Don't worry it has already been dug, so no help shoveling needed. 
The plan is to have a wedge shaped pond, deep end 4' approximately 8' accross and a little over 20' in length. I am using the firestone 45 mil liner with an underlayment. Also I have been advised by some locals to put down chicken wire to prevent critters (gophers and chipmonks) from burrowing and chewing through my liner. Seems like an easy and cheap solution if it is necessary. I figured it can't hurt.
I plan to have just some goldfish, approximately 8-10 from my old preformed pond. 6 of them are over 8 years old. I am going to have a ledge for potted plants running the length. On the oppisite side of the ledge is my deck. The water will run right to the edge of the deck, with no railing. I'm hoping it will be a good effect. I have no small children but I do have a chocolate lab, Scooby. It might be challenge to keep him out of the water.
I was going to build a water fall box right on the deck to flow into the deep end. I was thinking of hiding underneath it my filtration. A rubbermaid tub with the "stuff" to collect helpful baterial as well as to remove particulates. I do want to in incorporate a UV system as well. The top of the waterfall box will have lava rock and whatever type of pretty plants my wife likes at the moment. Additionally I was thinking of having 3-4 powerheads on the wall of the deep end and connecting them to a red sea wave maker(have it already from my salt water days) to make some wave action to the shallow end of the pond.
I have been running preformed ponds, waterfall with a bog for years. They ranged from 50 - 300 gallons.
So my questions are;
1. am I completely frickin nuts? (no fair asking my wife)
2. What type of filtration system should I build? I would like to keep it to a 3.5' square box or so?
3. This pond will have alot of direct sunlight, how big of a UV system should I get?
4. What am I missing? I would rather over plan, over spend to start with to get a stable, easy to care for and pretty system. Pittsburgh does have a fairly cold and long winter. So I might have to plan for that as well.
Any and all advice is welcome.
I have spent some time looking through the filtration basics and other threads for help.
The plan is to have a wedge shaped pond, deep end 4' approximately 8' accross and a little over 20' in length. I am using the firestone 45 mil liner with an underlayment. Also I have been advised by some locals to put down chicken wire to prevent critters (gophers and chipmonks) from burrowing and chewing through my liner. Seems like an easy and cheap solution if it is necessary. I figured it can't hurt.
I plan to have just some goldfish, approximately 8-10 from my old preformed pond. 6 of them are over 8 years old. I am going to have a ledge for potted plants running the length. On the oppisite side of the ledge is my deck. The water will run right to the edge of the deck, with no railing. I'm hoping it will be a good effect. I have no small children but I do have a chocolate lab, Scooby. It might be challenge to keep him out of the water.
I was going to build a water fall box right on the deck to flow into the deep end. I was thinking of hiding underneath it my filtration. A rubbermaid tub with the "stuff" to collect helpful baterial as well as to remove particulates. I do want to in incorporate a UV system as well. The top of the waterfall box will have lava rock and whatever type of pretty plants my wife likes at the moment. Additionally I was thinking of having 3-4 powerheads on the wall of the deep end and connecting them to a red sea wave maker(have it already from my salt water days) to make some wave action to the shallow end of the pond.
I have been running preformed ponds, waterfall with a bog for years. They ranged from 50 - 300 gallons.
So my questions are;
1. am I completely frickin nuts? (no fair asking my wife)
2. What type of filtration system should I build? I would like to keep it to a 3.5' square box or so?
3. This pond will have alot of direct sunlight, how big of a UV system should I get?
4. What am I missing? I would rather over plan, over spend to start with to get a stable, easy to care for and pretty system. Pittsburgh does have a fairly cold and long winter. So I might have to plan for that as well.
Any and all advice is welcome.
I have spent some time looking through the filtration basics and other threads for help.
