Guess who is out having fun? (It's ME!) Planning wildlife pond for backyard

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My neighbor told me she saw foxes running around in the wild back halves of our properties. Last night, we heard the most horrific screaming sounds. I think we might have fox kits this spring! I'm going to try to include a link to a video that has the sounds:
 
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@j.w. - just to be clear, that is just a video I found on youtube to demonstrate the crazy noise. That's not my yard. But if I DO get fox kits, I will absolutely be trying to record them!!!!!! :)
 
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I know this will not be a popular statement but i would put my money on the fox was sizing up the dog as a potential meal. While it was cute as all heck to watch the video i had a similar occurrence with my dogs about 5 years ago at a camp ground in New Jersey. I had a 3 year old 70 pound golden and a 15 pound cocker spaniel . The fox would show up at the end of the driveway we'll call it and yelp. After a half hour or so i told the golden to go getum and he ran after the fox>>>No competition the fox ducked into the woods and tall brush and was gone as the golden ran around in circles sniffing everywhere. when the next i knew the fox popped up at the other end of the site some 50 feet away and yelped again and again as the golden ran from one end of the site to the other the fox again disappeared and the next i knew he was at the end of the driveway again. this went on for a good hour as i held onto the cocker puppy. On one side it was cute and the other side was this is why they say sly like a fox he was clearly after the pup..


Love the video
 
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Oh my. This is why rich people hire professionals with lots of know-how and experience. My poor brain is aching from trying to do the math to figure out my intake bay. (Heights of this shelf and that shelf, water level, height of pump vault, depth of water, etc.) I've been out there, digging to China to accommodate my aqua blocks. Then I realized a hole of that depth would put the top of the pump vault way under water. The vault I ordered, because of it's more compact size and good price, does not have a height/depth extension piece available. After watching a bunch of videos, I have finally decided to cut down the aqua blocks to about 12" tall. (They can be zip tied then and will be plenty strong for my needs. There will only be a thin layer of pebbles on top.). This now means, I am pretty sure, that I've been digging for nothing. I could have stopped with that gol' danged hole probably 3 wheelbarrows-full ago. (Smacking forehead with palm and rolling eyes in disgust.)
 
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There are other options i know zip tying the blocks will work as i have done some myself ,,,, However you can get something to extend the snorkel ..... how big is the outside of the snorkel ? Plastic culverts which are heavier duty then is the snorkel . If you only need a foot or two that might be tough to find some willing to cut down a section of pipe. But there are other options as well they have green pipe in every size that is also made for water lines you can get an over size piece and put a collar around your snorkel all it's doing is keeping stone from falling down the tube. they also have joints for black double walled culvert pipe that are made to put pieces of pipe together where you can use that they are easy to work with and if you need those a little tighter if you wrap a ratchet strap around it you can close it up tight against your snorkel. Then use some HD zip ties to hold it together.... any hd civil commercial supplier should be able to give you options
you could even look at something like this which also will give you security to keep kids from falling in ....

There are many other options out there that you should be able to find without breaking the bank. try manhole covers sprinklers can have wells that are like 2 feet deep and 18 inches wide with a cover that can be secured.

You could always use a larger hard pipe and use epdm and make a gasket so stop items from getting in.


 
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cas

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@bagsmom I created a similar problem in my backyard when I built my pond. Of course I had no idea until years later when we had a spring with a lot of rain. I spent that year raising beds and trying to accommodate excessive rain fall. Good you know now before you have the area all planted.
 
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@bagsmom I created a similar problem in my backyard when I built my pond. Of course I had no idea until years later when we had a spring with a lot of rain. I spent that year raising beds and trying to accommodate excessive rain fall. Good you know now before you have the area all planted.
That why i am trying to show other options like make shift extension to the snorkel rather then cutting down aqua blocks can far out way the effort .. having the extra gallons in storage that was free from a rain fall will pay for it's self quickly in water bills . or even not putting undue stress on a well
 
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There are other options i know zip tying the blocks will work as i have done some myself ,,,, However you can get something to extend the snorkel ..... how big is the outside of the snorkel ? Plastic culverts which are heavier duty then is the snorkel . If you only need a foot or two that might be tough to find some willing to cut down a section of pipe. But there are other options as well they have green pipe in every size that is also made for water lines you can get an over size piece and put a collar around your snorkel all it's doing is keeping stone from falling down the tube. they also have joints for black double walled culvert pipe that are made to put pieces of pipe together where you can use that they are easy to work with and if you need those a little tighter if you wrap a ratchet strap around it you can close it up tight against your snorkel. Then use some HD zip ties to hold it together.... any hd civil commercial supplier should be able to give you options
you could even look at something like this which also will give you security to keep kids from falling in ....

There are many other options out there that you should be able to find without breaking the bank. try manhole covers sprinklers can have wells that are like 2 feet deep and 18 inches wide with a cover that can be secured.

You could always use a larger hard pipe and use epdm and make a gasket so stop items from getting in.


I think I only need to extend it about 6 inches or so, which is why it seems like an easier option to just cut down the blocks. I won't be losing that much capacity, really, since I'm only using 2 blocks. The intake bay is less about holding water (in my personal situation) than it is about slowing down the water so it is safe for fish and critters to swim around in there as well as pulling debris into the area so I can scoop it out. I AM thinking about putting a couple of blocks in the bog, though, so I can use less gravel.
When the hubby gets home, I'm going to have him put his industrial designer brain on this task. If anyone can come up with an easy, efficient way to extend the snorkel area, it will be him! Thank you for all the input. I appreciate your expertise very much. You've given me a lot to ponder before I rush in and start cutting up blocks!
 
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how big is the circle at the top of the snorkel / ?

another option s to place a rock over the top marking where the snorkel is let it get buried and when you need to access it pull the rock and the gravel back 6" is easy to deal with
 
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We happen to have a piece of culvert pipe that I was saving for a fish cave. It will work great! Husband says he can screw them together and silicone for good measure. So I guess I will keep on digging!
This is the pump vault I have.
Screen Shot 2020-02-23 at 4.32.35 PM.png
 
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The flat side sits up against the aqua blocks and will draw water from the bottom. The goal in an intake bay is to be sure most of the pull is from below. I think with a little silicone at the joint where we attach the culvert pipe, we can ensure that most of the water still goes in from down below.
 
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Good deal..... another option is to create a gasket with epdm lets say you have a 12" circle well mark out a 11 1/4" circle on a piece of rubber and cut it out then slip it over the 12" pipe the rubber will stretch and will make a pretty good seal . now my nubers are not what will definitely work play with it. i have done the exact same thing but on a 10' diamiter to i think a 12" should be a piece of cake . WHEN YOU HAVE IT ON USE ZIP TIES TO FINISH THE JOB.
 

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