 Pond build help needed!
Hi all, i'm new here and I am in need of a great deal of help and advice. I am an amateur at this and need some guidance with my pond build.
Just a bit background - I had put my pond building plans on hold, as I was intending on moving house, but now that me and the wife have decided to stay where we are for the next couple of year, I have decided to build a pond. It wont be as big as I would like, but I can live with that, as I will be building a new one when we move. It will be approx 1800g, which I will be putting in some smaller koi to grow on ready for when I build my next pond.
I already have a concrete hardstanding in the garden, at ground level, which I will be using as the foundation for my pond. Becuase it is ground level, I have decided I will only have it just over 3' deep (I know this is quite low but I will be running a heater on it to keep temps more stable).
Question 1: What shall I use for constructing the walls? Originally I was considering using 9" hollow block, but I was wondering whether 4" block would be sufficient for this depth? I wont be facing the outer walls, I will have only 1 course of block work.
Question 2: What filtration system? I've been doing alot of research on this and seem to have narrowed my results down to:
Kockney Koi 10000v
Oasis VorTec 20000 (or 16000)
These both appear to be more than capable filters for my pond with a fair price tag, but which is the better option.
When I build my new pond, I would be hoping to continue to use the filter, and just add an additional filter (like the nexus eazy).
Question 3 What other kit do you recommended? On my shopping list so far is:
* Oase Eco Aquamax 8000 (or cheaper alternative - recommendations welcome?) I like this as it will allow me to run a floating skimmer withour the need for an additional pump.
* A 30W UVC - or will this be too much?
* A 2kW Profi Heater
* An air pump (unsure on size?)
Question 4 I was considering converting the last chamber of the filter into a K1 fluid bed. I was wondering what considerations I may need to make to do this, other than ensuring the k1 media doesnt fall through the base grid and doesnt flow through the oulet pipes. I'm unsure what the dimensions are of the chamber in the above filters, but anticipating more than 50l of K1 will be required - what size air pump would be suitable for this?
Finally, would I benefit more from opting for a filter with a greater capacity, such as the KK 18000 or VorTec 30000?
Regards, Anthony | 
