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[Eugeneg]

Originally Posted by mrsonid9

I have a 55 gal carwash barrel that I was going to use for the vortex chamber.

So now that that is settled-how do I DIY? LOL

I would go on a pond tour with a local koi club see what others have and then you would be able to make a better decision of what you wanted this way you are not going to end up dissapointed . You will also get a better idea of the costs involved .
Regards
Eugene

[Birdman]

Originally Posted by mrsonid9

I have a 55 gal carwash barrel that I was going to use for the vortex chamber.

So now that that is settled-how do I DIY? LOL

No way will a 55 gal barrel work here. Way to small. Not enough dwell time. Bottom drains remove heavier than water waste. The settlement filter or Vortex is a very large wide spot in the line that slows the flow down enough to allow the heavier than water solids to settle out. I like to use one gallon of volume for every gallon of flow. Some basic's 1st

Your pond needs two 4 inch bottom drains.
Each bottom drain has to have a min. of 2500 gph flow to sweep the lines.
Two 4 inch bottom drains @ 2500 gph min. would be 5000 gph flow, = a 4 to 500 gal settlement filter or vortex.
For the ponds I build for people I use a 500 gal cone top AG tank i turn upside down and modify into a vortex. (see picture)

From the settlement filter or vortex I gravity flow the water through some kind of Bio Filters, then the pump, then back to the pond via 3 TPRs like this. (picture)

Lets stay with the basic pond size and shape, bottom drain circuits 1st, then we can move on to the skimmer circuit.

The size of your pond is good, go 6 to 7 feet deep if you can, make the corners rounded, so the pond is like an oval more than a rectangle.

[Steve Nguyen]

what's the rate of water pump? how many gallons per hour?

Even without your answer, I would think 55 gals barrel is too small for a 9K gals pond. remember that sediments need time to settle to the bottom of the vortex.

Steve

Originally Posted by mrsonid9

I have a 55 gal carwash barrel that I was going to use for the vortex chamber.

So now that that is settled-how do I DIY? LOL

[kntry]

If you're going to use the 55 gallon barrel as a true vortex, it's too small. Make it a microscreen or static chamber and it will work perfectly. You'll need one system per bottom drain.

Definitely, DO NOT let roof run off get into the pond.

[Eugeneg]

For the ponds I build for people I use a 500 gal cone top AG tank i turn upside down and modify into a vortex. (see picture)

The problem arises building your own is that the foot print is much larger one has to pay for the excavation and removel. It takes a lot of time to put all of this together as well as it takes a lot more time to service such systems .
Having done all these things and putting some value on my time I would just start with a couple of Nexus units .As all the time and money added together they would end up being the lower cost over a period of time
Regards
Eugene

[Birdman]

Originally Posted by Eugeneg

For the ponds I build for people I use a 500 gal cone top AG tank i turn upside down and modify into a vortex. (see picture)

The problem arises building your own is that the foot print is much larger one has to pay for the excavation and removel. It takes a lot of time to put all of this together as well as it takes a lot more time to service such systems .
Having done all these things and putting some value on my time I would just start with a couple of Nexus units .As all the time and money added together they would end up being the lower cost over a period of time
Regards
Eugene

Valid point Eugene. depends on how handy the person is, I don't think it takes any more time to dump my vortex than it would take to dump two nexus. and if you run the Nexus gravity flow you have to burry them also.

[CarolinaGirl]

The beauty of a nexus (Or the DIY version of a nexus that I am running) is they don't take up much space. For 9000 gallons, either 2 nexus or two of my duel barrel static and fluidized K1 filters work just great and don't take up much space. If you're handy, the DIY version can be built for less than $100, plus the cost of Kaldnes. When I clean the filters, I only dump around 100 gallons of water and can start the system back up right away, not having to wait for a large vortex tank to refill.

[mrsonid9]

Carolinegirl,

$200 for two DIY Nexus units is doable for me.

Are there step by step instructions for dummies like me?

I was about to give up my dream of a larger koi pond because of the cost, but I'm getting excited about the project again if this can be built for $200.

[mrsonid9]

I think I have to downsize my dream pond from what I'm learning.

So what would be the minimum size pond for happy healthy koi?

And what equipment would be needed? Please include any and all DIY projects?

Thanks so much.

[mitten]

request number 5,224 for the minimum specs for a proper koi pond. "Search" function will let you find a thread here discussing that. I'm too feeble and inept to put a clickable link right here for you, sorry. Good luck.

Birdman, for 5000g of flow the required settlement chamber is 1,250 gallons. This is a big factor in the popularity of the static filters like Eazy.