Topic: Any one built a fish pond?

[seaweb11]

I had one in my last house and still have the pumps, lights and liner.
While the backhoe was on the property last summer I had him dig a big hole.

Started on it today. Will have a waterfall, and natural water filter system using water running through "aquarium gravel" to clean off algae.

I'm open to new ideas on filter systems based on your personal experience.
Yeah, I know, it looks like a pile of crap right now










If our friend from Seattle comes up the 1st week of Oct to help with the deck construction, I only have 2 weeks

[Gordon]

You have too much free time!








Translation:  You have way more free time than I have and I'm extremely envious!

[seaweb11]

It's projects or Oprah..........and she sucks!

I have my wife updating one of my business data bases.......... 1400 phone calls. .......so until that's finished I have some "non guilty time"...... That's what self employed people call free time when you have someone doing what your suppost to be doing

Don't think this crap in the US hasn't hit my pocket book

Did my invoicing for Nov the other day, 3 out of 25 clients had gone bankrupt/
That $1500.00 I'll never see again. God I hope the US economy sorts itself soon.


 

[754]

Seaweb, there is a guy near the shop builds turtle tanks.. concrete and fibreglass (I think)

 Anyway the concrete ones are about 6 ft across, and look like 1/2 of a ball or sphere.. around 4 ft deep. Around 3 or 4 inches thick.
 Anyway, glass would be lighter, concrete a bit harder to move.
drop it in your hole, backfill a bit, and "BobsyerUncle", you will be fishfarming the next day

 Drive your pickup or flatdeck out, in the morning, you can be back next day, and finish your tank/fishpond the next day..

[oldbiker]

I use and recommend an ultra violet filter box which kills algae and gives you crystal clear water.

[tramp]

i thought i saw a palm tree in the background

[gregk]

Seaweb

i built one a few years ago.  Used a rubber membrane and it works just fine.  Prep the hole so no sharp rocks etc, maybe even cap with a little sand.  I eventually put in a UV light to control the algae. 
This spring i noticed i also had snakes as well as fish in the pond.  Didn't give it much thought as they seemed to be sharing the pond in harmony.  Until one day saw a snake with one of my fish in its mouth.  Had to wage war on the snakes.  It seems that once the fish have fry? the snakes just appear for the smorg. 
Had to finally get rid of the snakes and all is well till spring, i think.
I had been told that i would need an aeraetor to keep the fish over winter, as the pond freezes over in the winter ( you probably don't this problem) , but I let the pond freeze and next spring my fish were intact.  There is about 2 feet in the bottom that doesn't freeze, but they didn't get fed. 
Good luck with the pond, endless enjoyment.

greg

[754]

Seaweb, they come in Concrete, Fibreglass & Polyethylene..
 Usually 2 pcs make a tank, bt maybe he has some seconds? and can sell a 1/2. If I see someone there I can ask.

[seaweb11]

Thanks for the input. As I already have my old liner, I plan on using that along with sand and old blankets underneath again.

I use and recommend an ultra violet filter box which kills algae and gives you crystal clear water.

Where did you get it?

i thought i saw a palm tree in the background

You did

[rhos1355]

I use and recommend an ultra violet filter box which kills algae and gives you crystal clear water.

+1
and you avoid using all those environmentaly unfriendly chemicals

[flybox1]

Cool, keep us posted on how it turns out.
during the hot months, if you have mosquito issues, use the non-toxic Bacillus Thuringiensis floating discs in your pond. not harmful to fish or humans.

[bucky katt]

our fish ate the larvae.

[Sam Green Racing]

Seaweb

i built one a few years ago.  I had been told that i would need an aeraetor to keep the fish over winter, as the pond freezes over in the winter ( you probably don't this problem) , but I let the pond freeze and next spring my fish were intact.  There is about 2 feet in the bottom that doesn't freeze, but they didn't get fed. 
Good luck with the pond, endless enjoyment.

greg

    Derek probably will have the same problem Greg, seeing as he lives in South BC.

Sam.

[Sam Green Racing]

Thanks for the input. As I already have my old liner, I plan on using that along with sand and old blankets underneath again.

I use and recommend an ultra violet filter box which kills algae and gives you crystal clear water.

Where did you get it?

Probably a shop in Coventry 

Sam.

[seaweb11]

Bin busy, a buddy said he would come over with his brother to give ma hand on my pond project. 
I did as much of the heavy work as I could before they came over, today............at 1:00pm
Stopped at the local "dirt seller" had them load 3 shovels of sand.

Dug a bit more into the  ledges. Loaded and molded the sand to cover all sharp rocks, etc.
Laid in a few tarps, sleeping bags and heavy plastic, and then dropped in the liner with some one all all corners. Worked out great

By about 3:15 we were done for the day!!!!!!!  That's all I needed to see today

The "closest"  in this photo is where the filter/waterfall will start. "High End"



Seemed after we put the liner in and the sun got on it it became easier to move around, so I'll get back at it mid day when it's warm and sort it.

Got to go off Island tomorrow to find a good pump. 

[techy5025]

I have a KOI pond...somewhere around 3000 gallons. Animals are not a problem, because the pond is enclosed within the swimming pool area. The pump I use is a three quarter above ground one. One bottom drain goes first to a bead filter, next to a UV sterilizer (one 40 watt bulb), and then to two laundry tubs in series with bio balls. The bead filter has to be backwashed every 4-7 days depending on the temperature.

I strongly recommend the UV filter as it will kill not only algae but also bacteria in the pond. Also, when you fill the pond for the first time, use a flow gauge to measure accurately the amount of water the pond holds. You will need to know this amount if you have to add meds to the pond. Make sure you get an efficient pump as it will run 24/7....ouch!

Good luck....looks like you have a good start. 

Jim

[seaweb11]

Yesterday drove to the ends of the earth............ North 40  miles to a pond shop that had a back at 3:00 pm sign up at 1:00pm, CRAP!  . Then back south another 60 miles to a "Goldfish" Farm"
...........closed......F+ck!!!!!  Knocked on the door and an old dude came out to say he had no fish and was out of business.  Not a problem I say, as I am looking for a pump.  He sells me one of his pond pumps for $25.00. All I had to do was drive another 10 miles to a bank machine, and back and it would be mine

That done I stopped a few building supply places and finally 7 hours later got home with what I needed.

Some water in today, fountain working.

Now I need to build the waterfall with a rock drain filter system. Almost there



It's all good fun

[Slayer]

I made one several years back and it looks very similar to yours. I had a turtle for a long time and it kept out growing tanks so I made him a pond. The turtle liked to eat small fishes so I dumped some in the pond. Months later those fishes were breeding and they ate little bugs that were at the surface. Soon the only thing I had to do was rinse out the filter once a year. Other than that is was self sustaining. I had all kinds of critters and frogs that would come and go. 

[seaweb11]

Seems I cracked a rib yesterday lifting a big rock at a funny angle.
Bottom left one this time ....only hurts when I breath  Frickin big muscle runs over that one at the bottom!

   .....So today I continued......Worst that happened today was a couple of bruised fingers that got caught try to lift these big rocks into place.

[seaweb11]

The project continues.  Hired someone to build the retaining wall along the road side and help me hold the road up and set up a proper waterfall.
work in progress...

before:


durring:

I use and recommend an ultra violet filter box which kills algae and gives you crystal clear water.

I did get one of those a few days ago. After building a filter system from a garbage can I found online.  http://www.runnerduck.com/pf1.htm
I ran the new filter for a few weeks and it worked great, but the UV light was the finishing touch on water clarity. My fish seem a lot happier and all of them are coming to the surface now to feed.

[BeSeeingYou]

The project continues.  Hired someone to build the retaining wall along the road side and help me hold the road up and set up a proper waterfall.
work in progress...

Good idea.  I have done two.  One large with a membrane ands small one with a plastic kidney shaped pool.  I found I was too old for the heavy landscaping and now will only do the underground electrical stuff.  I see your not to far behind me at 49.

[wannabridin]

whenever i buy a house, hopefully next year, i'm going to want to build a fish/turtle pond.  i also want a nice waterfall, and i figure i could use this as the filter housing too.  just cover 3 sides with rock or whatever and put everything i need in there.  i'd like to have some koi in there, and i figure i'm going to make it deeper than it needs to be so i can have some flush rocks so that the turtles can't get out.  i might have a waterfall and a small "stream" down into the pond, try to mimic some mountain areas in CO i know of... 

lets see how it looks with the fish in it seaweb!!

[seaweb11]

Here is a better shot of the project...and one of the fish

[strynboen]

great work..im just started on a 250m2...have an idea of some streaming vater from house and 30 meter dovn to lake..
pump in lake ,and a vater line under earth,,and it to run back in a littel open stream..long vay from idea to reality..

[wannabridin]

so how do y'all keep things from getting too terribly hot during the summer months?  you krazy kanuks might not have to worry about it as much, but down here in TX, we have a little problem with heat!