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Home: KOI Talk: DIY Corner:
Ornamental Trickle Tower

 





 


Jaylene
Koi Lover


Jan 3, 2006, 6:41 PM

Post #1 of 19 (2428 views)
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Ornamental Trickle Tower Can't Post
   

I would like to add a trickle tower to my pond. I have seen quite a few good ideas for towers I'm sure work very well. But the towers I've seen so far are hidden behind fences, walls, plants etc. Has anyone made a tower that is ornamental as well? Any suggestions or photos would be very much appreciated.

Thank you,
Jaylene


Dayleen
Koi Lover

Jan 6, 2006, 12:50 PM

Post #2 of 19 (2377 views)
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Re: [Jaylene] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
I saw some different ones at Nevada Water Gardens, not sure they were exactly ornamental. I have yet to see anything i wouldn't be embarrassed for people to see.


Jaylene
Koi Lover


Jan 8, 2006, 2:37 PM

Post #3 of 19 (2311 views)
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Re: [Dayleen] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
   
Does a trickle tower have to have open sides, or could i make one using a solid enclosed piece of 12" pipe with a few hoes near the top and bottom?

Jaylene


koiguyoz
Member


Jan 8, 2006, 4:27 PM

Post #4 of 19 (2309 views)
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Re: [Jaylene] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
At the risk of sound silly, it might be possible to sculpt or introduce a statue to stand in front the of the trickle tower, and have one of it's bits peeing into the water?


larz1
Koi Kichi


Jan 9, 2006, 12:16 AM

Post #5 of 19 (2292 views)
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Re: [Jaylene] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
Have you seen Doc Conrads Lava Rock TT Fountain?
http://www.koi.com.my/cgi-bin/koiforum/gforum.cgi?post=1996;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread
I'm sure you could do something similar that has a little more eye appeal.


Jaylene
Koi Lover


Jan 9, 2006, 3:44 AM

Post #6 of 19 (2286 views)
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Re: [larz1] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
   

I have seen Doc Conrads TT. It is not what I am looking for. I know lava rock is very cheap but it does not have much surface area, as water does not flow through it.
I would like to stay with a greek/italian theme for my landscaping. I have made up a design for the outside I think will work for me.
I still need to figure out the best way to arrange the media inside. Is it better to fill the container solid with media or to layer it in shelves spaced a few inches apart? Does it depend on how porous your media is?

Jaylene


larz1
Koi Kichi


Jan 9, 2006, 5:36 AM

Post #7 of 19 (2280 views)
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Re: [Jaylene] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
".I know lava rock is very cheap but it does not have much surface area, as water does not flow through it." Are you sure about that? It has a lot more surface area and porosity than you might thinkWink

Having some shelves (1 every foot is a reasonable rule of thumb) allows for better aeration and de-gassing. Just leave enough gap (2 or 3 inches) to create a real open space. Media types are a matter of personal preference. I like lavarock best for price, durability, and surface area, but Jmat is a good choice too.
Keeping to your theme ideas, using the Feather Rock might serve you well. It can be carved and sculpted if you want to. Check out these websites;
http://www.stoneworksponds.com/catalog/feather/rock.html
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_featherrock.php
If you don't mind doing the work you could create a waterworks of artCool


Dayleen
Koi Lover

Jan 9, 2006, 4:09 PM

Post #8 of 19 (2253 views)
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Re: [larz1] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
At my other place i had 12" sewer pipe filled with bio-balls as a trickle tower on each of my sales tanks. I put a 45 degree at the bottom with grating to keep them from falling out. It worked well but i wasn't trying to hide it to fit with landscaping. That's the problem with pretty much everyone i have ever seen, they look ugly. Which if you're putting water quality and the health of the fish first you shouldn't care what it looks like as long as it works. Problem is, we also want things to look nice. In that case you'll have to be really imaginative or have your filtration hidden away far enough to hide everything you don't want seen. Not an easy task in a smaller yard with everything in the open.....good luck!!


koi@kit
Senior Member


Jan 9, 2006, 8:50 PM

Post #9 of 19 (2243 views)
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Re: [Dayleen] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
Hi Dayleen..

i m very intrested to look at ur 12" SEWER PIPE FILLED WITH BIO BALLS.. any picture to share? tks in advance..Wink


Koi38
Senior Member


Jan 9, 2006, 9:05 PM

Post #10 of 19 (2237 views)
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Re: [koi@kit] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
yoo kit,

If you can't get 12" sewer pipe you can always use 4" x 4 pieces bundled together with an egg crate at the bottom to hold the bioball of lava rocksWink

rgds,
Jon

"DuKu Friendly"
_____________________________________
"No one is ever too old to know better"

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Koi38/


Dayleen
Koi Lover

Jan 10, 2006, 12:45 AM

Post #11 of 19 (2228 views)
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Re: [Koi38] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
Hi!!

Sorry no pics of them. We don't use them anymore with the filtration and tank set up that we have now. They are very simple to make and shouldn't take you anytime at all.

Jon's idea sounds really good too. See....just need a little imagination. They aren't hard to make, just hard to hide or make look good so they aren't noticed.


koi@kit
Senior Member


Jan 10, 2006, 2:55 PM

Post #12 of 19 (2212 views)
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Re: [Koi38] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
hi koi38..

If you can't get 12" sewer pipe you can always use 4" x 4 pieces bundled together with an egg crate at the bottom to hold the bioball of lava rocksWink

good idea.. never tot of this..

cheers..




Koi38
Senior Member


Jan 10, 2006, 4:24 PM

Post #13 of 19 (2204 views)
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Re: [koi@kit] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
yoo kit,

Next time I'll charge you for my ideas........tosai momotaro showa will do meLaughLaughLaugh

Any probs let me know.......freeTongue

rgds,
Jon

"DuKu Friendly"
_____________________________________
"No one is ever too old to know better"

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Koi38/


koi@kit
Senior Member


Jan 10, 2006, 8:44 PM

Post #14 of 19 (2201 views)
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Re: [Koi38] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
tks koi38..Wink

will find myself the pvc pipe 2moro n start my DIY soon.. will post the picture if done. tks again..Sly


Koi38
Senior Member


Jan 10, 2006, 8:53 PM

Post #15 of 19 (2197 views)
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Re: [koi@kit] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
yoo kit,

Good stuff, will be waiting for the pix...............should take you 5mins to do itLaugh

Good luck manAngelic

rgds,
Jon

"DuKu Friendly"
_____________________________________
"No one is ever too old to know better"

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Koi38/


koi@kit
Senior Member


Jan 10, 2006, 9:02 PM

Post #16 of 19 (2196 views)
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Re: [Koi38] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
yoo koi38..

thank you very much for soo looking up at me.. heheheh u might take 5 min to do it. for me i might take 50 minutes. hahahahahhah


Koi38
Senior Member


Jan 10, 2006, 9:22 PM

Post #17 of 19 (2193 views)
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Re: [koi@kit] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
yoo kit,

No worries mate................just don't forget those pix manCool

"DuKu Friendly"
_____________________________________
"No one is ever too old to know better"

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Koi38/


Jaylene
Koi Lover


Jan 13, 2006, 5:30 PM

Post #18 of 19 (2136 views)
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Re: [Dayleen] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
Hello Dayleen,
What height of 12" pipe did you use?
Did you use a spray bar?
What size tank was the TT used on?
How many cubic feet of bio balls were used and were they placed in layers or did you just dump them all in?

I had started making a TT using a of 12" pipe but I haven't finished putting it together yet. My filter chambers aren't done yet and I'll need them first!


Thanks much,
Jaylene


Dayleen
Koi Lover

Jan 14, 2006, 5:43 AM

Post #19 of 19 (2122 views)
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Re: [Jaylene] Ornamental Trickle Tower [In reply to] Can't Post
Jaylene,

They were about 2.5' long and i just dumped the bio balls in. There were no spray bars, kinda difficult to do on a 12" pipe that was gravity fed from the bio filters. It could be done but we didn't feel it was necessary. They were on 12 different tanks all holding about 300 US gallons each. I have no idea how many cubic feet of bio balls were in each one. Let's just say it wasn't cheap doing 12 of them.

 
 
 



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