Sparky’s 355

[Sparky]

Sparky submitted a new Showcase Item:

Sparky’s 355

Medium aquarium experience. Only able to excavate 12” due to very large boulders. Hand dug what I could and settled for the tank pond approach. 2” HP Certifoam footprint. This gives me an extra week or so on both sides of winter. Ely MN has stretches of below 0 F that last for weeks. Usually at least twice a winter. -40 F happens. 2x4 pressure treated frame glued and screwed. Inner skin is 1/2” pressure treated plywood glued and screwed. Next the pump house.
Let me mention now this project was/is 50% planning and 50% scheming on the fly with what I had around or could come up with. Pump house has a 1.5x6” gate into the tank. Spillway is acrylics and silicone so the liner could mate to the gate. Spills through a .75” pvc grid into a 6 gallon waste can with my pump. Pump house has a solid pressure treated floor (2x4s) with overflow drains. Water travels through the framing into the garage where...a picture is worth about $90. Experiment. Not a new idea. Effective. Cheap. Returns to tank via a mini bog and water feature. Outside tank is combination of scrap, bought and milled materials. This will be a work in progress hopefully. On to bigger ideas!

Read more about this showcase item here...

 

[addy1]

Nice build!

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

Looks great @Sparky can't wait to see it all stained and of course pictures of your little wiggle butt fish friends!

 

[Sparky]

June 20 2018

• Sparky
• Jun 21, 2018

Starting to get that lived in look.

More plants! Starting to get that lived in look.

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

Looking very nice @Sparky , love the plants.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Nice plants! Your pond looks great. I enjoyed the build pictures. Looks like the dog was the job site supervisor.
Stephen

 

[Sparky]

Nice plants! Your pond looks great. I enjoyed the build pictures. Looks like the dog was the job site supervisor.
Stephen

That’s Dozer. Yeah he makes sure things run smoothly. Loving the plants as well but something is amiss. My lettuce is really started to yellow. Parameters are good.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Four things to check: Sunburn if the plant is rapidly introduced outdoors without slow acclimation. Lack of nutrients. Fish eating the roots. Cold nights. Sparky, see if any of those apply and I'll help you work the problem. My regards to Dozer!
Stephen

 

[Sparky]

They have been outdoors for a little over a month. I have seen overnights in the mid 40F range. Right at the cusp of summer is still a bit chilly here. Nutrients, not sure. 7 well fed comets a month and a half in there. They’re in the 4-6 inch range. My water is still green as this year I’m just letting it run its course.

 

[Stephen Noble]

They are well away from your waterfall so spray isn’t a problem. My guess is that it is the cool evenings.
Stephen

 

[Sparky]

Kind of the way I’m leaning as well. Luckily those are about over. 56F last night.

 

[Lisak1]

And sometimes floaters just don't do well for a reason you never figure out. I can grow them like crazy in my pondless waterfall, but they generally won't grow in my pond. One has fish, one doesn't. One gets more sun than the other. Who knows. They're cheap, so I just keep trying!