Building a 8'x10'x5' deep pond into basically solid rock 6" under ground

[Robyn]

Is it just me or does the idea of paying for things like rock and dirt just make you want to scream?

I am so loving the fact that the new place also has a compost bin (FAR away from the house!)... no more buying fleeping topsoil! LOL

 

[karenskoipond]

Good lord I give you tons of credit. I think I'd have been overwhelmed once I hit that that kinda rock. We were disappointed when we hit clay 5 inches down that was soaked so much that we kept losing our boots when we moved around. I'd say you're fish are gonna love you for sure when it's complete. I'm sending happy energetic thoughts and reminding you to put aleve and advil on your shopping list.

 

[jameskoi]

My backyard is pretty much clay type soil, I guess after 1ft down.

After digging 12" post holes with an auger, I literally started thinking about not digging pond in the future on my own. I'm a DIY'fer and the idea of digging clay scaring me. You my friend = Impressive!

 

[koiguy1969]

i dug in clay.. its hard to say which is worse, the easy to push a shovel thru,but weighs a ton, along with the vaccuum created prying the shovel up, it sticking to the shovel, wet stuff. or the pick axe needing, shovel breaking, inventing new curse words.. hard stuff!!....but if i had to work with that i would of filled itback in and bought some sod!!

 

[aviator79]

The thing with clay is it is backbreaking, but you know it is possible. With these rocks, at times I just didn’t know if I was going to get them out. But doing it like a puzzle I eventually got one then the next and so forth out. To get a big one loose has been more gratifying than once I actually get it out. For the last ones that I cant manage to get out, I talked to a friend that puts up fences and he uses something like a hammer drill to break rocks apart if needed. He is up in Granby so I may go borrow it to get the last rocks on the left side out. I got the last rock out on the right hand side last night. I wanted it out so that I didn’t have 2 separate deepest points as I figured one would eventually accumulate crap. It is getting harder and harder to get these rocks out as I go deeper but Im almost done. Last night I also dug a hole above the pond close to the fence where I can put a 100 gal 52" x 31" x 25" feed bucket for my "skippy" filter. I need to get to tractor supply thou, and they are an hour away, but there is one on the way to Granby so... Im going to get a tetrapond 1200 from Lowes for $115 + some hose and stuff. The firestone 45mil EPDM 20'x25' liner is $288 from liners.com shipped. Going to use concrete to smooth the pond where needed then cover in carpet, so shouldn’t need any underliner. I have some sound deadening foam and vinyl (Vertex barrior pads and Ensolite) that should be safe (made of pvc and vinyl) I could use if needed.

I cant see the pics here at work so not sure they are right...I think this stuff would be good for using on top of the liner as it wont mold or cause problems like carpet would.
Thinking I need an overflow, but maybe it just doesn’t really matter. I have a drain that is for the rear gutter that I can pipe it into but if it overflows and just goes behind the liner and sinks into the ground what does it matter? Ill just make sure the front side is lower where I am building it up with rocks so that will be where it will overflow so not to overflow on the far side toward the hill and fence where the dirt is. I also need an outside electrical socket, but my circuit breaker box is already messed up/ overfilled incorrectly from the previous owners. Another PITA.

 

[Airic]

Very nice work. I can sort of see the end result on this and looks like a nice location. It's people like you that if close I would come over with my back hoe and help out of pitty.

 

[aviator79]

can only edit for 10 minutes here, but found this,
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=home
10% off up to $5000 so im going wait until I receive that to go buy all my stuff, bluming 2" ball valve ect.
For those that have not been here, save some money:
http://slickdeals.net/
Check out the forums, and there are coupons up for thousands of stores

 

[aviator79]

Anyone think I need to go with the 60mil firestone EPDM liners? They are heavy thou at 195lbs and a 20x25 60mil from bestnest it would be $437.53 shipped, which really aint pad for shipping at $87.54 LTL Truck Delivery. Im not sure from pondliners.com as it is over 150lbs so it wont tell you the shipping, but if it was the same shipping cost it would not be bad.
I had to search google to find it:
https://www.pondliners.com/epdm-liners-60mil.html
the 20x25 is listed at $255.00 215 lbs so with $90 shipping it would be 345 which is probably worth it? Thou im sure its more and they wont pick up or call me back.

 

[karenskoipond]

something to check into is ponddepot on ebay we bought our 25' x 25' liner through them and their shipping was extremely cheap considering how heavy a 45 mil liner of that size weighs.

 

[aviator79]

there not cheeper than pondliner.com at $288 shipped for the 20'x25' 45mil. Im just thinking I may go with the 60 mil to be safe if I can afford it. I expected ebay to be cheeper as others have said, but likely with the ebay fees going up like crazy as they have been, when you bought yours things were cheeper. Nowadays to sell something like $2000 rims or car parts, there are $300 in fees. F that. It was sweet when cashback was up to 25% for buyser and sellers as I got some deals and was willing to pay a bit more in that I would get 25% cashback. Ive saved nearly $600 total, but now at 8% only used stuff is worth buying or selling and its still ussually better done on forums for both parties.

 

[aviator79]

I ordered my liner today. Decided to go with the 45 mil due to the cost of shipping the 60mil. I got a 20x25 so I will have extra and not be sort...maybe make the pond a but bigger now (dont tell my GF) and a 15x30 underlayment for 366 shipped. Also got my 100 gal rubbermaid stock tank from tractor supply for $70 and dug the hole at the top of the hill. Picking up a come along from sears today to remove one rock that is in the way of where I want to put the tank. The thing is huge! But I should be able to completly hide it. Im hoping I can drill a hole in the rock, insert and eye hook and pull it out of the way. It is not huge, but I didnt want to dig all around it as I have plants and stuff so I only dug one side of it and got it lose, but I cant pull it out as I cant get behind it. I got my 10% off coupon for lowes so I will be getting my pumps and plumbing stuff shortly. I will be picking up some mortor to smooth out all the rock that is either shardy or areas that have shrp edges. I wish I could find some light concrete, but whatever.
I will also need to install electrical outlets outside. To do this I will also have to upgrade my circuit breaker panel to a larger box and add a few circuit breakers for the ones that somone already doubled up as there is no more room.
So im hoping within a month I can have this done.
Hopefully I will have this all done in another month and will get the fish in within a couple months.

 

[DrDave]

Use feeders to get your bio going. I just found out that a friend of mine put 20 baby koi into his pond before the bio was established and lost all of them.

 

[reef_rugger]

those are def some boulders you are dealing with

 

[Stouty109]

just a lil tip if ur drilling in to that rock and plan on putting a eye loop in that rock get a blanket or scrap of carpet to drape over the cabel in case it snaps the line will drop to the groung in sted of flying at u

 

[Olee]

You only have to get hit once by a snap-strap to learn that lesson.......