Howdy from Texas

Joined
Sep 8, 2014
Messages
2
Reaction score
6
Location
Leander Texas
Hello interwebs, I thought I'd share my little pond. My wife and I purchased our home in early 2011. In the back yard was a small, preformed plastic pond from Home Depot. There were three pots in in and very little water. I mucked it out and got the pump and lights cleaned out and working. Then I created a crude little waterfall instead of the sprayer atop the largest rock I had.
IMG_1697.JPG

Over the last three years, I've enjoyed this little pond so much. It took a couple tries to get the basics down, like adding water without killing my goldfish, which I did a couple of timed. Two white goldfish lived through my last chlorine overload about 6 months in. They are still alive and well almost three years later, along with their dozen or so offspring. They now share the pond with a couple dozen mosquito fish and some Japanese trap door snails.
I run two small pumps. Maybe 300 or 400 gph total. One small fountain pump used to feed a biofilter made from a plastic planter filled with lava rock. I had some trouble with it overflowing and nearly drained the entire pond once. The other pump which is a stronger fountain pump fed the little waterfall I rebuilt with a liner underneath. It was enclosed in a box filled with media. The box would fill with muck every other week or so and I'd empty it in my compost pile.
After my last biofilter backup fiasco, I decided it was time for a reconfiguration. I wanted to put an overflow drain into the bifilter and ended up cracking the bottom of the pot I was using. I let the other pump run solo for awhile. The pump kept clogging, almost daily. I ended up removing the pump from its box, removed the prefilter, and hung the pump from a rock suspended in the water. I fired up the other little pump as well in the same way, and routed it into the waterfall.
Now my waterfall IS my biofilter. It's been working this way most of the summer, and I couldn't be happier with the results. I ordered some "Creeping Jenny" off ebay in early spring and planted it in cracks between my larger rocks. The waterfall rocks all sit on a liner, then a bed of expanded shale. I also threw a couple calladium sprouts in the cracks as well. I added no fertilizers this season, and had more blooms than ever. I realized that every time I cleaned out my filter box, I was throwing nutrients away. Does anyone else use this technique? I call it 'aquapondics"... aquaponics for ponds.
P9075609.JPG
 
Last edited:

addy1

water gardener / gold fish and shubunkins
Moderator
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
44,922
Reaction score
29,914
Location
Frederick, Maryland
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
Love your creation! I use a huge bog to filter my pond, full of plants. Your planted waterfall is helping filter your pond.

looking_glass.gif
to our group of ponding fanatics
 
Joined
Oct 9, 2012
Messages
6,275
Reaction score
2,818
Location
Plymouth
Hardiness Zone
7a
Country
United Kingdom
I say "By Jove", hello Texas from Plymouth in the United Kingdom in a posh british accent :LOL:
No really if Big Lou can talk non texas accent then I can talk like to posh toffs in the UK (not) ,please a warm welcome from the other side of the big pond from a nice sunny Plymouth :happy:
We just love your pond and the watchdog next door .:love:
We once helped a lady from Plano Texas with her sick koi :)

Dave
 
Last edited:

sissy

sissy
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
33,086
Reaction score
15,707
Location
Axton virginia
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
7A
Country
United States
welcome and love what you did with it and guessing the peek a boo dog likes it also .
 

j.w

I Love my Goldies
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
33,850
Reaction score
20,827
Location
Arlington, Washington
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
USDA 8a
Country
United States
Natcoman
You've really done a lot of nice work w/ that small pond. Looks really nice and healthy w/ all your plants. I like that pretty peeking pup who just had to get into the photo :)
 

sissy

sissy
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
33,086
Reaction score
15,707
Location
Axton virginia
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
7A
Country
United States
wow did not see the fairy and fairy house until you mentioned it and I blew pic up .How neat colleen will love that
Awe what a sweet little fairy house at the top. Welcome Natcomen.
 
Joined
Sep 8, 2014
Messages
2
Reaction score
6
Location
Leander Texas
Thanks for the love, y'all!
Glad you noticed my little fairy house. I'm the proud father of a sweet little girl who loves fairies so I made a home for one we purchased at a local garden store.
I forgot to mention that I added red wriggler worms to my waterfall. They love it, and help take care of solids that work they're way into the crevices.
 

Amy

Joined
Sep 4, 2014
Messages
78
Reaction score
47
Location
Cleveland, GA
Hardiness Zone
6a
Your pond is fabulous! I love the caladiums and the fairy house! The red wrigglers are a good idea, too!
 
Joined
May 15, 2014
Messages
839
Reaction score
436
Hey I love that waterfall, welcome and enjoy this wealth of knowledge here! The dog peeking thru is cute!
 

j.w

I Love my Goldies
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
33,850
Reaction score
20,827
Location
Arlington, Washington
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
USDA 8a
Country
United States
Oh wow yep I now see that cute little fairy house and neat how you fit it right into the rocks above the falls like that..............it was made to fit there perfectly
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Similar Threads

Howdy from Texas 10
Howdy from Oklahoma 19
Howdy From AR! UNIQUE POND!!! 22
Howdy from East Texas 25
Howdy from Texas 8
Texas howdy 6
Howdy from Texas 2
Howdy from Texas! 4

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
31,523
Messages
518,281
Members
13,742
Latest member
Noodlebrain

Latest Threads

Top