How to spend the day out side

[HUNGER]

thats a cool idea

[Viggen]

Didn't realize this was a pond thread..... very cool!  I am also building one.... but I haven't touched it in months, just a big hole with a rubber lining in it

Are you doing bottom drains or anything like that?

What filters do you plan on using? 

I want koi so I went the bottom drain route with vortex filter & bead filter-s.... yea DPL is going to love me.  Time to add some solar panels 

[slandis3]

I am going to run a water fall filter, probably do a bio ball filter of sort as well. I don't think I will do a bottom drain just because I don't want to cut the bottom of the liner. I may set up some bog plants around the water fall area as well as some lily's placed along pond.

[Viggen]

yea... cutting a hole in the bottom is something I worried about.  It really depends on what you want with your pond.  If you want koi then do a bottom drain

If you want to stick with goldfish & plants everyone in the koi club states a bottom drain isn't a necessity for this type of setup but does make like a lot easier in the maintenance area. 

Do you plan on doing a skimmer box?  I would at least add one of those

[slandis3]

yea... cutting a hole in the bottom is something I worried about.  It really depends on what you want with your pond.  If you want koi then do a bottom drain

If you want to stick with goldfish & plants everyone in the koi club states a bottom drain isn't a necessity for this type of setup but does make like a lot easier in the maintenance area. 

Do you plan on doing a skimmer box?  I would at least add one of those

Yea I will have a skimmer box for sure. I may research the bottom drain a little more. I am going to start out with cheap gold fish just to start then go from there. I am also going to be putting a net over it to keep the local life out of it lol

[Sunny]

I have a Bio filter and a small Bog filter which will I will be making bigger next Spring.  I don't have a bottom drain. I just empty it every Spring and spray it with the hose. It's a weekend project when we get a hot Spring day.   I didn't need a skimmer, we don't have any trees, any thing that does get in there, I have a skimmer net to scoop it out with.  I only have 4 koi, the rest are comets and shubunkins. 

[buckeyereefer]

i have a bottom drain in my above ground swimmin pool. i know it's
not a pond. but it's been there for 8 years now an has never been
an issue. couple holes in liner thru the years but nowere close to
the drain. 

[Viggen]

they aren't horrible to put in.  Just dig the hole deaper & put concrete around it.... some silicone.... screw it together & that's it.  I did have a guy help me from the local koi club with the instalation of the bottom drains.  I purchased my liner from him so he helped me throw that down as well.

I used two of the koi toilet bottom drains for my pond.  Doing this you can also add a air bibbler..... which is a cheap way to get the water to turn over.

Any idea the gallons of your pond?   

[slandis3]

It should be around 3500g.

[HUNGER]

good size for some bass

[slandis3]

Well after looking into all of the pond info on the net and looking at the location we picked out. The ponds needs to be move to a different part of the yard.  So now back filling the old pond spot which works out because we now can fix some of the drainage issues we were having. May have to have a cookout/ dig a big hole day at my house before it gets to cold.  We need to level the yard where the pond will sit before we move on to fixing the rest of the yard. I got a 150g Rubbermaid tube from Lazylivin this weekend (thanks Brian) to use as part of the filter we are going to set up.


Anyone local have access to a concrete saw? I have to make 2 cuts one is about 6' long the other is about 10'. I hate to rent a saw to do that little bit of work.

[cyberwollf]

Ohh man that sucks!! looks like you only got 42 days to finish the pond ^^^

[slandis3]

Yea it won't be finished this year but I want to get the ground leveled this year so I can get new sod down as soon as the weather breaks this spring.

[HUNGER]

o wow but if u add on the house at least u wount have to move the pond now

[Sunny]

What was the issue with where you originally picked for it to be ? 

[slandis3]

I don't have enough room to build up the water fall and install the filter. I would have to do a remote filtration and I dont want to get into that. Moving it to the back of the yard will make it easier to level the yard as well. And instead of the diamond shape now it will be a rectangle so I will have more water volume. This will also place it right next to the area where we will be sitting at.

[Sunny]

Oh, I see.  Yes, you want it where you spend the most time.  You will enjoy it more.  Ours is near the deck, between the house and garage.  Where we spend most of our time.  The fish are so use to seeing us going and coming, they stay out all the time.  They don't even hide when the dog drinks their water. 

[HUNGER]

thast good cuz mikes dog will try to catch them 

[Viggen]

wish my dogs just drank the water.....

[Sunny]

wish my dogs just drank the water.....

Our Rott fell in it twice when he was a puppy.  He's never tried to do anything to the fish.  He'll drink right where they are swimming.  Whether it's a dog or human, they'll come to the top thinking they will be getting some food.

[Viggen]

mine goes in at least once a day in the summer..... he just jumps in to cool off.  The fish then follow him around due to stirring up the bottom.... the 1 pond was made 20 yrs ago I think & has probably never been cleaned out.... lots of stuff....

He likes chasing the frogs & unfortunantly gets them every once in a while....... He's a brittney spaniel

The 2 Border collies go in a little but not nearly as much as my dog.  They also want to heard the frogs or the mallard ducks, they just run laps around the pond, very funny to watch

[Sunny]

If my sides were sloped, he would probably go in, he likes water.  But, they are straight down.  He never messed with the frogs though.  Must not be a frog dog ... lol

[slandis3]

Well next weekend I am getting a jack hammer at taking out the last of the concrete next to the garage then I need to get a skid steer and try and level the yard. I have never ran one before so this should be fun.  26'x68' is just to big of an area to try and level by hand especially by myself. 

[Sunny]

Sounds like a whole weekend job.  Hope the nice weather holds out for you.  Never heard of a skid steer.  That would of been nice to have.  Our yard is so unlevel. 

[slandis3]

skid steer or bob cat as most people know them as. Bob cat is just a name brand. I may just wait until the 23rd and get a bob cat with a jack hammer attachment to do it all at once. I dont think I will have the $440 = $200 deposit by next weekend