aqueduct float device sought

[SE18]

BACKGROUND:

Hi, as some of you know, I don't have fish or a pond, only a series of canals and aqueducts filled with tadpoles in the backyard, around which tiny trains chug. The system is unique as there's no pond liners; just concrete and it's been operating a couple years now.

At the base (lowest point) of my waterways system is a tiny holding pond (VERY tiny) in which my OASE Aquamax 1200 pump is located, along with a T splitter with 2 outlets (1 outlet causes too many waves which overflow the tiny holding area). Also in that tiny holding area is a pressure shutoff device in case water level drops. Furthermore, there's a cattle trough floater (the device in green in the photo off to the right), to which the garden hose connects.

I used the cattle trough for a year. It works but I'm not completely satisfied with it b/c it is very sensitive to too much water pressure from the hose and it a bit fiddly to adjust that pressure.

QUESTION:

Can anyone using a floater device to maintain water level from evaporation give me a recommendation for one to purchase? I'd really like to try something else. I can always fall back on the current setup but I'd love to see how another one works. Keep in mind that the holding pond is very small and the water depth is only around 12 inches. Also, there's very little space for anything but the smallest, so the smaller the better.

Thanks!

Dave V

 

[sissy]

I use the one in my stock tank from tractor supply and it works pretty good .Not saying great be really good compared to 2 others I had .I had one from harbor freight that worked great but seems they don't sell it any more

 

[SE18]

thanks; they're building a TSC in my area and should be opening soon

 

[sissy]

You can go online and look at the ones they sell ,

 

[Waterbug]

I like the trough floats, although I wished they lasted longer. Instead of attaching to a garden hose I connect to PVC and supply that from a lawn sprinkler type automatic timer valve. I set the sprinkler valve to open for just a few minutes a day. If the float ever sticks open there's no huge flood.

You can put a ball valve on the supply pipe and turn it down to a trickle. Catch 22 is you can't turn it down too much when the supply is an auto valve.

 

[herzausstahl]

Dave,
Do you have any pictures of your setup on the forum anywhere? Have seen only a few and it looks awesome.

 

[addy1]

In my arizona pond I used: a evaporative cooler float, a pool auto fill float, the ones for stock tanks. All failed at one point or another. The ones that lasted the longest were the stock tank auto fills.

Here in maryland, I have the pond on a electric sprinkler timer, if we have as dry a summer as we have been having, the timer comes on for xx amount of time (usually 30 minutes) adds water to the pond then turns off. It depends on how dry it is as to if it comes on every day or other options. I did have the pond on a battery run hose timer, but it failed, luckily while we were home, just started running, so we went to an electrical set up.

I would not trust a auto fill with being on a well. The last thing we want to do is cause the well to go dry.

 

[SE18]

thanks all! I'll check into evaporative cooler float, a pool auto fill float, and some other ideas. I'm not on a well system. Guess that's good and bad depending.

Nathan, I really should one day post pictures of my entire system; right now, they're unfortunately sprinkled all over this forum in bits and pieces. Maybe one of these days I'll try and get photos of the entire thing. I just opened a new section last weekend that has a waterfall. It's still a work in progress with more add ons coming constantly.

Here's just a couple snaps and I'm including a photo of actual Roman construction. They made aqueducts throughout S. Europe and even Middle East. Saw some in Israel.

 

[herzausstahl]

Thanks david,
some pics of your whole set up would be awesome! total history buff so know a bit about the roman's engineering marvels, cool that they inspired your aqueducts!

 

[SE18]

just purchased this and awaiting shipment. Connects to garden hose. Rocks placed on it to weigh it down
http://www.yourpoolh...CFQhN4Aod5T6Kyg




phil, here's a view from the train (camera mounted on locomotive). It's an industrial railway so there was a lot of sand on the tracks that caused the bumpiness. I designed my own R/C system btw.

it only shows the aqueduct from below, before it was really finished so a lot of digging going on, and taken during colder weather so not much plant life either

 

[herzausstahl]

David,
Wow is all I can say! That is cool, you really need to get some pics up of this, I like all the detail you put into the aquaducts, carving the bricks into the side like that. Now you just need your own Arch celebrating your Triumph! lol Or you could just copy Trajans. Been awhile since I really have been reading on this stuff, but always loved it. My three favorite parts in history, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and WWII. Luckily had an awesome prof for the Ancient classes, had his own replica gladius, was pretty cool.

 

[SE18]

glad you like. If you're ever in N. Va., look me up.

UPDATE: I purchased the Pool Sentry online. It works really well, but not really that much better than my cattle trough float so I returned it (it also was too large to fit, although I could have trimmed it with a saw).

The downside to ordering online is that the shipping was about $12 and the return shipping was $12 so that's $24, not to mention a possible "restocking fee."

The TSC FINALLY opened up in my area so I think I'll try to shop locally rather than online. It sure helps to see something. Shipping fees can really kill you!

 

[j.w]

That was fun,felt like I went for a train ride......................"Oh no watch out, giant dog legs ahead" lol!
My hubby just learned that the guy who lives on the property next to us is going to build his new train set up in the big loft up above his new shop he's having built. Maybe he will let us see it when it's done. Trains are cool