thiamhwa
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Oct 19, 2007, 11:17 PM
Post #4 of 17
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Re: [koisteve] Advice please for a newbie!
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Hi koisteve,
I am glad to know that you have decided to go with re-inforced concrete for the base and concrete blocks for the wall
with cement render then sealer as the final finishes. I think that is a wise decision although it may take a slightly
longer time for construction compared to the Butyl liner method. Also remember to add those plastic fibres to the
concrete and cement rendering mix to achieve better bonding strength for water leakage prevention and also it is
highly resistant to damage by frost. ( I assume you are from a country with cold climate )
I am in the same opinion with Larz1 that a Vortex for the Settlement chamber would be better. Since you have also
decided to do a DIY vortex, I have attached herewith a typical sectional sketch drawing for your information. Please
note that if you will to place a sieve mesh at the mid-level as shown in the drawing, this will prevent further smaller
waste products from flowing upward to the elbow pipe above.
You may also want to adopt the 2 pipes bottom drain system as shown here. I have seen some Japanese hobbyist's
ponds using this method which are published in some magazines. In fact some of our Malaysian hobbyists have also
adopted this system as well. The intention for this system is to get rid of waste products immediately and directly off
from the main pond so that it reduces ammonia build-up in the pond. If you are considering adopting this system,
you may use a 4 inches pipe for the connection to the Vortex chamber and a smaller size ( say 3" ) pipe for the
connection directly to the Dry Chamber for immediate waste products back flushing.
BTW, from your filtration system discriptions, it seems to me that you have not consider adding Biological
Chambers to the filtration. In my opinion, I think Biological Chambers in the filtration system is important
because the quality of the water will rely on the activity of these nitrying bacteria thriving in the Biological
chambers to break down toxic waste products into less harmful substances. These nitrying bacteria are
aerobic i.e. they need oxygen to thrive and thus purify the water. So, make sure you have allocated a few
air-stones in these chambers for the supply of oxygen.
Finally, as for the Venturi system, I think you will require a pump to get the Venturi working effectively.
Thank you.
Best Regards,
Thiam Hwa
(This post was edited by thiamhwa on Oct 19, 2007, 11:22 PM)
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.However i would be far less nervous about this if some of you could cast your eye over my ideas please.I have planned and done several layouts etc and this is what i had in mind for my budget(sorry the wifes budget
.First of all my pond will hold about 3500 gal when complete,iam aiming for 2ft above ground and 3ft below ground with 2 x4 inch bottom drains.My first idea was put a 12inch square collar around the pond then with 18x9x4inch blocks laid flat build from ground level up to my 2ft ish height,then dig down slightly slopeing the sides to about 3ft putting in my bottom drains then use a butyl liner.This would be fairly quick to construct and not beyond my abilty but would it be ok?The next method would be dig down to my 3ft depth lay bottom drains then por 8 inch re-enforced concrete base.Let this cure then build up block work 4 inch thick to ground level then turn this to 9 inch thick for the 2ft above ground. The blockwork below ground i would back fill with concrete.Once all this is done render and paint with sealer, ie G4 etc.This method would take alot longer to construct and iam getting a 35-year guarentee with my liner so would i actually be any better off doing it this way? 
so does anyone think this filter setup would be ok for this or am i way off the mark.Final questions are: 
so iam very happy .I will probably go with this type of setup but with 2x4inch bottom drains -vortex-then onto a small chamber with brushes into another chamber with say flocor and loads of air.Should i put matting in this chamber aswell?