Finally Getting Around To Pond Building

[qclabrat]

I'm there finally filling the pond tonight
got my water shoes on and drinking beer, got to be one of my happiest days

masonry work done

put down a layer of roofing shingles as a puncture barrier since my ground is full of rock

moving blankets i had in surplus as the underlayment

then my 147 pound liner, 20x25 rolled out

folded it like a pie shape, but looks more like a squid

getting it over the side wasn't as bad as expected, still 147pounds though

also the layout of the liner was a piece of cake compared to the digging and masonry work

 

[qclabrat]

ahhh Miller time, well Finback in my case

 

[qclabrat]

even got the temp falls going
48 hrs and the first fishes will have a new home

 

[MitchM]

That's a lot of work! Looks good.
How are you going to manage the nitrogen cycle?

 

[addy1]

Looking good! Be slow about adding fish.

 

[qclabrat]

That's a lot of work! Looks good.
How are you going to manage the nitrogen cycle?

next up is the bog filter
There's a section between the deck and pond about 2 ft wide, 10 ft long and 3 ft deep that I will start this weekend. I'm going to need a whole lot of pea gravel, already over budget and behind schedule....

 

[MitchM]

You're not going to have a sufficient nitrifying bacteria population established if you plan on adding fish after only 2 days of filling the pond.

 

[qclabrat]

You're not going to have a sufficient nitrifying bacteria population established if you plan on adding fish after only 2 days of filling the pond.

oops, I forgot I have a Laguna clearflow setup at the moment cycling, but for only temporarily till the bog starts doing it's magic

 

[qclabrat]

should I get some store bought bacteria and booster agents?

 

[MitchM]

Not if you're cycling the filter off of your currently running system.
Make sure you disable the UV bulb if the Laguna filter has one.

 

[qclabrat]

Not if you're cycling the filter off of your currently running system.
Make sure you disable the UV bulb if the Laguna filter has one.

thanks, I'll be sure the disable the UV, is there a reason for that?

My fish are in the garage in tanks, I plan to move the media from the filters to the pond and add the water to the pond. Would that be sufficient? this is becoming nerve racking... thanks everyone for your help

 

[MitchM]

thanks, I'll be sure the disable the UV, is there a reason for that?

My fish are in the garage in tanks, I plan to move the media from the filters to the pond and add the water to the pond. Would that be sufficient? this is becoming nerve racking... thanks everyone for your help

While your pond biofilm establishes itself, you want as much bacteria and plankton circulating throughout your pond as possible. The UV lamp will kill everything that passes by it so it will delay how long your pond takes to become established.
What size is the Laguna filter you are using?

 

[qclabrat]

While your pond biofilm establishes itself, you want as much bacteria and plankton circulating throughout your pond as possible. The UV lamp will kill everything that passes by it so it will delay how long your pond takes to become established.
What size is the Laguna filter you are using?

Pressure Flow 2100, pond is about 1500, could use bigger, but that's what I got from another pond

Can you recommend a pump when I get the bog filter going?

 

[MitchM]

If you could describe the final layout and plumbing of your bog/waterfall area, we could recommend a pump.
Make sure you monitor your ammonia/nitrite levels for the first week or so and feed your fish sparingly or not at all.

 

[qclabrat]

If you could describe the final layout and plumbing of your bog/waterfall area, we could recommend a pump.
Make sure you monitor your ammonia/nitrite levels for the first week or so and feed your fish sparingly or not at all.

they are all goldfish, which I recently learned do not need much feeding
I'll try to get the bog design finalized in a day or so