DIY Koi Pond Air Curtain Diffuser

[@AlaPic3005]

Well done! Beautiful pond

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 🙂

[@PhilGsKoiPond]

Cracking idea Dave looks really good mate.. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 😀 I'm really happy with how simple it worked out.

[@koikarma5363]

Great idea Dave I like what you've done there 👍 😀

[@DavesKoiPond]

Cheers mate 👍

[@Matsuba81]

Brilliant idea Dave , i will be copying that for the new grow on pond i think . thanks

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 😀

[@Matsuba81]

@@DavesKoiPond ordered the bits last night lol 👍

[@DavesKoiPond]

@@Matsuba81 Not a bad price is it...👍 Mine worked out to about £20 for the 2 meter curtain. plus the extra 8mm airline.

[@rodtribble494]

Excellent idea Dave 👍🏻 thanks for sharing.

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 🙂

[@rodtribble494]

What sort of clips did you use, for clipping the pipe to your coping stones please Dave?

[@DavesKoiPond]

@@rodtribble494 Hi rod, I used cable tie masonry mounts. I carefully made a gap in the sealant with a flathead screwdriver between the coping stone and the liner (I had filled the gap with sealant.) and pushed a cable tie mount in and used that to cable tie the ends, plus hold the air line tight under the edge as well. they are a little bit big but I filed them down a bit thinner to make them fit. but grip the sealant well due to the ribs. www.screwfix.com/p/cable-tie-masonry-mount-black-40-2-x-10mm-100-pack/68305

[@rodtribble494]

Great stuff thanks Dave 👍🏻

[@KoiPondLifestyle]

I like that idea. Neat and well finished...😉👍

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 🙂 It works well, and I much prefer the discrete bubbles... I think the fish do too 😁

[@LauMagroTheFrenchKOInection]

Great stuff Dave. Air curtain are so much neater than aerated bottom drain. So thank you for sharing. I think I missed out on an info, or I just simply didnt understand it, if the tube now.sitting at the bottom or suspended half way?

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks Lau, 😀 The air curtain is about one to two foot below the surface (300mm - 600mm)

[@LauMagroTheFrenchKOInection]

@@DavesKoiPond thanks Dave. I like the look of it in a pond.

[@DavesKoiPond]

@@LauMagroTheFrenchKOInection Thanks, I do too. when I built my pond I just followed with most other builds, and fitted an aerated bottom drain. And i'd still use it when medicating and need the extra O2, but much prefer the more natural look of the water, where I can see the fish better 😁

[@LauMagroTheFrenchKOInection]

@@DavesKoiPond most definitely.

[@ricardorowe4802]

Fantastic job mate , I will make one I like it

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks 👍

[@andrewjones7670]

Fantastic idea and build Dave, was thinking about doing an air bar exactly like this for my build next year, But didn’t know how to keep it attached in the pond without making it something the koi could knock themselves on, a simple and easy idea. Thanks will be doing exactly this 👍

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks Andrew, 👍 I'd been trying to source the proper aerator hose. But it was finding it hard to get in the UK, until I discovered it when I was at queni koi.

[@andrewjones7670]

I tried the same , and could only find the £100 a metre stuff or the stuff from Eco, great find and will also try using some on my moving bed instead of air stones

[@DavesKoiPond]

@@andrewjones7670 I made a 1meter circle aerator for my moving bed later on today, but to be honest the 200mm airstone uses slightly less air to get it rolling.

[@andrewjones7670]

Are you using a 200mm round airstone or a straight one. I’m using a 200m long one in mine with 40 lph ( it actually got 2 in it but turns over better using just the one) and around 85 ltrs or k1+ and it’s just about enough, I’ve made a 8mm drilled pipe to try on it next ( just waiting for a couple of weights to arrive before I try it, if not I’ll try a piece of the air line you have used ( already ordered) I know I probably need more air to get the movement I want but it’s a good way of seeing what’s best , before I swop the pump over for a bigger one.

[@DavesKoiPond]

@@andrewjones7670 Im using a 200mm disc flat round.

[@abkoi]

Lovely pond, exceptional fish and a cracking idea....been thinking of doing something similar myself. Or at least moving the air away from the centre of the pond anyway. Just subscribed! All the best mate 👍🏻

[@DavesKoiPond]

Cheers, 👍 The fish seem much more active since getting away from the bottom drain aeration. Feeding is also less of a scramble, than having it all pushed against the glass and the fish fighting over it...😁

[@abkoi]

@@DavesKoiPond haha I bet 🙂 just one more question, is that a mugo pine at the front of your pond? I was looking at your KZbin banner picture 👍🏼

[@DavesKoiPond]

@@abkoi Yes mate. 😀 There are two mugo pines, one in the ground next to the bridge, and one on the corner (now in a bonsai training pot.)

[@abkoi]

@@DavesKoiPond Thank you. Looking to try and find a bigger one like yours for my rockery but it’s proving difficult 🙂👍🏼

[@DavesKoiPond]

@@abkoi A local garden centre gets larger trees and plants in occasionally, i've had that one for a couple of years or so now. It was very lopsided, with a right angled split trunk, but ideal for bonsai training once it was removed...👍

[@busyb1504]

Brilliant 🤩. Thank you for sharing. Great idea

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 🙂 I'm really happy with mine, not missing the bottom drain aerator at all 👍

[@CescaTheDarkHorse]

Nice video 📹 like the air curtain. Subscribed to your channel 😀

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 🙂

[@LeTwistedOne]

Cracking job 🧁💯👌👍👍👍

[@DavesKoiPond]

Cheers 👍

[@craigroughley8615]

Looks great this Dave 👌 defo going to make one up for my pond. Are you using this to completely replace the air from the spindrifter? Or just as a way of adding extra air?

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 🙂 I'm using it to replace the bottom drain aerator, It's still connected, so if doing a PP treatment or if I need extra air I can still use the Jager bottom drain aerator as well. 👍

[@craigroughley8615]

@@DavesKoiPond Great.. was the main reason for the change, to help give you a better view of the koi ?

[@DavesKoiPond]

@@craigroughley8615 Yes that's one reason, 🙂 the other was lots of japanese breeders use air curtains rather than bottom drains aeration, and I liked mike snadens set up with bakki showers air curtain. 😁

[@kirkpotts9570]

Hi Dave cracking idea that! Your pond is very similar set up to mine... your skimmer is in the same location, Do you find it effects how well it skims the surface? Cheers

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 👍 It was designed like that, the curtain pushes the surface water away from the skimmer but it still stays mainly clear and clean. As the skimmer draws about 12,000 lph and has so much water moving through it, it has it's own whirlpool inside 😮 Plus I was fed up of seeing all that expensive saki hikari floating into the skimmer never to be seen again lol! 😄

[@kirkpotts9570]

@DavesKoiPond thanks for getting back to me. Ill be making one of them! My skimmer was well overfed saki last season aswell 😅

[@DavesKoiPond]

Note: The 316 stainless steel rod is 6.4mm and not 3.4mm diameter as stated at 0:30 😁

[@somersetkoi8309]

Great idea Dave and a hell of a lot cheaper 👍

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks 👍

[@JamieLawrence88]

That's a brilliant idea, cheers for that. Subbed 👍

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 👍

[@autismmonkey7416]

What's the rough size of the filter house you have mate? Looking at building mine this summer

[@DavesKoiPond]

The filterhouse is about 1.2mtrs x 3mtrs as it's the 'shed' part of a log cabin. but I would prefer one that is a bit wider if building from scratch. 2mtrs x 3mtrs would give you more options.👍

[@vidsegera]

Great!!! May I know what kind of aeration pump do you use?

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 🙂 I use a charles austin ET80 that feeds the air curtain, and a 200mm airstone in my K1 bio chamber.

[@ianevans3898]

Can I please ask where you got your steel bar from ? I have been looking but only seem to find 1m lengths and I would like a 3m length Thank you 👍 and what a great idea have been trying to come up with something other than my spin drifters and you have done it for me 😁😁👍👍👍 thanks again and stay safe

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 🙂👍 The link for the 6.4mm 316 stainless steel bar is also in the description, www.rapidmetals.co.uk/product/stainless-316-round-6-4mm/ i just collected it as it is 5 mins down the road from me. but you would probably find it cheaper to get it from a local steel stockholder, most cities and towns have them 🙂

[@ianevans3898]

@@DavesKoiPond thank you very much Dave really appreciated

[@DavesKoiPond]

@@ianevans3898 No worries mate, happy to help. 🙂

[@hertskoi]

great price defo worth a room for thought

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 👍

[@BlingKingMarvellous]

Hi Dave, neat idea mate.... Do you think this would be man enough to make a moving bed move ? I have a pre existing moving bed with 2 air discs in, But im thinking this tubing all the way around the bottom of the box and accross the middle, might get better coverage . Just depends if its man enough. I think my box is approx 1m depth which is where the hose would sit, and 1m each of the sides, what do you think mate ?

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 👍 I tested out the 800mm circumference circle diffuser I made. And while it got my K1 micro moving bed rolling ok, it needed more air than the 200mm disc airstone I was using. Going all the way around the bottom would need a bigger air pump I think...

[@BlingKingMarvellous]

@@DavesKoiPond i got 2 70s air p;umps running it currently, 1 each disc, so would 2 x 70 air pumps be enough to run it well you think ? 175 ltrs of K1

[@DavesKoiPond]

@@BlingKingMarvellous It should be enough for the aerators, but I don't think that having the air around the bottom perimeter would move the K1 better than a central air stone... perimeter aeration works well on something like the nexus because of the shape of it. For a square or rectangle moving bed, either air bars running the length of the middle like the draco moving bed, or central discs would work best imo. 😃

[@BlingKingMarvellous]

@@DavesKoiPond ok dave thanks for your input

[@progressivepondkeeping]

Bang on mate 👌👍

[@DavesKoiPond]

Cheers 👍

[@garystevens5549]

Great video.👍 Can I ask where you bought the stainless steel bar from? Thanks

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks 👍 I got the 316 stainless steel round bar from a local steel stockholder, usually works out much cheaper buying locally than ordering online. All the links are in the description, but this is the local steel stockholder I used. 🙂 www.rapidmetals.co.uk/product/stainless-316-round-6-4mm/

[@garystevens5549]

@@DavesKoiPond thanks for the info.👍

[@peterspuddleskoiandgoldfish]

Now that's a great idea

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thnaks, 🙂

[@koditus]

Great idea

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks 🙂

[@jodyvollmer4125]

If I had seen this two months ago, you could’ve saved me $200

[@DavesKoiPond]

Air curtain diffusers are not cheap to buy are they? 😮 Though I put this link up over a year ago, so it was here... I obviously don't rank very high on youtubes search results algorithm 😂

[@shaunleonard8146]

first Class, that Dave.

[@DavesKoiPond]

Cheers 👍

[@riecautami8911]

Outer diameter diffuser 16 or 25 ?

[@DavesKoiPond]

Hi, 🙂 The outer diameter is 25mm. Though some diffuser hoses are 12mm internal and some 16mm internal, so the hose barb fittings need to be sized accordingly. 👍

[@riecautami8911]

@@DavesKoiPond terimakasih salam dari indonesia

[@DavesKoiPond]

@@riecautami8911 You're Welcome 🙂

[@riecautami8911]

@@DavesKoiPond hose 3/16 or 5/16?

[@DavesKoiPond]

@@riecautami8911 We're mostly metric in the UK. Even though steel pipe sizes are still imperial, I was made to work in imperial by the older machine fitters and pipefitters at work when I was an apprentice😄 The flexi hose size I use is 12mm O.D./8mm I.D closest size in imperial would probably be 15/32 O.D. x 5/16" I.D.

[@carollycett1329]

Brilliant Idea just sub to your channel Carol koi pond

[@DavesKoiPond]

Thanks, 👍 Sorry for the late reply, I missed the notification 🙂

[@marekskoipond9083]

Interesting Dave, might copy if that's OK, got airline running through bottom drain pipe connected to retro air dome lid, but don't like it, airline hose catches weed and debris inside drain pipe.

[@DavesKoiPond]

No worries mate, I've pinched loads of good ideas from other channels too 😁