Do you need something under the pond liner?

[BennyLava]

I am about to start upgrading my pond from 370 gallons to roughly 2500 gallons. I recently thought that the pond was 600 gallons, but it was not, I was wrong about that. Anyway, I am going to be using a free 60 mil pond liner that has been provided to me by someone else. So I can save that expense. However, I have also heard that you need sand or something to go underneath the liner.

Is that true? Or do you need something like this to go under it?

http://www.pondbiz.com/home/pb1/pag...oogle&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=newpondbiz

It's called an underlay or something like that. And if you do need it, does it have to be under every part of the liner? Or does it just need to be under the very bottom of the liner?

 

[koikeepr]

yes, you use underlayment. It can be old carpeting (gotten for free if you visit a carpet store--just ask 'em for carpeting they've ripped out of a house) or sand. The carpeting is easier to deal with. It goes everywhere directly under where the liner lays. Cheaper/easier than sand.

 

[DoDad]

Make sure the old carpeting has no tacks in it.

 

[DrDave]

Great tip! and easy to miss.

 

[happyfishgirls]

I used carpet padding for my pond. It is the soft foamy stuff they use under your carpet. It is probably cheaper then carpet itself and probably a bit easier to work with also. (cutting and laying down) If you have any sharp rocks or anything make sure to get rid of them. Hope that helps.

 

[PS3]

when we built our pond we also used carpet padding and sand...
and u can use carpet also

 

[nigil]

I used sand and double layer of professional landscaper material. Put the first layer down and then added sand and then the second layer.

 

[BennyLava]

Ok I bought an underlayment from a pond store that I went to. They had some pretty nice koi there and I bought a very nice goldfish of some sort. He looks like those cozy wintertime socks and his name is Mr. Speckles.

Anyway, what exactly do you put in the water, the very first time you fill up the pond? I am sure you would need a declorinator, since this will be tap water that it gets filled up with. But what about that weird salt stuff?

And in what quantities do I need to put the chemicals in, for a 2500 gallon pond?

 

[koikeepr]

yes, dechlor. Just read the the bottle and it will tell you exactly what you need to use in terms of the gallonage you have. Every product is different.

You don't need salt to start a pond. You use salt when you have certain illnesses, for example. Dechlor is all you need to start, and if you want to put in some bacteria to start things off quickly, you can do that too.

 

[DrDave]

I agree with Koikeepr. Later on when your pond is established and you want to use salt for GP, there are lots of advice here for the proper amounts to use. Before using salt, make sure you have a test kit and always use less and adjust up from there. Many people overestimate the gallonage of their ponds and over salt their ponds as a result.

 

[koikeepr]

agreed. there are also those that constantly have salt in the pond, and then when they need it to cure some ailment it doesn't work because the parasites have become accustomed to the salt. Think of salt as an antibiotic...only use when necessary.

 

[BennyLava]

Ok thank you. How many GPH pump would you guys use for a 2500 gallon pond?

 

[koikeepr]

you want to turn your pond over at least once every 1.5 hours. I prefer once every hour, plus you have to account for any friction the pump may have going into filters and such. Were it my pond, I would get a minimum of a 3000 gph pump.

 

[BennyLava]

Ok thank you. But I have to ask... Wouldn't that eat my electric bill alive?

 

[koikeepr]

Ah, I love it when people ask that question! This is why it's important to look at the wattage of a pump. You can buy a pump with very high wattage that will cost you. Or you can buy a pump with low wattage, that won't. For example, on my current pond, I have a 4200gph pump that only uses 160 watts. My new pump I just got is 7200gph and only uses 204 watts.

You can buy a 3000gph pump that use 800 watts. It may be cheap to buy upfront, but you'll pay dearly every month when you get the bill.

Most folks don't pay attention to wattage when buying a pump, they just buy something cheap. In my opinion, this is highly important because that cheap pump ends up being really expensive. You could have paid an extra $100 upfront, and then sat back and watched it pay for itself in just a few months.

So, benny, make sure you look at that wattage. Are you looking for an external or submersible pump?

If submersible, go with a Laguna pump as they are really good on wattage and they are good pumps. THey come in a cage to protect them. If you are doing external, go with a Sequence 750. DoDad here on this site sells the Sequence pumps, and can get you a much better price than what you will see advertised on any website. I Don't know if he has access to Laguna pumps. Pondmaster makes a mag drive pump that also is low in wattage...not sure if they do 3000gph tho.