My pond build. :-)

[Prosperitea]

When I moved into my Fiance's house a year and a half ago I wanted to make another pond like I had at my prior house. She had the room but there was one issue. A large Ficus tree. The root network on this think is unreal. I would dig in one place to find it loaded with roots. dig in another same thing. FINALLY I found a spot with nothing. 10 feet from the tree. Go figure.

The first pond was 45g rubber made. We wanted to see how it would look in the area of the yard. I decided to add a patio area off the side Lani. See pics.

[URL=http://s985.photobucket.com/al...0992_1043177319_1333341_4571438_n-1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[/URL][/IMG]

[/URL][/IMG]

This is how it looked at first.

 

[Prosperitea]

This pond I used a canister filter that some one gave to me when I bought my 72g bowfront for a reef tank. Worked great outside. I just had to clean it all the time.

 

[Prosperitea]

That pond stayed as it was for around 9 months. I wanted a larger pond. So I went and picked up a 20x15 liner and a cheap filter at Lowes. (bad mistake) went home and started to work.

[/URL][/IMG]

[/URL][/IMG]

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[Prosperitea]

45 minutes later it started to take shape as you see above. I made a fast call to a friend that works for a flooring store and asked if they had any carpet in the dumpster. they did. I ran and picked it up.

[/URL][/IMG]

I placed the carpet in there and unfolded the liner. placed it in there and started to fill the pond up.

[/URL][/IMG]

and I could not resist the cool water on a hot spring day.

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[Prosperitea]

few weeks prior to starting the build the guy down the street had a yard sale and sold me 5 pick up truck beds full of good sized rocks. (mostly like looks like live rock stuff.) I started to place it around the pond. I used the rock from my prior pond to make the water fall.

[/URL][/IMG]

[/URL][/IMG]

I used the Lowes Filter for the new system mated to a mag drive that pumps 750gph that flowed out at mid fall level. A second pump to the top of the falls.

 

[Prosperitea]

Pond was going nice. Ran through the cycling with out issues with two goldfish in it. water cleared up and was going smooth.. I added a few large GF. It started to cloud up two weeks ago. I bartered some lizard habitat stuff for a nice UV light. Hooked it up to the second pump. Pond cleared up crystal clear. I added a few more fish. A few days later Nicole calls me and says your filter is spewing water out the top. I had her shut it down but leave the other pump on to keep the water moving. I got home that night and found that the o-ring at the top had split. I lost about 1/4 of my water. I topped it up and started to think about what to do. I had been thinking about using a rain barrel she had as a bio filter. I asked if I could use it and she sat there thinking. I pointed out that her house does not have gutters to hook the rain barrel to and she said OK. lol. it took me a few days to gather all the stuff up to start this project. The UV was keeping it kind of clear for the most part. last Friday I noticed the pond getting green. I went over to check the UV and noticed water seeping from the top. Not a good sign. Water should not be coming out of that area. I turned it all off and found that the plastic at the top had a small gouge in it and had let water into the area of the bulb and crystal housing. Shorted out the bulb. :-( I fixed the gouge and I am now waiting on a bulb.

Monday I started on the filter at 8am. By 10 I had it finished except for having the media for it. I stuck some blue and white filter floss in there to help just catch some of the junk in the water. It's working fine. Now I am trying to track down a course media to put on the bottom and then I am going to be using deer/construction fencing roll as the bio media. Just with the blue/white filter stuff in there the pond is pretty dang clear. I can see the fish at the bottom of the pond just not crystal clear.

I tracked down a place that sells floor buffer pads for $11 each. I am going there later to pick them up. I will post a short video of the pond as it was a few nights ago.


[ame="[MEDIA=youtube]kakKfnHNzw4[/MEDIA]"]

 

[Prosperitea]

I changed the waterfall a lot. It is now longer and taller with a area at the top to act as a small bog. I intend to use the old rubber maid pond as a second bog off to the side a bit. I want to use it as a nursery for the gold fish that seem to be breeding like there is no tomorrow.

I have to rework the pump system. Like a goof I used sump pump I had on a shelf that I had used to raise a few boats with. This weekend I am going to hook the two 750gph pumps to a Y and have them feed the BD.

What should the Flow rate be? 4 minutes to 1"?

Has anyone used the Deer/construction fence in a BD?

In put and feed back are more than welcome. I hope you all like the pics and vid.

 

[j.w]

Looking very nice. Never seen rock like that before. Did you call it live rock?
You have a nice fiance to give up her rain barrel for your project.
I like that pix of you cooling off in the pond :lol:

 

[Prosperitea]

I have kept reef tanks a while and we use what they call live rock in it. I think this stuff is more like some kind of lime rock with stuff mixed in with it.

 

[SE18]

nice work; the video was a bit dark and I couldn't see everything. Maybe I need to get a different monitor. Cheers

Dave

 

[Prosperitea]

nice work; the video was a bit dark and I couldn't see everything. Maybe I need to get a different monitor. Cheers

Dave

It's not your monitor. The sun had just set when I did the video. I will do a better one soon. That way you can see all the critters and stuff.

 

[sissy]

nice bath you took there had to laugh man overboard throw in a life preserver oh never mind stand up you fool LMAO

 

[sissy]

Isn't the live rock the lighter weight rock .I know I have what the call here feather rock it is light weight but when you pick it up you better have long sleeves on and gloves it is like razor blades .I actually did like the stock tank it was cute

 

[Prosperitea]

nice bath you took there had to laugh man overboard throw in a life preserver oh never mind stand up you fool LMAO

LOL The way I dug the pond out it almost is like a reclining chair. Shallow end is around 2' the end at the falls is around 3.5 feet deep. A few minutes after that pic was taken I discovered how nice it was to sit like that in the pond. lol I think I sat in it for 30 min. ;-)

 

[j.w]

Would be kinda nice just to have a little pond that fits like a chair w/o fish in just to sit in on those nice hot days. No need for a big swimming pool :lol: