New member, filtration question

[Shotzi21]

Hi all!

I am in the beginning stages of building a pond for my two labs (who will be in it every waking hour!) and of course a few small fish and myself. The pond will be 2,446 gallons and it will be 15 ft long by 8 ft wide. It will have straight, verticle sides except for one of the longer ends having an easy sloped entrance for my dogs with river rock there either 4-6 ft in as I need a 2 ft drop. I'm not sure whether it is better to slope or put a couple steps there. Opposite of that on the other end will be a raised 4' by 4' bog dumpng into to a 6 ft or so stream entering the pond.

I was planning to have a decent sized skimmer off to the side on the shallower end, a biological filter, bottom drain and and aerator in the middle. I was thinking it would give good water circulation with the stream dumping in on one end, skimmmer on other and aerator in the middle. With the dogs in the pond, it will be very important imo.

I visited a pond place yesterday (hard to find any in Southern Jersey) and they wrote me out an estimate of materials. The skimmer they recommended was Atlantic PS4500. with a 4800 gph pump. I just noticed on the internet that the pump is over the reccomended GPH for the skimmer. I am pretty confused on the isssue of pumps and filters. I do know that I would like the pond to turn over once per hour. I have been reading alot on the internet and in this forum and finally joined.

Cost for the pump and skimmer is not a huge factor. Keeping a clear and healthy pond is. Any recommendations anyone could give would be highly appreciated.

I still don't have the plumbing worked out yet. That is confusing to me. I would like to keep an aerator on the winter and the filter if possible.

 

[HTH]

I would forget the fish and build a water feature for the dogs to play in. Something you can keep chlorinated.

With a pond in a few months you will be asking how to clean your fishy smelling dogs algae stained coat.

 

[sissy]

welcome and true .You could make it like a salt water pool .Plus labs shed and may clog up a filter or pump fast .

 

[capewind]

welcome .. are you doing a liner or concrete? wondering how long a liner would take Lab nails?

 

[Shotzi21]

They go swimming in a big pond alot, but it is large about an acre. Sometimes it has algae and sometimes it doesn't. They eat the large fish if they can catch them but ignore the small ones. So I figured a couple goldfish and a few minows or just minows are fine. I really don't care much about algae and neither do they. And fish well, they roll in it if they find a dead one. They have never had bathes, they swim alot and they really don't smell.

Do you really think that good filtration, etc won't keep a pond fairly well with dogs going into it? When I say fairly well, I mean safe for them to swim in. I am not expecting pool water. I've seen the green algae on the side of ponds and that doesn't bother me and I'm sure won't bother them. I've had dogs all my life and they sleep in my bed. I have slept with hair, fleas, ticks, and I could go on..

My question is....will a pond that size with good filtration stay healthy enough for dogs to swim in? If not, then yes a pond would be out of the question. But so would a pool as I am not fan of chlorine and it can cause a skin reaction to dogs and dry brittle coat.

 

[Shotzi21]

Their nails are short and they will be off the ground in 2 foot. They would have an 8' by 8' by 4' deep place to swim. I am using a liner and was going to put river rock at the entrance to help save the liner.

My first answer was to the first poster, I didn't realize more people replied in the mean time.

I thought about salt water but I live by the beach and the salt water dries their coat and skin is why I take them to that pond.

 

[HTH]

Given that you already have them swimming in the pond I would say go for it.

Not everyone is gifted or cursed with the same sense of smell.

Does their hair float? If so brushes in the skimmer might catch it. It not I am sure you could figure out something to catch it. Maybe something as simple as window screen.

Using rocks on the entrance should work. The steep side should keep them from ruining the liner elsewhere. I would use at least 45 mil EPDM rubber.

You may have times where the water turns pea soup green. If it is problem keep the dogs out till it can be fixed.

 

[Shotzi21]

I did a dog hair test in the bathroom sink. One has coarse hair and half floats and half sinks. The other has finer hair and it floats. So half of the shedded hair off of one dogs will sink. The 45 mil liner is what I was thinking and hoping that it would hold up.

I also visited another place yesterday that sells koi. I wanted to see what they looked like in person but as soon as I did, I realized I could not put them in the pond with the dogs as they are large. They would be also be too stressed I believe, with the dogs in the pond. They are beautiful fish. The koi place did tell me they don't do ponds but could order me 60 mil EPDM. Not sure if the price difference is worth it though.

Thank you all for your answers and suggestions. I am really on the fence about this pond. I want a pond badly, but on the other hand I'm not knowlegeable enough to know enough about ponds to know if a pond would work with my dogs. Friends I have mentioned it to tell me I'm crazy or I'm going to create a mosquito swamp. The few ponds I have seen down here are beautiful.

 

[HTH]

Mosquitos are not a problem. If they show up you can toss a mosquito dunk (think that is the name). Generally the fish keep them under control.

Look for EPDM at roofing contract suppliers. Should be much cheaper then a pond outlet.