Pics Of My Pond

[SeaWitch]

Here are a few pics of my very first attempt at a "pond". Please don't laugh, LOL! I hope to do an in-ground pond next spring.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/Seawitch1/Fish%20Pics/FishPics164.jpg

With the cover on it...

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/Seawitch1/Fish%20Pics/FishPics165.jpg

The box my FIL made to go around it...

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/Seawitch1/Fish%20Pics/FishPics163.jpg


I'm sorry if I didn't post these in the right section or if pond pics are not allowed.

[marlin08]

nice set-up, great top !

[bigbettadan]

With that nice a box, I would take the tub out, line with pond liner, good to go...........

Dan

[SeaWitch]

Thanks Wynn and Dan!

The box is made of only vinyl siding and some boards, so I know it would not hold the weight of all the water by itself.

[devins23]

Nice pond! Is that the 110 gallon tub?

[SeaWitch]

Nice pond! Is that the 110 gallon tub?

Thank you! It is a 150g.

[eros]

I like the setup, Nickie, but it sure looks like a Goldfish Maximum Prison. What would be the purpose of the box besides as a stand for the cover? I would think about what was prev. suggested by adding a 45 mil pond liner and reinforcing the box, which will hold more water= more fish:exact:B-)


ross

[eros]

BTW, is that a marineland bio-wheel filter floating in the pond?

[SeaWitch]

Yes, it is a bio-wheel. I used it to help seed the pond and I just haven't taken it out yet.

It may look like a prison, but it is much better than what my fish were in before. I had my two biggest fish in a 30 gallon long and they were outgrowing it. I wanted to have a space where I could put most of my fish together and not have so many tanks to clean. I couldn't afford a 150g aquarium, so I got this instead. I plan on doing an inground pond next spring and of course, making it bigger.

[LePoissonRouge]

I love it because it's right next to the hose and it doesn't look too hard to make. But I think I would make the sides of the box lower so I could sit on the edge.

[SeaWitch]

Thanks so much! My fil made the box for me as a "gift" and I couldn't turn it down. I, too, wish the box was shorter, but I figured it would do okay for this summer. For my in-ground pond, he is going to make me a big archway to cover half of it out of trellis and I will plant some vining/climbing flowers to grow up and over it, providing some shade for the fish and I also plan on putting a bench beside it, as well, to sit and enjoy the fish.

[SeaWitch]

Please excuse my lack of knowledge on building material terms! I meant to say that my filis building me an archway out of lattice, not trellis. LOL! You can tell that I am not mechanically inclined when it comes to building things! You would think after being married to a contractor salesman for all these years and having a fil who is a contractor, I would know the terms better. However, they have no idea how to take care of fish, so I got them on that one!:yess:

[Veil Gal]

Nickie, If your husband is a contractor--you've got it made! He certainly has access to ground excavating equipment. You could buy a 300 gallon rubbermaid trough, like I have, and have him install it in the ground for you. Then you can make a pond that is very natural looking and plant perennials all around like I've done. If you have the space and dollars, I would recommend you put in an even larger pond with a high quality rubber liner. It really is true, everyone who installs a pond, later wishes they had a bigger one..... Then you can use your 150 gallon tub indoors for a spawning tank :exact:

[SeaWitch]

Thanks so much! My fil is a contractor, but unfortunately, he doesn't have the ground-digging equipment. I do plan on doing an in-ground pond next year and I guess hubby and I will dig the hole ourselves. I have a friend who uses a tarp from Wal-Mart as a liner in her's (she has a pond aprox 800g) and it only cost her about $15 for the tarp. The only thing that bothers me about a true in-ground pond is worrying about water run-off when it rains and predators. My husband (being a contractor salesman) can get those stock tanks at wholesale prices, so I am leaning towards getting a couple of them and burying them half way in the ground and leaving about a foot above ground. I really don't know exactly what I am going to do yet, but I am researching different pond styles right now.:exact:

[Lari]

Nickie,

If you dig an inground pond you can use some of the dirt you dig to "berm" up the sides. then run the liner over the berm..put rocks/flagstone on top and your good to go, no run off. (picture and upside down J and perhaps you can envision what I mean here. Or, if you go for a more formal pond you can also use pavers for the part you raise above ground level. put liner over pavers at the level you want the water to be at, then a cap stone paver over the liner.

When you say someone you know used a tarp as a liner my first thought is that you want to be VERY careful that whatever you use as a liner is fish safe material. I'd also be concerned about durability with a tarp.

Good luck with whatever you do.

[SeaWitch]

Thanks, Lari! Using dirt for a berm is a great idea!:worship: Olivia is the one who used the tarp instead of a liner and she buys a new one each year. She also lets it sit in water and then changes the water, lets it sit again, etc, to make sure nothing leeches from the tarp after she adds her fish. She does this every year and so far her fish have done great.:youtellme: Thanks so much for the ideas! I am going to study up on yours and Bruce's pond install on AP so I can get more idea before I do this thing. I def. want to do it right!

[Veil Gal]

I recommend NOT to cheap out on the liner. It is better to buy a high quality liner, spend the money upfront. Then only do the project ONCE. You don't want to dig up the cheap tarp and re-do the pond again. No way. Especially if you plant perennials and install rock work, etc. Assuming you plan to stay at your current home for awhile....

[Lari]

I agree with veil girl. Replacing a liner yearly seems like a lot of unnecessary work to me.

Also, part of the reason I caution to be EXTRA sure you have a fish safe liner is because we had a serious problem when we built the first tank in our basement. We built the tank so we could bring our koi and goldies in for the winter a few years ago, because the koi were getting too big to winter over in our 18" deep pond. We heard about a company that was just beginning to manufacture custom made "box" liners at really reasonable prices. The manufacturer thought the material they were using was fish safe. But as it turned out it definitely wasn't. We lost all the koi and common goldies we'd had for over 3 years within a week. It was a heartbreaking time. We built the tank trying to protect them, and ended up killing all of them. The manufacturer did feel awful about it, and did everything they could to 'make it right' but I wouldn't want to wish such an experience on anyone.

I've also heard stories about how the materials in the totes type tubs that are commonly used to hold goldies in QT, can actually react to medications like Tri-Cide neo and kill the fish.

[marlin08]

I agree with veil girl. Replacing a liner yearly seems like a lot of unnecessary work to me.

Also, part of the reason I caution to be EXTRA sure you have a fish safe liner is because we had a serious problem when we built the first tank in our basement. We built the tank so we could bring our koi and goldies in for the winter a few years ago, because the koi were getting too big to winter over in our 18" deep pond. We heard about a company that was just beginning to manufacture custom made "box" liners at really reasonable prices. The manufacturer thought the material they were using was fish safe. But as it turned out it definitely wasn't. We lost all the koi and common goldies we'd had for over 3 years within a week. It was a heartbreaking time. We built the tank trying to protect them, and ended up killing all of them. The manufacturer did feel awful about it, and did everything they could to 'make it right' but I wouldn't want to wish such an experience on anyone.

I've also heard stories about how the materials in the totes type tubs that are commonly used to hold goldies in QT, can actually react to medications like Tri-Cide neo and kill the fish.


That's awful, Lari!!
What totes type tubs are you talking about, is there a particular brand or type of tub to beware of?

[SeaWitch]

Veil Gal and Lari, thanks so much for your suggestions and ideas. Lari, I am so sorry that happened to you and Bruce. How awful for you both! I know it is hard when something bad happens to our fish, but when we share those experiences with others, at least we may end up saving someone elses fish.

I, too, am interested in hearing more info about the totes. I am not using any now for my fish, but have in the past and would prolly reach for one again if I really needed it. I shudder to think that one of those may end up killing my fish!

[Lari]

I'm not exactly certain what type of tote. I'm just recounting what we were told over a year ago at the Indy ZNA show.

We were at the show with some of our fish, and one of them started displaying signs of illness while at the show. We went and got some distilled water and did a tricide neo dip on the fish (we used one of our fish bags). It was someone who was there observing that told us about it, so I'm not speaking from personal experience. It was my understanding that it was a chemical reaction of the plastic and the med that was the problem.

[SeaWitch]

WOW, scary! Thanks for sharing that with me!!!