforcing could be a bit more, especially if you go the 2 meters route.

I have added salt and sikalite only to my plaster but coprox will do the same job. I used 2 bags of salt for all the plaster work (dissolved) on advise from a farmer who builds concrete dams on a regular basis. After plastering, I suggest that you seal with coprox.

Thanks Paul

Just to clarify, when you say

Quote :

provided that you use brickforce and/or proper iron grid

do you mean under the slab, or just to the sides where the walls will be built? I think I will go to 1.5m.

Any advice on a portapool? Where are the best buys?

Regards
Albie

I think he means the bottom of the pond. The deeper it is, the more pressure and obviously if the foundation is weak the more chance it has to crack.

I am also looking for cheaper portapool options.

Brickforcing below the walls but also througout the pond slab.

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I did this already three years ago, 2 meters deep, and no cracks.

This time of the year it is diffucult to get portapools from Game, Macro and Pick & Pay. Seagull in Atlantis makes them and I get my stock from them.

However, the best is to spend a bit more and go for the PVC koi show ponds. It last four time longer and has a wall of 1 meter, especially for koi. The 3 meter goes for R 2485.00 and the 2 meter for about 1800.00. (Minurphy Tarpaulin CC, Durban) Then you have a quarantine and hospital facility for ever. They will courier it for you.

Thanks Paul

The western cape chapter is currently selling its smaller 2000 l vats for R 750 each they make excellent quarintine vats.

You have to fill the concrete blocks with concrete. 1.8m is a nice depth.

Thanks Wayne, just a pity it is so far. Or do you have a contact in Gauteng?

Hi Albie, a courier company will charge you about R 300.00 to collect and deliver.

It sounds good, but I need advice.

So the options are;
- A regular portapool
- A PVC koi show pond from Durban
- or Vats from CT (Is there a picture somewhere?)

My current pool holds 8500l, with 16 fish, but after my elimination early this year I have two of 45+ cm, four of 35cm plus and the remaining are tiny once from Collin. I will need to keep them in a temporary pond for at least a month, as I am often away from home. What pond size will be sufficient??

I plan to connect most of my bio filters with the temporary construction. Although I haven't made the sum, perhaps 2 of the CT vats, or will one be sufficient, bearing in mind it is cold and I will ensure adequate oxygenation, filtration, water change, etc.

If I need to buy 2 vats, will the delivery be the same?

I initially thought I would get the fish out tomorrow (Thursday) when I was away from home and connect the existing filters, as I'm home till Sunday pm, but perhaps I shouldn't hasten it- we add 30cm of water per day!!! (another week or 2 of better planning and preparation might be necessary).

Lots of questions again!

Thanks
Albie

heres an example of a 2000l vat. Its the one on the right.

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Quote :

I like these sides Wayne, I think I might put liner between the bricks and the soil. Does one need to add cement in the holes of the bricks?

There is building plastic underneath the concrete foundations of the wall. What you should also be to see from the photo photo is that the concrete slap is 30cm wide. It is also about 40cm deep. Inside the foundation is 12mm iron rods that are lying horizontaly tied together and all the upright vertical rods are fixed to the the the ones in the foundation.

I then started digging deeper in the middel down to a depth of 3m. So the walls are at 2m and the center is 3m. My floor slap is about 15-20cm thick and 30cm thick at the bottom drain with reinforcing steel mesh added aswell.

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