Well I got the OK to move forward with a pond. So I have been reading all I can about building and maintaining ponds that I can find. I’ve visited ponds and talked to builders. Now I’m experienced when it comes to fish tanks, turtle tanks… But never built a pond. So I’m looking for any recommendations you may have. I’m going to build it myself, I can build anything so I’m not worried.
Location:
I live in the South and my choice of site will be shaded in the afternoon (3:00 on). I don’t have a choice or options since the septic field gets in the way. But, when it is 90+ degree in the Summer it will help keep the temps down in the pond. It will be about 11’ by 9’ freeform and about two to three feet deep which is about 2200 gallons. I started digging or should I say I started with a Georgia shovel (pickax) thru the hard concrete clay and tree roots . They told me I don’t have to have a barrier between the liner and the ground, but I’ll put down 2” of sand. I’ll have a plant ledge.
My liner is from BTLiners. I talked to the guys that build water hazards and large lakes for golf courses. They don’t use the EDPM since it doesn’t hold up to the tougher conditions of a lake. The liner has a 30 warrantee; it withstands sun, golf carts, people, roots, rocks, deer, moose, weather. Plus, it comes direct from the manufacturer and half the price of the EDPM liners sold by everyone else. That includes shipping!
I’ll use some variation of the skippy filter. It works, it’s cheap and for biological functions just perfect. I found a pond skimmer on clearance for $30 and I want to put a 3” pond drain in the bottom. I’ll cement it in like they do on the Koi ponds. At the end opposite the skimmer I’ll have a waterfall. What I haven’t figured out is how the water from the drain makes it to the filter. Is it gravity fed, do they use a pump? I’ll have a pump from the skimmer to the filter with a separate feed to the filter.
No rocks in the bottom it will be bare bottom. I don’t want build an algae growing pond. I learned from my saltwater tanks that water movement means less hair algae, easier cleanup and no green water when you have proper biological filtration.
Electrical: I be using the Calpump power center. It gives me line voltage and low voltage programmable timers, GFCI, plus the 50 cord I can make it to the house. I’ll run a separate line inside the house to the outside. Building the box myself I came to about the same dollar cost, but it doesn’t have the easy to read screens to program.
Pumps – I’m at a loss hear. Don’t know what to use. Do I need two? Should the one for the skimmer be just a skimmer pump? What about the drain – need a pump? Since I’ll have about a 12” water fall figuring about 2’ feet tall? What do you do?
Looking forward to your input.
Thomas
Turtleman
Location:
I live in the South and my choice of site will be shaded in the afternoon (3:00 on). I don’t have a choice or options since the septic field gets in the way. But, when it is 90+ degree in the Summer it will help keep the temps down in the pond. It will be about 11’ by 9’ freeform and about two to three feet deep which is about 2200 gallons. I started digging or should I say I started with a Georgia shovel (pickax) thru the hard concrete clay and tree roots . They told me I don’t have to have a barrier between the liner and the ground, but I’ll put down 2” of sand. I’ll have a plant ledge.
My liner is from BTLiners. I talked to the guys that build water hazards and large lakes for golf courses. They don’t use the EDPM since it doesn’t hold up to the tougher conditions of a lake. The liner has a 30 warrantee; it withstands sun, golf carts, people, roots, rocks, deer, moose, weather. Plus, it comes direct from the manufacturer and half the price of the EDPM liners sold by everyone else. That includes shipping!
I’ll use some variation of the skippy filter. It works, it’s cheap and for biological functions just perfect. I found a pond skimmer on clearance for $30 and I want to put a 3” pond drain in the bottom. I’ll cement it in like they do on the Koi ponds. At the end opposite the skimmer I’ll have a waterfall. What I haven’t figured out is how the water from the drain makes it to the filter. Is it gravity fed, do they use a pump? I’ll have a pump from the skimmer to the filter with a separate feed to the filter.
No rocks in the bottom it will be bare bottom. I don’t want build an algae growing pond. I learned from my saltwater tanks that water movement means less hair algae, easier cleanup and no green water when you have proper biological filtration.
Electrical: I be using the Calpump power center. It gives me line voltage and low voltage programmable timers, GFCI, plus the 50 cord I can make it to the house. I’ll run a separate line inside the house to the outside. Building the box myself I came to about the same dollar cost, but it doesn’t have the easy to read screens to program.
Pumps – I’m at a loss hear. Don’t know what to use. Do I need two? Should the one for the skimmer be just a skimmer pump? What about the drain – need a pump? Since I’ll have about a 12” water fall figuring about 2’ feet tall? What do you do?
Looking forward to your input.
Thomas
Turtleman
