Raised Koi ponds are becoming more and more popular these days. They offer a spectacular look that can transform the way you look out at your garden. Raised ponds also offer other benefits compared to dug down ponds especially when youngsters are running around.
The client on this project already had a Koi pond which was smaller and dug into the ground. He opted for a raised Koi pond which was still also dug into the ground, featuring a large viewing window so he could sit back and enjoy the fish at a distance. The size of the pond was 3.5m x 2m x 1.8m
What work was involved?
Firstly the pond had to be dug out, luckily for us the client haed already dug his hole by hand but usually we would use a small digger to do this. His nearby shed had to be broken down and the foundations dug for the bottom drain pipework. A reinforced concrete bed was put in which had a slight decline towards the drain.
From there our bricklayers laid block flat to the desired pond height missing a section for the featured glass window. At this point the wall mounted pond skimmer was bedded into the block for extra security. We drilled through the block 2x 2 inch returns, one for the skimmer and one for the filter system, we used angled plates for the best circulation.
A watertight pond!
The customer wanted a pond that was almost maintenance free but more importantly bomb proof. We decided to fiberglass the pond rather than use a liner, liners can sometimes puncture at no fault of your own. The finishing colour was black which can help hide algae on the side of the pond, it also makes the colours in your Koi look more vibrant. With everything fiberglassed, it was now time for the window!
The size of the window we chose was 1200 x 800 x 25mm thick, this was laminated for extra strength and had rounded edges so it was safer. This size window offers an excellent view of your fish so you can enjoy them from a side view just as well as an overview. Windows are also hand for fish inspection as you can see problems such as ulcers and parasites before it gets to a dangerous stage. We install all our windows using a strong mastic sealant to ensure a water tight seal!
Equipment instillation.
After a long discussion with the customer we chose an easy to clean filter that would be most effective for clarity and water quality. We chose to install the Evolution Aqua Nexus 220+, this was more than adequate for the pond volume and Koi the customer had. K+ media is used in the filter which is excellent mechanical and biological media.
With the customer having a shed next to the pond it was the ideal place to house the equipment. the return from the filter was pumped back into the pond using an Evolution Aqua Varipump 10000 but not before entering the Evolution Aqua 55w UV system which stops green water in the pond. The bottom drain and filter is being powered by the Evolution Aqua Airtech 95, this airpump is super powerful and plenty big enough to power both the filter and pond drain. From the wall mounted skimmer the water was pumped from this using another Evolution Aqua Varipump 10000 but this time through the Evolution Aqua Tempest. The Tempest is a super effective water polisher designed to be placed after a filter system or skimmer.
The finishing touches!
As like most raised ponds nowadays we chose to use a grey slate split faced cladding to finish off the ponds look with a Indian stone copings. For the edges we used chrome corner pieces to give it that extra modern look. With these in place the pond is now complete. Now the client can enjoy his fish in a way he never thought was possible. The pond truly finishes off the garden now giving it a more modern twist.
If you have any questions about this build or would like assistance in pond building, equipment installs or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0161 519 7799.
