Time for a topic that is slightly different from the usual food related articles.
We’ve received vacant posession to our KEN Rimba house at Shah Alam several months ago, and been busy doing defects and renovation work ever since. There are a few more weeks work to be done before we can probably move in and call it our new home, so I thought it’s best to start documenting some of the stuff we’ve done to the house on this space so that we can reflect in years to come.
First off, the koi pond.
pond digging and piling work
I have been keeping koi fish for some ten years at the current SS3 address from a pond Horng and I constructed in 2005. We’re moving, the fish has to come along, so a new pond is needed.
Since the developer promised to put in a small pool to the unit, I took the opportunity to commission the same backhoe loader to dig the pond. It was to be a 14′ x 6′ x 5′ deep pond. Digging and timber piling work was done in early March.
construction of the fish pond
Reinforced concrete were then poured to the make the foundation of the pond, which resides at the rear end of the yard just a few feed by the fiber glass pool.
We decided to hire foreign workers (Nepalese & Bangladeshi mostly) to build the brick wall for the pond. The joints were interlocked and rebar used to ensure structure integrity. I also decided that 2 layers of bricks is laid as per Sheng’s advise, who is a structural engineer by profession. (Thanks)
We also laid some PVC pipes for drainage & filtration system at this point.
This stage took about 3 weeks, with work mostly done either only on Sunday or off hours.
plastering and waterproofing
Next, we got a couple of Indonesian workers to help plaster the walls. Man, these guys worked fast and I reckon they were at least twice as efficient as the previous guys. We got the walls plastered in two days.
Haze and I then spent several weeks applying a couple layers of waterproofing agent on the pond. We used Nippon Flexiseal for this application.
In retrospect, we should have applied waterproofing measures while pouring concrete and making brick walls, oh well.
harvesting rain water for koi pond
Since the house came with rain water harvesting tank at the rear, I decided to take advantage of it by connecting a pipe and run it to the pond. What’s better than natural rain water for the fish?
At this point, we also discovered that the first round waterproofing was not good. To rectify this, we use a Sika grout product as per recommended by my cousin who is in construction industry. Thankfully, we managed to solve the leakage problem with a little bit of creative workaround.
additional water proofing fix & filter hook up
I’ve then temporarily hooked up the Laguna Powerflo Filter Fall to try to let it mature a little bit. Local guppies are now thriving in the pond to prevent it being a mosquito breeding ground.
This filtration system is chosen due to the ease maintenance. I purchased this from Sunway Mas Commercial Centre’s Fish Depot, they are very helpful and I urge you to check them out should you have any aquarium supply needs.
Other aspects of the house will be updated on this space soon, as well as the second part of this koi pond story with the way filtration system is set up.
why the fish have to come along leh ?
suanie: cos you don’t abandone family!
Any of them from the original batch?
FireAngel: unfortunately no 🙁
KY, When back in college I was to major in oceanology for the of the ocean. Koi fishes are great to raise and lived t0 50 years or more. Many sell the off springs
to buyers.
Vickie: Yah, I hope I can keep these fish up to a few decades!
wahh, when can harvest the fishies? i would like to see fish makan post instead pweasie pwease
immature: you eat my koi i kill chuuuuu
aiiiiiikkkkkksssssssssssssssss
but we HAVE eaten fish caught from his pond before!
Fireangel: haha you’re right.
Uncle Red Faced
Amazing how much work goes into just a fish pond. Good that you DIY instead of just paying someone to do everything.
CL: haha well technically I still hire the labourers to do most of the work except for waterproofing tho. 😀
Can’t wait to see the finished pond! It already looks gorgeous.
Lynne: will take some time yettt, I’m hopeful 😀
Hi KY , can you please get rid of the nuffnang advertisement? It is damn annoying especially when viewing from hanphone and xannot get rid of the damn thing.
ROFL, like asking TV station to stop showing commercials
Steven: they pay for my server fees and such, so.. I’m sorry but I’ll keep Nuffnang Ads.
Nice. A pool for humans and a pool for fishies side by side. Just don’t drink one too many and upchuck on the fishies!
uncle so mabuk one night, he dips into the koi pool instead. Next day, it becomes salt water pool…
immature: don’t piss in there!
E: hahaha yah.
not only become salt water pool, but also got lots of tiny tadpoles…
wahh so cool.. congrats on the new home! When is house warming party ya? 😛
Ciki: haha hopefully in a couple months or something.
thanks bro 🙂 can’t wait to see the finishing pond
alibaba: haha me too!
Congrats on your new home, also new home for the kois!
Choi Yen: thanks!
Hi KY,
would like to ask if your house is corner/end lot? is this the one?
http://www.iproperty.com.my/propertylisting/3564837/shah-alam-2.5-sty-terrace-link-house-forsale#jz1u5Hi8A3qBomrg.97
thanks
Jason: yes.
Wow that is a Rm1mil house in Ken Rimba, you must be quite rich!
Xinney: double income & not spending on car for the last 10 years helped 😀
Hello. Just have my pond done but seen like have some leaking problem. Thought of using Nippon flexiseal and I saw ur post. Does Nippon flexiseal effective in prevent leak? Thanks in advance
Kenz chung: it worked quite alright for me, make sure you follow the instructions tho.
Hi KY, Mind to share how did you do your timber piling for the pond foundation? I’m planning to construct a koi pond too but concerned on the proximity to the house – similarly yours too!
ACDC: i got a backhoe loader to push those timber foundation into the soil for about i believe 7-8 feet deep.