BWK pond build

[Norm Walsh]

The permits are in hand and construction has begun on the Haldan Addition/Koi Pond.:yahoo:

I have been hired to oversee the pond construction, along with, designing the filter system and its installation.:punk1: My client had already selected his General Contractor for the addition portion of the job otherwise I could have had the whole job.

I will post more information on the pond specs soon along with more progress photos.

[gOOse]

WOW what a great spot.
Looks like your going after it the right way right away. Congrats on that.

[aartwmich]

Oh this will be a fun one to watch go up!....thanks for letting us see:yes:

[birdman]

WOW, this is going to be nice.

[stephen44]

:yahoo: :cool:

[Joey S]

We got us a big build to watch. :D: That's quite a beautiful spot, but the terrain looks treacherous. :eeeeek: :chiewing1:

[Kent Wallace]

What's the volume of the pond going to be?

[Norm Walsh]

Hey Kent,

The inside dimensions of the pond are approximately 10' x 20' x 8' which is about 12,000gal.

[Norm Walsh]

Here are a few details of the Haldan pond.

If you look at the last picture you will see a 1"x4" that is nailed to the back of the house (the horizontal one that passes over the tall/narrow window).

That 1x represents the level of the concrete slab that will surround the pond. The pond will rise 18" above this slab.

The window that it passes over is in the existing stair landing and will be changed to a door, there will be an approx 8' bridge that connects the house to the concrete slab.

That's correct! Most of this pond will be above grade, in fact it will only be dug into grade about 2'.

The concrete slab will be poured on steel decking (simular to commercial buildings)that is attached to the pond walls, with the filter room being underneath near the waterfall. On the east side(near the bridge), under the slab there will be a veiwing room where you can watch the fish through a large window. The floors of these rooms are actually 9" below the floor of the pond.

One thing we have'nt figured out yet is how to incorporate an automatic cover, similar to those used on pools, that would look good.

[Norm Walsh]

Footings for the retaining walls got poured on Sat.. Good thing, we're suppose to get alot of rain Thurs.

More pictures and filtration info to come.

[Norm Walsh]

After nearly 15 days of rain the retaining walls where shotcreted today:yahoo:

Excavation for the pond will begin next weekend. after that the forms for the outside of the pond will be stood, rebar added, then more shotcrete.:cool:

[aartwmich]

Nice...what's going in the space where the ladder is?

[Norm Walsh]

Nice...what's going in the space where the ladder is?

That area is actually crawl space, there will be living space above.

The stem walls for the foundation have not been poured yet to provide access for the pond construction. After the pond has been dug and the walls shotcreted, the foundation walls for the home addition can go in.

The only access, for equipment, is from one side of the house, so all excavation and concrete work had to bee done from the furthest point back.

[aartwmich]

In te resting......looking foward to watching this all come together. Hopefully you can continue to provide us with pics.

[Norm Walsh]

The dig for the pond has begun, might take two days.

I will lay the bottm drains in on Thurs., before they pour the sub-slab, that will help hold the vertical steel for the walls.:cool:

[aartwmich]

Cool..is that you driving the backhoe?

[Norm Walsh]

Cool..is that you driving the backhoe?

No, the guy on the excavator and the guy on the left with the beanie are sub-contractors doing the excavation. The guy in the middle, with the dredlocks, is Tim, he's the lead carpenter on the remodel. The guy on the right is Allen, he's the General Contractor.

I'm taking the picture.

I plan on taking lots of pictures during constuction because I think this is a pretty unique pond build and I would like to share it with everyone.

[UnkleTim]

Ahhhhh, A new pond close by in Santa Rosa. Sounds like a field trip is coming up this spring!
REgards, Unk

[Norm Walsh]

That would be:cool: Keep watching the thread for updates, then let me know when you want to come up.

[Joey S]

Glad to see the retaining walls up and the dig starting. Gonna be good.

[aartwmich]

Yes lots of pics!! Gonna be a great build:yes:

[d.koi]

wow that looks like it is going to be verry nice please keep us updated

[Cowiche Ponder]

wowzer! can't wait to see this come together

[shizuka]

im excited too about seeing this completed..looks like it will be fantastic!
Robert

[Norm Walsh]

BD's are in, along with the air lines!:cool:

Pic 1 Start of the day.
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Pic 2 2" of 1/4- fill sand are put in the trench, then compacted
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Pic 3 The 2-4' BD's are installed and under test.
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Pic 4 Air lines are now in and under test.
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Pic 5 Final compaction of the trench in about 3" lifts
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Pic 6 Job complete:yahoo:
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[aartwmich]

Sweet! Nice pics :yes: Is this pond going to be inside the addition to the house?

[birdman]

What are you going to use for Bottom Drains?

[Norm Walsh]

Sweet! Nice pics :yes: Is this pond going to be inside the addition to the house?

:no: , It will be outside the house.

[Rick Gippner]

:cool: Keep the pics coming. I'd love to see it in person when it's done.

[Norm Walsh]

What are you going to use for Bottom Drains?

Steve, the BD lines will be flush with the surface of the pond. A concrete cover that has an air difuser cast into it will be placed over top each drain line. The air difuser will be connected to the air line with flexible tubing that will allow the cover to be lifted or moved in case the drain line needs to be cleared without having to get into the water.

[Norm Walsh]

:cool: Keep the pics coming. I'd love to see it in person when it's done.

You're not the first to ask, but it sounds great. This project is going to take a little bit of time to complete. There are alot of components to this project besides the pond.

Will you be going to the Toshio Sakai Seminar?

P.S. What HD location are you at? Any Koiphen member deals on tires for an 03" FLHRI.:D: :punk1:

[Rick Gippner]

You're not the first to ask, but it sounds great. This project is going to take a little bit of time to complete. There are alot of components to this project besides the pond.

Will you be going to the Toshio Sakai Seminar?

P.S. What HD location are you at? Any Koiphen member deals on tires for an 03" FLHRI.:D: :punk1:


I'm in lovely Pittsburg:eew: :puke4: Can't offer any discounts, but can offer greeat service:D: . Also can't go to Toshio seminar as I'll be in NYC for a wedding

[Norm Walsh]

The re-bar is starting to go in along with more footings for the addition. Also a picture of the Kent Wallace modified skimmers that will be installed.:cool:

Things are moving along:clap:

Gotta go, I'm off to the Toshio Sakia seminar:harhar:

[Norm Walsh]

Well, it's been awhile, but more footings have ben poured and a subslab for the pond has been poured. The subslab is basically the footing for the pond and in the scheme of things it was'nt that big a deal to make the footing a complete slab.

The second pic is a close up of the Stainless Steel window frame that will be installed in the pond wall. The viewing area is 4' wide by 3' tall.

The last pic shows were the workroom will be. It will be were the QT tank is located along with sink and counter space.

P.S. The four legged pet in the 1st pic is my dog Sadie, she's 9 years old now and has been going to work with me since she was 6 months old.

[dweav44]

WOW! Too cool. I look forward to seeing it come together. :punk1:

Daniel

[Norm Walsh]

Form work for the Shotcrete pond walls has started:yahoo:

The remaining plywood that has to go up will be similar to MDO plywood that has a completely smooth surface. When the forms are stripped the concrete on those walls will be nice and smooth. A chamfer strip will be used over all the seams in the plywood to give the wall some detail.

[Norm Walsh]

Things are moving along, the pond floor steel has been inspected and it will be poured on Monday.

The floor will be poured within the forms between the steel, after the rest of the plumbing and lights go in the walls will get shotcrete.

The plywood rings around the drains and air lines are to form the recesses needed for the Polyurea that will be sprayed later.

I told the owner,"with all the steel and concrete in this thing, if he ever decides to give up koi keeping, he could put a lid on it and use it for a bomb shelter":eek1:

[vipldy]

Things are moving along, the pond floor steel has been inspected and it will be poured on Monday.

The floor will be poured within the forms between the steel, after the rest of the plumbing and lights go in the walls will get shotcrete.

The plywood rings around the drains and air lines are to form the recesses needed for the Polyurea that will be sprayed later.

I told the owner,"with all the steel and concrete in this thing, if he ever decides to give up koi keeping, he could put a lid on it and use it for a bomb shelter":eek1:

Wow that thing is heavy duty..

Marie

[Norm Walsh]

Wow that thing is heavy duty..

Marie

With all 15k gals. of this pond above ground it has to be pretty solid, it will also be supporting an 8" thick concrete deck around the top of it, so when your outside walking around the pond it will only 18" high.:punk1:

[aartwmich]

WOWser! Why do you need recesses ifor the polyurea?

[BruceP]

Anne... having it slightly recessed will make the flow smoother once the poly is sprayed. Otherwise you would have the slight lip of the bd. Better transition this way.

[Norm Walsh]

You make a good point Bruce.

When the Polyurea is sprayed around the BD pipe, a stainless steel clamp is used to secure the Polyurea to the pipe, then another layer is sprayed over that in order to make the seal. If there were no recess you would end up with a large lip in front of the drain.

When finished the transition from pond floor to BD will be smooth:yes:

[aartwmich]

....When the Polyurea is sprayed around the BD pipe, a stainless steel clamp is used to secure the Polyurea to the pipe, then another layer is sprayed over that in order to make the seal. If there were no recess you would end up with a large lip in front of the drain.

When finished the transition from pond floor to BD will be smooth:yes:Ahhhh...I didn't know about the hose clamp, makes perfect sense now.

So you are not using a 'typical' sump type BD, just a 4''(?) pipe??

[Norm Walsh]

Ahhhh...I didn't know about the hose clamp, makes perfect sense now.

So you are not using a 'typical' sump type BD, just a 4''(?) pipe??

Correct, just the 4" pipe with a aereted concrete lid

[icu2]

Correct, just the 4" pipe with a aereted concrete lid

:cool:
I've got the identical plan... can't wait to see how yours comes out! Do
you have any specific plans or pics of the lid? I was envisioning doing mine
in a sort of exposed aggregate with diffuser on top...

:pullup:

[Norm Walsh]

:cool:
I've got the identical plan... can't wait to see how yours comes out! Do
you have any specific plans or pics of the lid? I was envisioning doing mine
in a sort of exposed aggregate with diffuser on top...

:pullup:

Here's a picture of the BD cover, this one is made by Sac. Koi for their Advantage System. It's about 15" in dia. with a 9" air diffusser

[Norm Walsh]

The pond floor got poured today, it's hard to see in the pictures but there is about 6" of fall from the outside to the BD:cool:

[aartwmich]

Interesting dome..I thought you said it was concrete...looks to be plastic, maybe you fill the underside with concrete?
Is the small pipe on the perimeter the air inlet?

[jackrent]

more photos !! that is really cool my next house is going to be post and beam with a 1000 gallons reef tank and a HUGE koi pond !

[Norm Walsh]

The lid is concrete:yes: Steve at Sac. Koi did a nice job with his mold, and correct the air inlet is on the perimeter:cool:
Interesting dome..I thought you said it was concrete...looks to be plastic, maybe you fill the underside with concrete?
Is the small pipe on the perimeter the air inlet?

[bullfrog]

Man this is one awsome pond, please keep the pictures coming. When I grow up I want a pond just like that. Only problem is my wife says Ill never grow up:harhar: :punk1: :harhar: :punk1: :harhar: :punk1: :harhar: :punk1: :harhar: :punk1: :harhar:

[Norm Walsh]

Man this is one awsome pond, please keep the pictures coming. When I grow up I want a pond just like that. Only problem is my wife says Ill never grow up:harhar: :punk1: :harhar: :punk1: :harhar: :punk1: :harhar: :punk1: :harhar: :punk1: :harhar:

Growing old is mandatory.......Growing up is optional:punk1:

[Norm Walsh]

Things have been moving slowly, but we're making progress. Had to wait on some of the exterior light componants along with the engineering on the window glass.

Pic 1: Some of the lights and return lines.
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Pic 2: This light will point up into the sheer decent waterfall.
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Pic 3: One of the two skimmers that are installed, I plumbed the overflow
lines into the sides of the skimmers.
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Pic 4: TRP from Kent Wallace(Living Water Solutions) installed. BTW the
skimmers were supplied by Kent as well.
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Pic 5: One of the four embedments that will be in the pond walls. These will
have steel beams attached to them to suport the concrete deck that
will surround the pond.
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Pic 6: Shows the recess in the concrete around the BD and the airline, after
the Polyurea is clamped to the pipe, the recess will be filled with
material.
375347

[Joey S]

What is the outlet/inlet pipe opening under the skimmer? Will that be plugged?

[Norm Walsh]

What is the outlet/inlet pipe opening under the skimmer? Will that be plugged?

That opening is plugged off, you would most likely use it if you were building a pool. Kent has modified the skimmers to have a 3" drainline.

[Norm Walsh]

Pic 1: Gives a wider view of the interior, the hole in the plywood will also be
the approx. location of the window.
375348

Pic 2: Because the pond is mostly above ground we had to make sure there
were no leaks in the pipe joints that will be encased in the concrete so
every thing is getting pressure tested with air.
375349

[UnkleTim]

No earthquakes!
Man oh man, this is an impressive looking construction project.
Hey Danzcool....when this is done wanna take me for a spin in your GT to Santa Rosa?

[aartwmich]

.....Someday I'll learn to put the captions under the pictures:confused:In order to have text between the pics, I think you have to upload the photos somewhere else on the web then paste the links for the pics into your text body here, rather than using the attachment function here.

Incredible build!!

[icu2]

In order to have text between the pics, I think you have to upload the photos somewhere else on the web then paste the links for the pics into your text body here, rather than using the attachment function here.

Incredible build!!

Lee K. shows how to do it in this thread... but go to post #22. That's when
they added the "attach" option... works great!

http://www.koiphen.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49345

That's gonna be one incredible pond!! :yes:

[Norm Walsh]

Thanks for the help Anne & Steve:cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

[Norm Walsh]

I thought I'd throw this in for all the number crunchers. :D:

I think we may install the window frame today, been holding off so we have access inside the pond.

Shotecrete is scheduled for Tuesday.:yahoo:

[Norm Walsh]

We got the window frame hung on the form today:cool:

The frame is 3"x3" stainless with 2"x10" PTDF attached to it. The 2"x10"will make the jamb on the outside, in the viewing room. It will get covered with some kind of trim when the room is finished.

The walls of this pond are 12" thick:eek1: :eek1:

[JMorris271]

Awsome!:cool:

[Norm Walsh]

of the shotecrete application, I'll post more pics tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqtppcaRyjA

[icu2]

Wow!! :yahoo:
That is going to be awsome (and deep!)!!

Can't wait for more pics!!

:pullup:

[Norm Walsh]

from yesterdays shotcrete job.:clap:

Jesse, and all his guys from Deluxe Shotcrete & Concrete Contruction did a great job. I would recomend them to anyone in the SF Bay area that needs shotcrete work,(retaining walls,foundations,pools or ponds).:bow:


Everythings taped off and ready to go
375352

The crew was glad for the window:yes:
375353

The shotcrete rig consists of a regular concrete pump along with a VERY large compressor(it's mounted in the truck behind the spools)
375354

They started the day by filling the base of the walls and vibrating the concrete so that it flowed in to all the corners.
375355

This photo shows the piano wire that is strung as a depth gage as well as something to screed to. Below that is the pencil rod that forms the radius in the corner, it is removed after the corner is sprayed.
375356

Spraying the walls.
375357

Intermission:punk1: The veiw from the pond.
375358

Building up the corners.
375359

Here the final lift is sprayed before the screed work begins.
375360

Floating the walls.
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After nearly 6 hours of spraying and finishing they're almost done.
375362

Skimmer close up.
375363

Bump out for the light that will shine into the waterfall.
375364

With temps predicted in the 90's-100's were keeping the concrete hydrated so that it does not cure to rapidly. With the 7 sack mix of concrete it should reach about 3500psi in about a week, by the time it's fully cured it should be around 6000psi. As a comparison, most concrete for foundations or slab work is only required to obtain a strength between 2000-2800psi.
375365

[vipldy]

Wow that looks great!

Marie

[birdman]

Coming along nice.

[aartwmich]

Awesome....great pics:yes: I love the light bump...I wondered how that light sticking out there was going to be enclosed.

[Donaldbyrd]

This is going to be a really nice pond:yes:

[Norm Walsh]

It's been a couple weeks but the forms have been striped and the filter room floor has been poured.:yahoo:
375366
375367
375368

Here's the sump for the 2-4" BD's. Each one has a Knife Valve that can be opened to flush the BD lines if needed. They drain into a 6" pipe that's under the concrete floor. There is also a 6" surface drain in the slab connected to that pipe in the event of a catastrophic failure:eek1:
375369

There won't be much happening on the pond for a while now as it's time to start adding the steel that will support the deck, finish the footings for the addition, and start the building.:cool:

I'll keep posting progress photos and updates:yes:

[Donaldbyrd]

Wow... please keep the pics coming:punk1:

[turbo4breakfast]

i asume it's not done yet..:cool:

[steelyphil]

I was just thinking how fun it would be to go in after its all filled up with a some goggles and look through the window and have someone take a picture.

[rctfan2]

i take it this can also double as a bomb shelter ;P

[Donaldbyrd]

:bump: for up dates

[UnkleTim]

bump bump bump....new pics???

[steelyphil]

I can't wait to see this thing finished, its awesome!

[Norm Walsh]

Nothing much has happened on the pond lately, but work on the foundation for the rest of the addition is going on. Also, the structural steel that will be connected to the sides of the pond to support the surrounding deck is being fabricated.

Oh-by-the-way, did I mention that Mr. Haldan has asked me to build another smaller pond(1.5k-2kgal.)for all his fish that are not going to make it into the big pond.:cool:

I will post pics of that project shortly along with a new thread for graybird99's pond rebuild.

[Donaldbyrd]

:bump: any updates?

[Norm Walsh]

Here's a couple shots of the steel beams that will support the concrete deck, these were taken a couple weeks ago, and I don't have any updated photos right now. In the last couple weeks though the concrete deck has been poured and construction on the addition has begun. Also the second pond has been built and is awaiting the Polyurea coating.

[Donaldbyrd]

WOW:eek1: :eek1: Please keep us updated I am very anxious to see the finished pond...

[Norm Walsh]

The last pic shows where the filter and viewing rooms will be

[UnkleTim]

What "recession?"

[Norm Walsh]

:rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2:

[Donaldbyrd]

What "recession?"

Not for some.

[vipldy]

Unreal:clap: :yes:

[aartwmich]

What "recession?"That's where it has 'recessed' to :D:

What an incredible build....and this is an 'addition' to the house?

[Donaldbyrd]

:bump:

[Marilyn]

Yeah :bump: this/these ponds are number one on the "to be sprayed list". :D:
Just kidding, but we do want pics and updates. ;)

[danzcool]

No earthquakes!
Man oh man, this is an impressive looking construction project.
Hey Danzcool....when this is done wanna take me for a spin in your GT to Santa Rosa?

How did I miss this entire thread:confused:

Half a year later, sure Tim, when it gets done let's go on a field trip.:yahoo:

[Norm Walsh]

Nothing much happening right now on the pond, but the remodel is in full swing. I'll get more pics next week.:cool:

[UnkleTim]

sounds like a plan dan

[Flounder]

Wow!

[Ethan25]

holy cow.

this is insane.

[Norm Walsh]

It's been way more than a couple weeks since I posted on this thread but here are some updated pictures:D:
In this picture the tall narrow window in the old section of the house is going to be removed and there will be a bridge over to the pond deck:cool:
375377


Here's a shot of the spiral staircase that leads to the pond deck from the filter room. You exit the house through the door that is behind the red ladder in the first picture.
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And here's another shot of the filter room. As you can see its being used for storage, lunch room and catch all for the project. I do hope to start some of the plumbing in the next couple weeks:yahoo:
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And here's a shot of Mamasita, she will be the first fish in the big pond. This shot was taken a year ago last Nov. when we first got her. She's an Isa breed 3yr old and approx. 25" and I know I should never give out a ladies weight, but she's 10lbs:eek1:
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[Norm Walsh]

A couple more shots of Mamasita
375379375380

[andres58]

Fun Project !!!!

[UnkleTim]

amazing

[danzcool]

Bump.

[Norm Walsh]

I'm starting to sound like a broken record but work continues on the Remodel/pond build :rolleyes:

This shot is taken from the deck, looking back at the pond and addition. You can see the surface drains installed in the concrete deck that surround the pond. There's 4 more inches of decorative concrete that will go on top of the sub-slab.

375381

This shot, from the doors that lead outside shows the Redwood deck (it's covered for protection during construction). The sets of 4" x 4"'s will have a roof build on top of them. Another 2 sets of 4x's will be installed so the roof will extend over the pond by about 5'.

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The new door from the original section of the house has been installed and the bridge over to the pond has been build.

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This last shot from the lower deck shows the entrance to the viewing room.

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[icu2]

Awesome! :cool2:
It's fun to watch builds with seemingly endless budgets... :D:

[UnkleTim]

at least the shotcrete will be well cured before you shoot it with polyurea norm!

[Norm Walsh]

at least the shotcrete will be well cured before you shoot it with polyurea norm!

I really didn't want any pin-holes:harhar:

Sorry Tim, but I couldn't resist:D:

You slay me LOL

[UnkleTim]

Hey....no problemo.

[ShawnB]

Are you going to mechanically clamp the window into the frame or just use an adhesive type silicone and rely on water pressure? I think I've read through this thread 10 times now. I really enjoy watching the progress on this build. :cool:

[Norm Walsh]

The frame will be poly'd then the glass will be set in caulk then another layer of poly on top of that.

The clamping pressure will be provided by the water.

[hondataeg6]

awesome build, looking forward to seeing the finished pond, Great work Norm :punk1:

[Norm Walsh]

The pond coping, waterfall and finished deck surface got pour this week. I'm starting to see Polyurea in the near future :yahoo:

375385

[Donaldbyrd]

slow but sure

[Norm Walsh]

I got to start on the plumbing last week, spent 3-days on my hands & knees hanging Unistrut and running pipe in the crawl space area under the deck.

[Kent Wallace]

Nice Norm.:yes:

[EricT]

Norm, when i build my house, you are deff. coming over to re-construct this baby in KY!!

:punk1:

[Norm Walsh]

Norm, when i build my house, you are deff. coming over to re-construct this baby in KY!!

:punk1:

Never been to Kentucky, is it nice?:D:

[danzcool]

Wow that crawl space reminds me of a job I did...
Oh, right, I kinda like all of you, I wouldn't want to have to kill you. I'll keep it to myself, lets just say lots of pipes, conduits, panels, various equipment, and very little people space, felt like I had a played a game of twister by the time I got to... the stuff I went to check on.

[aartwmich]

Yikes! Not a fun place to work, huh? Looks good tho :thumb:

[TracenBec]

Nice looking trapeez Norm. Good work!

[EricT]

Never been to Kentucky, is it nice?:D:

oh, its just wonderful. :cool:

-Eric

[UnkleTim]

no earthquakes!

[EricT]

no earthquakes!

yes we do.. just not as many. or as bad

lol

-Eric

[koiman1950]

Glad to see you finally got to continue this project. I know you've been waiting a while to get back to it. It's definitely something on the "higher" tech side. Reminds me of the plumbing at Steinhart Aquarium. Done the same way, except 8' over our heads when in "the vault" (lower level offices).

Mike

[slmtrm]

:pullup:

[russianred95]

Pass me the corn...;)

[Norm Walsh]

A 360* view of the filter room starting on the North wall. It's just about wrapped up :clap:

I'll post the "det's" later :yes:

[birdman]

Wow!

[berkokid]

are you freaking serious?! OMG

you have valves valving your valves.

[rcwarship]

Wooohooooo! An operating engineer's dream, nicely laid out, cut-off & flow valves, parallel piping runs; a very nice clean installation. All that's needed is color coding the pipes.
Wow.
Merry Christmas,
Jon

[Norm Walsh]

are you freaking serious?! OMG

you have valves valving your valves.

:lmao:..........................but your right :yes:


It's done partly by design and partly by nesecity. Because the pond was being filled before I was going to have the filtration done I installed the KV's right at the pond wall. The design part is that if there's ever a failure somewhere in the system, the water can be shut off right at the source(so to speak). Every penetration in the pond has a valve, BD's, skimmer's, waterfall, and TPR's.

Here's some details on the filtration.

The pond has 2-4" BD's that each feed one of Kent Wallace's "Static Suction Prefilters". I felt this was the best way to get pre-filtration on a fully pressurized system. From there water gets pumped through a pair of William Lim 3/4hp Dragon II pumps which feed a pair of Advantage 15 bead filters followed by 2 Advantage glass filters. To help with flow all 4 of these filters are fitted with the "Multi-port bypass". After the glass filters the water goes through a pair of Emperor Aquatics HOSS-80 UV lights. Each UV has a bypass as well so that we can adjust the flow rate. inally the water enters the 4" manifold where it returns to the pond via 7 1-1/2" return jets.

The skimmer curcuits consist of 2-3" lines feeding a pair of 1/2hp Performance Pro pumps and 2 Advantage 5 BF's. When the water leaves the BF's it can either be returned through 2 mid level TPR's or be diverted to the 4' shear descent style waterfall.

Because of the room constraints and the amount of equipment, I decided to mount the multi-port valves for the skimmer filters remotely to save some space. I talked with Steve at Advantage about this design and he seemed confident that it would work.

[UnkleTim]

all that I can say at this point is "dude"
well done norman.

[berkokid]

:lmao:..........................but your right :yes:


It's done partly by design and partly by nesecity. Because the pond was being filled before I was going to have the filtration done I installed the KV's right at the pond wall. The design part is that if there's ever a failure somewhere in the system, the water can be shut off right at the source(so to speak). Every penetration in the pond has a valve, BD's, skimmer's, waterfall, and TPR's.

Here's some details on the filtration.

The pond has 2-4" BD's that each feed one of Kent Wallace's "Static Suction Prefilters". I felt this was the best way to get pre-filtration on a fully pressurized system. From there water gets pumped through a pair of William Lim 3/4hp Dragon II pumps which feed a pair of Advantage 15 bead filters followed by 2 Advantage glass filters. To help with flow all 4 of these filters are fitted with the "Multi-port bypass". After the glass filters the water goes through a pair of Emperor Aquatics HOSS-80 UV lights. Each UV has a bypass as well so that we can adjust the flow rate. inally the water enters the 4" manifold where it returns to the pond via 7 1-1/2" return jets.

The skimmer curcuits consist of 2-3" lines feeding a pair of 1/2hp Performance Pro pumps and 2 Advantage 5 BF's. When the water leaves the BF's it can either be returned through 2 mid level TPR's or be diverted to the 4' shear descent style waterfall.

Because of the room constraints and the amount of equipment, I decided to mount the multi-port valves for the skimmer filters remotely to save some space. I talked with Steve at Advantage about this design and he seemed confident that it would work.

Two questions:
1. with the 'remote multiport mounting' - it looks in the picture as if your blowers are mounted remotely too? Can you explain? Am i just looking at the wrong multiports? (the ones on the shelf)

2. The SSPs - i continually look at these for pressurized pre-filtration, very expensive, but compelling. have you used them before? any experience with their results?

[Norm Walsh]

Two questions:
1. with the 'remote multiport mounting' - it looks in the picture as if your blowers are mounted remotely too? Can you explain? Am i just looking at the wrong multiports? (the ones on the shelf)

2. The SSPs - i continually look at these for pressurized pre-filtration, very expensive, but compelling. have you used them before? any experience with their results?

One draw back to the MPV's is that they add alot to the space required for the filter. I originally was going to have those 2 filters complete, sitting on the floor were I now have the shelf.

There is a code requirement that you must have a min. of 3' clear space in front of the electric panel and they would have encroached into ths space. Rather than chancing it I went with the remote set-up.

Since the MPV's are pre assembled, I left the blowers where they were. It will
most likely knock their effectiveness down a bit, but we'll see.

I haven't used the SSP's before so this will be a first. I've spent alot of time talking with Kent about these filters, and know the time and effort he puts into his designs, so I trust him completely.

When I get things running I can give better feedback.

[Norm Walsh]

all that I can say at this point is "dude"
well done norman.

Thanks Tim :bow:

We're planning a "Pond Social" event sometime next spring, I hope you can make it :yes:

[birdman]

Thanks Tim :bow:

We're planning a "Pond Social" event sometime next spring, I hope you can make it :yes:

That pond social would be worth the trip.

[Kent Wallace]

Norm, Could you please post a list of "Wines" to be served at the social.:eek1: I'm partial to reds.:yahoo: :yes:

[Norm Walsh]

That pond social would be worth the trip.

Come on down Steve :yes:


Norm, Could you please post a list of "Wines" to be served at the social.:eek1: I'm partial to reds.:yahoo: :yes:

2007 Estate Knotty Vines Zinfandel
Zinfandel vines have been thriving in Sonoma County in the last three centuries. When Rod Strong first acquired benchland acreage on the west side of the Russian River, he wisely chose to leave untouched the 15 acres of old, gnarled zinfandel vines that had been growing there since 1904. Today we still harvest zinfandel from those same old vines, along with a handful of vineyards we farm to the north in Alexander Valley.

Fresh, bright berry fruit from our heritage Russian River vineyard combined with the ripe peppery jamminess from our Alexander Valley vineyards make for wonderful diversity of flavor showcasing the best that zinfandel can offer in one wine. Aging for 10 months in French and American oak enhances the zinfandel’s inherent spicy qualities, while the ebullient fruit of this medium rich wine suggests enjoyment over the next 2 to 4 years.

2007 Acclaim:
•90 Points, Wine & Spirits, October 2009•Exceptional, Dan Berger's Vintage Experience, July 2, 2009•86 Points, Wine Spectator, June 30, 2009



2007 Chardonnay Reserve Russian River Valley
Visitors to the winery often ask what “Reserve” chardonnay means to us. It’s simple. Reserve means the winemaker’s careful blend of individual wines made from time tested, meticulously farmed sections of some of the very best vineyards in Russian River Valley. Each lot is vinified separately in our finest barrels, and shortly after completion of malolactic fermentation, select lots are assembled in tank to facilitate flavor integration, and returned to barrels to finish aging. It literally is a matter of taste.

Frequent stirring of the lees during barrel aging added a creamy texture to an already full-bodied wine, making for a rich, plush mouth feel, balanced with vibrant acidity. Powerful aromas of spiced apple, pear and pie crust join lemon-cream and toasty oak on the palate, adding up to a compelling and thoroughly satisfying experience for true Chardonnay lovers.


2007 Acclaim:
•93 Points, Wine Spectator Magazine •Silver Medal, 2009 Sonoma County Harvest Fair

2006 Acclaim:
•94 Points, Wine Spectator Magazine
•Wine Spectator, Top 100 Wines of 2009
•93 Points, Wine Connoisseur's Guide, October 2008
•92 Points, Wine News, October 1, 2008


2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County

Visitors to the winery often ask what “Reserve” cabernet means to us. It’s simple. Reserve means the winemaker’s careful blend of individual wines made from time tested, meticulously farmed sections of some of the very best vineyards in Alexander Valley. Select areas within each vineyard are hand harvested individually, fermented separately, and aged in the finest French oak barrels. After about six months, each lot is tasted and graded, and only the highest graded wines that display depth, concentration, and age worthiness are considered for Reserve cabernet. The blend is then assembled, and the wine is returned to barrels to facilitate flavor integration. The wine is aged an additional 12 to 18 months, depending on the vintage, before bottling.

Full bodied and richly textured, this cabernet displays intense aromas and flavors of black currant, sandalwood, white pepper, and cocoa, with a smooth, lingering finish. If you have access to a cool dark place, lay some bottles of this Reserve down for up to a decade and patience will reward you!

2006 Acclaim:
•Gold Medal, 2009 Sonoma County Harvest Fair, September 2009
•87 Points, Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine, August 2009

2005 Acclaim:
•91 Points, Wine News, June/July 2008
•4 Stars, Quarterly Review of Wines, Best of the Best, June 2009
•90 Points, Wine Enthusiast, December 2008

:D::wynar::D:

[Paultergeist]

Sounds good, Norm!

...And the food pairings -- to accompany that wine -- will be...? :D:

[Norm Walsh]

Pot luck on the food ;)

But how about this....:D:

375393

Sonoma County Chocolate Bar

Product Description
Rich, dark chocolate molded into a 2oz. bar with a lovely mold of the wine country!
Gipson's Golden, Inc.

[Kent Wallace]

:bow:I really love these "business" trips!!!;)

[birdman]

How bout some O'Douls Amber for us that can't drink?

[UnkleTim]

Thanks Tim :bow:

We're planning a "Pond Social" event sometime next spring, I hope you can make it :yes:

Thanks Norman, I would truly be interested in attending. We always enjoy a ride to Northern California's version of the Inland Empire. Dan...wanna go?

[UnkleTim]

ps, I will bring some grape juice as I have 18 months down now of sobriety. Ho Ho Ho!

[Norm Walsh]

How bout some O'Douls Amber for us that can't drink?

I planned on coffee for you :harhar:

[Norm Walsh]

ps, I will bring some grape juice as I have 18 months down now of sobriety. Ho Ho Ho!

Congrat's to you :clap:

[birdman]

I planned on coffee for you :harhar:
That will do.

[Norm Walsh]

Well......after 2 years of construction we're finnally flowing water :yahoo: I got the skimmer lines running tonight and will have the BD circuits tomorrow.

375394
375395
375396

I still have a few things left to button up(some waste lines and the auto-fill) but that should'nt take too long.

[Donaldbyrd]

Amazing...

[lomaponder]

:eek1: :eek1: :eek1: :eek1: :eek1: :eek1: :eek1: :eek1: :eek1: :eek1:

Ya done good, Norm

:cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

[birdman]

Very nice.

[WAC]

Looks great Norm! I like the balance of the lights! :cool:

[Norm Walsh]

Here's a shot using the flash, still at night but you get a bit more detail.

[Donaldbyrd]

when are the fish going in?

[UnkleTim]

dude

[TODDER]

Very nice.:cool3::bow:

[Norm Walsh]

when are the fish going in?

In a couple days, Mr Haldan is out of town right now, so when he gets back.:cool:

[danzcool]

Thanks Norman, I would truly be interested in attending. We always enjoy a ride to Northern California's version of the Inland Empire. Dan...wanna go?

You betcha.:cool:
:image058::image057:

[TracenBec]

Holy crap, I am only dream of building a pond like that at this point. Beautiful work Norm. :punk1:

[Norm Walsh]

Got the BD circuits running as well now and the flow meters installed.

I'm using a new pump from W. Lim for the BD's, it's a DragonII 3/4hp. It's designed for higher head presure situations. Between the two circuits it's averaging 66gpm for a total of 7920gph.

The flow meters are not installed in the most ideal spot so they are geting some turbulance, so the actual numbers are probably a tick higher.

[Joey S]

You better hook Mr. Halden up with Gene. That pretty pond is gonna need some pretty fish. Be sure and give us some day shots from the social.

[Norm Walsh]

You better hook Mr. Halden up with Gene. That pretty pond is gonna need some pretty fish. Be sure and give us some day shots from the social.

:confused: :D: :cool3:

[hondataeg6]

It looks awesome...

[Norm Walsh]

I'm a dork as a narrator and even worse at shooting video, but I hope you get the idea and enjoy.

<EMBED height=745 type=application/x-shockwave-flash width=960 src=http://www.youtube.com/v/rb8AHYxhKxk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0 allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></EMBED>

[Makoi]

:wow: is an understatement...
It's Astonishing:drool:

Thanks for the tour Norm... I really enjoyed watching the video. :tv:

[BAVOTOI]

All I can say woooweeee me gooooooooood job. thank you to let us see your pond.

[Norm Walsh]

All I can say woooweeee me gooooooooood job. thank you to let us see your pond.

Not my pond, but thank you..........I did this for a client :yes:

[BAVOTOI]

So your client will please with the job.

[gmessler]

:wow:

Beautiful Job.:yes:

[berkokid]

It's unbelievable Norm. One of my favorites on the site ... I love the look and if there were emmy awards nominated for plumbing, here are my nominations for you:

Best Use of Pressurized Components
Least amount of visible glue on pipe joints
Best valving of valves that valve things

[TODDER]

That is simply amazing. Awesome work in the pump room.

Looks very complex, I would have a hard time figuring out just how to run it. I CANT imagine trying to build it. Great work on the plumbing and pump room set up. Very professional.

You would definatly be the man I would call for any job I needed done.:yes: I guarantee you that my friend.:D:

[Zac Penn]

You have to let us know how well those SSPF from Kent Wallace perform.

[ShawnB]

Amazing Norm! What do you call that rail system you used to hang the pvc pipes? I really like that. Very clean looking.

[Norm Walsh]

It's unbelievable Norm. One of my favorites on the site ... I love the look and if there were emmy awards nominated for plumbing, here are my nominations for you:

Best Use of Pressurized Components It became the only option
Least amount of visible glue on pipe joints My pet peev
Best valving of valves that valve things:rofl2:

Thanks..............

[Norm Walsh]

Amazing Norm! What do you call that rail system you used to hang the pvc pipes? I really like that. Very clean looking.


Thanks Shawn........The rail system is made by several manufactures, Unistrut and B-Line are a couple. You can find some of the basic pieces at Home Depot in the electrical department, the others can be found at plumbing or electrical supply houses.

[Norm Walsh]

That is simply amazing. Awesome work in the pump room.

Looks very complex, I would have a hard time figuring out just how to run it. I CANT imagine trying to build it. Great work on the plumbing and pump room set up. Very professional.

You would definatly be the man I would call for any job I needed done.:yes: I guarantee you that my friend.:D:


Thanks as well Todd, I have to say it took countless hours laying out pipe to make everything fit, be accessible, and have a finished look.

[Norm Walsh]

You have to let us know how well those SSPF from Kent Wallace perform.

It hasn't been a good test yet as the stocking rate is, shall we say low, (3fish/16000gals) and not a lot of debris.

I'll let ya know...................

[WAC]

Awesome project norm. Like the style! Tell us more about Kathy "the stainer" that you featured so briefly. :rolleyes:

[The Koi Dude]

Amazing Norm! Simply Amazing!!!

[Donaldbyrd]

wow simply amazing... :yes:

[vipertom1970]

very nice......

[icu2]

Tell us more about Kathy "the stainer" that you featured so briefly. :rolleyes:

:rofl2:

Beautiful job Norm!

[KoiCal]

Simply awesome Norm! Where is the waste supposed to go? Did you plum it to the sewage line?

[Norm Walsh]

Simply awesome Norm! Where is the waste supposed to go? Did you plum it to the sewage line?

Thanks Patrick,

In the sump area, where the BD lines come up, there is a drain line(6") that runs under the addition and daylights on the other side of the house. The filter room has a floor drain in it as well in the event of a failure. All the real dirty water from backwashes goes this direction. For WC's, there is a valve to direct the water to a 2K gal. storage tank that in turn is used to irrigate the property.

Here's a couple shots of the viewing room without the plastic.........

[vipertom1970]

Norm, is this project 100% done ? I see that it got started in 2007.



BTW......very nice job

[Norm Walsh]

Yep, it's done. The pond shell was an integral part of the remodel of the home and because of accesability issues it was the first thing to get built, so the shell sat for about a year before I could get started again. It has been running for almost 10 months now though.

[cauzeneffeckt]

any pics with the fish in it :)

[tnovak]

wow!!!!!!!

[Norm Walsh]

any pics with the fish in it :)

Here's a couple from today............................

[gmessler]

Awesome pics Norm!

[Norm Walsh]

Awesome pics Norm!

Considering they were taken with my cellphone, through 2" thick glass.............I agree :punk1:

[icu2]

Beautiful Norm! :bow:

I was wondering what the owners had planned for the wall in the "viewing room", where the power outlets are in the
middle of the wall?

[Norm Walsh]

Beautiful Norm! :bow:

I was wondering what the owners had planned for the wall in the "viewing room", where the power outlets are in the
middle of the wall?

The owners a big sports nut so eventually there will be a flat screen TV mounted on the wall so he can watch the games. The white covers will be where the speakers are for the whole house audio..............:rolleyes: Man, I'm in the wrong business :D:

[mtsklar]

Great pond build. If only I could have a pond with a window !!!!!