Getting closer....

[j.w]

I think if you make the slow transition w/ the float the bag, wait, add some water and so on deal they will be fine. I hope there are some nice ones left that you've been longing for Jen! We'd love to see photo's when you get them

 

[JenH]

Turns out that the skimmer I was hoping to get, I won't be. I ordered one that just floats in the pond (I really don't get much debris in there, just some grass clippings here and there) Anyway, so now that I'm not getting the big skimmer i need to finish up the edge. Should I get a bulkhead fitting and put the tubing from my pump through the liner underground, or should i try to keep it above the ground/liner and just use rocks and stuff to hide it.

 

[HARO]

I like 'rocks and stuff to hide it'. An uncut liner is far less likely to leak!
John

 

[j.w]

I'm a hider also!

 

[addy1]

ME too Me too! hider

 

[taherrmann4]

I like 'rocks and stuff to hide it'. An uncut liner is far less likely to leak!
John

I am a hider as well.
Also if you hide it you may find that you want to change something on your pond or expand it some and you will have this extra liner to do that.

 

[addy1]

The rock on a roll works great.

I just tried something else, time will tell if it will work out.

I took small stones (1-4 inches), some black water fall foam, squirted some foam on the liner, let it harden a little, stick on the rock. If you get the rock damp it sticks even better. You can also stick the rock, (mine slide since vertical sides) pull it off, let the stuff stiffen up, stick the rock back on and it sticks well. Wear gloves, that stuff is miserable to get off your fingers.
The small pieces of liner I was covering look great. Now wait and see if the rocks stay on.

 

[sissy]

hiders huh well you are found lol

 

[JenH]

I've seen that rock on a roll online before and wondered if it was any good. Who knows I may try it eventually. I think I need to space out some of the expense here and there so my hubby doesn't get to upset about how expensive this is getting I will just have to see what I can do about hiding it then, since that seems to be the unanimous opinion!

 

[addy1]

Jen,
Check home depot lowes, valspar has a spray paint for hard plastic. I did the pvc line for my small stream pump as a test so far that paint is sticking well to the piping, it has been out in the weather for a few months now. I sprayed with a black and brown color pattern that makes it blend in with the rocks, plants etc that are in the area. Also used it to cover up the blue barrel my honey cut to make a pump cover.

The first ingredient is acetone, which probably softens the plastic to make the paint bond well.

I like the way it has disguised the white pvc

rustoleum makes a paint for plastic also, but hd and lowes have quit carrying it here.

 

[JenH]

I wondered about using paint on the tubing and even on my exposed liner. I was concerned though that it could be harmful for the fish being in contact with the water. There used to be this faux granite spray paint Walmart had, I used it years ago on a drywalled fireplace to give it the look of stone and it looked very natural. So I thought that it would work wonderfully to disguise the tubing and liner, if it would be safe. I'd hate to do it and then find out it's killing my fish and i cant get rid of it...

 

[HARO]

I would be VERY reluctant to use a spray paint on liner, ESPECIALLY anything containing acetone!!!
John

 

[JenH]

I did a quick search to look up the stuff I used before on my fireplace. It's Krylon - Make It Stone. It lists that it works on plastic, and does not list acetone as one of it's ingredients. I also saw a few forums where people were using Krylon paint inside their fish aquariums. Maybe that stuff would work, if not to spray directly on my liner, but at least to camouflage my pump tubing and whatever I come up with to cover the pump to hide it in the pond as well. Although I would love to find some way to conceal the liner where it comes up above the water level but below the rocks.

 

[koiguy1969]

"Fusions" (by Krylon i think) spray paint is good for plastics like pvc...bonds strong, no primer, needed. it bonds at a molecular level. ive used it, without any noticable affects on fish or plants.

 

[JenH]

Had my water tested today (I took a sample to PetSmart and had them do it) and seems like everything is working really well! Here were my readings:

Nitrites = 0
Nitrates = 0
Ammonia = 0
Chlorine = 0
Hardness = 125
Alkalinity = 250
Ph = 8.2-8.3

My Ph is a little high, but still in the safe range, so I don't think I will mess with it. From what I've read here I'm better off letting it be high and consistent then fighting with it and cause fluctuations. Only thing I'm not sure about is my bog plants. Are my nitrates 0 because the plants are working, or is it just 0? They haven't had any new growth since I planted them, but it has been pretty cold. Any thoughts?