Newbie koi pond build

[specialone0812]

A Hung,
if you build above ground pond, You can build sth similar like my original design in the first post of this thread. At that time, you filter area will be on ground, and thus you can use gravity pre-filter - save money on pump power usage and better efficiency.
This is my 600g Above ground pond (partial shade) i built last year with just two small sand/gravel filters - water was very clear.

[hungvanvo]

This pond done will be awesome look. will build one above ground when I done my fish room. Looking and learn from your experience pond build tech.

[specialone0812]

and you are right, since I change my prefilter to a pump fed sieve, I need to upgrade my pump to a 6400 GPH to run to two sand/gravel filters, then to a MB filter, then back to waterfall.
I am in a state of buying equipment and waiting for my contractor to help me dig the hole.

[specialone0812]

I have changed my design using a Zakki sieve which is a pump fed sieve instead of gravity drain sieve, so i can get away with filter pit and settlement tank due to limited space and maintenance need.
I have seen people using wet sensor to run a sump pump ( or filter pit pump) to drain waste water or rain water out of the filter pit.

[sayersweb]

How will you keep water out of the in-ground filter pit to keep the pump dry when we have torrential rain?

[sayersweb]

Looks Great!

One thing you may want to consider is running a larger pump, depending on how much flow you want over the waterfall. The larger pump won't cost that much more and you can always control flow with a ball valve on the outlet side of the pump.

I'm designing a pond makeover... but just can't bring myself to do bottom drains. Don't really have room for the settlement chamber. Will use the pond vac once a month to clean the bottom.

[platipus]

They do have a website. I should say we do because I am a member as well. I'm not sure what the hotlink rules here, but if you do a search for Lone Star Koi Club Houston, it should be one of the first if not the very first site that comes up in the results.

Next meeting is Feb 15. If you go to the About Us>Officers section, there is contact info. Email the Membership director or President stating you would like to test-drive a meeting and you should get a response within a day or two.

Meetings are very casual and usually entail social time (which is when you would want to talk to other members about your pond plan), potluck food and then wrapped up with club business.

Good luck!

[specialone0812]

I have been there several times. i got some good ideas from them and people there are very helpful. bought some small koi there and growing them for my pond.

[Roshan8768]

GL with the buiild! There's a place called Nelson's water garden in katy that has some nice plants and hardscape material. The people are super friendly and know everything there is to know about building and maintaining a pond in Houston. Give them a shout if you are ever on this side of town.

[specialone0812]

Oh, thanks. do they have a Web page?

[platipus]

Check the Lone Star Koi Club here in Houston. Lot's of good people and info. Contact them and ask to attend a meeting. I have a 3000 gallon cement/polyurea build in our patio. Could have saved myself a few build headaches if I had talked to them first.

[specialone0812]

There is just one pump to run the whole system, the rest are just gravity flows to save money on electricity.

[specialone0812]

Water from pond to bottom drain,to settlement filter,to pump,to gravel/sand filter,to water fall, back to pond.
the edge of the pond will prevent run off water.

[ptran]

P,
If you mean overflow in case of rain, there is a hole in the skimmer that will drain rain water out.
using gravel in water fall will grow a ton of algae and will look dirty. I will have K1 bio media in the bio-filter.

Skimmer goes back to pump which will be back to the pond, right?

I think you still need an overflow to storm drain in case of rain. Also make sure your yard grading is sloping away from the pond.

[Parklandbob]

The edge of the pond needs to have a vertical drop of at least 18 inches. Not sloping. Otherwise raccoons and other critters will try to get into the pond. AND around here, our insurance companies charge a higher premium if the pond is more than 40 inches deep ( child drowning risk). Bob in IL