hi from gael in california

[yourgaelness]

Hey guys, I've spent several hours reading your forum. I'm totally new to the pond scene but had large reef tanks for many years. Yet this pond stuff boggles my mind and coming here to get clear on what I'd thought were a couple minor details only reminded me that I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, or that the wheel is spinning but the hamster is dead.

Here's what I'm up against (aside from having to do all this on my phone);

Last summer I began renting a home with a beautiful garden (another passion of mine) and an in ground pool. I've always kinda wanted a pool, but I know they're not cheap or easy to maintain. I've also always wanted a pond. I have both. Sort of. The owners stopped using the pool as a pool many years ago and the pump and filter don't work. The water was murky green with maybe a two inch visibility. Lots of mosquito fish and several small Lilly's.

Its part of my lease that I maintain the pond aspect, and not return it to a pool. Which is cool by me but I don't want a concrete hole full of green water.

Like most of us, money IS an issue, so I'm not trying to go crazy and raise koi or anything. But I'd like clear water, some fish with color perhaps, along with the current fish, and some plants.

Over the winter the water has become clear. There's about a foot of algae on the bottom and two inches along the sides. There's greenish brown slime floating on top that we skim daily, but you just can't get it all. I know that as time goes by it'll be murky again, so I'm trying to come up with a filter using what I have on hand as much as possible.

I have a brand new 3/4 HP pool/spa pump. I know its not optimal, but its what I've got. I have a fat round barrel with no top. No idea how much it holds but the diameter is 72 inches and it's about 2 1/2 feet tall. So I'm likely to be making something fashioned after a Skippy. I have enough PVC to make the swirler thing in the bottom, a pipe to poke half way down the deep end (?) And the stand to hold the grate. I have couplings and glue. My PVC pipe is 2", and for the swirler and stand I got a 1" pipe. Both are 10 feet long.

I have something to make a grate, I'm thinking of hitting up dollar tree for sponges, and then cutting straws or finding other plastics to use on top. I also have a roll of window screen. Someone posted a bit about using that so if anyone has more on that I'd love to know.

I need to plumb this thing behind the hot tub so I thought that letting it flow into the hot tub would be nice because of the little waterfall that separates it from the pool.

I can see you rolling you eyes! I know, its just plain nuts, but what are ya gonna do. Right?

So I'm trying to figure out the verturi, oddly, because I had them in some of my tanks, but I'm just not connecting the dots here. Also, I need a pre-filter, or do I need a skimmer because the pump is external? And if so, where's the diy for THAT one, cuz I can't find it. Is it a good idea to place a valve between the pump and filter for adjusting flow? Or is that not always necessary? And that anti-syphon you guys made. Wow. I looked at the pics, I read the posts, but maybe its because I only have my phone and not a computer, but I just don't see it. Or get it.

Then again, maybe the hamster is dead

Did I remember everything? This is probably the longest intro-post ever.

Oh, I'm a Capricorn, I like reading, watching Bollywood movies, and long walks on the beach.

Hehehe
And I'm somewhat silly



Nice to meet you all. I hope someone can help me 'get it'

Gael

 

[Big Lou]

Welcome to GPC Gael!

 

[Catfishnut]

Welcome Gael!

That's a great deal of typing to do from a phone! Very well done, too.

You have some major potential with this pool as a pond. What are the pool dimensions? How are the original drains and inlets and piping configured and are they still viable? What zone (agricultural temperature zone) is your location of CA in?
Would you ever have to worry about any freezing conditions?

Sounds like this "pool pond" is not in the best of shape right now, but that can be remedied. Try to read a lot of the threads in the DIY and pond construction forums on this site.

Will try to follow along and add helpful hints as the discussion progresses. Don't have too much to offer right at the moment.

Gordy

 

[sissy]

welcome and sounds like you have a plan .But hate to say this but if there is no pool net buy one to clean the muck out of the pond will help your filter and pump work better .There are lots of pools turned ponds on you tube .The spa to the pool is great it will help aerate the water and clear up the pond .I use old fashioned lava rock in my filters 3 or 4 dollars a bag and if on sale even cheaper .Last year I got 5 bags for 10 dollars on sale

 

[j.w]

Gael
You got some heavy scooping to do to get all that gunk outta the pond/pool first. Then you can filter the rest out w/ whatever filter you choose to buy or make. We will help w/ any questions you have and silly is some of our middle names at times as you may have already found out w/ your reading

 

[yourgaelness]

Hi! Thanks for the quick replies!

I scoop most of the floating stuff daily with a net. How about all the stuff on the floor and sides? If its not detrimental I'd rather leave it than have stark white pool showing through.

This morning I realized that I don't need to worry about a syphon break with this design. One less thing to obsess about.

I have some volcanic rock as well, so I'll use that too.

I think my main concern right now is what to make as a pre-filter for the sake of my pump, which is external. I like the milk crate and batting plan, but I'm not sure how I would access it for cleaning unless I locate the intake on the stairs. I guess that's do-able. Any objections? Better thoughts?

I'm in the Sacramento area, so freezing isn't really an issue here. I mean, the fish are still in there so they made do somehow. Right?

Dimensions? Maybe 25x15? I'm so bad at guessing distances.

Anyway, I was pretty confident until last night when I started reading lots of posts and now I'm wondering if my mom meant something else entirely when she used to tell me I was 'special'. Then again I did reef tanks for twenty a something years. Maybe I'm over thinking everything.

And I'm off....coffee first, then a long anxiety ridden day as I bore holes, plumb this puppy and invent things along the way. I wish you all a lovely day

Gael

 

[yourgaelness]

I'm trying to post a pic of the pool. Fingers crossed...

 

[j.w]

The short green fuzzy stuff on the sides is good and on the bottom. Fish like to nibble on this and makes a nice covering as you said so you don't see the white walls. It's the thick stuff floating around and long thread like kind that need to go. You can use a toilet brush and wind it around and grab out the long sprawling algae. I use these as a prefilter in my pond and so does Colleen here. You can screw them together to make bigger. I screwed two together in mine.
Here's a picture of two of mine together totaling a height of 16" and abt 8" wide. http://www.matalausa.com/prod48.html

 

[addy1]

to our group. I would net out a lot of the junk on the bottom. You will never get it so clean the white of the pool will show. From your pictures it looks like there is a bunch of stuff that needs to be removed.
Great informative first post and from a phone! I have not mastered the posting easily from a phone.

 

[yourgaelness]

Hi again

Nice to meet you and thanks for the replies.

How in the world do I get that stuff out? Its at least 8 inches deep and I've tried netting and sweeping but it just puffs up into the water in minute pieces and settles again.

 

[addy1]

I use a swimming pool leaf net, gets a lot of the small stuff. similar to this. The net collects a lot of muck, enough it is almost hard to pull it out of the water.

http://www.amazon.com/Swimline-8040...015009&sr=8-1&keywords=swimming+pool+leaf+net

 

[callingcolleen1]

Welcome Gael! It sounds like you are determined to make this work, and you can make it work cheap and still look good at the same time. I would start with a good pump and pre-filter like what JW showed you, that is what have and I really think they work good. Then I would plant up some sedges, like cat-tails, rushes, irises, and grasses as they are best for cleaning the pond naturally. The more "sedges" on the "edges" the less it will look like a pool and more like a pond. Gather a few nice rocks and place here and there, a peice or driftwood too some colorful goldfish, and you can slowly transform into a beautiful pond!

 

[Becky]

Great to have you here, welcome!

 

[dieselplower]

If it was me, I would treat the entire thing with algaecide and salt.. Now is a good time for that because there are no fish so you do not risk them dying if a shortage of oxygen were to occur as the algae dies off. I would do it now and then clean it all out. That is just disgusting (in my opinion) and you dont want it getting into your filters either. Can you imagine all that getting sucked onto your prefilter? It would burn out an exterior pump in short order. One other thing I would suggest is buying an API master test kit to test the water. You especially want to test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. God only knows what else is in that water. It seems it has been stagnant for a long time and I wouldnt risk tossing fish in there any time soon. Best of luck!