Goodbye koi pond... You've served me well over the years.

It doesn't look like much anymore, it's definitely seen better days, but now it's finally time to say goodbye to my koi pond. I built the pond almost 20yrs ago now. It measured 12ft(L)X10ft(w)X8ft(d). It sits 4ft above and 4ft below at its deepest point. It was a purpose build koi pond and when I built it, the hobbies of koi keeping was still relatively an unknown. There was loads of info out there but not a lot of people doing it. So finding a quality garden centre to supply pumps, pipes, filtration and so on was incredibly hard, so I made everything from scratch.

Now if you're thinking of building a pond anytime soon, I would definitely 100% recommend a gravity fed system. But when I started pump fed systems where much easier, cheaper and quicker to install so that's what I went for.

Retrospectively changing it to gravity fed would be a nightmare do it's stayed pump fed for all these years.

I'd already drained most of the water out last weekend in preparation to finish it off today knowing the weather would be that little bit better.

I switched the pump and removed the filtration system at the end of summer last year, so there was a few bits of dead leaves and sludge sitting on the bottom that needed to be washed to the pump.

There was definitely a bit in there. So I got out the step ladders(12ft) and in I went to try and remove it all by hand.

Don't believe me!!??!!

Let me tell you, the sun might have been out but let me tell you the water was freezing!!

I'd sold most of the koi last year and now only have 2 left. I'm sure I'll find a home for them soon as they are both excellent examples of their breed and both a good size too.

So if anyone in the UK would like them I'm sure we can come to an agreement...

Whilst cleaning up all the filters and pipework I came across a mother Robin sitting on her eggs. Guess I'll have to wait a few weeks to move them now. I waited for a few minutes and she came straight back to the nest as if nothing had happened.