Simply Koi and More Koi

Having seen Shauns idea with the IBCs I thought that I would have a dabble. I had been keeping my fry in the garage until lately when I persuaded my darling wife to dig me a large pit and line it with some cheap pond liner.
In my garage I have plenty of goodies and rubbish so I am going to build myself a mega filter like Shauns out of a mixture of things found and very little bought. This first picture is some of the rubbish left in my garage after I moved the fry into the pit, as you can see plenty to go at.

[img]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g113/DidI ... C00033.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g113/DidI ... C00031.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g113/DidI ... C00037.jpg[/img]

I chose 2 of my IBCs and I have decided on a double chamber easy. I have found in my garden a composter that is up for grabs and this will be my easy compartment.


[img]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g113/DidI ... C00038.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g113/DidI ... C00032.jpg[/img]

Will post daily my progress. By the way I completed this diary over a few days but did not post it until now, this is why I have had to post separate, hope you still get a laugh anyway.

Phil

In amongst my garage goodies I have found some plastic webbing that was used to wrap around office chairs that were delivered to my work place and because I am well known as a magpie it was bagged up and delivered to my office. This is fantastic for making 4â€Â

I have fitted my easy into one of my IBCs. I first had to fit my centre drain which consists of a T junction with a blank end fitted to the base and the exit running out through one of the 4â€Â

Completed the K1 proofing of number two tank today. Fitted some of my salvaged webbing around the tap outlet in the tank and fitted a small kitchen waste basket around the main outlet (hope the wife doesn’t miss it), perfect.


[img]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g113/DidI ... C00056.jpg[/img]

I have then filled the static with 100litres of K1 and the bio chamber (num,ber 2 tank) with 300litres of K1 and coupled them both together via the outlet pipe in tank 1. I then filled them with water. I have also found out that one of my srew tops fit perfectly over the stand pipe and screw up, RESULT.

[img]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g113/DidI ... C00051.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g113/DidI ... C00052.jpg[/img]

Phil

Disaster for tank 1. I had checked before I started that the slots on the composter were small enough to restrict K1 but unfortunately even I underestimated the shear determination of these little scraps of plastic and some managed to migrate to the outer section of tank 1.
After a re-think I came up with the idea of attaching some of my magic webbing to the composter using plastic cable ties and so I got to work with the drill and attached the webbing with 12 plastic ties per section of slots. 192 holes later and approximately 3 hrs work, problem solved.

[img]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g113/DidI ... C00053.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g113/DidI ... C00054.jpg[/img]

The whole system holds 500 gal and what I didn’t show on the photos is that an aeration pipe is fitted to both tanks, the Bio tank will run constantly and the static for cleaning. I have tested both and they bubble well off an EU 40 that I have spare from my garage.

Phil
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Well the tanks are in place near to my (the wife’s) pond/pit. I have two 15’000 Oase Optimax pumps that are going to power the system, I believe I should still have enough dwell time within the tanks because of their size to give maximum filtration at a rate of gallonage second to none. The pumps I am going to attach one by one just to check I am not going silly and I will have to submerse them sandwiched in between two lily baskets as I still have some very small fry in the pond.
I will post pictures of the tanks working (hopefully) but I have to go to work now after all this pleasure.

Post soon

Phil

Hi, sounds good although i can only see the very first picture...

I can only see the first picture also.

same here pic 1 only ...sounds alright though

I have pm'd phil about the piccys !

Sorry all, will try to sort problem with piccys.

Phil

I see that all the time with photo bucket

That looks gret Phil, any pictures of it in place and working?

yes agree a superb job .....nice one phil




ps i see a floating basket (blue peter styly) in picccys of your garage

Sorry Bob no pictures of it working yet, but I hope to get some this week end when I switch it on, I’m just letting the water mature over this week with only the fluid K1 and the static bubbling away with no input or output.
Because of the large volume of water and the turnover I thought it better for the fry to let it simmer for a week after all there is a filter on at the moment, this will just be an extra.

The baskets Gerry are like the rest of my salvage, just waiting for a good cause. I never throw anything away, just like the advert for the dog’s home “I never put a healthy piece downâ€Â