Steps To Building A Pond

Posted by: Ranchugirl Aug 26 2004, 01:59 PM

Okay, as promised, here are the steps from beginning to end!! Its gonna be around 18 pictures, so enjoy!! NOthing but a few pieces of timber wood and the beginning of the concrete base.... We used the timberwood because it has a nice appearance when the pond is finished with the rounded edges.... I wonder how long this will last?..... Men at work! Its half done! Just a few more to go! There are 4 8-inch nails in a 4 ft piece, and 8 of those in a 8 ft piece of wood! 1000 sqft of pondliner on a role!.... Hurray!! The final height! That was the point when my hubby refused to touch any more hammers! Carpet is being installed on the walls and bottom of both ponds....It was free at a carpet place, so that was the best part! And finally - pond liner has been installed, and the first pond is filling up! I actually enjoyed lining the pond, although it is so much harder compared to the "little" ponds we did before.... ....more to come......

Posted by: Lachfa Aug 26 2004, 02:06 PM

HOLY MOLY! Guess that beats digging a hole any day. WOW! Looks like a neat swiming pool too . How much did that all cost you if I may ask?

Posted by: CalicoFantail Aug 26 2004, 02:11 PM

Finally, Something I've waited so long for You like to keep us on edge(nearly falling off waiting for more pic's)

Posted by: Ranchugirl Aug 26 2004, 02:17 PM

Guess who has the most fun filling up that pond?.... Julia cooling off on a hot summer day! There is a wooden board of support across the pond, just to be safe.... Both ponds filled up, and now we are working on the filter (in the back of the ponds). Added a few water hyacinths and lilies just for the looks of it!.... The outer walls of the filter, made of plywood. The filters for both ponds go through the entire length of the ponds in the back, which is 16 ft.... ......and with the compartments, 3 for each filter...... Filter finished, lined with pond liner, the compartments connected with 3 inch pvc piping, as well as a 3 inch output back into the pond. All that run by 2 1800 gl pump, one for each pond. Each pond holds around 3400 gl of water. Front view.... What we did for airation is divide the plumbing with a t-piece, so one, smaller, part of the water goes through a 3 inch pvc pipe alongside the back. That pvc pipe has holes drilled in it, every 1 1/2 inches, and sprays water over the back half of the pond. The flow can be regulated with a valve. Meanwhile, both of the filters are running. There was a terrible green pea soup color in the water (as expected) since there was almost no filter media in the ponds, and the right side is in full Florida sun all day, while the left side is somewhat shaded by a huge tree, which dumbs tons of leaves every time there is a thunderstorm. All the koi are in now (13 1-2 ft koi in the left pond, 15 smaller koi in the right one), a 40 watt UV is installed on the left side. Since we weren't able to make it to Aquatic Ecosystems yet and get some filter media, we used the one we have from running the smaller ponds where the koi originally came from, and I added 4 bags of polyester batting to each pond, as well as lava rocks and the bio medio from the existing smaller filters. Compared with the UV, the water is so much clearer now, and I can actually see to the bottom of both ponds, although there isn't a UV installed yet on the right pond. There were a few hickups, like the pumps getting clogged a lot at the beginning from all the leaves that fell in during hurricane Charley, but we drained the ponds halfway down and did a good cleaning, so it has gotten so much better. The water is still somewhat green, and we are planning on cutting down the big leave-dumping tree and have a japanese style gazebo over the ponds instead, for the shade and the looks. Cleaning of the filter is a breeze - each compartment has a valve on the bottom, and all I have to shut the power off to the pump and open those valves to do a backwash. Getting the pump out of those big ponds is also easy - the plumbing has a piece of flexible piping with a metal brace. I turn the power off, open the metal brace and take the pump out.... I like it simple, and don't wonna spend endless time on maintainance. AFter all, a few more ponds and more shallow lily ponds are pl

Posted by: Ranchugirl Aug 26 2004, 02:42 PM

Don, the filter for the right side is in the back as well. Its one large box alongside the full length of both ponds, divided into 6 compartments, 3 for each pond. Each pond has its own pump, goes through the 3 compartments, and back into the ponds. Lachfa, as for the cost, we estimated it around $1100 for the whole thing. It was 450$ for the pond liner, then we have 1 1/2 pallets of timber wood (although 1/2 pallet is leftover). The long nails and plywood were from a commission that my hubby got when returning things from another customer, carpet was free. The pumps were around 350$ together, if I remember right (out of shock we hardly keep receipts). Plumbing we always have around the house.

Posted by: Shubunkin Queen Aug 27 2004, 07:21 AM

Awesome pond set up. Imagine all the goldfish you could keep in that.

Posted by: Black oranda Aug 30 2004, 01:48 PM

Oh what a fun project, your filter sounds really handy and great and your pond looks great!I can't wait for fish pictures ?

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