Cool, I'll check it out. Thanks!No, you use a five gallon bucket and attach the tube to that. Here is an excellent video on how to make it and how to use it various scenarios.
a foot thick is fine if water levels on both sides are close to the same elevation. If you have stable compact soils, however if you haver sandy soil a foot is far from enough. If you do have decent soils but you disturb the natural compaction then it may not be enough .I got one of those from a neighbor. It's so helpful, but too bad it can only be used at night.
I was thinking of making my wall a foot thick. Good to know I'm on the right track!
I was thinking about this, too. My soil is like concrete. Also, with a thicker wall, you have the opportunity to turn that into a bit of a stream, with more rocks to twist and turn around.a foot thick is fine if water levels on both sides are close to the same elevation. If you have stable compact soils, however if you haver sandy soil a foot is far from enough. If you do have decent soils but you disturb the natural compaction then it may not be enough .
It also depends how much water ":How wide and how long is the pond" and depth of water your trying to hold back
My soils are loam on top and clay under that. if it stays moist it holds its shape really well. If it dries out, it's like concrete and then it REALLY holds its shape well and gets hard. I kind of expect that to happen as I'm thinking the excavation will take weeks or months.a foot thick is fine if water levels on both sides are close to the same elevation. If you have stable compact soils, however if you haver sandy soil a foot is far from enough. If you do have decent soils but you disturb the natural compaction then it may not be enough .
It also depends how much water ":How wide and how long is the pond" and depth of water your trying to hold back
Some lasers, like the ones in the transits that Modern Design Aquascape and Team Aquascapes use, are like you're describing. There are also some that I assume are less expensive and project a visible red line that gets dimmer as you get further away. That visible kind is the kind we were talking about.Lazers don't need the night they just need a sensor you can rent a laser with a stupid stick
My soil can be like yours if it dries out. Streams look really cool, but in my case they require space for berms on either side and I'd rather use that for swimming space for the fish and/or soaking space for people.I was thinking about this, too. My soil is like concrete. Also, with a thicker wall, you have the opportunity to turn that into a bit of a stream, with more rocks to twist and turn around.
That is a good advantage about the fish not going over the edge, but I prefer intake bays. I'd rather scoop up leaves with a net than pick them out from between rocks. Plus with an intake bay, if they fish is small enough to swim in, they're small enough to swim out. and if they're too big to swim in, it won't be a problem in the first place. The downside with intake bays is that the water level doesn't stay constant, but it doesn't stay constant in nature either and fish do okay there.Another advantage to a wide berm with a negative edge, or vanishing edge if you make it wide the water gets shallower and less likely to have fish go over the edge
Definitely a good idea to take your time and think about the design. I had started the thought of having a pond last year. I just cleared the area in the Fall, but used the winter to research and think about plans. Yes, the plans definitely change before, during and after the build. You see that with everyone's builds. So many variables when you get into a project like this and then you realize you want to tweak something here or there.This pond is pretty close to what I want to do, with the sitting spaces they describe in the pond and I have the same (or worse) access limitations they had:
The gravel area it shows very briefly at 3:56 is just walking/open space, but I would have that be a bog that wraps around the pond and is filled with irises, impatiens, hostas, etc., and maybe some pitcher plants. If I were to create a stream, it would have to be VERY short and have lots of little drops instead of a big one like they have.
But as I said, plans are constantly changing and from what I see on the build videos, they even change as you're digging and building so who knows what I'll end up with. I have lots of time to research and tinker with ideas over the winter because pretty soon the ground will be too frozen to dig. And I'm a wimp and don't want to be outside much in the cold.
Thanks, I appreciate the encouragement!Definitely a good idea to take your time and think about the design. I had started the thought of having a pond last year. I just cleared the area in the Fall, but used the winter to research and think about plans. Yes, the plans definitely change before, during and after the build. You see that with everyone's builds. So many variables when you get into a project like this and then you realize you want to tweak something here or there.
The videos are great for information. Just dont get discouraged during your build when things do not go as smoothly or quickly as the videos show. Have to remember they have crews working all day on those projects with proper heavy equipment to help. And for the love of God I dont think the dirt they work in ever has a stone bigger than a pea, lol. Changes do happen during the build and you just roll with them and you realize that it actually turns out better than you originally thought it would. Trust me, your family, friends and neighbors are all going to be impressed, people taking on these kinds of projects themselves are not that common so people do appreciate the effort you put into it. My father in law was cute, in all seriousness he was asking if there was somewhere I could enter my pond into some sort of competition. I told him you have no idea how elaborate people get with their ponds, mine is as basic as they come, gives you an idea of how people are easily impressed.
They don't get dimmer for a very very long distance but in direct sun yes they can be hard to see smoke and shade can fix that. yes i know what a torpedo laser level is. easiest way to do that is to get some stakes and go out at twilight and set bench marks around the pond that way you can use a 4 foot level or so to level across from your multiple bench marksSome lasers, like the ones in the transits that Modern Design Aquascape and Team Aquascapes use, are like you're describing. There are also some that I assume are less expensive and project a visible red line that gets dimmer as you get further away. That visible kind is the kind we were talking about.
How bad a pain was it, CW? Any tips if I go with that instead? and where did you find the best deal for yours?
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