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He he! Sorry, I get that complaint a lot😂🫣 thanks for watching and commenting and yes, Dave is a real trooper bless him! Cheers, Ed

@@andrekalungapeters5273 that’s a very polite way of saying shut up!!😂 thanks for watching and commenting and your constructive advice will be taken on board for this seasons builds! Best, Ed

Hey Paul, thanks for watching and commenting and for your interest in my pond! Sadly no-not fully completed my pond yet (😭🤦‍♂️) however progress has moved on a little more since this video. If you check out a couple of my later videos (ponds in winter and March of the marsh frog) you’ll see my pond as it currently is! Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and commenting! Although in general I’d always advocate as much filtration as possible in a pond, due to the general low waste produced by the species of fish stocked in this pond (mostly golden Rudd) the single Oase screenmatic 140000 and bitron 110w uvc is sufficient to keep this pond looking crystal clear year around. Follow up videos filmed on this pond a year or so later show this pond looking very different to how it was initially portrayed in this drain & clean video! If there were koi present however the filtration system would need to be much larger to cope as you say! Best, Ed

@@savagecelt thanks for watching and commenting! That’s a very large amount of water to store….could be worth looking into small cofferdams-flexible tubes filled with water and used to partition off an area to create a dam so work can be carried out on the dry side. You could position such a device across the centre of your pond (lake!), use some of your waste water to fill the coffer dam and pump the rest away and dredge this half of the pond. Once clean then pump the other half of the pond held back by the dam into the empty side and dredge this. I’ve not used such equipment but could be worth looking into! Good luck! Best, Ed

@@CrystalClearAquatics Thanks Ed! Very good ideas. I will give it a go this year and report back. Class insight mate. Cheers!

@@8G0m4n hi there! Thanks for watching and commenting-I still service an old Oase screen ex system, essentially the forerunner of the current screenmatic systems-is there anything in particular you’re unsure of? The metal sieve has a tendency to clog very quickly-keep a stiff brush besides the filter so you can regularly lift the lid and give the sieve a brush down. If you pull out the metal sieve there is an insert of filter matting (a bit like wire mesh) that you can remove and clean periodically. The sieve section is hinged and can be lifted out of the way to access the filter foams beneath-these should be regularly compressed (you should have a compression hand tool with the filter but if not you can purchase a new one) to perform basic clean at least monthly and the filter tank drained using the slide valve located at the base of the filter at one end. The foams can be removed entirely by removing the black plastic plates that hold the foams in place. Perhaps annually manually clean the foams and inspect them for damage (eventually they’ll start to break up) and think to replace them as and when required. They should last a few years. Hope this helps but if you have any queries feel free to ask! Best, Ed

@ thanks Ed, really useful! I’ve contacted oase who are going to see if they have a paper copy of the instructions for me which would be brilliant. I haven’t inspected the foams properly yet, will certainly give it a good clean but in case of replacement it would be really useful to know which to buy. The actual pond is a preform thing that’s not very big, certainly compared to most of the builds you do so hopefully it should be more than up to the job. Thanks again and can’t wait for this year’s videos!

Hi there! Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Would love to visit your part of the world-somewhere with real winters!! Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and commenting! Sadly this extra work was outside the remit and budget for the work carried out with this job, however in the future as and when pumps fail and require replacing I would definitely recommend installing a conduit for easier access alongside a pump replacement! Best, Ed

Thanks very much for watching and commenting! Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and your kind words Glen! Hope you have a great new year! Best, Ed

Hi there-thanks for watching and commenting! Looking after other peoples ponds I have a love hate relationship with skimmers! If a client is willing to perform some maintenance on the pond themselves then a skimmer is a good addition, but if responsibility for looking after the pond lies entirely with me I find skimmers are very high maintenance and require very frequent attention to prevent blockages and potential failure. In this particular pond however a skimmer has been fitted-check out the follow up video on this pond here: Ponds revisited! One year on… th-cam.com/video/mPaJDj07pRI/w-d-xo.html Best, Ed

@@pytonson6785 Hi there, thanks for watching and commenting! Much to my disappointment we don’t have salamanders here in the uk, so not familiar with their breeding habits. However if they’re anything like their aquatic cousins (newts) then plants with small but broadish leaves (such as water forget me nots, water mint) are perfect for them to lay their individual eggs onto. They then carefully fold up and stick the leaf together to make a small package. Best, Ed

@@markraven6670 Thanks mark, I’ve been a bit quiet on the youtube front of late- busy working but not really video friendly work, or just too time consuming to get the cameras out alongside the job! I’ll be dabbling again soon however i’m sure! Thank you for your Christmas wishes and likewise back at you! Hope you have a good Christmas break! Best, Ed

Thanks so much Anne-very kind of you! Best, Ed

Ha! I agree- I was regularly complementing Gary (the owner of this pond) about his lovely lawn! Thanks for watching and commenting, Best, Ed

@@CrystalClearAquatics Not a problem at all Ed! Your videos inspired me to make my own pond and took loads of advice from what you share. Thank you so much! Excited to see future videos. We often sit down with the kids to watch them!

@@aden7146your poor kids😂😂😂 thanks though, really appreciate your kind words!

@@CrystalClearAquatics They are mad about ponds! They are digging their own making a mess of our random patch of garden! As long as they stay away from the larger pond it makes me happy haha!

Thanks for watching and glad you found this useful! Best, Ed

Hi there, thanks for watching and commenting! Although towels would offer some good basic protection initially the material will degrade and rot much faster then a proper pond fleece and so I would not recommend it I’m afraid. Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and commenting! I’d prefer to hear you say you loved frogs and welcomed them to your pond(😉) but I’m glad to hear you go to the efforts of re-locating them and their precious spawn rather then harming them. Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and your kind words. Ducks and geese can cause havoc with pond planting and edging! Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and your kind words! I’ve never been to the US…one day though!! Best, Ed

I’m quite fond of him!!😂 thanks for watching and commenting, best, Ed

Thanks for watching and commenting! Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and commenting! Actually on the contrary-this pond has been deliberately designed to balance fish safety with nice aesthetics-the pond is too deep for a heron to wade in, so it can only stand in the shallows and wait for fish to come to it, rather then actively hunt, although the odd fish will still be caught here and there, with a portion of the pond netted for extra security despite frequent heron visits the fish in this pond have thrived and multiplied. Further deterrents could be applied, such as wires or complete netting if necessary but they’ve not been required! Best, Ed

Hi there, thanks for watching! The light isn’t actually flashing-what caused this to appear so is an inner rotating sleeve that shrouds the quartz sleeve covering the viewing window briefly every time it completes a revolution! Best, Ed

Morning Norman! Sadly after a follow up visit this koi was progressively getting worse and so we took the decision to euthanise. Shame…thankfully eveyrhing else in the pond is healthy so was an isolated case. Best, Ed

@@CrystalClearAquatics😢

He he! I’m looking forward to part four also-one day when I’ve completed my own pond!! Hopefully by next year😉 thanks for watching and commenting! Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and commenting- sadly since this video I’ve had to go back to euthanise this Koi. Its condition deteriorated rapidly, massive bloating and dropsy and hardly any movement at all. Thankfully everything else in the pond is looking very happy and healthy so I think just an isolated case in this instance. Best, Ed

@@CrystalClearAquatics that’s a shame Ed, it must have had an internal bacterial infection then unfortunately. I’d be sure to keep an eye on the other fish for sure just to make sure there isn’t a parasite problem. If costia gets out of hand it will wipe a pond out pretty fast.

@@Auto_Blip a Agreed and thanks for the advice! I’m there for monthly visits and will certainly keep a good eye on the health of the remaining fish! Cheers, Ed

Hi there Cindy,thanks for watching and commenting! Renewing filter foams in the Laguna systems will reduce bacteria levels in the filter, but there is still sufficient bacteria within the remaining media that lays at the base of these filters to re-colonise the new foams quickly and to maintain good water quality in the pond. However its always good practise to reduce feeding for a week or two after renewing filter foams to reduce waste products in the pond. Sorry to hear you had high ammonia- i’d have slight reservations personally however as the suitability long term of a pressure flo system in a koi pond. Pressurised systems like this are only really intended for small goldfish/low stocking density ponds and not hugely suitable for higher stocking density or large fish/koi ponds… Hope this helps! Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and commenting David and I hope the fix went well!! Sadly damage on a fold can be awkward to fix, so hopefully you’ve been successful… Best regards, Ed

Thanks Mark and as ever thank you for watching and commenting! Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and commenting and glad you found it useful! Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and your kind words Patrick! Au Revoir! Ed

Thanks as ever for watching and your kind words! Best, Ed

Hi there Paul, thanks for watching and commenting! Pipe diameter is dependant on flow rates and size of pond, however in general for most applications i’d be using 38-40mm/11/2” hose- the heavier duty rubberised suction hose rather then the cheaper more flexible superflex hose being my preferred choice for longevity. Very small ponds- where i’m using pumps of perhaps 6000lph or less id happily use 32mm/11/4” hose and much larger systems if pumping 20,000lph or more I’d opt for larger 50mm/2” hose. If your pump has a stepped hose tail its always best to use the largest bore hose the pump allows to ensure the pump performs to its maximum potential. Hope that helps! Best, Ed

Hi there, thanks for watching and great question! Generally parasites are introduced to ponds via the introduction of new fish and occasionally plants, although it is also possible for birds- particularly water fowl (ducks, coots, moorhens etc) and wading birds such as herons to transfer parasites from pond to pond. So too is it possible if equipment such as nets that have come into contact with infected ponds/fish are used in other ponds. It’s important to sterilise equipment if its being used from pond to pond. Leaving nets out to air dry in the sun for a few days is a good way to do this. Hope that helps! Best, Ed

@@CrystalClearAquatics Thank u for taking the time to reply. Should people undertake quarantine of new fish then and perhaps treat for parasite before putting into the pond ?

@@noggindoo in an ideal world yes, this is exactly what should be done, however the reality is hardly anyone will have a space/suitable set up for quarantine. An annual/twice annual treatment of something like f.m.g to the whole pond can be useful used as a preventative for many parasites. Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and your kind words! Best, Ed

Hi there, thanks for watching and commenting. Yes, indeed this could well be the case with this particular fish! Best, Ed

Hi there, thanks for watching and commenting! This pond is in the garden of the Asperion Hillside hotel, Worplesdon, Surrey. Im sure Dan and his team would make you feel very welcome!! Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and for the advice! Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and commenting! In general raised ponds tend to be less popular for attracting local amphibians, however they (frogs newts and toads) are actually very good climbers and will often get themselves into ponds that are raised with no issues at all! Thanks for sharing! Best, Ed

Thanks for watching and for your kind words!! Bog filtration would usually rely on plants that grow in water (marginals) rather then moisture loving, so sadly mind your own business wouldn’t be a great choice. However if the system you are making is large enough and you have an area of gravel/substrate exposed above water level then I’d def encourage you to have a go! Best, Ed

Hi there, thanks for watching and commenting and well done for your good deed!! It’s amazing how often you’ll come across amphibians that are well away from any water sources, Toads in particular will travel large distances (a few kilometres) in search of a mate or to return to their breeding grounds. Best, Ed

Hi there, thanks for watching and commenting and my apologies for the slow response. In general I would recommend running a filtration system constantly through the winter months - in doing so you’re protecting the system from freezing- moving water through the pipes and filter are much less likely to freeze and the uvc if left on will emit a small amount of heat which helps to protect it from damage if it were to freeze. If you switch off the system you’re much more likely to have an issue during extreme cold- in which case draining of the system and protecting from the cold and also lagging pipes exposed above ground is recommended. Hope that helps! Best, Ed

@@CrystalClearAquatics Hi and thanks for the advise! I give it a try this first winter. Will cover it with loads of bubble-plastic also.

Hi there, thanks for watching and commenting! Fish in the Cyprinid family often exhibit lumps and growths on their cheeks and at the base of their pectoral fins-as you say- this is a sign of a mature male. Sadly this tench did also have additional internal growths as well. Best, Ed

Thanks you for watching and commenting! I’m starting to get used to some familiar names in this comments section and I see yours quite often so thank you!! Best, Ed

Hello over there in Yorkshire! Lovely part of the world, love the Yorkshire dales and moors (roseberry topping a favourite of mine) and have just come back from a wk end of walking in the Peak District, not too far away! Thanks for watching and commenting- I’m definitely a firm believer of using a ‘good coat of looking at’!!! Im still looking at my unfinished pond…..As for concreting a base of the pond- if you mean as a foundation before lining then yes, if the ground is particularly wet/soft firming it up with a base of concrete, or a good layer of compacted sub base, would be sensible. Best, Ed