Pond Kits

[fresia1999]

Thanks Sissy for all that good info. I am attaching some pictures of my pond site area. I have a small backyard. One problem I have is that when we bought our house there was a concrete storm cellar right in the middle close to the patio. My son and husband are going to take a metal probe this afternoon and find its location because it will determine where we place the pond.

 

[capewind]

Hate when things are in the way. The area you took the pic of, I can already see a pond... gonna look fantastic

 

[capewind]

Same thing here Sissy... went deeper than the suggested 3' due to winters. Other then the slight angle of the sides going down, ours is 4.5' deep, sloping down to 5'.

 

[sissy]

nice shade and sun so plants that need sun will get it but pond needs some shade to help keep algae from forming as much .Plus nice shade will give a nice spot to sit and enjoy your hard work .That's why I put mine right near the covered front porch ,i can see it while sitting up there in the cool shade and look down on the fish .Remember your electrical considerations ,if your going to have an electrician come in more is better and a circuit or 2 of there own if you have room in your breaker box is even better .A whole house surge protector will help also about a 100 to 150 worth it for piece of mind .Find a company with what is called a flat rate fee and make sure you have all the work you want done in writing and he is licensed .May or may not need to be inspected but most times does .If the company charges by the hour you may find you are paying more for them to go slower .There are good ones out there that your county can even give you names or word of mouth even better at times .Safety is #1 when it comes to water and electric

 

[sissy]

Better safe than sorry when it comes to hot and cold .The you never know .It happens been there done that motto :razz: I went deeper for here .My septic tank is about 20 feet away and heard it gives off heat and some use it and a pool to help heat and cool there houses .Who ever knew what poop could do :razz:

 

[capewind]

The only thing I am regretting about the 5' end is hubby was redoing the waterfall from the bog yesterday, and lost a few rocks LOL... someone is gonna go retrieve them at some point!

 

[sissy]

Thats why I only went 4 1/2 feet as I am only 5 feet 2 inches tall and putting the liner in by yourself being that tall is not an easy task and this way if something falls in it is not so hard to retrieve it .Just gotta check pockets and clothes for hidden fishy surprises :razz: .

 

[fresia1999]

Thank you Capewind and Sissy! Sorry it took so long to respond we have been to a funeral all day. It is part shade and sun. I worry a little because that shade comes from a big Pin Oak Tree that I am afraid will put alot of leaves in the fall in the pond. My son and husband are very mechanical minded with plumbing and electrical. My son had a Heat and Air business and my husband is a licenced plumber. So I am hoping I have the electrical and plumbing in good shape. Sissy my husband is a woodworker too. I have been sharing your ideas with my husband. I am so glad I found this forum.

 

[sissy]

Sorry to hear you had a loss .great you are all hooked up then and I found believe it or not window screening works great to cover the pond and advantage has uv protection and does not allow birds and froggie legs to get tangled in it .I use metal pipe and sew a pocket using fishing wire and a sewing needle to sew in a pocket and to sew 2 pieces together if it is not long enough .I tried bird netting and what a hassle it was .Great thing is you can see through the screening and I just use the pipe to roll it back .Almost like a swimming pool cover and works really good for when you get hail .

 

[fresia1999]

Window screen is a great idea! I was just thinking a net but you might have tangle problems.

 

[sissy]

Tangle problems :razz: I have one bird netting in the basement that looks like a giant rats nest ,could not get it untangled for the life of me .I use the electrical conduit but you can also use plastic pipe ,much cheaper

 

[kougs]

My turn. Definitely 45 mil and what I did just for added security I went on Craigslist looking for free carpeting and placed that down before the liner. I'm at 4 feet just so my kids can be safe in the event of predators. I started with a submersible in my Skimmer but went to an external pump because of cost. External pumps will use less energy. All my rocks were free from a coworkers property. Three truck loads. Phew, I'm tired. Just remember to have fun with thus experience.

I had two share some pics.

 

[fresia1999]

Kougs, does your skimmer work well? Well, I am a little disappointed. My son and husband probed around in the backyard and hit concrete a little farther over than I wanted but my son said he can work around it. Darn storm cellar!

 

[kougs]

Kougs, does your skimmer work well? Well, I am a little disappointed. My son and husband probed around in the backyard and hit concrete a little farther over than I wanted but my son said he can work around it. Darn storm cellar!

I tried a DIY Skimmer and wasn't happy so bit the bullet and bought one. You do have to keep an eye on the catch net cuz at least mine needs a good spraying about every two days. But I have 24 koi and 2 shubunkins. Those 2 produce a lot of waste. Little stinkers.
I love my Skimmer.

 

[kougs]

The Skimmer also helps keep the Surface clear. I have a huge maple tree and come fall. Well you get the picture.