***The Pond Discussion Thread****

Yup I had a massive amount in the back garden when I built the pond. It's amazing how much really comes out.

I'll order some calcium carbonate and some medikoi clay - it's about time that the pond got a dose and a little loving. I have seen one of the small fish in the back filter yesterday so that's good. It zoomed to the top of the water, grabbed something and zoomed back down. So far I've seen two of the four.

I spent yesterday at a (now divorced) old mate's house (my mrs and his ex are friends), the guy has not even bothered maintaining his pond. 18 large koi, easily 4 or 5 grands worth left with a bulge pump and the filter had not been serviced (an ease thing with sponges and a mesh ramp conveyor system). Yuck.. it was full of mess. So I've unblocked the pump but the original pumps have died due to neglect. I'd be tempted to tell her to sell on the koi and replace with a couple of goldfish for the interim until they sell the house.
 
Majority of the soil now dug out and putting in the retaining blockwork as I go along to support the filter house above it.

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Am toying with an idea to extend this filter bay upwards above the waterline, then use a skimmer in 1 end and effectively "overflow" the tank to return. That way I can make use of the vertical space to increase bio capacity.
 
Plan your slimmer/overflow strategy carefully. Water levels change with rain or draught, although you could add an overflow into waste or an auto top up system to assist in maintaining that level. I have an overflow to waste but the top of my window and skimmer are close to that overflow point, which results in some splash over on the odd occasion (massive rain downpour or if a fish may a splash etc).

For me the drum position and the bio position are linked with the water level as the waste chute for the drum is the water overflow.
 
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Getting overrun, but it keeps the blanket weed down.

Pond in full sun all day, still have a fare bit to treat on surface. Use envii Blanketweed Klear, kills it on contact :)

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My 80W amalgam UV arrived today, but one of the boxes is still to be delivered.. for now the day will be mixing concrete in a heatwave.. joy.
 
Productive day.

1) Relocated the sump pump pipe to make room.

2) Got supports in for filter house corner.

3) Dug out the corner, got the concrete blocks around.

4) Backfilled the blocks

5) Put in new corner support for filter house.

6) Backfilled second layer up to the corner.


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Tomorrows job will involve the final bit of digging out the final side, getting the first layer down and backfilled, finishing the second layer on the bits that are going in tonight and backfilled.

All going well by middle of the week I can get the concrete base poured in, debating if I should drill into the existing base and rebar it across both or not (even if its just some 10mm) or if im just wasting my time given its only going to be supporting a ton or two of water at most.
 
UVC built and running. I put the pump in the skimmer and then have it feedback to the pond at 10Klph, supposedly it needs that rate as a minimum. It also means the existing drum doesn't cause a problem.
 
Now it's dark enough (thunder clouds around) - you can see the glow. I'm still waiting for the screw in fittings so the only way to use this is side of pond :/

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Ordered some KH buffer and mediclay. Turns out cotswold koi haven't sent the remaining connectors just yet. No biggie at the moment.

I was looking at the pond flow last night and it seemed to be taking a large amount through the skimmer so I think my BD is partially blocked and needs a clean/de-blanketweed. I gave it a little purge but I think it needs a large pump pipe shoved down and sucked out. I need to finish the path next to the pond anyway so I can add this when the sun gets too hot as an activity.
That skimmer bias to the flow I think is causing the water to flow around the top of the pond through the clarifier, so today the pump is in the pond so it's going to enforce some top down flow - the air to the BD has dropped off too but I think that's down to air pressure and possibly I need to rebalance the air supplies.

In short I think my pond needs a bit of a summer clean :) I'm hoping that the mediclay will help pull out some of the fines as part of that..
 
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Rebar was drilled and chemically bonded into the existing concrete slab 2 days ago.

Nice and cool morning today so mixed the concrete and bonding agents and got the new base down.

Feeling a bit sore now lol, should have rented a mixer :p

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:( just found one of little ones outside buried in the grass I'm clearing for the new path next to the pond. I think I know which one it was (largest) that had managed to get into the main pond from the rear area. It seemed to be doing well and wizzed past the main window but I'm not sure if it was the window that confused it, the big fish or heatwave water temps that caused it to jump out. The littler one in the back is fine. So at the moment I only see 1 on a regular basis (that's little one by itself in the annoxic filter).

Meanwhile a mate's pond (they're getting divorced) is now down from 18 fish to 4 due to the weather..
 
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NickK said:
:( just found one of little ones outside buried in the grass I'm clearing for the new path next to the pond. I think I know which one it was (largest) that had managed to get into the main pond from the rear area. It seemed to be doing well and wizzed past the main window but I'm not sure if it was the window that confused it, the big fish or heatwave water temps that caused it to jump out. The littler one in the back is fine. So at the moment I only see 1 on a regular basis (that's little one by itself in the annoxic filter).

Meanwhile a mate's pond (they're getting divorced) is now down from 18 fish to 4 due to the weather..
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How comes, does he not oxygenate the pond properly or shade the pond
 
NickK said:
:( just found one of little ones outside buried in the grass I'm clearing for the new path next to the pond. I think I know which one it was (largest) that had managed to get into the main pond from the rear area. It seemed to be doing well and wizzed past the main window but I'm not sure if it was the window that confused it, the big fish or heatwave water temps that caused it to jump out. The littler one in the back is fine. So at the moment I only see 1 on a regular basis (that's little one by itself in the annoxic filter).

Meanwhile a mate's pond (they're getting divorced) is now down from 18 fish to 4 due to the weather..
Click to expand...

Dont try and overthink it, fish jump, its just one of those annoying facts of being an owner, I finished up my jump guards a few weeks ago, made difficult from the shape/form of the pond, used some reclaimed tile in the end as nothing would bond to the old stone which was also too brittle to drill. By the time its weathered in should blend ok.

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So two things today..
1. The KH buffer and mediclay turned up, added some or each but slowly does it.. they seem more chilled.
2. I have now seen the last little one - so 3 of 4 accounted for and it’s currently in the back along with other. Happy now, although they seem to want to eat everything lol.
 
Cleared nicely, pinky and perky in the back have put on weight which is good. They're like pacman when fed. I think another month and I may move them to the main pond. They're small but it will make it easier during the winter months for them.

Minor issue this morning - a large clump of blanket weed has obviously come up through the bottom drain and blocked the drum causing at to continuously flush then decide to shut down (if it has too many flush attempts). That then caused the water to overflow the waste chute as it is designed todo but it means I've lost some water out of the pond (the water level in the anoxic drops but the main pond remains higher as the airlift output is limited by the back pressure of the main pond, it will always seek to maintain that back pressure. Nifty as it attempts to maintain the main pond water level then if that drops too much it will shut off the returns and so then ensure system shuts down saving pond water :D It does make the system a little sensitive to water level changes though due to the blocked drum etc.

I've noted one of the fish flashing a little, will keep an eye on it but I have a feeling a fluke medication will be in order once we're out of the heat and thunderstorms (it drops the O2 level so we don't want the both the effect of treatment and the thunderstorm low air pressure causing issues). It doesn't help that the birds all use the pond as a bird bath so no idea what they have been wallowing away from the pond.
 
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