Our Pride and Joy |
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The Water Garden  The
upper pond is for water gardening and for God?s special creature - the
goldfish. On either side of the pond is a bog for Onie?s special plants.
The bogs are filled with pea gravel and serve as the final stage of
filtration. Water from the biological filter flows into the back-side of
each bog. The upper pond holds approximately 2400 gallons. When the upper
waterfall is on, water re-circulates from the lower pond and cascades into
both the upper and lower ponds. The upper waterfall is powered by a 3/4 hp
220 volt swimming pool pump and is strictly ornamental. |
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The Koi pond is fed by a small waterfall from the upper pond. The flow rate is approximately 40 gallons/minute. The lower pond is approximately 42 to 46 inches deep which provides the depth the Koi need for proper exercise. A stone bridge provides access to the lower patio to allow for close-up enjoyment of the Koi. There is a second very small waterfall at the opposite end of the pond to ensure good circulation. The water exits through a bottom drain and proceeds to the sump for the first stage of filtration. The Koi pond holds approximately 2600 gallons and is currently the home for 6 Koi. Yes, each one has a unique personality and its own name. |
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We were constrained by our property line and had to be quite creative to achieve adequate filtration. 5000 gallons in the heat of North Texas in August definitely needs help or it rapidly turns to pea soup. The first stage of filtration is achieved in a sump for settlement and for the weekly 5%-10% water change. The intake from the sump is screened and the screen does a pretty good job of keeping leaves and stray fish from going into the pump. The noisy 1/2 hp swimming pool pump was replaced this year with a quiet Sequence pump. The filter is a Cyprio 6000 with two Cyprio 4000 UV filters zapping the evil algae just prior to its entering the filter. The Cyprio 6000 needs to be cleaned every 6 months or so. The filtered water flows by gravity from the biological filter into the two bogs on either side of the upper pond. Needless to say, the plants in the bogs are fed very well and need no additional fertilizer. |
The Koi Pond
Mechanics