Brent Payne, from Mathews VA, shares his experience of his equisite raised koi pond build with Play It Koi.
Specs:
- Pond Size: 25,000 Gallons
- Max Depth: 76"
- Area: 877 sq. ft.
- Koi: 12 full size initially and potentially up to 30 long term.
Primary goals: Energy Efficiency & Doing it right the first time
When I started on this Brent didn't anticipate the need for so much flow, so he carefully laid out his design for influent and effluent plumbing, including 6 bottom drains, 4 No Niche Skimmers, 2 24" waterfalls, and 6 TPRs. He reviewed his plumbing Design with Play It Koi to discuss potential dead spots and optimize flow.
I have attached a picture of the site showing the general layout. The soils are clayey with a high water table particularly in the winter. The area is flat with no natural rocks and very few small roots. I'm also in a flood zone, so coming up a few feet will only help protect from seawater intrusion.
I've attached two drawings. One shows the bathymetry/layout of the pond with cross section views of the longest lengths for the liner. I will need a 50 x 50 liner. I have about 1.5 feet of wiggle room in each direction for the liner at these locations. If, for some reason, I come up short then I can backfill the earthen slope sides as needed to make it fit. I also have two feet of liner into the earthen slope which in theory should be fine at 1 foot.
Note the annex pond to the top left. Given how difficult it will be to catch fish - I'm thinking I can encourage koi into here and catch them. I'm sure it's not easy but probably easier than catching them in the big pond. It could also serve as an area for young koi. This may not work out but it doesn't cost anything to try.
My primary goal is low-energy consumption so I'm looking at creative ways to gravity flow and use low-head pumps like perhia to pump against only a few feet of head with a high volume. The waterfalls are only 12 inches above still water elevation and the TPRs will probably be at the same elevation as the pumps.
If the Periha pumps perform at 5,000 gph each. Four pumps will give me about 80% hourly turnover. I should be able to add more if needed.
Supplies:
Quantity Item
5 Periha 25000
6 4" Rhino II BD with Air Diffuser
1 50' x 50' Carlisle Aquatough EPDM Liner
3 15' x 50' Underlayment
4 Aladin No-Niche Skimmers
1 200L Hakko Air Pump
TBD UV System