How I Fibreglassed My Koi Pond 

thanks mate, yes im very pleased with the result seeing its my first time fibreglassing...love the black top coat paint...gives such a nice finish....if fish not happy then im getting penguins....haha

Thanks mate ,that makes me happy...RU-vid is very helpful sometimes

Just tissue coat was a challenge hence the day rubbing down

hope the fish like it or it becomes a hot tub haha

@@PaulsKoipond thats going to be one big hot tub.. Hmmm the viewing windows might be a hit 😄

@@stubbsaquatics6080 got my budgie smugglers ready mate...haha

Yep mate nearly there but im looking forward to building my church style filter house

for my first time mate ,its turned out better than i thought it would

Thanks Katrina, very happy with how its starting to look

Looking forward to it mate

Cheers buddy...very pleased with how its looking

Your so welcome my friend

Deffo mate...better than i thought

Mum hiding from the work as usual

Thanks Terence, getting there mate

Cheers bud...very pleased with how its looking

Thanks mate....the filter house is what im looking forward to building now

thanks buddy, the best are still to come mate

I do like to have a go mate...very happy with how its looking

Best part is still to come bud

thanks buddy, for my first attempt im very pleased with the end result...(if it holds water)

Probably gonna have a little rub down before 1 more coat....did spend a whole day rubbing down the fibreglass before so it is very smooth

@@PaulsKoipond stinks like hell the resin don't it, does the flow coat smell as bad, only time I've done any fibreglass was a small patch on my dad's 3 wheeler reliant robin when idiot next door ran into it. At least you now have the main pond done which must be a huge relief.

@@robertnicholls9409 yes mate top coat just as bad...a large spider ran out of the bottom drain pipe and instantly curled up and died...fumes are bad...very flammable

@@PaulsKoipond how did you get on with vac and fumes, as soon as you mentioned it I wondered about any fumes with elecric motor, did you end up using it. Rob.

@@robertnicholls9409 as the machine stayed outside it worked ok to suck the fumes out...could just feel the fumes on my eyes...as i said in video i dont know how people do this everyday

thanks mate, im happy with results

cheers mate for the tip, will leave it a few days until i start the refill test

Thanls tom..im pleased with how its looking

@@PaulsKoipond hopefully it holds water 💦

cheers mate, top layer of tissue caused a little stress ,but spent a day rubbing down and got it nice and smooth...very happy with end result....looks like a pond again

Thanks mate...i do like to try myself as it gives me more of a sence of achievement

Thanks jimmy

Glad i spent a day rubbing down mate...paid in the long run...really pleased with how its looking

@@PaulsKoipond happy days mate I knew you would do a good job it's going to be stunning 👌

@@progressivepondkeeping cheers bud....best is yet to come mate 😉

@@PaulsKoipond 👌👍

Thanks mate...pleased with how its looking now

Thanks Zoran..it was my first time and was do happy i gave it a try my friend

Cheers buddy...if the vacuum had blown up then i would of had a bigger pond and more clay to deal with....thanks mate

@@PaulsKoipond it’s my 25 years in health and safety mate! Retired now thank god!

@@mikeplece6945 its a important piece of information mate which i will correct in next video...thanks for making me aware

Cheers mate glad it helped

Cheers mate...just tissue coat is the tricky part

more deserving people to worry about then me bud, sealants all ready for when its completely dry

Yes mate from fibreglass direct....that was my old pond, about to start new build in new property

I feel more of an achievement when ive had a go

@@PaulsKoipond yeah I’m a carpenter and Joiner by trade but have dabbled in most trades plastering tiling plumbing electrical roofing and other stuff but I can honestly say I don’t think I would have the Confidence in Fibreglass 🤔

@@asterixborden-koi6881 buy a small pack on ebay and have a practice....mate if i can do it then im sure you would be able to

its called Topcoat and you will find it at any fibreglass company mate...new pond build coming soon mate

Thanks Tony

Thanks buddy....i do like to give it a go mate

Hello mate...the topcoat at the end does need the hardener mixed in with it....the less of activator you mix in determines how long you have to play with it

No mate , but once you have finished I would advise you to fill the pond up with clean water and leave it for a week or 2 ,then empty it and refill with fresh water before adding fish...that's what I did and everything was OK...Good luck mate

thanks bud, im very pleased with how its looking

I used fibre glass direct on the Internet mate...I will use them again on my new one soon....Good luck mate

even when wearing a mask, it was still strong..i think the float coat was just as bad...was glad when i got out of the pond

@@PaulsKoipond being in that enclosed space, didn’t help. If you had a heater going, then the smell and fumes would have been worse. The heat will make the resin cure quicker. But you can get an accelerator to mix into the resin first before adding the catalyst. But it must be mixed it really well before adding the Catalyst. Accelerator and the catalyst should be kept in different areas as they can be combustible together.

Cheers buddy

paid about 500 mate, but i over estimated because i have plans for the leftovers

@@PaulsKoipond Thanks for that, definitely helps with my plans. Look forward to your next video.

Fibreglass direct website mate...im glad i tried

I did mate as i knew i could get it smother...then i went over with another coat of resin before the top coat which is lovely and thick and dries even harder...thanks bud

Hi mate...floor was done last but I can't remember what grade I used...speak to fibreglass direct I'm sure they will help you

It was 2 big drums mate but i cant remember how many litres they held....sorry buddy

have a look at where i got all mine from mate, speak to them they are very helpful fibreglass direct

Got it from fibreglass direct website...very helpful

Did save a lot obviously but glad i tried myself and feel proud that i had a go mate

Bought it all from a company called fiberglass direct...they were very helpful mate and I will be buying my new pond kit from them aswell

Fibreglass direct website mate

@@PaulsKoipond How much did you need Paul and did you have any left over?

I over bought mate because i still have plans for some....i think it was the 30 square metres pond kit...just under 500

Haha...never thought of it like that mate....Will be building a new better pond soon mate

I got mine from fibreglass direct...found them very helpful with measures

Hi Melissa...any help you need please ask...Air bubbles are most helpful in hot weather as the warmer the water the less it holds air in it..if you have the water return from the filter and you can make it splash into the pond is also helpful...Good luck and keep me informed

Its called flo coat....its a special paint which you mix with a hardener so it dries very hard...thanks for watching my friend

@RoystonDay I bought all mine from fibreglass direct...I didn't take any notice of the name but if you contact them I'm sure they can help you

Sorry buddy i dont know....i wish i could me more help

The whole lot came from fibreglass direct mate

Thank you paul

About a week mate,that's after I emptied the pond and refilled it.cheers mate

Will remember that on the new build I'm building now mate

Leave it empty for a week mate then fill with tap water and leave for another week...i emptied it then and refilled with water through a carbon block...then fish went back in mate

@@PaulsKoipond oh, so there is a waiting time. Thanks for reply 👍👍👍

@@netcalibur i probably waited a bit longer mate just too make sure there was no chemicals leaking into the water....goid luck mate

Hi...i ordered all my stuff from fibreglass direct..you tell them the measurements. And.they will supply the kit for all you need

Think it was the polyester resin i used mate...i think i show.it in the video....i found it not that hard to do mate just be careful of the fumes

@@PaulsKoipond Thank you!

With the bottom drain i fibreglassed a little into it and then when fully dry i used a lot of sealent to make sure it was sealed..fibreglass wont stick to glass mate so fibreglass as close as possible and again use plenty of sealent...i was nervous at first but soon found it wasn't that bad to do....make sure you wear a mask as the fumes are pretty bad.good luck and let me know how you get on buddy

@@PaulsKoipond Hey Paul, Thank you for responding to me! That all makes sense. I'm currently pretty far along in building my block pond. Bottom drains are in and all that's left before fiber glassing is pouring the cement floor. But I'm running into a problem I'm hoping you might have some advice on. WARNING: this is going to be an overly long explanation. I’m a big fan the way ponds in the UK are built. I think lining a block pond with fiberglass makes all the sense in the world. This is how I want to construct my pond. Only one problem, I live in the US. I’ve yet to find any suppliers here who carry what I need to build my dream pond. But I’m very determined. I’m not willing to settle for a rubber liner pond. If I can’t build my pond the way I want it to be built, than what is the point? Naturally, I started looking into companies in the UK who sell fiberglass pond kits. They look amazing!! And I found several companies who sell them! I want to buy one so I can do my pond justice and build it the way I like. Here is the problem: none of them I’ve corresponded with are willing to ship to the US. I let them know that I understand if there is additional shipping charges/convenience fee for all the trouble. But they have been pretty adamant that they just don’t ship outside the UK/Ireland. Naturally, I’m turning to strangers on the internet for help! Lol Do you know of any fiberglass pond kit suppliers who would be willing to work with me? Do you have any solutions you can think of that I can’t? I greatly appreciate any help or advice you might have. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Hi Geoff...fibreglass i got online from fibreglass direct website and to seal the return i used HA6 sealent which i used before and really like...hope that help buddy

@@PaulsKoipond thanks Paul that's a big help 😆 keep the vids coming love watching them👌👌

@@geoffpaten3705 cheers mate i really appreciate that

Yes after i painted around the windows and corners

i used a paddle roller mate, dont know if thats the same thing...it was more the tissue layer i had trouble with

Great job Paul.., just goes to show if your methodical and have all the equipment ready you can get a great outcome... let’s hope others glass there own ponds after watching this as I will be... there is No way I can justify some of the prices you get quoted

Yes mate but it was just the tissue coat i had a little with

It's called topcoat and you can get it at any fibreglass supplier...its lovely to work with

I bought it from.fibreglass direct...i have a bit left over as im going to.rebuild my wildlife pond over winter...first time ive ever used fibreglass but enjoyed every second of it...cheers mate

Pond holds 2000 gallons bud

Thanks

Sorry mate i cant remember but all details are in the video...speak to fibreglass direct if you need any help...they are very helpful

I bought a pond kit from fibreglass direct for the size i wanted...everything is included in the kit what you need...if i remember it was just over 500 i think

Thanks buddy for the tip

@@PaulsKoipond .......... I’m an old sod, reliving his past by watching your video. It’s a long time since I used glass fibre, but the basics remain in my head. !!!

@@radiogramgramophonetoons5802 luckily the pond held water and fish have moved in...did you ever get used to the fumes...stung my eyes

@@PaulsKoipond ........ I started in 1993 with a bunch of guys, re-lining factory roof gutters, then I went into a workshop environment in 1994 to learn how to make gutters/down pipes and rainwater hopper heads. That’s a totally different form of laminating as ‘air bubbles’ are the worst enemy. Air bubbles with your video laminating don’t matter really. Air bubbles with using a gel coat base in a mould, does matter. Yes you get used to the smell and it never effected my eyes, I never wore goggles or a mask (stupid me!!!) Make sure you either wear goggles when squeezing the catalyst bottle or use at arms length, those bottles can split and as you know, that catalyst in your eyes is a ‘goodby to your eye site’.

@@radiogramgramophonetoons5802 like an idiot i used the pond vac to help suck the fumes out, completely forgot about the flammable side of it...luckily i got away with it or the pond would of been a bit bigger

Got all my kit from fibreglass direct mate...have a look on their website...hope this helps

If i remember i think the fibreglassing kit cost about £500

No i didn't get a quote as i knew i was going to try doing it myself buddy

You did an awesome job and have shown it’s possible! Good for you!

@@danieltait123 thanks mate...just hope it helps others to think about having a go themselves

I ordered all my kit from fibreglass direct....they are very helpful and will answer any questions mate

i was learning as i went along mate, watching videos for the help

@@PaulsKoipond a good way to learn, I do that by watching vids on plumbing etc

@@radiogramgramophonetoons5802 this is when RU-vid comes into its own...most things are on here for reference and help

Yes mate but tissue coat was the tricky part

@@PaulsKoipond good effort for a first attempt. Once waters in it will look perfect 👍🏻

@@2010wembley hope so bud

Hi mate..it was a Polyester gelcoat i think...on the video i name the people i bought it all from and if you look on there website it will tell you mate

@@PaulsKoipond cheers thanks

Will make some good tv though....guess we will see very soon

Alan are you and Matt a couple now?? Lol. Paul your job will be fine. Great first attempt. Mind seal the drain and inlets with sealant. 👍🏻👍🏻. Good job. 👍🏻👍🏻 Plus don’t forget you’ve saved yourself minimum £3000 compared to getting a certain glasser to do your job. 😜😜

@@Dumdum888888 haha thanks mate

@@Dumdum888888 ............ £3000 !!!!!!! Shit I’d have done it for half that amount