Christygirl's new Leemar 180 build!

[solitude127]

Randy, it was great to finally meet you. I went though your tank build but you need more pictures!!! I know you are waiting for the canopy to be finished, but I want to see that sump and under cabinet build out, it sounds awesome. Anyway thanks for dropping by ans I hope to get a chance to see your tank in person soon.
-Mike

forget his tank, you want to see his pond.

 

[OG Reefs]

forget his tank, you want to see his pond.

Agreed!

 

[keepLearning]

Beautiful tank Randy

 

[dodgerblew]

forget his tank, you want to see his pond.

Agreed!

Randy, show us the pond

 

[Japsican]

Looking good, Randy!

 

[christygirl]

Guys. I will post pics of the pond construction tomorrow.

 

[solitude127]

I found the old thread

Guys. I will post pics of the pond construction tomorrow.

Here are a few photos showing part of the pond build.

Here is where I started after I built the corner retaining planter.

Here is after the planter is stuccoed and planted and I have started to shape the pond. Plus, I had to build the entire fence.

Here is the pond mostly carved out. This pond is over 5 feet deep. It is in the ground at the back side and above the ground at the front side. This will make more sense in a few more pics.

Here is where I started placing blocks and doing the first part of the cocret which is only the floors.

Here, the shell is built, and the rebar cage is in, and the lathe is placed. It now gets a 3" thick coat of concrete all had to be done in one day.... I had 2 guys mixing and me placing. It has to be rough to take the next coat which is a mortar skin.

More of the same

Once the shell was complete, then a skin of mortar, then a skin of black pond paint which is kind of like black rubber. 80 a gallon..... 8 gallons. Then, Fill time Baby!

Filled! Tuesday (the Great Dane Looking on and giving approval)

Building the small deck..... A Place to feed the fish!

Some of my Koi.... KooKoo is the orange and white fish in the front.... He is one of my originals and he has a deformed mouth so he is fun to feed!

The Finished Product! Monk (the Yorkie) looking on! This picture is 2 years old so, all of the plants have matured now and it is really quite peaceful to just be out and around. I have ove 40 Koi. The last 10 were born in there.... I have not lost one koi throughout this process.... (Knock on Wood!)
Enjoy!
Apparently you can only have 10.... So the next post is the completed one.

 

[solitude127]

Here is the final product! There is a lot of crap in the background that is no longer there like construction material and such.

 

[christygirl]

OK... A couple of pictures of the pond:

First: Dig a hole, on a sloped piece of ground

Next: Add some Concrete, Then Block, Then Concrete, etc. etc. etc.

Next: Add rebar, solid grout, chicken wire, and more concrete

Next: Mortar Coat the entire Shell

Nextaint the entire shell with Pond Paint, Build a water fall, and start filling

Next: ADD FISH!!!!!!

Then: Build a Deck

Then: Plant and enjoy as it all grows in.....

A little info about the pond:
1. Built on a slope so back half is in ground front half is above ground.
2. Mixed (500) 60 Pound bags of quickcrete.... 2 at a time in my mixer that I have had for over 20 years now.
3. (100) 8x8x16 Block
4. (10) 80 lb bags of mortar
5. (10) gallons of black pond paint
6. about 3500 Gallons
7. 2 water pumps each drives a filter
8. 1 70 Liter per hour air pump (the fish like the bubbles
9. over 40 Koi.... most born in the pond
10. Largest Koi is about 2 feet
11. I have water, electric, and LV electric service at the pond.
12. I wish I made it bigger!!!!!

 

[christygirl]

Mike,

I posted this and when I hit upload, you had done it already!

Gave a little bit different narrative...

Thanks!!!

 

[TheWeaz]

Avast Marine Spyglass Fluidized reactor. I wanted to add this, so that I could get rid of my BRS dual chamber reactor.

The Avast Marine allows you to have both GFO and Carbon in the same reactor..... I gues the flow is slow enough to avoid crumbling the carbon and give a gentle tumble of both GFO and Carbon simultaneously.

I am looking forward to it because it also seems to be easy to change out the carbon and GFO as well.

Does anyone have any input on the (2) Avast Marine products?

Anyone? I've been eyeing that Spyglass as well. Also, what size did you go with? I'm assuming the large version?

 

[dodgerblew]

Randy, that is absolutely beautiful. Was it expensive to build, not counting sweat equity?

 

[waterman78]

christygirl - - - - - - - - Another Beautiful Creation. Outstanding Work.

Larry

 

[christygirl]

Beautiful tank Randy

Thankyou

Looking good, Randy!

Thanks,

Anyone? I've been eyeing that Spyglass as well. Also, what size did you go with? I'm assuming the large version?

I actually bought the smaller one due to size in my sump..... I am only running GFO in it. It works pretty well, but, it is a little difficult to switch the GFO.... Getting a system down though. I wish I could have gone bigger, but sump space is limited in the chamber I had to place it in....

Randy, that is absolutely beautiful. Was it expensive to build, not counting sweat equity?

Thanks, Not too bad.... 500 bags at $2.80, 100 blocks at $1.10, 10 bags of mortar @ about $15.00, 8 gallons of pond paint @ $80.00 each, Rebar and wire at about another $80.00.....

Then you need rocks for the edge.... I spent about $600.00 for Kentucky Blue Stone.

Pumps and Filters.... I run 2 Laguna MaxFlo 4200.... I also Run an Air Tech 70 Liter per hour air pump. I run 2 filters.... 1 Laguna waterfall box... (good mechanical filter and moderate biological filter) 1 Evolution Aqua Easy Pod (real good water polisher....

All in I have probably spent about $4,200 plus my labor to dig and mix concrete....

You have to have a mixer to do this....

Fun Project and it really makes the back yard feel like a fun place to hang out.

christygirl - - - - - - - - Another Beautiful Creation. Outstanding Work.

Here is a picture from above.... the pond is in the lower left hand corner....

What you need to know about this backyard is that I have slowly built the whole yard. It was dirt from corner to corner front to back...

A ton of planting!!!

Larry

 

[keepLearning]

Wow, that was awesome.

 

[dodgerblew]

Cheaper than an Elos!

 

[christygirl]

Wow, that was awesome.

Thanks, The backyard is my escape! I almost built another pond at the end of the main patio... I wanted to bring it out of the ground and have 3 pieces of segmented glass at the round end of the patio... It was going to be over 5000 Gallons.... and you would be able to sit on the patio and look into the pond through the glass...

WIFE SAID NO!!!!!

Maybe one of these days.......

Cheaper than an Elos!

It is and less expensive to maintain! 3 pumps! vs. 8 pumps on my 180.... Crazy!

 

[wishntoboutside]

Randy. your back yard is an Oasis. your wife is lucky to have you around.

 

[christygirl]

Randy. your back yard is an Oasis. your wife is lucky to have you around.

Could someone please tell her that?!?!?!?:lmao:

 

[christygirl]

Haven't posted in awhile....

Haven't posted in awhile....

OK, So I haven't posted in a while....

Been real busy....

Tank is doing well. Then my regulator gave out.

Expecting A Carbon Doser tomorrow.

Here is a shot of the tank as it sits today.

Still have almost all of my same fish. I did lose a couple of my anthias, but, that is it... Knock on wood...