Neli wrote:

That is fantastic Q,
to involve your women in the hobby. Brilliant! U get new fish for free! And they look after them when U are busy! He he he!
Wish more men will do that!
The bonsai is a great idea too. It becomes a joint activity and bonds the family.
I am so proud of U!

Thank you Neli ,

Always nice to have the family part of the hobby to and to thake part of it.

Cant wait for my son to be bigger to help with the kois to.


How did it go today with ur pond?


Regards

Quinten

Today I made them to clean the mortar that was dropped between the two rows of blocks...so when I poor the concrete it is bonded well.
Tomorrow I will poor the concrete between the two walls 40cm high.

They have made me to cry today...my workers...Left them just for one hour alone outside...And they ruined my life.I told them to sand paper the pipes outside only..They went and sandpapered all the sockets where the stand pipes are supposed to enter...I tried to put a pipe inside and it is shaking.
Left everything outside and came home...I am so upset.Need to put new sockets...Can not remove the old ones...and put the pipe much deeper than planned.
This is the progress so far:

I stopped everything and am waiting for the new sockets to come so I glue them.
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Hi there Neli ,

I am sorry about this now

Cant you use it after they have sand it down? Maybe use lots of glue?

I dont know?

it is the socket for the stand pipes...U dont glue there...I am putting new ones now.

Neli if you can have a timber pole turned slightly bigger than the inside diameter of the pipe and have a slight tapped at the end, you can heat the stand pipe and push it over the timber shaft and that will solve your problem. I have done this often and works well.

Colin Hunt wrote:

Neli if you can have a timber pole turned slightly bigger than the inside diameter of the pipe and have a slight tapped at the end, you can heat the stand pipe and push it over the timber shaft and that will solve your problem. I have done this often and works well.

Thanks Colin,
I was planning to use the normal sewerage pipes, that break easily as stand pipes...so that if they decide to force something...the stand pipe will break and not the socket...The pipe class 9 fits very tight even though they sand paperet it inside...but I dont want to take chances with that...I just finished gluing new sockets...Will put everything deeper now...Reinforced the joints with some pratley just in case...
Tomorrow will wrap the pipes in chicken mesh and cover them with concrete (again just in case)Then I will poor the slab for the filters on top of that.
Concrete mixing day the whole day. Will fill the space between the first two layers of blocks too and pound the concrete with a stick to go inside well.

Neli, those stand pipes do ot have to be forced into the sockets, just a gentle push does the job.

Colin Hunt wrote:

Neli, those stand pipes do ot have to be forced into the sockets, just a gentle push does the job.

They were shaking even when fully inserted...and u dont have my workers...they scrapped the biofilm of my pond to make the Madam happy that the pond is now perfectly clean...they will push them so hard...that they will not be able to pull them out even from fear the water in the pond not to come out....
I am putting in the pond measures to protect it from my workers...I can expect from them anything...unexpected.

Nelli, you must try what we do here, it's called a "Varem Clap" in Afrikaans .

I agree Costa that is the best cure!! Works wonders over here to but it works out after two weeks and then you need to repeat treatment.

I dont know what medicine is that? "Varem Clap"...but I can assure U if your workers need it every two weeks mine will need it every day...
What is that?
Todays progress:
After finishing the wall I realized and was told that my filters are just too deep. So I decided to fill some gravel and raise the floor by 44cm...(two blocks up.)now the filters will be a 110m high...
Found finally one ball valve only in a small market...but the handle is very hard to turn,...almost impossible!
I put it in water today and will try again tomorrow...
Any idea on how to make it turn easy????
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Dug a soakaway next to the pond for the waste water when it has salt, the rest will go in the garden.
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A friend from another forum , a pond builder, told me how to do the plaster...So I plastered a small test piece on the wall to try it.
Mixed 1 river sand and 1 building sand (fine) with 1 cement...
plastered with that and waited 20 min
cut it
filled the holes, waited a bit again and cut it again.
then rubbed it with wooden trowel (pronting)

then mixed cement and water only...and put a thin smooth plaster on top with that...
Want to see if it will cruck, and how strong it will be.
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Also cleaned my last biochamber....after 4 month
Found no dirt in it...maybe half cap very fine sediment...
Now I am worried. My shavings look still brand new and I put them more than 8 month ago...I can not see any biofilm...I suspect that is not good...what should i do?
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Once the valve is glued into place irt will be easier to operate and it becomes smoother the more you use it.

Colin Hunt wrote:

Once the valve is glued into place irt will be easier to operate and it becomes smoother the more you use it.

Thanks Colin...My foreman failed to open it...I left it to soak in water tonight.

Neli wrote:

Colin Hunt wrote:

Once the valve is glued into place irt will be easier to operate and it becomes smoother the more you use it.

Thanks Colin...My foreman failed to open it...I left it to soak in water tonight.

Hi there Neli ,

How are things going today there ?


Regards

Quinten

Hi Neli,
The Warem Klap medication works even better if you use it every day but tend to exhaust your workers and then they hide a lot . So once every week will be fine. You apply it with the palm of either your right or left hand to the ear region of the worker.

Miya Oki Koi wrote:

Hi Neli,
The Warem Klap medication works even better if you use it every day but tend to exhaust your workers and then they hide a lot . So once every week will be fine. You apply it with the palm of either your right or left hand to the ear region of the worker.

Hi Q!
I am tired today...We filled between the two lines of blocks today60cm...It was hard work....putting it in and pocking it...I never ate up to now since yesterday...
Filled also most of the filter area with soil...Tomorrow I will put the pipes and level them...I am so tired now.

Miya Oki Koi wrote:

Hi Neli,
The Warem Klap medication works even better if you use it every day but tend to exhaust your workers and then they hide a lot . So once every week will be fine. You apply it with the palm of either your right or left hand to the ear region of the worker.

Darling,
The clap is a waste of energy...I give them better punishments than that...like in the army...something that does not waste my nerves and benefits me...I make them work overtime. I am sure they will prefer clap better than that.

Finished filling the filter chamber...now it will be 110cm depth.
My neighbor lent me his compactor to compact the soil..
The white large fitting is my DIY skimmer.
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Did several plaster tests with different materials...so far all are cracking.
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Started putting the returns.
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The pond has gone up a bit.
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My DIY skimmer:
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Hi there Neli ,

Ur pond are getting shape now .
You Just need to give more Warem Klap medication for those that standing and do nothing

Regards

Q
I have a better one....I just pull the two 1 meter apart...if U get my drift which two....he he he!

Neli wrote:

Q
I have a better one....I just pull the two 1 meter apart...if U get my drift which two....he he he!

Hi there Neli ,

How is it going with ur pond?

Regards

An update is in order...We had 4 days holidays...during which time I was waiting for the filter slab to cure...
Today we started on the walls of the filter.
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