- Joined
- Jul 5, 2020
- Messages
- 14
- Reaction score
- 3
- Location
- Wilmington, DE
- Hardiness Zone
- 7a/7b border area
- Country
Hi guys, glad to be here!
I've got a roughly 1,300 gallon figure 8 shaped pond that is currently filtered by a pressure canister filter with UV. An approx. 5,000 gph submersible pump runs to the canister and it's discharged from a 2" hose at the head of the pond from a crocodile statue thing. The pond was not built by me, but rather it was the main reason I bought the house. Even with it quite neglected I knew I could get it shining. Husband has veto'd building a newer larger pond, so it's a good thing we've already got this one! I have no interest in koi and my two aquatic loves are fancy goldfish and plants, so the size isn't really bad. I've got enough space for a hoard of goldies and a few lily baskets. The location is just kind of annoying as it's in the center of the back yard.
The pond's owner died a few years before the sale of the house and his wife did nothing except feed the handful of comets twice a week during spring and summer. She couldn't recall when it was installed or anything about it really. There was a lot of sludge, leaves, sticks, etc in the bottom that I spent all of last year trying to correct without major intervention or chemicals. Parameters and clarity were great, the bottom was just very...natural looking LOL. Unfortunately I had a fast-acting bacterial infection sweep through my pond and lost 15 of my 17 goldies over the span of two days at the end of May this year. The two remaining were moved to a 150 gallon stock pond I use for water changes to be treated and observed for further issues. While the pond was fishless I decided to drain, clean, and really evaluate the liner. Glad to report everything looked good! And now I have a nice pond bottom to look at.
Doing an overhaul clean on the pond got me thinking about the improvements I want to make, which isn't a good thing for my wallet or free time. At the least, I want to add a good-sized elevated bog that can waterfall back into the pond to increase biological filtration and oxygen exchange. But I am also eyeing retrofitting a bottom drain or an under-gravel suction grid. I want to get my pressure filter dug into the ground to get it out from under the lace leaf Acer and thus easier for maintenance and maybe re-route the intake and outtake to improve circulation. Oh, and lots of landscaping changes, I cannot stand that dwarf pine(there was a second at the front left that was diseased so already cut down) or the shrubby obnoxious thing at the top of the pond. And daylilies just aren't really my thing but they can stay until fall.
Anyone else in the northern DE or SEPA or western NJ areas? I am always looking for local shops and resources!
And now for what everyone really wants- pictures. I will add some of my dearly departed fancies once I find my phone...
I've got a roughly 1,300 gallon figure 8 shaped pond that is currently filtered by a pressure canister filter with UV. An approx. 5,000 gph submersible pump runs to the canister and it's discharged from a 2" hose at the head of the pond from a crocodile statue thing. The pond was not built by me, but rather it was the main reason I bought the house. Even with it quite neglected I knew I could get it shining. Husband has veto'd building a newer larger pond, so it's a good thing we've already got this one! I have no interest in koi and my two aquatic loves are fancy goldfish and plants, so the size isn't really bad. I've got enough space for a hoard of goldies and a few lily baskets. The location is just kind of annoying as it's in the center of the back yard.
The pond's owner died a few years before the sale of the house and his wife did nothing except feed the handful of comets twice a week during spring and summer. She couldn't recall when it was installed or anything about it really. There was a lot of sludge, leaves, sticks, etc in the bottom that I spent all of last year trying to correct without major intervention or chemicals. Parameters and clarity were great, the bottom was just very...natural looking LOL. Unfortunately I had a fast-acting bacterial infection sweep through my pond and lost 15 of my 17 goldies over the span of two days at the end of May this year. The two remaining were moved to a 150 gallon stock pond I use for water changes to be treated and observed for further issues. While the pond was fishless I decided to drain, clean, and really evaluate the liner. Glad to report everything looked good! And now I have a nice pond bottom to look at.
Doing an overhaul clean on the pond got me thinking about the improvements I want to make, which isn't a good thing for my wallet or free time. At the least, I want to add a good-sized elevated bog that can waterfall back into the pond to increase biological filtration and oxygen exchange. But I am also eyeing retrofitting a bottom drain or an under-gravel suction grid. I want to get my pressure filter dug into the ground to get it out from under the lace leaf Acer and thus easier for maintenance and maybe re-route the intake and outtake to improve circulation. Oh, and lots of landscaping changes, I cannot stand that dwarf pine(there was a second at the front left that was diseased so already cut down) or the shrubby obnoxious thing at the top of the pond. And daylilies just aren't really my thing but they can stay until fall.
Anyone else in the northern DE or SEPA or western NJ areas? I am always looking for local shops and resources!
And now for what everyone really wants- pictures. I will add some of my dearly departed fancies once I find my phone...
