building a pond

[redox]

here I go again on some wild ideahttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pond.jpg

[redox]

6000 gallon pondhttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pond1.jpg

[rgaskins]

I'm getting ready to do the same thing...I will be watching your progress...


Rick

[Satori]

Cool, I've been thinking of doing the same thing but I have everything to learn about ponds. I'll be watching!

[celano]

My goodness Redox, thats quit the project you have there.:eek1:
What kinda filtration are you gonna run on that bad boy??

[celano]

I got to looking at your pics a little closer and I have a friendly sugestion/comment.
Have you considered installing a 8-10 inch wide ledge about 8-12 inches deep around the edge of your pond? This would allow you to put in water plants that require a more shallow water depth.
Like cattails, elephant ears, papyrus, umbrella plant ect...

[redox]

Yes you are right and that is what I will do. Its all in the rough stages right now . It will have a 5' deep area and taper off to 2'. The channel leading up to the wall is where I will have a waterfall feature that is fed from a stream that starts up the hill about 15'. I am getting the liner 25x50 this week and hope to have all my rock delivered as well. I am also installing a skimmer and a 85 gallon waterfall setup that has biofiltration(lava rocks and filter cloth). I had the edges pretty close yesterday by way of lazer and went upstairs for a snack came back and my six year old had made good mess of that:mad: It almost killed my motivation but... move on;)

[Justin James]

Very interesting. I'll be awaiting your progress photos.

[Justin James]

Where do you live? The soil is very unusuall. Looks almost volcanic.

Hahaha. Don't mind me i'm from Canada and not used to tropical areas.

[JagerEinheit]

OBX = outer banks north carolina

HTH

[nano7joy]

Must be nice to have a beach to dig in round here its rock on top of rock so we get to add sand and felt to protect the liners from the ground :( :lol: Lookin good tho. Goonna Keep Koi? Could defienintly hold quiet a few !

One little bit of advise. I usually wont dig one deeper than I can reach from bending at the waist unless you like noodlein or snorklein should something sharp(brokenbottle kids toys if it can it will get in your pond eventually) or what not get on the bottem while its full.

[johno4]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9978846#post9978846 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redox
I am also installing a skimmer and a 85 gallon waterfall setup that has biofiltration(lava rocks and filter cloth)

Skimmer, are you planning on saltwater?

[nano7joy]

Surface skimmer for floating debris removal.

[PHOTOG]

Ponds are an addiction in themselves...beware.

I have a smallish koi pond myself.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g150/ENCOPRESIS3/PADDY.jpg

My filtration is as follows:

(all underground)
Bottom drain to 55gallon vortex drum...
then to 55gallon drum filled with "springflo" media...

then to pump (skimmer line tee's in before pump)...

then above ground to a 55gallon up-flow drum full of crushed oyster shells.

USE A BOTTOM DRAIN, unless you like cleaning out sludge and fish poop.

here is a pic of my filter pit.
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g150/ENCOPRESIS3/pond5.jpg

the hole...
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g150/ENCOPRESIS3/pond2.jpg

this is before it was completed.
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g150/ENCOPRESIS3/pond6.jpg

the girls
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g150/ENCOPRESIS3/koi.jpg

A great site for pond building and Koi info is Koiphen.com

[redox]

a pic of my gh on the hillhttp://http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/ghbackground.jpghttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/ghbackground.jpg

[redox]

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pondfall.jpg

[redox]

still have alot of work to dohttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/ponddig.jpg

[redox]

this is what it looked like last summer before...http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pondlastsummer.jpg

[redox]

the aftermath of winter and the pondhttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pondbomb.jpg

[radone]

Just on a side note in case you didn't know.
If you plan on putting anything under your liner you should opt for used carpet foam works great for keeping rocks from puncturing the liner.
I formed my walls from cement block and added 3" of sand at the bottom then put the padding (it was free if you ask some places, but be careful about staples.
Another tip, keep circulation to about half the pond volume an hour so your looking at 3,000 gph for a pump or better.

Good luck and looks good so far

Yes Ponding is another addictive hobby :lol: :D

[redox]

for all in the pond bus. I am running a Sav. skimmer with double 50w uv's with an artesian external running up to a falls/biofilter and all epdm to be covered by all shapes and sizes of rock. all is on 3" flex pipe. I will be dealing with multipal preditors like racoons, birds of all shape size , and as well as homeless critters that need a home:eek2:and yes I am putting a top of the line liner under the membrane ...it made since

[redox]

after better calculations I realized that I am dealing with more like 10000 gallons and have some head on the pump plus 50' of run of 3" flex to the waterfall

[enemec1]

Ill be in salvo the first week of july on vaca let me know if you need help. Just Kidding, can you have it done before I get down there so I can see! Have fun and good luck with this project.

[Crackerballer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9986913#post9986913 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redox
the aftermath of winter and the pondhttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pondbomb.jpg

Over the winter you had a kid because of the pond?????!!!!

[PHOTOG]

you can also use old carpet under the liner, again check for staples. tree roots can kill a liner and bamboo will petetrate like butter.

[RandyStacyE]

I would get some quotes for gunnite. Once the gunnite has been shot and troweled you could then look into a coating for the pond. Propperly waterproofed gunnite is just far superior to any liner. Sure it’s more expensive, but ya get one hole in a liner then the whole system is shot unless you know exactly where the hole is.

I've been thinking about building a smallish pond in my back yard, but the winters here are just awful. My wife has a couple of turtles so that would make a great place to keep them throughout the summer.

If I build one I will be using this to waterproof the pond:
http://www.sanitred.com/WaterFountain.htm

[redox]

everything is here to put it all togetherhttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pondrock.jpg some rock for the bottom. Man that 3" flex pipe sure looks big.

[redox]

the middle fallshttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pondfountain.jpg

[redox]

some slabshttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pondrock1.jpg

[jerryz]

My current pond has river rock on the bottom. but I am just starting a remodel (it's about 12,000 gallons). The river rock holds in too much muck and prevents my bottom drain from really pulling in that stuff so the new one will be bare bottom with spray bars to keep the detritus suspended until it can be pulled into one of the drains or the skimmers.

[zeusfc]

just a thought... have you thought about adding a swimming pool sand filter/pump? it would make vacuuming the pond much easier!

if you ran it solely from the skimmer, It could be switched on and off, without affecting the main filtration... (most of the big skimmers have two outlet holes)

Oh, and In my book the most vital "i wish i'd added one of those when I built it" is AUTO TOP UP!
project looks really good...

[redox]

up and running . the falls are awsome and the water is already clear after 1 day. It is 10000 gallons + . Had a little scare yesterday when I got up the pond was 2 inches low
:eek: It was just a low part in the membrane easy fix , this morning all was good:D . I did put a bottom drain in boy thats a little sketchy having to cut an 8" hole in the bottom, it works though;) zeusfc I thought about a sand filter but went with this falls filter instead. I figured I could always add it if my bioload gets out of hand. I was trying not to have all that equipment sinse its so hard to hide. Will take pics and post soon, its still dark outside
jerryz I put 3" rock in the bottom and kept it away from the bottom drain so as not to have the same problem you are having thanks

[redox]

pic of the falls still under constructionhttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pondfalls.jpg

[redox]

clear water , I hope I can keep it that way. 2large uv's will helphttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pondclear.jpg

[coyoteseven]

Love the falls!

When you get it settled in, some plantlife will help eat up the nutrients and keep the algae down, also.

[redox]

for all you pond people out there, I was wondering what is best to get the ph right? it is 8.0 and I am trying to drop it to 7. muratic acid? vinegar? In other word what are the cheap chemicals thatwork the same as the high dollar "for ponds" stuff?

[sac-bobme]

Watch out for having such a large tree next to the pond (tree roots)

However I also must saw I dont know the root systems on palm type trees.

[oharaell]

Palms should be ok-- they've got a root ball with really small stringy runners...

[radone]

Personally I don't watch pH because it can change so quickly, the first year I did and what a pain trying to manage it. Mother nature does a pretty good job at control but it doesn't hurt to check once in awhile.
Biofiltration won't really kick in for about 4-6 weeks but to jump start Microblift is pretty good. Looks like your shaded pretty well also so that will help however you may want to cover that up if there's trees that shed leaves close by.

A pond is like a reef the bigger the better as far as ecological concerns.
I've used salt for a water softner the first year mainly to kill any parasites and such from newly introduced fish.
Best to find reputable fish stores or individuals.

If your unsure about the fall, I shut mine down because of the weather you probably won't need to. I NEVER feed my fish below 50 degrees even if they act like they are starving which is the way they always look. I realized this after the first I lost most of mine the next spring.

Good Luck and it's looking good,
Sit back and enjoy it :cool:

[redox]

I decided not to go the koi route. So... I took my castnet down to a local ponp and caught 2 spotted bass(6-8") about 15 bluegill of assorted sizes, hundreds of pond minnows,8 crawfish, a baby blue catfish,and last but not least an8" alligator gar. No home for koi here. I felt that the koi might atract some sea birds or egretts so that is the main reason for this. Plus it is a natural pond and koi just dont look natural to me;)

[coyoteseven]

The natural fauna pond sounds great, Redox. However, you may want to check the fish and game regulations of your state to be sure you can legally keep your new pets.

JMHO

[redox]

As many fish that I see people slaughter here at the beach when they all keep their limit of fish. I dont care if its legal or not I know no one will fish for these guys and when they get to big for this 10,000gal I will put them back to their natural home I found them in. Now what is wrong with that?then some hunter can have at em, the game fisheries should be happy;)

[addo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10076086#post10076086 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redox
As many fish that I see people slaughter here at the beach when they all keep their limit of fish. I dont care if its legal or not I know no one will fish for these guys and when they get to big for this 10,000gal I will put them back to their natural home I found them in. Now what is wrong with that?then some hunter can have at em, the game fisheries should be happy;)

First of all cool pond man. :)
I too have a pond stocked with native fish, and I got to say its much more interesting than kois IMO.

One thing you should consider before releasing your fish back too the wild ( if you decide to do that) is the potential spread of pathogens between different lakes and streams.

I know of at least two different ones in my area (Stockholm), one of witch could potentially wipe out an entire species (crayfish-plague) and the other one will severely decimate the perch population in a lake.

Another thing to consider is the introduction of alien species and pathogens, I know of a couple of those causing trouble in my area too.

So what I did was too stock my pond with plants and animals from the same lake, otherwise i think it would be best not too release anything back to the wild.

again sweet pond man:D :D

[redox]

thank you for the compliment addo. The pond I got the livestock out of was man made and is about 50 acres big. It started as a sand mine and developed into an awesome ecosystem. This is where they would be returned. Never thought about the fact of cross contamination but you are so right. I would only put the fish back as the craw fish will probably be the meal of the bass when they decide to eat them.

[Fishboy1230]

I bet withing the second day all the bluegill will be eaten by the gar and the bass. I have a 6" peacock and he eats fish half his size with no difficutly! so what im trying to say is, your bass are gonna feast!

[coyoteseven]

Redox, my comment was not meant as a jab... just don't want to see you run afoul of your local fish & game department. You probably don't even need special stocking permits (unless you plan on Rainbow Trout :lol: ) for the small population you'll have, since your pond is ornamental... just a fishing license for the initial capture. Like in my case... I'm renovating my 44g pentagonal for local seahorses/critters from the Gulf. All I need is a FL saltwater fishing license to capture my fauna and stock it.

Every native pond I've seen has been the cleanest, healthiest and most attractive since the critters/plants in it are local and can handle the environment better. It gets even better when other wildlife like frogs/toads, snakes, birds, etc., begin to congregate.

You definitely have to keep the pics coming. :)

[redox]

Hey no worries coyote. Im not upset at you just how laws sometimes get in the way of my fun:rolleyes: Well Im willin to live dangerously on this one. The frogs are already getting loud;)

[redox]

new pichttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/falls.jpg

[redox]

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/falls1.jpg

[redox]

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/fallsripple.jpg

[redox]

last one http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/fallsstart.jpg

[Kentanner11]

wow!

[chrisqueenz]

Wow! Looks like a small piece of a state park!

[afo2046]

Good job on your pond. My wife laughed at me for like 15 minutes when i asked her could I don this.:lol:

[redox]

was power washing my house and saw a good pic ophttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/fiftyfoot.jpg
fifty foot up:eek2: :eek2:

[Fishboy1230]

I envy that pond, So whats the current livestock?

[redox]

about 12 brim,2 spotted bass,1 alligator gar,7 craw fish(I put 7 in there but they could be food), 7 koi, hundreds of minnows,4 jumping mullets that I caught in saltwater out in the sound, and more tadpoles than you could count . That all I know thats in there but nature has a way of doing its thing. Oh yea forgot about the 3 lagre pleco's and the blue cat and have not seen any of them since their introduction.

[redox]

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pondsideagave.jpg

[redox]

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/pondz.jpg

[Kentanner11]

you have TOOO much money, a pond and green house coral prop system! wow!

[redox]

no, I work my butt off and spend the majority of it on my hobbies. At least thats what my wife says;)

[sac-bobme]

thats what all wifes say

[redox]

I have learned alot about ponds this summer. what does old man winter have in store for me?http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/falls2.jpg

[redox]

here are pics from tonighthttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/koieyes-1.jpg
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/koi3.jpg
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/falls-1.jpg

[JCTewks]

what's with the strings strung across the pond? are they to support a tarp or something?

[redox]

those are my bird deturents;)

[redox]

here are some recent picshttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/koi-3.jpg
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/koi1-1.jpg
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/koi2-1.jpg
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/koi3-2.jpg

[killereef]

Maybe I can get out of the reef tank hobby and build one too