Filter Upgrade & Heater Install
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:50 pm
Bored of waiting for spring, so decided that I would brave the weather and do the various upgrades to the filter that I had been umming and arrhing about for ages! 
So first job was to change the slide valve for a ball valve, If you saw my build thread you would see that I forgot that the valve should be open when in normal use! this meant that I had to leave a brick out and operate the valve by putting my hand through the gap left in the wall and pulling
So in went a ball valve!
Next was to change the pipework slightly to accomodate a 3KW heater that was kindly donated to me, Cheers Les!
Then I started on the K1 conversion.
I took the main idea's from various posts and the filters that Cuttlebrook use. I looked all over for a bin that would maximise the space available but be strong enough to cope with the various cutting about. Found this great bin on Ebay for £4.99
I then cut the weir that separated bay 1 & 2 and removed this completely. I then added a a 4" pipe & bend in bay 2. Bay 3 will stay with the Alphagrog and the sponges to give a final polish.
After being on the pond for 2 days all seems well the thermostat on the heater will take a bit of getting used to, as The pond was at 12 degrees on Friday AM and I have raised the stat by 2 degrees a day, but pond is now at 18 
But the fish seem very happy and all seem very active and are constanly looking for food but they wont be getting too much for now, gently gently and all that 
So first job was to change the slide valve for a ball valve, If you saw my build thread you would see that I forgot that the valve should be open when in normal use! this meant that I had to leave a brick out and operate the valve by putting my hand through the gap left in the wall and pulling
So in went a ball valve!Next was to change the pipework slightly to accomodate a 3KW heater that was kindly donated to me, Cheers Les!
Then I started on the K1 conversion.
I took the main idea's from various posts and the filters that Cuttlebrook use. I looked all over for a bin that would maximise the space available but be strong enough to cope with the various cutting about. Found this great bin on Ebay for £4.99
I then cut the weir that separated bay 1 & 2 and removed this completely. I then added a a 4" pipe & bend in bay 2. Bay 3 will stay with the Alphagrog and the sponges to give a final polish.
After being on the pond for 2 days all seems well
the thermostat on the heater will take a bit of getting used to, as The pond was at 12 degrees on Friday AM and I have raised the stat by 2 degrees a day, but pond is now at 18 But the fish seem very happy and all seem very active and are constanly looking for food
but they wont be getting too much for now, gently gently and all that