Category Archives: Outdoors

You should by now have considered which type of pump and system that you will want to use with your pond, once you’ve decided which type of pond and filter system you will be using.Pump chamberPump chamber is where you will fit the pumps, UV, air blower, and any other electrical appliances that support the ...

There is a wide range of filter medias to choose from for your filter system. The following are just some that are available in the market:BrushesEficient at removing debris and blanket weed, brushes were very popular until a few years ago.However they require regular cleaning and also a lot of maintenance, and is time consuming. ...

There is a toss up between purchasing a fibreglass filter units that come pre-built but are expensive, or to build your own concrete block filter unit. Get as many quote as you can from dealers and suppliers, then weigh out whether you want to buy a fibreglass unit or to build your own.Sometimes it is ...

Vortext chamber work just like a pre-fabricated chamber or fiberglass chamber, save for the difference in shape. The principle behind the shape of the chamber would have been discussed in an earlier chapter (see Vortex Chamber) and applied in the same manner to multiple vortex filter chamber like the one you see below.Square filter bays ...

When choosing your fiberglass filter unit, take into account the surface area of the filter in relation to the surface area of the pond. The surface area of the filter has to be one third the area of the pond to work effectively.Water from the pond enters the unit from the right most chamber where ...

Knowing which filter system you will be using is important. You will need to make sure that you have a system that can support the volume of your pond effectively. You will also need to decide this base on the space that you have available to support the pond.  There are a few types of ...

Unless you have experience applying fiberglass, it is well advise to leave the job to the professionals. Make sure that you find a company that has experience fibreglassing ponds. This is because the people whom you employ should understand that boat building and car bodies are very different from fibreglassing a pond, especially in regards ...

Rendering the pondThe next step after you’re done building up your walls, the layout of pipings and angling and smoothing out the corners, is to render the surface of the walls, base, etc.Mix three parts sand to one part cement for the render coat.Apply first coat directly onto the block work. Complete the surface, then ...

Angling the baseOnce you’ve completed your walls, it is time to considered angling the base of the pond.The main reason for this is so that any waste from the fish, debris and such will be move towards the bottom drains, and then removed by the vortex chamber. In this manner it would not accumulate at ...

Building Walls Around the PondOnce the concrete base is completely dry it is time to start building the walls around the pond.You have the choice of using concrete blocks that are 18 x 9 x 4 inches in measurement and lay them on their side so that the wall is 9 inch wide. Or ...

Vortex ChambersWhat are vortex chambers?The figure on the left is a basic sketch that shows the basic idea for the Vortex chamber.Water passes through the inlet from the bottom drain just above the cone section of the chamber. The water will then flow around the side of the vortex, rising up and out through the ...

Pipework for bottom drainsAfter you’ve decided on the bottom drains, it is now time to consider what pipework you want to use and your layout.You should use four inch diameter uPVC pressure piping. The pipework will be buried under concrete, so it is important that you choose the right type to use. Any failure in ...

Bottom drainsYou should fit your bottom drains while the pond is under construction. This is BEFORE you pour the concrete into the base. After you’ve got your bottom drains in, get all the pipework for the bottom drains laid out in position as well, cut to shape, lay it then pour in the concrete.In the ...

Once you’ve decided on the layout of the bottom drains/piping, you can now move on to the concrete base. This has to be planned out carefully as it is the structure that supports the pond in its lifetime.Laying The Base - ReinforcementMake sure that the soil in the bottom of the pond is well compacted. ...

At this point you would be well into the process of digging out the hole. You should now start thinking about leveling the area.Setting up the levels – Determine the height you want the final water level of the pond to be then measure from that point.Get a length of 2" x 2" timber at ...