# Nice pond!



## foxfish (17 Aug 2010)

Hi guys I was kinder surprised to see a pond section on here but wondered if anyone would like to see this one being built?
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## chrisfraser05 (17 Aug 2010)

Gutted I can't see the pics off work computers 

I likes a good pond!


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## Lisa_Perry75 (17 Aug 2010)

Woah, that's a big pond. Yep - let's hear some more about it!


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## foxfish (17 Aug 2010)

OK then we can start at the beginning....
A picture paints a thousand words...dig a hole!


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## foxfish (17 Aug 2010)

then we strike rock - Granite too!
So the hammer attachment gets to work 



By foxfish at 2010-08-17

Very hard rock 


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## foxfish (17 Aug 2010)

However before long we have the hole excavated & the steel reinforced base down, rein fibers & a self leveler are added to the concrete mix. You can see the single 150mm (6'') bottom drain pipe in situ


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## foxfish (17 Aug 2010)

Now the block work can begin, 150mm blocks are place flat to give a 250mm (10'') thick wall.


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## zig (17 Aug 2010)

Great stuff foxfish, I have a strange fascination with pond builds, I know I will probably never have one in my garden but love watching them getting built. Watching with interest


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## foxfish (17 Aug 2010)

From a different angle....^ then growing in size...


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## foxfish (18 Aug 2010)

Now we come out the ground.....




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## Ed Seeley (18 Aug 2010)

So what did you do for this pond filter wise?  And what kind of stocking are we talking?

I hope my blockwork is as neat as that when I do my pond; it's a few years since I laid many blocks!


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## foxfish (18 Aug 2010)

Ed this pond has a pretty basic filter system - single 6'' bottom drain with air dome, feeding a sieve & bead filter via 165w uv - single skimmer with dedicated pump & sieve & returned to a 7 ton gravel filter bed with full back flush facility. 
 2 x additional circulating pumps.
Total gallonage approx 8500 gal  - flow rate approx 12000 gals an hours with all pumps running.
The bottom drain also has a direct flushing with auto daily water change, via a high flow chlorine exchange filter.
stocking is low with only 6 koi.


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## foxfish (18 Aug 2010)

here you can see how we build the imitation stone copings, you can see where the base is being laid out for the slopping bottom & the gravel bed area being formed in the top pond.


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## foxfish (18 Aug 2010)

Next we build the large coping stones that will double up as a walk way across the pond - the bigger stone used 1 ton of concrete to fill.
We paint the stones with 2 coats of clear polyurethane then two coats of black.
The pond has now been plastered, first coat contains fibres mixed 2-1 then a top coat of 4-1 cement plaster.
We use fibres in a strong cement mix to stop water ingress though the blocks & into the polyester.



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## foxfish (18 Aug 2010)

Now the pond gets a top finish coat of glass fibre - this is not an easy job especially in hot weather but this time it all went well  




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## foxfish (18 Aug 2010)

Moving onto the filter chamber & the grand steps that will lead over the stone walkway...
NB filter chambers are never big enough!
We have plastered the inside of the chamber again to stop water ingress from outside & painted the walls with 3 x weather shield.
you can also see the water fall return under construction.



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## foxfish (18 Aug 2010)

Getting near the end now...
Plaster the walls....and the hardwood decking over the pump house.


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## foxfish (18 Aug 2010)

just the landscaping to do (yes, we work in the rain) & the wooden pergola & the decking & the planting but unfortunately that is the last pic I have.


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## Lisa_Perry75 (23 Aug 2010)

Thanks for all the pics Foxfish


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## PhilBen (21 Sep 2010)

Looks like its going to be a very nice pond, have you got any updated photos?


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## chrisfraser05 (21 Sep 2010)

this is an awesome pond


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## foxfish (22 Sep 2010)

Sorry no more updated pics as I have not been back to the pond but i will try to get back there soon.


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## PhilBen (28 Sep 2010)

PM me when you have some new pics


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## LondonDragon (3 Oct 2010)

PhilBen said:
			
		

> PM me when you have some new pics


Just click "Subscribe topic" at the bottom of the page and then you will get an email every time it gets updated


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## PhilBen (4 Oct 2010)

Yes thanks for that.


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## toadass (27 Oct 2010)

That's a stunning pond.. I have a mate that builds them for a living. Not quite seen anything as good as that in the portfolio tho.


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## Gill (25 Jun 2011)

Stunning Build, and love the coping stones you made. Any more details on how you made these please and the mix you used.


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## foxfish (25 Jun 2011)

Thanks, the capping stones were one of my trademarks, I have never published pics of how I build them in the past but as I have retired now .....
I used fiber mix cement, a 3-1 mix with added plastic fibers but, the empty moulds have to be lined with a fine sand mix without the fibers first to achieve a nice finish. i personally hand finish the top of the capping with a pointing tool & 25mm paint brush.
The really big stones have steel reinforcing too, the mould are stuck in place with polyurethane foam via a gun & broken off once the mix has cured - that really makes a mess!
Finally the capping stones are painted with a cement mix made from fine sand unibond glue & a colour dye before being pointed with the same mix without the dye.
A lot of work but most folk are happy with the result.
Here is pic just after pointing ...


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## Gill (25 Jun 2011)

Cool thanks for the Info, They do Look Amazing


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## Alastair (21 Nov 2011)

Awesome pond mate


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## foxfish (22 Nov 2011)

Thanks mate, I have never been back to the pond so I guesse the customer was happy.
I spent some time this summer working on a pond I built 25 years ago, the pond still has the same stocking of koi & two sturgeon.
Some of them are really big.....


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## foxfish (2 Dec 2011)

I found one of my old brochures & scanned it - about 1987 I would think it shows my planted tank with mercury vapour lighting that was so popular at the time.


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## spyder (3 Dec 2011)

Nice big pond, looked like you were going to build a castle at one point.


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## flygja (16 Dec 2011)

What a nice job


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## warman98 (25 Dec 2011)

What a great job! Should never retire from a job like that!


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## O'Neil (20 Jan 2012)

Clearly a very skilled tradesman!!!


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## foxfish (20 Jan 2012)

Thanks guys - I have not completely retired its just that I don't employ anybody anymore & I don't take on any big projects anymore. However I do still maintain some of the bigger ponds that I built & the last couple of springs have been busy, there are always UV tubes to replace & filters to service etc.
In fact one of my hobbies has taken off big time & I am now building spear guns as fast as I want - a bit of a bazaar twist


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## BigTom (20 Jan 2012)

If you ever fancy being someone's boss again then give me a shout   

Would quite happily give up my PhD for building ponds in the Channel Islands...


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## O'Neil (20 Jan 2012)

BigTom said:
			
		

> If you ever fancy being someone's boss again then give me a shout
> 
> Would quite happily give up my PhD for building ponds in the Channel Islands...




I second that.......plumbers alwyas come in handy winkwink, lol


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## Aron_Dip (23 Oct 2012)

Awesome pond mate and Top class Ground works


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## jack-rythm (24 Oct 2012)

Looks class mate!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## foxfish (24 Oct 2012)

Thanks guys, i have never been back to that pond, so i assume it is still running sweetly!
I did find a few more pics of the build though...


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## frederick thompson (4 Dec 2015)

Thanks for pictures fox fish. Great pond. Dream pond. Fred


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