Leaf netting idea

[JoaniePA]

I'm one of those who had to have a pond, despite the number of large deciduous trees overhanging. Well here in Philly the leaves have started turning and falling, and I started looking for a pond net. Everywhere I looked they wanted between $100 and $300 for a cover of 15 to 17 feet wide and 22 to 25 feet long. We went to the local homecenter and purchased two 10 foot lengths of 3/4" PVC pipe and a few connectors. We connected the two lengths together, joined them to each other in the middle to make a big X and then stretched a 20' X 25' pond net to the pipe with plastic zip ties. We drove rebar into the ground in four locations around the pond, and standing on either side of the pond, hubby and I were able to bend the pipes into a curve and slip the ends over the rebar to hold them in place. We then stretched the net down and secured it to the ground in a couple of places with tent stakes. Total cost, about $25 and it works GREAT! Very easy to do in about 15 minutes. picture coming

 

[JoaniePA]

So here's a picture. All the leaves you see are on the net, NOT in the pond. We also left a bench in front to fashion a little door for our neighborhood fox. He tripped our motion light last week and we watched him nosing the net until he made an opening at the bottom of the net in one spot to get a drink. Rather not have him get stuck in there or tear a hole in the net!

 

[koiguy1969]

looks good...you can throw some plastic over it for the winter too!

 

[oldmarine]

I would think that if it was covered with plastic and it snowed, it might colapse. It does snow in Phili, doesn't it?

 

[JoaniePA]

It does snow in Philly, occasionally as much as a foot, but only every few years. We rarely get more than an few inches at a time these days, Honestly, I can't imagine how this would collapse -- certainly the pipe won't collapse, and they can't go anywhere with the rebar slid up into them. I'd just have to make sure to use plastic sheeting with a thick mil.

 

[newday3000]

Thanks for posting this....I was getting annoyed with leaves pulling the netting into the water and was planning on putting up one of these next year but after seeing your post I ran out and bought the material. Works really well and cheap.

It took me all of 10 minutes to put up.

I had seen this solution before for winter which I was considering but it requires much higher peak to ensure the snow rolls off. This design is aimed at Canada winters.

I may still try it out when the snow comes to see if it helps with keeping a hole open in the ice.

http://www.clarkekoi.com/HowToGreenhouse.html

 

[oldmarine]

Sounds like you get about the same winters as we do here in the Northwest.

 

[BB-Koi-Keeper]

I may have missed something.... Where did you find the net? I am looking for one myself. Thanks.

 

[newday3000]

It's ponding netting sold at LFS or pond store to cover ponds. Could use anything similiar, but pond netting is cheap enough and light weight.

 

[BB-Koi-Keeper]

I went out tonight and got screen door netting. I am going to make a PVC frame to support it. Thanks for the idea.

 

[rdk]

I placed two green 8 foot garden stakes on ether sides of the long end of my 7 foot pond. Then I put pond netting over it. I tied down the ends with stones on the ground. This made an A-frame and it works great. All the leaves role off the sides.

 

[stroppy]

thought i would also post pics of mine ...was firstly made to give shade to pond and to give cover from the foxes that were making my fish hide all the time ...its attached to pole with ties so can just slide them up if i need to get to the pond ...will be adding more netting for the other end soon oh and last pics of some of this years babies with a couple of my older fish

 

[jethro13]

I have the same problem with the woods behind my house. the next time I visited my pond supply store I told them about the problem with the leaves and supplied me with the netting cut to the sizes that I needed. as I cover two ponds and a stream. They had a design for building the netting frame from plastic conduit and conduit fittings. I thought there has to be a better way. I came up with the same idea you had with the rebar but since my ponds are kidney and heart shaped I needed various lengths of tubing. I went to home depot and bought a 150' roll of 160psi plastic water line that you use for wells, this way I could cut the pipe to the lengths I needed. It keeps the leaves out. It does collapse under the weight of the snow in a couple of places but springs right back up when the snow melts.