Finally started building my new pond, its just been a hole in the ground for about 2 years now. Lol I dug the hole when I was single, then I became unsingle and was distracted and she wanted me to abandon the project, then we broke up and I was gonna start building then met someone new and the same story. Koi ponds are expensive, but girlfriends are worse!lol. So single again with cash to spare! Got so sick and tired of looking at a huge ugly hole in the ground! So the pond is going to be 5mx3mx1.7m deep. I still need to plan the filter system, I keep getting new ideas on a daily basis and keep changing my mind. So at the moment my plan is to build a long settlement chamber the full width of the pond, then have another chamber the same length as the settlement chamber split into 2, first chamber being mechanical filtration then biological, then have a pump chamber at the end with a submersible pump, all gravity fed through the bottom drains and skimmer. Then running the length of the pond at the top I want to build a big under gravel filter with plants which the submersible would pump to. I need to do a nice drawing to explain what I'm wanting to do.

Job well done...finally and not one but two threads opened...
Basically our ponds are almost the same ...mine is 720x360x180...and I am building with the same blocks...
Do I see two BD? If yes...why are they so far apart..or it just looks like that?
I dont see any reinforcement on the walls???
Mine is going to be two walls of 6inch blocks, with 10cm space , filled with Y12, hiway mesh and concrete...
I built my filter like the way U did on the old pond, and it is only 1.2 meters...it leaks like hell...had to redo it...so Now I am overdoing it maybe since I am scared of leakages....My filter shares a wall with the pond.
I would advise U to make the fist chamber not only SC but divide it and use part of it as mechanical filter.#m is too long for SC...

With regards to the bottom drains, I still want to throw a topping on the floor and split the floor in half and slope the topping to each bottom drain, and the reinforcing in the walls will still come, I've drilled holes in the slab in every second hole and I will push the reinforcing into these holes. I'm going to also throw a concrete collar around the perimeter of the pond at the bottom so that the bottom blocks can't move. Where I build the filter onto the side of the pond it will have its own wal, I don't trust a single block wall. Then when I backfill around the pond I will use ground with cement powder mixed in and compact it well.

AAre Your blocks hollow on the bottom? Mine are not...so I plan to fill them with concrete...It sounds very good your plan!
It will do a good job!
Where are your returns?

Iv chipped the bottom of my blocks open so I can get concrete to go down from one block to the next, lol I actually forgot to put in bottom return pipes, ill have to do that.

chris coomber wrote:

Iv chipped the bottom of my blocks open so I can get concrete to go down from one block to the next, lol I actually forgot to put in bottom return pipes, ill have to do that.

U dont need to put them on the bottom...Americans put them 18 inch above the floor...in SA , Japan, and peter Waddington...put them on the surface 70mm bellow the water level...But I plan to put best , put ball valves and see which ones work better.

Heres a few drawings of how i plan to do my filter system. Any comments welcome. It might be a bit overkill, but i can scale it down depending on the feedback i get. In total the bakki shower will consist of around 42 milk crates. This will be placed over an under gravel filter, then between the grid and the floor i will have an opening leading back to the pond in the form of a waterfall. im wanting to use a low wattage submersible pump in the pump chamber at the end of the settlement chamber. Should i perhaps make the settlement chamber shorter and add a mechanical filter chamber before the pump chamber?

This is how I did the filter in my old pond:
pond (perforated pipe) >pump>sand filter>Bakki> down and up filter>2bio chambers...
POnd around 30000l filter 10000l
I used izeki as bio...for me it works because it is cheap, available, effective easy to do!
Izeki is used by the japanese too...and it is simply shade cloth with large holes...
But my bakki is the same but beer crates...He he he!
this are my izeki frames...I prefer them to brushes and use them for mechanical and bio both.They are easier to clean...I just lift the frame 3 times up and down and it is clean...
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My media in the bakki...broken hand made bricks with lots of voids.
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under the bakki I have a concrete chamber,collecting the water, and discharging it through a 4" pipe under the bio filter, which is bricks also..with a mesh 30cm above the ground.
If U see the T and the coke bottle...it is a DIY phoam remover...
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Hi Neli, thanks for the pictures and ideas. I'm wanting to build my bakki shower as big as possible so I don't have to clean it too often. If I add a mechanical filter chamber before the pump chamber do I still need to have a sand filter, I don't want to use a sand filter because I'm going to be using a low wattage submersible pump which won't handle pumping through a sand filter. The pump I'm wanting to use is a boyu SH55000, it pumps 55000 liters an hour and is only 560W. My pond isn't going to be huge, but I at least want the water to be crystal clear.

chris coomber wrote:

Hi Neli, thanks for the pictures and ideas. I'm wanting to build my bakki shower as big as possible so I don't have to clean it too often. If I add a mechanical filter chamber before the pump chamber do I still need to have a sand filter, I don't want to use a sand filter because I'm going to be using a low wattage submersible pump which won't handle pumping through a sand filter. The pump I'm wanting to use is a boyu SH55000, it pumps 55000 liters an hour and is only 560W. My pond isn't going to be huge, but I at least want the water to be crystal clear.

How much is that pump? it sounds good to me...
If U make a good mechanical filter before the pump, it will be fine...no need for sand filter...but what will U use?..U can think about the izeki...I like it a lot..and is very cheap, easy to clean...and cleans the water to perfection...I can give U pictures to see how fine dirt it traps and how easy it is to clean.

Thanks Neli, I'm like a sponge now, taking in all ideas, then ill decide what I like most. The izeki sounds good, something else I want to ask, would it be safe if I built the frames out of galvanized steel? I'm not sure how much that pump will cost, I'm still trying to find out where to find one in SA, its a new model so it might take a while to get here.

I know that most metal oxidizes in the pond especially if U put salt in the pond...The only advisable metal in the pond is stainless steel...as far as I know...Metal oxides are not good for the KOi.
I hope more experienced Koi keepers will advise u too...
SC plus mechanical filter U will definitely need before U send your water to the bio..
I dont know your budget... there are many solutions some cheaper that needmore manual input for cleaning and some more expensive and automated...

Just to be safe i would skip the steel and use plastic.

i think there is enought different types of shapes and sizes of plastic to make a plan with.

I am sure it will be cheaper as well.

Nardus

Nardus,
U can use just a pipe on top and gather it...but the force of the water blows the izeki...so U will need to weight it down with something...The first izeki I used was on my first SC...amd I stitched on the bottom some crushed stones...
I put 4 units each with 4 nets hanging down...it was meant to be only a mechanical filter...but the first Unit of 4 nets removes all the dirt, and the rest act as bio since they are clean...so I have a SC with mechanical filtration and bio in it...
Some pictures for U...It is now operating for 1 year...never clogged...I dont like the plastic shavings in onion sucks...very restrictive and hard to clean...
This netting is the same as onion bags but it is 3m wide...and is manufactured for nurseries shade cloth...just be carefull to buy the smallest % shade cloth (with the biggest holes)
I am failing to upload pictures...it is asking me to download some program...
Will try with photobucket if U want to see them...
I wanted to show U how fine solids it trups and how well it cleans the water...also cleaning it. Just lift the frame up and down 3 times and is clean, then just flush to waste...
Brushes are harder to clean that the netting.
Some veteran Koi keeper from the USA changed to my system and said first time I have clean water now...Just google on Koiphen my thread and U will see all the pictures and the reply from the guy who changed to izeki...google izeki.

I think ill build the frames out of 40mm pvc piping, will be cheap and will last long.

chris coomber wrote:

I think ill build the frames out of 40mm pvc piping, will be cheap and will last long.

Make sure U fill with sand the bottom pipe so the pipes and the izeki dont float...before U glue the first frame test and see if it stays down...U might need to add more sand...Have a look at this:
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Have a look here I posted all my trials...the first izeki I nade and how I modified it so it is easy to clean...on the new filter...But If U look on my thread on koiphen I am going to Japan...or i think I posted it here too...A japanese millionair.. that showa at all Japan show...uses something very similar...and I made mine before I saw his...

Here's a pic of the pond I started with, its tiny! Only around 1200 liters. I use it as my quarantine pond now

My new pond will look something like this, with the bakki shower hidden behind the wall. Do you think my under gravel filter under the bakki is a good idea or is it not necessary?

AY ay ay...typing this a second time...
My pond and bakki is almost the same...the wall between filters and pod is with 15cm space in between...(double walls every where.)bakki is over that...the space above the pond 25cm high is hollow chamber which collects the water from the bakki and discharges it into the pond via water fall 20cm high into the pond...
Did U see my pond build? It is here on this forum...
I was doing the BD (DIY) today...
We eventually all overstock...have better filtration...
mY filter is 720X200X120cm deep.

Hi Chris.
I believe this is a photo of Pieter Odendaal's new pond in Bethlehem?

Made a bit more progress with my pond, its taking me forever. The walls are at their final level I just want to cast a concrete cap on top of the walls with reinforcing in it tied to the other reinforcing of the walls, just for extra strength. I still need to build my settlement/filter chamber. I also want to build a big veggie filter behind the back wall. My plans keep changing lol.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Looking good. Do You really need a veggie filter?????????Not very useful IMHO