New Koi pond being built

[redhotkoi]

I have lurked alot more than posting. Had my first water garden back in 1989 when I was still in school. built my second pond at my brother house in 2000. This is my first koi pond.

After years of planning and saving this is going to be the year, it finally will happen. 7,000 gallons koi pond with no plant. 12' x 20' x 5' deep. Liner pond with concrete block wall 1-1/2' above ground. 2 Sugar Loaf bottom drain, 4 single level TPR, savio skimmer, first filter system Nexus 300 with Easy static center section. Second filter system Nitritech 911, Third filter system skimmer line and mid water drain line to to Ultima 2000 bead filter to water wall. Depending on water clarity the bead filter will be eliminated or upgraded next year.

The pond built started in April. With most work done by myself.

The first picture is the first pond
second and third is the pond design

[aquitori]

Welcome to the board!!! Hope you post alot more in regards to anything you need to make your Nishikigoi hobby grow...Your plans for the pond seem to be all good to go...Welcome again...

[redhotkoi]

i'm using 2" flex pvc for most of my plumbing. The flex PVC from the TPR under the water fall is not round. I wanted to make all of my connection from the flex PVC run in the filter pit. That way their is minimum joints that is hard to get to. I think when the factory put the flex in to a roll the strap was too tight.

I live in PA freezing is a concern.

option 1: cut the flex 3' back where it is round with a coupling.

option 2: will a fernco be able to make a water tight connection? Can something be inserted inside the flex before the fernco

I should just make the connection and not worry about it since their is abunch of other joints inground

Andy

[redhotkoi]

this is what the yard look like before excavation

plus 3 pictures after initial excavation

The back hoe was rented and operated by a friend. The digging was sloppy since we had to return the back hoe by 4:00 PM. All the clean up digging was done by pick and shovel.

[redhotkoi]

picture of the filter pit and pond with bottom drain installed and plumbing

[redhotkoi]

Soil from the pond excavation was moved to the left side which is low to level yard. Retaining wall built to hold soil. The wall is actually another row higher than the picture.

[redhotkoi]

Hired a pump trailer to pump the concrete to the back yard to pour the footer for the pond and filter pit.

The last picture show the placement of the pond and filter pit.

[MikeM]

Coming along nicely. Envy the hills as far as draining the pond, but not having the hill above!

How are you going to prevent run-off into the pond? ...A lip on it, I'd guess.

Why the figure-8 shape rather than an oval?

[redhotkoi]

Yes the hill in the back is good and bad. Good part is easier to make a waterfall. Their is a drain line on the bottom of the filter pit that will drain out into the side yard. Shouldn't have to worry about a flooding problem in filter house. Their is a 12" lip along the back line.
The bad part is A** neighbor that can't be hurt by the run off water in any way is complaining and won't give up. Their is a fairly steep bank on the back side of the pond that the borough won't let me put up a retaining wall.


Make sure you have nice neighbors. Their is an official swale along the back property line. I ask at the very beginning of getting my permit. The borough told me to check my deed to see if it is. I did and it didn't mention any thing. To make a long story short I fixed the swale 3 times according to what the borough wanted and I even have a written letter stating it was correct. But the story is not over yet. I will be raking out the swale again tomorrow.

I just like the soft figure "8" shape. Is the "oval" better? It's way too late now. Will be filling the block with concrete on Wednesday with a pumper truck. Have a lot of work this weekend to get ready.

[Clay]

A couple of questions that maybe you can help with. Am considering having the concrete floor pumped in since that will save my back and be less labor intensive. Since the floor is benched (slopped to the drain) I was wondering if the pump concrete has to be more watered down to be able to pump it? I plan on dropping about 8" over a 5' span so I need the concrete to have some stiffness to it or it will try to seek it's own level and I will loose the slope. I hope that I explained that well enough. So do you think that with this type of slope that the concrete consistancy will be sufficient and yet be able to be pumped?

Next question, your blocks have a grove cut into one end of them I see. What is the purpose? Will rebar go into that grove or is it a mortar grove? I've seen blocks like that before but never understood the purpose.

Thanks for the help.

Rick