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Journal Gold fish pond and summer house

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A raised pond gets colder than s sunken one
So a 24” deep pond above ground will be to cold for fish in winter
Even goldfish need 36”

Unless you remove the fish during the winter months

A bottom drain is not overkill
Yes it has to go somewhere
They are not expensive use 2” on small ponds
Take it to a butyl lined filter bed (2 compartments) connect a pump and pump water down to a grid of pipes drilled so the water comes up through the filter media then falls back into the pond

You can plant the filter bed
You can even use it to grow veg (hydroponics style)
All depends on if the water is above or below the surface level of the media

Use the expanded clay media = lightweight good surface area and allows a good flow
Easy to maintain
Pump is easy to access
Can isolate filter bed
Very simple to do



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My raised pond is 3 feet above ground
And 4 feet below ground. 6 feet of water. Double block thickness. Back filled with concrete.
Keeps the cold out. In winter.
My fish used to go to the bottom in winter.
Last winter I decided to put a cover over it and shut my top pond down.
That water falls into lower pond to stop the chill factor.
It worked. All my fish where fully up swimming around all through the winter.
Even on the days and nights it was 5 to 7 degrees below freezing.
The pond temps stayed around the 8c to 10c all the time.
So in my case. It was the surface area wind chill doing the damage. And not the walls of the pond letting cold through.
A lot of people now use Celebrex before fiberglassing there raised ponds. Instead of rendering to keep the cold out on raised ponds.
Mine is rendered and fiber glasses
Fred

e9b01c53ee398ba8b2a57b157094c13c.jpg
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A raised pond gets colder than s sunken one
So a 24” deep pond above ground will be to cold for fish in winter
Even goldfish need 36”

Unless you remove the fish during the winter months

A bottom drain is not overkill
Yes it has to go somewhere
They are not expensive use 2” on small ponds
Take it to a butyl lined filter bed (2 compartments) connect a pump and pump water down to a grid of pipes drilled so the water comes up through the filter media then falls back into the pond

You can plant the filter bed
You can even use it to grow veg (hydroponics style)
All depends on if the water is above or below the surface level of the media

Use the expanded clay media = lightweight good surface area and allows a good flow
Easy to maintain
Pump is easy to access
Can isolate filter bed
Very simple to do



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You mention some good points there dean
What I have noticed over the years is.
That a lot of people get hooked on the fish keeping.
Like myself. Started of with a fish aquarium. Now a 5000gallon raised pond
And a 450gallon grown QT.
Take zozo. Bath tub. Now he is thinking of a larger scale a pond.
What my point is. If your going to do it.
Do it right.
Because it will only cost a lot more money
Further down the line.
I myself have got the T shirt in that regard.
Example my 2nd pond.
Putting things right that was wrong on the 1st pond . Things like a bottom drain. Make things a hell of a lot easier.
Gravity feed to filters. Purging pipe work.
A lot of people take the waste and feed the plants or lawn with the waste.
Dry pumps. No mashing of debris.
Less fines in the pond. Meaning clearer water.
The way the internet is now. You can watch a video how to fit bottom drains with liner or without liner.
I could explain it myself if needed.
You can buy a bottom drain cheap.
Or expensive.
Take filters. I made my own on my grow on
2 times 100ltr water butts of Ebay. Filled a quarter full with rock crog. Jap matting. And floss wool. For fines.
I am going to build a shower next. Cost for a 3 tier bakki shower new. 400 pounds. Near as damn it.
I will make one for about 50 pounds.
Fred

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I've still yet to build this pond as I've been contemplating all my options for several weeks followed by lots of research. I think i've decided on creating a waterfall using a biofalls and also making my own intake bay to act as a skimmer. This should give me the most natural look for the small 8.5ft x 7ft surface area. (2.5ft deep).

There's no way I'm paying Aquascape money for an Aquablox and pump vault (around £400 delivered). I've an idea to make a pump vault out of a 100 litre square water butt available from Wilko for £17 and a durable plastic Tesco grocery home delivery crate which I've acquired. I just need to ensure a decent sized pump can fit inside the buried water butt and everything should be straight forward from there.

The below video shows you the two parts required to create an intake bay;


Has anyone else made an intake bay style themselves? They seem quite rare and classed as "new technology" with regards to ponds?

Thanks
 
Couple of things to point out, not all plastic is suitable for a pond.
You really want a filter pump, not a "sump / fountain pump" for your "bay".
The reason is a filter pump pumps large volumes of water at not a great deal pressure (so it will not "blow up" your filter) but more importantly it can handle solids with no problem, the solids can then be removed by your filter.

You really should consider what capacity pump you will need, then will a suitable pump fit in your "bay" Its pointless going through a lot of effort (and £) if at the end of the day it does not work becuse the pump is too small.

Most folk don't bother with a "pump bay" they just drop the pump in at the far end.
 
You’re missing the main point.

The intake bay when designed optimally will act as a skimmer drawing water through only the top surface of the stone covering. You simply net that area of the pond when the debris builds up. It also covers the pond pump and the hose/electrical connection can be routed through a disguised porting through your stone/rock work.

I’ve got the storage container and grid. It’s 400mm wide and would likely take any modern eco submersible pump which tend to be ~300mm wide.
 

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Has anyone else made an intake bay style themselves? They seem quite rare and classed as "new technology" with regards to ponds?

Never seen it before, i like the idea.. Never made anything like it, tho have been brainstorming a while to think of o combination planted skimming filter. And came up with this. Can't help it i always think in term of plants when it comes to filters of any kind.

Found plastic filter grill in 40x 60cm, i would need 2. Come pretty cheap € 20 a piece.
9200000040981070.jpg

Than 4 x nylon threaded rods 50cm long, M10 and some nuts and washers. Than dig a ditch right next to the pond for example 100cm long 40cm wide 60cm deep. The filter grill will fit in snugly standing up creating retaining walls. Use the nylon threaded rods to connect them and create sort of a box. Take 2 x 110mm flanges 1 for in the pond liner and 1 for in the filterbox liner. connect both with a 110mm pipe with the pipe 75% under the water surface. Thus both pond and box fill up with same water level.

Fill the the box up in between the grills with a filter medium that can be planted, lava rocks bigger than the grills filter grid. Could use some mesh at the top for some finer capping that makes planting easier..

Than if you pump from the box into the pond, water will flow from the pond to the box. The first compartiment is the debri collector. Even what sinks in will not realy be a problem. Its in the filter not in the pond. Everything that comes out of the box is biologicaly filtered to the max. For the 110mm tube i guess to prevent frost damage, use High quality PVC. Or even better Polyethylene tube, PE is indestructible..

That's an all in one bio filter/skimmer.. Relative maintenance free and darn cost effective as well.

But as said for now a brain fart only.. Never builded it, but i don't see why it would not work.

planted skimmer.jpg

:)
 
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Great brainstorming Zozo!

You’re diagram looks much like an intake bay as described in the link below. In a nut shell, you’re drawing the flow into the bay which contains all your plant mass. The retaining wall should also add lots of surface tension and skim very nicely. It’s all based on flow, pond water level and surface area of the intake area.

This video shows both common techniques:



I’m measuring and costing up my options later. An Aquablox costs £60 delivered.

My only concern is any intake bay area sucking itself together but these crates are very strong and designed to withstand lots of abuse. I plan on housing a Jabao 10,000lph eco submersible pump inside it. That can handle solids up to 6mm (not that much would get past the gravel filter bed). I’ll only be pumping the water up to around 50cm to the biofalls (which will remain empty of media) so I’m well within the pump specifications.




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Great brainstorming Zozo!

You’re diagram looks much like an intake bay as described in the link below. In a nut shell, you’re drawing the flow into the bay which contains all your plant mass. The retaining wall should also add lots of surface tension and skim very nicely. It’s all based on flow, pond water level and surface area of the intake area.

Thank you.. :) Yes its indeed very simmular to what he calls Zero Edge system. It actualy is about the same as a Filtr bay, but than outside the pond connected with a tube.. I came up with this idea because i have a very small garden with limited space. Thus i need something practical, effective, cheap and easy to install that doesn't require a massive volume or large turn over.

120 litre lava rock filter medium should be more than enough to run a 2m³ to 3m³ small goldfish pond. Than if it needs any maintenance no need to disturb the main pond. Plug the tube at the pond side and it can be drained without having effect on the ponds water level.

Even the fish can swim back and forth into the filter without getting into trouble. They actualy are curious enough and like tubes to travel through a lot and definively will..

At the moment i keep my goldfish in round tubs in the cellar during the winter. 3 tubs 350 litre total connected with 110mm vacuum tubes and they constantly use it swiming circles from tub to tub.

Thus actualy to encrease volume turn over during the summer months a second above ground vacuum tube could be installed as well. That can be drained during the winter periode when less turn over is needed. Cover such an above ground vacuum tube with coco fiber slabs and it wont be seen in the plants and even cover up with mosses and plant growth.
 
You’re missing the main point.

The intake bay when designed optimally will act as a skimmer drawing water through only the top surface of the stone covering. You simply net that area of the pond when the debris builds up. It also covers the pond pump and the hose/electrical connection can be routed through a disguised porting through your stone/rock work.

I’ve got the storage container and grid. It’s 400mm wide and would likely take any modern eco submersible pump which tend to be ~300mm wide.
Great idea Frank. When you do it mate
Do a good write up and photo s mate.
Sounds good.

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