Best use of money...

[buckry]

The spot I have for a skippy is on my deck, I probably could do a bog instead, but that would be way more complicated, might be kind of cool to have a bog on my deck. Maybe that's a plan for a couple years down the road. Honestly, since it cleared up once on its own, I'm going to wait it out. I don't plan on making any more changes to my pond this year, if the UV doesn't clear it up, I'll just live with green water for the rest of the season.

Awesome to hear about the home value, I would have bet money the other way. Even if you found a koi keeper to buy your house, what are the chances they'd like the pond you created? Someone not totally into koi, I can see them walking away from a house just because of the pond. The number of people that get on this forum and say, "I just bought a house..." surprises me.

 

[JenH]

My hubby doesn't know it, but I'm already planning my future bigger pond in my head! If I even mention going bigger he practically has a seizure, but I figure in a few years I should be able to talk him into it. When I do I think I will have the island bog and a little foot bridge that leads to it (always wanted one of those bridges) and a much bigger waterfall! Lucky for me we have a corner lot with a huge backyard! Even if the backyard living trends fall away, I still don't think it could lower your home value. Unlike a swimming pool, seems like it would be pretty easy to fill in a pond if future homeowners didn't want it. I think we'll be here forever though unless we have some huge windfall of money come along. In which case whatever new house we buy, I'll just have to offer 15k less saying they don't have a water garden! Hahaha

 

[buckry]

For once I feel totally content, I don't feel the need to go bigger or add a new pond. In fact when I was told I needed another pond to quarantine fish I slapped my forehead. I won't tell you what my wife slapped when I told her about the suggestion.

 

[crsublette]

Haha, Buckry. Ya should have pulled the "if you really loved me" card.

A pond is definitely a hobby thing. Even though folk might not want to admit, there's more to it than just Nature managing it. Pre-filters, skimmers, or other type of mechanical filters that must be cleaned. Potential of anything living such as fish dieing. If muck not vaccuum once a year or so, then the potential of 6 inches of muck at the bottom causing problems. If plants are not tend to, then plants possibly taking over everything. If certain things not done, then there likely would be constant algae blooms.

If the new owners don't want another hobby, then they'll likely do away with it, but I see how it might increase a home's value if it is what the new owner desires to do for their yard. Might often end up like a swimming pool that is converted to an extended patio deck or a vegetable or flower garden. Welp, I know the story often goes " I inherited a pond " then they take the initiative to have a new hobby or abandon it. Depending on their financial situation, this may likely determine if a pond is a cost prohibitive landscape feature as well so determining the price of filling in the pond may further decrease the home's value.

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At Lowes, I got three 40inche wide, almost 2 feet deep, oak barrels. I am going to try to set them up as a little mini-bogs, morphing the designs from Addy and others so to fit the circular shap of these oak barrels. I think the oak barrels were a limitied time deal because the other Lowes on the other side of town did not have any.

My main concern is that, since these are above ground bogs, the winter is likely going to completely freeze over the barrels, killing my plants, and possibly busting the barrels. So, I am not for sure what to do, either add a little insulation, move the plants to my barn, or just drain the water, let the plants freeze, then fill with water once I know the hard freeze period of winter is done. These barrels are quite sturdy, but I know expanding ice will still likely break the seams and, over time, bust the wood; so, not gonna keep the barrels filled with water over the winter. I think it might work out better than I hope, maybe.

 

[buckry]

Last year I turned my waterfall off and stored the pump in a bucket of water in the basement. When I build my rain barrel skippy I will do the same thing, I'll drain it, put it in the garage, and put the pumps into the basement. I kept my pond going last year with a stock tank heater. I plan on doing the same thing again this winter.

 

[crsublette]

Thing is with all the pea gravel used in the barrels for the bog, then it is likely going to weight more than a few hundred pounds. They may likely stay in one place forever. Heh, thinking of maybe getting one of those miniature hydralic fork lift rigs to maybe move them. I've been meaning to get one for my seed barn so I don't always have to drive the big diesel forklift around all over the place.

 

[buckry]

Oh, shoot you're right, mine is water and sponges. Take away the water, it's 10 pounds, yours, not so much. Maybe a stock tank heater in each one is all you need. Just something to keep the pressure from raising inside. It will still freeze, but should be manageable.

 

[addy1]

Thing is with all the pea gravel used in the barrels for the bog, then it is likely going to weight more than a few hundred pounds. They may likely stay in one place forever. Heh, thinking of maybe getting one of those miniature hydralic fork lift rigs to maybe move them. I've been meaning to get one for my seed barn so I don't always have to drive the big diesel forklift around all over the place.

put in a bottom drain, when winter comes just drain them. There is a chance the ice would just push up instead of out, my pvc pipes did not freeze full of water, just had an open end. The first winter was a cold one 8 inches of ice on the pond, the pipes did fine and stuck out in open air.

 

[crsublette]

Thanks for the suggestions and reassurances.

 

[Peggy]

I know this is probably a very ignorant question, but what is a skippy?

 

[Peggy]

I know this is probably a very ignorant question, but what is a skippy?

 

[ellisr63]

I would go with the filter first... If you want a UV put in a couple of ball valves inline so you can add one later by just closing the valves and inserting a uv between them.

 

[addy1]

I know this is probably a very ignorant question, but what is a skippy?

a type of filter, in the diy section there are threads on how to make a skippy type filter.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

So what ever happen to Buckry? Did he fill in his pond?

 

[Peggy]

Ok Ty Addy 1! I thought that but was not sure ,