Help Needed: Pond MATH, THE Best AFFORDABLE External Pump w/ Filter & RESOURCES

[ronahalpern]

Hello Fellow Ponders!

I'm very happy to have re-found my way to the Pond Forum after many years away because of health problems.

I live on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula in California where the temperature, with rare exception, stays between 58- 68 degrees year round. I live with my (now disabled) husband, miniature mobility service horse of 6 1/2 years, 5th wonderful rescued racing Greyhound, loving kitties and the 11 small, new and delightful goldies in my POND.

1. DO ANY OF YOU LIVE RELATIVELY CLOSE TO the MONTEREY PENINSULA or know a Ponder who does?

2. DOES ANYONE HAVE A RELATIVELY LOCAL INEXPENSIVE COMPETENT POND RESOURCE PERSON FOR ME?

MY POND NEEDS A GOOD CLEANING (LOTS OF MUCK!) and MAINTAINENCE ON THE FOUNTAIN HEAD. I AM PHYSICALLY DISABLED. Consequently, anytime I need physical help with my Pond I need to pay someone which is difficult as I'm not working. (The last time I needed my Pond cleaned, the only person I could find charged me traveling time from a little south of SF to do it for a total of $500.00!).

3. I ALSO NEED A REASONABLY CLOSE RESOURCE FOR Free or Affordable AQUATIC PLANTS. I'd love to have (ALREADY PLANTED IN POTS) WATER HAWTHORNE and HARDY WATER LILIES. ALSO, red-stemmed Parrots Feather, Water Hyacinths, Cambocha, Widge and Potted Floating Heart.

Currently in my POND is a little floating Parrots Feather, some Anacharis (sp?), some reeds, on a plastic milk carton a several year old (small and scrawny) recently replanted tropical water (I used a plastic pot, newspaper to cover the holes, pebbles and then topsoil mixed with pebbles and, it's now too heavy for me to lift). On another crate I did the same with a water iris. I then planted a large canna (using the same method) which I keep moist as it's too heavy to lift into the pond.

4. Could anyone please also recommend SOURCES FOR A SMALL GOOD LOOKING (and CHEAP) ORNAMENTAL FOUNTAIN (NOZZLE?) to CONNECT TO THE TOP OF THE PVC IN MY POND?

5. I think that I NEED A NEW EXTERNAL PUMP W/FILTER. ALL OF IT HAS TO BE VERY EASY TO PHYSICALLY MAINTAIN for a person living w/ a lack of energy, strength or stamina (that would be me).

I welcome and am thankful and grateful to be able to have the benefit of your expertise and recommendations

AND Now for the MATH portion of this program:

In my front yard (enlosed by a tall sturdy fence with a locked gate) is my beloved POND of several years. It's made of cement and tiled on the inside. No more leaky liners for me!

POND SHAPE: A 3-sided 1/4 round cylinder with part below ground and the rest above.

POND DIMENSIONS:

Back of Pond : Straight 56" L

RIGHT SIDE OF POND: Straight 56" L BEFORE CURVING TO FORM
A TOTAL LENGTH of 73"

CLOSING THE CURVE TO TAKE IT TO THE BACK SIDE OF THE POND = 88" L

TOTAL VOLUME OF THE Pond = 38.5 cubic feet.

About a year ago, a math teacher friend of mine measured all this (checking twice) and said If I wanted to retile it, it'll take 38.22 Square Feet to tile The Pond top, side and the inside from the top down + the 5" Flat TOPPED LEDGE W.

IS THIS ENOUGH INFO TO TELL ME WHICH EXTERNAL PUMP/FILTER?

Thank you so much!,

Rona

 

[Dave 54]

Hello Fellow Ponders!

I'm very happy to have re-found my way to the Pond Forum after many years away because of health problems.

I live on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula in California where the temperature, with rare exception, stays between 58- 68 degrees year round. I live with my (now disabled) husband, miniature mobility service horse of 6 1/2 years, 5th wonderful rescued racing Greyhound, loving kitties and the 11 small, new and delightful goldies in my POND.

1. DO ANY OF YOU LIVE RELATIVELY CLOSE TO the MONTEREY PENINSULA or know a Ponder who does?

2. DOES ANYONE HAVE A RELATIVELY LOCAL INEXPENSIVE COMPETENT POND RESOURCE PERSON FOR ME?

MY POND NEEDS A GOOD CLEANING (LOTS OF MUCK!) and MAINTAINENCE ON THE FOUNTAIN HEAD. I AM PHYSICALLY DISABLED. Consequently, anytime I need physical help with my Pond I need to pay someone which is difficult as I'm not working. (The last time I needed my Pond cleaned, the only person I could find charged me traveling time from a little south of SF to do it for a total of $500.00!).

3. I ALSO NEED A REASONABLY CLOSE RESOURCE FOR Free or Affordable AQUATIC PLANTS. I'd love to have (ALREADY PLANTED IN POTS) WATER HAWTHORNE and HARDY WATER LILIES. ALSO, red-stemmed Parrots Feather, Water Hyacinths, Cambocha, Widge and Potted Floating Heart.

Currently in my POND is a little floating Parrots Feather, some Anacharis (sp?), some reeds, on a plastic milk carton a several year old (small and scrawny) recently replanted tropical water (I used a plastic pot, newspaper to cover the holes, pebbles and then topsoil mixed with pebbles and, it's now too heavy for me to lift). On another crate I did the same with a water iris. I then planted a large canna (using the same method) which I keep moist as it's too heavy to lift into the pond.

4. Could anyone please also recommend SOURCES FOR A SMALL GOOD LOOKING (and CHEAP) ORNAMENTAL FOUNTAIN (NOZZLE?) to CONNECT TO THE TOP OF THE PVC IN MY POND?

5. I think that I NEED A NEW EXTERNAL PUMP W/FILTER. ALL OF IT HAS TO BE VERY EASY TO PHYSICALLY MAINTAIN for a person living w/ a lack of energy, strength or stamina (that would be me).

I welcome and am thankful and grateful to be able to have the benefit of your expertise and recommendations

AND Now for the MATH portion of this program:

In my front yard (enlosed by a tall sturdy fence with a locked gate) is my beloved POND of several years. It's made of cement and tiled on the inside. No more leaky liners for me!

POND SHAPE: A 3-sided 1/4 round cylinder with part below ground and the rest above.

POND DIMENSIONS:

Back of Pond : Straight 56" L

RIGHT SIDE OF POND: Straight 56" L BEFORE CURVING TO FORM
A TOTAL LENGTH of 73"

CLOSING THE CURVE TO TAKE IT TO THE BACK SIDE OF THE POND = 88" L

TOTAL VOLUME OF THE Pond = 38.5 cubic feet.

About a year ago, a math teacher friend of mine measured all this (checking twice) and said If I wanted to retile it, it'll take 38.22 Square Feet to tile The Pond top, side and the inside from the top down + the 5" Flat TOPPED LEDGE W.

IS THIS ENOUGH INFO TO TELL ME WHICH EXTERNAL PUMP/FILTER?

Thank you so much!,
View attachment 82435
Rona

Hi Rona like you we have our disabilities Val suffers Facioscaplulahumeral Muscular dystrophy , I have chronic Ostio Arthritis in both knees hands feet and Fybromyagia
Your best bet would be to install a bottom drian at the start of the build that way the pond is self cleaning and its the filters and water changes you only have to do.
Make friends in the fish world Rona join an Aquatic society people will go that extra mile for you if they undertand about your disability's .
To get the Math correct may I suggest buying a book called Common Fish Farming Calculations ISBN 9871511653015 by Koushik Roy MS , Chari & SR Gaur , its a pocket guide of fish keeping calculations for when you really need the math to be correct [which you do for treatments] especially if like me you have memory issues .
Another thing weve done is installed our pond above ground so we can relax by the pond and still if we wish be very near our koi
Please if you need anymore help either PM me or as questions on line


Dave

 

[ronahalpern]

Thank you, Dave! I greatly appreciate your time and your and your wife Val's circumstances! Lucy Blessing and I are boyh Yaying and Yeaghhhing from across the Pond. Can you see us? She's the one with the tail!

Don't you just find your fish, ponds and and plants so healing! Great congratulations on being recognized for your hard, persistent dedicated work! And for being a Teacher of Men and Women to raise and nurture fish!

Warmly,
Rona

 

[ronahalpern]

Oh! I forgot to mention that the set up to drain everything is there including outside flow valves. The problem is that amidst the muck and mire, I can't see or feel the screen on the bottom that was there.

 

[ronahalpern]

How long after having the Pond drained, cleaned and refilled before the fish can go home safely? I don't want another situation like the one I influcted on my late big beautiful fish. ::::boo on me!::: :Last time I added water, I learned painfully (poor fish!) the next A.M. that I'd forgotten to turn off the hose

 

[addy1]

If you use dechlor you can put them in quickly, but you will need to watch for ammonia spikes etc since some of the good bacteria may get deleted in the cleaning.

Get a hose timer from home depot, lowes, they have battery ones, you set and forget it shuts the hose off after xx amount of time. I use a electric sprinkler system to run ours. We are on a well so I am real careful about running hoses.

ast time I added water, I learned painfully (poor fish!) the next A.M. that I'd forgotten to turn off the hose

Love your horse ad the pup in the picture.

Would come to help you but we are on the other side of the country

 

[ronahalpern]

If you use dechlor you can put them in quickly, but you will need to watch for ammonia spikes etc since some of the good bacteria may get deleted in the cleaning.

Get a hose timer from home depot, lowes, they have battery ones, you set and forget it shuts the hose off after xx amount of time. I use a electric sprinkler system to run ours. We are on a well so I am real careful about running hoses.


Love your horse ad the pup in the picture.

Would come to help you but we are on the other side of the country

Very kind! Thank you for the info!

 

[ronahalpern]

For your kindness in responding, here's another picture of Lucy Blessing!

 

[Dave 54]

Rona we could do with you here on Dartmoor saving ponies that are now so worthless they sell for as little as 50p thanx to the European Union demanding that all Dartmoor Ponies have passports [which cost the farmer more than the poor pony is worth ], net result they are either slaughtered with a few lucky ones being bought for children to ride .
Its so very sad that this has to happen as before this pass port idea thought up by some faceless Polititian in Strazburg they would sell for £100+
For an idividual pony the cost of a pass port isnt that much but when you have a large herd of ponies the famer simply cannot cover the costs of buying them

Dave

 

[Dave 54]

Oh! I forgot to mention that the set up to drain everything is there including outside flow valves. The problem is that amidst the muck and mire, I can't see or feel the screen on the bottom that was there.

Could you please take some photo's so we can visualize the filters Rona ?
Thank you

Dave

 

[mgmine]

40 cubic feet is 300 gallons so that would be the size for the pump and filter

 

[Lisak1]

Gosh, more and more ponders in need of help due to physical challenges. If only there were a way to match up willing able bodied ponders with those in need of help. I would love to pitch in and help, but am too far away! What a great service project for a church or school youth group.

Welcome back Rona! I hope you find the help you need!

 

[Dave 54]

Lisa I agree what with Val's and my own problems we need willing volunteers just to show our koi .
We had a lady from the UK with MS asking questions about small free standing goldfish ponds last year , it a pastime that disabled people can partake in .

Dave

 

[Lisak1]

Lisa I agree what with Val's and my own problems we need willing volunteers just to show our koi .
We had a lady from the UK with MS asking questions about small free standing goldfish ponds last year , it a pastime that disabled people can partake in .

Dave

I'm really going to ponder (haha! get it!) this issue and see what I can come up with, at least in my own area. I would love to volunteer to help others either get a pond or maintain a pond who may not have the physical ability to do it on their own (or the funds to be able to afford to hire the work out). My husband is retired due to illness and we aren't able to travel a lot as a result, but we get so much pleasure out of our pond. For me, it's my daily exercise - I spend at least an hour a day puttering around, doing this and that in the pond and gardens. Having a pond has health benefits for the able-bodied as well. And it's a great stress-reducer.

I may have found my next mission in life! I think I'll start with my local pond store and see if they know of any persons in need of volunteer pond puttering!

 

[Dave 54]

Lisa you are a good person we pray you can make this work its brought us years of pleasure both indoors and out , I cant say its not been a hard path to follow koi ponding because it has at times especially when we had the indoor tank.
But for the enjoyment we get from it and being able to just relax by the pond during the summer is priceless when we have the pond finished this year it will have been worth it .

Dave