WATER AND FISH The hose was put into the bottom of the pool and switched on, nothing left to do but wait, watch and adjust the liner as the pool filled up by loosing off the G clamps and pulling/releasing the liner.  After two days the pool was full.  Filter bomb's were put in the filters and everything switched on and for the next two weeks the filters/pumps ect did there work. After two weeks of running, water tests were carried out and with all parameters correct, the fish were netted from their temporary pool (nearly 12 months) and introduced to their new home. They all seemed to be enjoying their new home settling in over the next week or so.

 THE FILTER SYSTEM I had purchased four Kokney Koi vortex units which were going to be instaled in pairs to each of the two bottom drains.  Firstly I dug out the filter bay to the required dimensions and depth, allowing for concrete base.  Next day out came the cement mixer and a 6" slab of concrete was layed in the base, then left a couple of days to cure.  When cured, blockwork was layed around the base to form the sides and back as well as a centre dividing and supporting wall, all to the same height as the pool walls.  Inside at the rear of the filter bay, a low wall was built  and when cured was back filled with compacted soil then capped off wth concrete to form a shelf for the two Oase Pondomax Eco pumps (14,000lph each)  The four (two each side)vortex units were positioned into the filter bay and connected to the bottom drains and each otherthe first two having Jap matting and brushes and the second two filled with flocore media.  These we...

 THE TIMBER WORKS To finish the pool off, I had decided to cover it with a Japanese style pergola.  It was to be constructed out of 4 x 2 tanalised C24 construction timber (planed with rounded edges) Brackets were made to fix the uprights to the timbers on the top edge of the pool so six uprights were cut for each side.  These were painted bright red with Sandtex exterior paint and screwed in position. Next horizontal top rails were made which were painted balck and fixed to the uprights about 6" down.  The ends had been shaped and the other ends were tied into an existing summer house and sheds using truss hangers..  Finally logditudinal horizontals were pained and fitted to both the uprights and the cross beams. Due to the pool being in a position where it was exposed to full sun all day,  I layed scaffold debris netting across the top of the cross beams and fixed it in position with wooden strips.  Due to having young grandhildren, I decided I had t...

 BOTTOM DRAINS, LINER AND Now that all the pool blockwork was complete, my attention was directed at the pool base.  Firstly two bottom drains were installed and connecting 4" soil pipe was put in trenches and directed to where the double filter bay was to be constructed,  Going under the end wall then 90 degree bend brought the two pipes up through what would become the filter bay floor.  With these installed the base of the pool was once again flattened and levelled. Wooden pegs were driven into the base and a long spirit level used to level them all off then boards were added dividing the base into four sections.  Again the trusty concret mixer was employed to mix concrete which was then barrowed to the pool and poured down a plywood slope into the base of the pool then leveled and smoothed with a float between the pegged boards. While building the end wall, a Kokney Koi wide mouth skimmer unit was bricked into the blockwork at a suitable height to ensure the...

 AN ODE TO DIGGING A descision was made to leave the koi in the existing pond as long as possible and dig round the existing pond.  Can I start by saying I am not a builder or bricklayer so please do not look too closely at the blockwork etc.  The construction of the pool would be done in 8 stages. 1 digging and blockwork at rear and side of pool. 2 removal of exiting liner and removal of earth bank at rear of pool. 3 digging out existing pool to size of new pool 4 laying bottom drains 5 Blockwork at this end of pool 6 filter bay construction 7 installing filters pumps & UV's 8     installing underfelt and new liner Digging started at the rear of the pool where there was an existing concrete path (behind red bridge)and all the soil was removed from the rear of the pool to this depth being shovelled out into barrow and spread across the existing flower beds and boarders around the garden. When once the ground was all level with the path, a trench was dug for ...

 TEMPORARY ACCOMODATION Spent some time looking aroundat all manner of solutions but finally settled on a swimming pool.  Ordered a Bestway Recxtangular above ground pool measuring 4000mm x 2110mm x 610mm and holding just over 5000litres The filteration system consisted of a Oase 14000 GPH submerged pump connected to a length of flexi hose which went through a 30w cM UV steriliser then into the bottom of a green plastic barrel filled with flocor.  Near the top of the barrel I hole-drilled three holes to fit screw on 1.5" tank connectors with three lengths of pipe running water back to the pool. Hose pipe turned on and the pool and filter were filled up, after a few hours, then the pump was switched on and the pool left to run for a week to mature.  After a week, 2 goldfish were caught from the other pond in the garden and transfered to the pool , where they were left for a further week.  As there was no harm to the goldfish in the new pool, a submersible pump wa...