time for a change

[piscies75]

six years ago I dug a pond roughly 8 x 5 and roughly a foot to 1 1/2 deep on a weekend, put in the liner . I added 3 butterfly koi , shubunkins and gold fish. Had various up and downs but mostly ups, breaking all the rules. Picture 2 will show last year. The koi grew to monster proportions and died in the spring two years ago. I replaced them with wakins. Every spring I had to rebuild the sides of the pond due to the sand. This past winter was the last straw. it is time to re build. I enclose a recent photo in paint shop I have enlarged the water portion the water fall is still at the top. So far I have decided either to go 4 or 6 feet deep at the waterfall and gradually taper down to 2 or 3 feet. I have lots of lillies and love Papyrus. I had a friend over in the fish business who could arrange for cement colar around the circumference. This is where I am right now. Will be trading thoughts and suggestions appreciated. :lol:

{edit}Just a little help with your pics Steve, hope you don't mind... Terri
http://backyardpuddle.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10001/normal_new%20pond%20size%201%20copy.jpg
Photoshop pic

http://backyardpuddle.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10001/normal_pond%201%20%23.jpg
what it looks like now...

http://backyardpuddle.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10001/normal_SteveandLinda.jpg
what it looked like last year

[marla]

ooooops no picture, or maybe it's just me????

[piscies75]

try again.

[piscies75]

http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262

[piscies75]

your the best. :smile:

[marla]

There now I see them, pays to stay on board for a while. That is just gorgeous. How much bigger is that, looks like quite a bit. Every thing looks so nice. Every picture of a pond I see gives me more and more ideas, to bad they all include, expantion and landscaping, soon I'll turn into Chuck. :grin:

[Terri]

If you can get to 6 feet go for it, but 4 would be ok. If you're going to go that deep, you might want to think about installing a bottom drain.. and using a gravity fed filter - way easier to keep the bottom clean. But if you don't mind vacing the pond weekly then the choice is yours.

So where is the filter going to go? Have you decided on DIY(do-it-yourself) or a commercial bought filter?

[piscies75]

have to measure. first thing is to take out the old liner, have young guy eager to start digging. I think we are going from 8 x 5 to roughly 11 x 8 in kidney shape. toying with 6 feet. The filters would go behind the bench in the upper part of the picture, would dig them down twin 55 gallon barrels. Kaldness on top . Bottom drain is the way to go for sure. I want a more crashing waterfall, perhaps a bridge. Linda is bucking me on this part. I always win. yah in your dreams !bonk

[Jackie Ramo]

Steve, you could put the filters where the patio is now and build a deck over them. No loss of space and no moving Linda's trees... she won't let you anyway :grin:

[Merlin]

I agree with Jackie on the position of the filters, by the look of the photos space is limited so combining the filters under the patio / Decking would be a good idea. You mention the sides giving way due to the sand, I asume the sand is just the overlay to protect the liner ?.

The concrete collar is a must, I would hate to see someone fall in because the sides gave way, especialy as you are going to make it deeper. :(

[piscies75]

the whole area is sand, 300 years ago i think this area was underwater. okay maybe 1000 years, I don't remember I didn't like this area then. A friend knows a professional bricklayer who can construct notched concrete blocks and fill them with cement and rebar, the whole process is greek to me . Jackie I agree with your private comment , we don't want to upset what we have too much. Keep it simple just make it bigger and deeper. NOw to find that darn tape measurer but what the heck it is not sunny outside. Recessing the bio filters down behind the bench is still the best bet as it is baren and the patio is limited. That stone bench (a bargain at East of Alisia moving sale) would go at the closest end of the pond just past the patio. I want to put rubber carpet down over the patio hiding those nasty large patio square stones now. I want a bamboo trellace entrance. The Rolls Royce bbq , patio laterns, neon billboard and spot lights. Maybe I will tie Linda up , she is retired anyways and won't have to report anywhere and unlock her when I am finished. !wow!

[Jackie Ramo]

Putting the filters there where the bench is is going to disturb the trees and get you into trouble. Although it seems like more work to dig up the patio at least you won't be distubing any plants there. Terri should have some pics of her and Ian's old pond with the filters under the deck.

The neon sign will have to go unless it is a mermaid waving. :frisbee:

[piscies75]

oh I understand now, I am getting old. Capital idea. Yes I favor the waving mermaid too. Boy you are good. Maybe I can live with you and Smith until the climate cools down here. lol :-?

[piscies75]

resident love godess has just advised me that when she bought the house some 9 years ago, it was mentioned in the pre inspection that the patio would have to be re graded in the future. Sure enough this spring with that rapid melting of the snow we had a flood. So we can do the pond but the patio will have to be next. so no dice. :-P

[Jackie Ramo]

Silly fishie, do both at the same time. Since the yard will be a mess, anyway. Regrade the patio, put the filters there and build the pond. In a few weeks she will love you so much she will take you to Liverpool again.

[piscies75]

I'd rather go to the French Riveria, to look for the waiving mermaid of course.
Here mom just said she misses us terribly. Heck with the pond time to pack.
I got the travel bug bad...... Has anyone used roof liner? I know I have been away awhile. :wink:

[Terri]

You always make me laugh Steve :grin: And I agree with Jackie, do it all in one shot, Linda will be thankful afterwards.

Roofing liner is "ok", just needs a good scrub first. Has to be 40mil, do not, I repeat, do not go with 20mil, you'll regret it. If the roofing liner is made by FireStone, all the better,,... as their pond and roofing liner are pretty much made the same.. roofing just has a "treatment" that needs to be scrubbed off.

[piscies75]

:roll: Having to redo the pond is enough for me, I don't want to go through the trouble and expense of re-grading the patio. So ......where is that pesky bio filter going to go? 'Cos it ain't going near the house!

Linda

P.S. Steve just wants to go back to Liverpool so he can try and figure out what everyone is saying over there!

[Jackie Ramo]

Well it could got in the path and you could build a walk way over it. Might look very nice and little sloping bridge. Would really add to the trompe d'oeil of the garden. Still it would be easier in the long run to do the patio and the pond and get the mess over with.

[piscies75]

1. in the past the pond was very clear and healthy as you can see. Just running pre filter on Pondmaster 1200 to the waterfalls, and trickle filter and bubbler.
2. even though going deep wondering how much additional filtration I really need.
3. must keep ecological friendly.

[Terri]

Steve,

I don't think you would need a two barrel system for you purposes... you could settle for a smaller filter along with your TT. What about a bio-falls filter?

[piscies75]

A mini biofalls system under the Buddah waterfalls would be perfect! I saw one online that's basically a 2' cube. Perfect size, but it was kinda pricey :(
Any suggestions where to look?

Linda

[Jackie Ramo]

Linda, you and Steve are welcome to come over and look at mine, Really they are just big plastic boxes with holes cut out of them. Now they are sturdy to hold the water etc over winter but yours could be drained, actually putting a drain in is something I'l like to do for mine but the tree peony is in the way.

I think its Sheriden that carries them, of course anything there is pricey.

[piscies75]

thanks Jackie we will come over and sum up this grand plan. This is great.......... !rofl

[piscies75]

thanks for all your help to date, very exciting it is coming together. Start digging a week this Monday. Mark has several amazing ideas and plans. He is going to use all the nice Pennsylvania slate to surround the far end of the pond creating a muliti level waterfall . The buda will stay as is and will house a skimmer, bio filtration , optional uv sterlizer, mock bottom drain. This will jut into the pond from the right side . The whole pond will be 4 feet deep. We were very impressed with his inovative thinking. Stay tuned. !welcome

[Jackie Ramo]

Sounds just great, Take lots of pics to share... like Steve would miss taking a picture. :lol:

[piscies75]

Saw Ian and Terri yesterday, always great of course, picked up the Nursery Pro bio falls box . Went to Vandemeyer's purchased a few thick and light fiber mats to go in the above bio box,plan to use some bbq lava rock too and got the liner , now to get it out of the trunk. Pretty well sold on using Airtech 40 one lead to 55 gallon drum filled with kaldness and going to use the other five manifolds to run around the pond, mostly at night I think. Going with my Mag 3600 pump figure I will have around 2600 gallons. Going to use a swimming pool skimmer . Now to get it dug it out. Working today on getting the bin from a neighbour (well one street over) digging tomorrow. I hope.

[Busy B]

Now that sounds exciting! A plan! Pic's of the progress as you go please :grin:

Check into bio balls instead of the lava rock..those suckers are heavy!! I need to replace mine...Every time I move mine, I end up with red gunk...I've rinsed them repeatedly and used them for 2 years and I still see it..I do have some iron in my water but...

[piscies75]

can you come down from Alaska, weather is nice here today. Tuesday 25 .
I spoke to the guy he can have a bin here on MOnday or Tuesday at the latest. Don't worry step by step shots. :-P

[Jackie Ramo]

Steve there are a doszen things to use other than lava rock to use as bio media. Dont' ge me wrong lava rock works very well but it is heavy and cloggs easily and needs to be replaced. Strapping like the kind they wrap bundles of newspapers in, bird netting, scrubbies are all much lighter to deal with and are easily cleaned. No to mention cheap, bio balls are the best but spendy around here, if you get a deal let me know.

[piscies75]

thanks Jackie have a ton of black bird netting, I guess the big news is the resident love goddess finally said okay to setting up two 55 gallons drums of kaldness. TO be near the shed/compost and fenced in with lattice. That Mark is smoother than peanut butter.
NOw how do hook it all up? Going to have Ian prepare the drums , where do the skimmer, moke bottom drain go to? choice a) the first 55 gallon drum or b)right into the falls bio filter? thanks for your help everybody. !dude

[Busy B]

I don't know but looking forward to you getting answers :smile:

I have a few 55's laying round..wheels are turning :grin:

I've tried to find scrubbies and no one sells them! At least not one by one..bird netting may be a option...

What about tulle? Seems like it would work.

[piscies75]

http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/8/21674525 one day I figure out how to post,lol............great start. :smile:

[Jackie Ramo]

Busy Tulle I've read works great. Haven't used it myself though. Strapping seems to get a+ from folks.

Steve, I'd not run the bottom drain direct to the biofalls, i'd put it through the drum first. Ian, though may have a different opinion. And if he does, I'd go by what he says :grin:

Told Linda she should have done the patio now you can't even see it!!! !rofl

[piscies75]

yes I am thinking running the skimmer and bottom drain right to the drums at the end of the yard, then run the second drum line to the bio falls filter. I bought the coarse and fine filter pads at Vandemeirs , so may just go with this in the bio filter for the falls. I am thinking of putting the Air tech 40 in the house and running one line to drum and one to bottom drain of the pond.
INstead of in pond lights thinking of just a few rock lights with those 20 volt haligen bulbs pointing at the falls. Stay tuned......... !wow!

[Jackie Ramo]

Stop sitting at the computer and get to work. Looking forward to the progress pics.

[Merlin]

yes I am thinking running the skimmer and bottom drain right to the drums at the end of the yard, then run the second drum line to the bio falls filter. I bought the coarse and fine filter pads at Vandemeirs , so may just go with this in the bio filter for the falls. I am thinking of putting the Air tech 40 in the house and running one line to drum and one to bottom drain of the pond.
INstead of in pond lights thinking of just a few rock lights with those 20 volt haligen bulbs pointing at the falls. Stay tuned......... !wow!.

I love the low voltage rock lights , have 4 of them on the rim of the pond and 4 underwater ones to go in ( yet another job :grin: ) Keep the photos coming .

[piscies75]

http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/9/21768459


Jackie: I am the smart one , have not lifted a finger so far.
Merlin : what type of in pond lights please
anybody: Mark wants a 3600 gallon pump with an s type blade. Anybody suggest one please.

Cannot beleive these guys did this today. Special thanks to my brother Greg Dunn, Derek Mcgrath, Charles , Mark Snow. They finished the digging, next step the colar on Thursday.

[Jackie Ramo]

WooEEE Looking very good. Where's the picture of Linda with the whip :grin:

[Busy B]

So far, so good!

Like the site that's hosting your pics...cool layout!

[piscies75]

another great day. http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/2/21933119
it is all coming together.

[Jackie Ramo]

Steve, thanks for the pics. Looking just great!!!

[piscies75]

yes very impressed. the fellow in the red shirt Charles is amazing technician. He was last second replacement and we never worked with him before.
LOve my Smugmug Busy.
They said may need a underpad as roots , stuff, wondering if old carpet was seven years old in the old pond and honestly just steam clean it and put it back on the floor why can't we use again?
They are putting electrical in today, finishing the colar and digging a trench to hide the pipe from the barrels on the back wall to the bio falls. Anyone think we can t if off and run the bio falls and the low falls right beside it? also decided to plumb the outtake from the skimmer right to the pump with another imput with pre filter on the bottom of the pond. so many questions.

[piscies75]

hi nothing happening today. decided not to go with kaldness at this time. We are overbudget. :lol:

[Jackie Ramo]

Kaldness can be added later. A day off!!! Quit slacking :frisbee:

[piscies75]

hi your right Jackie , we need you to supervise these slackers.
boy got the underliner 100 linear feet x .20 foot no tax. cash on the barrel head. sweet. Hoping for water by long weekend. Steve

[Jackie Ramo]

Water by the weekend!! cool!! more pics please.

[piscies75]

hard to get good help, no progress since Monday, boo..........
our tree in the back is full of those stupid green twirlys best to let that pass. MOre reason for a bottom drain. Linda (my buttercup: sweeter each day) back to no way for any sump dug anywhere near the pond or even in this province. Hello Toyko.....hon dip koi vat? have a pleasant long weekend. :)

[Jackie Ramo]

Bummer about the progress. When are they due back? Hopefully they wil come this weekend and finish it for you.

[piscies75]

long talk and finished the parging of the cement. Wednesday afternoon underliner going in the liner after then start to fill . can't wait. Steve

[Jackie Ramo]

I bet Linda can't wait as well. Nothing like a big empty hole to bring out the beauty of the garden :lol:

[Terri]

Looking forward to seeing it completed Steve. :-)

[piscies75]

figure I need the Tetra KOI POND EXTERNAL FILTER Tetra PF3 and later the Tetra Pond GreenFree UV2 UV STERILIZER . Steve.

[piscies75]

liner in place, pond half full or have empty. 9.34 pm. May 26 yeah
http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/33/23145498

[Jackie Ramo]

Looking good!!! Linda looks like she's ready to carry the buckets to fill it :grin: Next week end and this will seem like a bad dream as you sit by the pond and enjoy the pond.

[piscies75]

http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/3/23214179, we are going it again Sunday. notice the tree helicopters already. spent half an hour in total netting them out. suckers. !welcome

[Jackie Ramo]

Well, wait as the cotton poplars are starting.... I'm sure you will not escape them. I'm further from the lake and the ground looks like snow some days. Skimmer is worth its weight in gold. or sweat.

[piscies75]

http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/3/23214179 , heck five fish, filtration, cut the liner one side and starting the bank building. Speaking of banks now broke so I am chief bottlewasher again. Going with the POndmaster 1200 to run the skimmer and Tetra Bio pf3 , and getting a Languna 2900 for the main waterfalls and Nursery pro biofalls. Still looking for plastic tables for the plants. Down the road going with Coralife 6 x turbo twist 18w uvsterilizer ........... :)

[Terri]

Looks good, cute fishies.

:-)

[Jackie Ramo]

Looking good Steve. I bet Linda is happier that there is now water in the big hole!!!

[piscies75]

yes much better, and filled to the top tonight. I was told to get some fish when I did , people commented "a little soon for fish" ?, noticed one of the koi scatching well it passed on today. OH well. Neighbours daycare clients still chiming in about needs a six foot fence, yah , come over here and say that. The bulk head fitting for the Nursery pro bio falls is not going to work hoping BIg AL's has them. I have 40 feet of 1 and half pipe when it looks like 1 and quarter is the popular fit. back to drawing board. The Laguna 2900 is only 130 watts and should be in later this week. Yes it is coming together. thanks for all your help. :smile:

[Jackie Ramo]

Are you using a dechlor for the water?

[piscies75]

yes indeed I am. thanks, okay matheticians: 1 bucket water to fill 5 USA gallons took 100 seconds or 0:01:40 whole pond took 9 hours and 10 minutes so magical question how many gallons please? !wow!

[piscies75]

fish bombing around the pond in the sunlight, today, why not levels:
nitrate, amonia nitrate nil, ph 7.4
got the bulk head for the biofalls, pump will be in next week. anyone good a building low level waterfalls? Resident love godess putting Parry Sound slate with large **(she thinks are huge) and doing a fine job. My underwater light for $21 usa came too, works great as long as you keep it in the water. otherwise lens melts, lol.........how about those Blue Jays, night Al !rofl ice

[Rembrandt]

Hi Piscies75,
It's been a long day for me but I think I still have some math left in me. :wink:
If my number crunching is correct and your timing is correct,
I came up with 1833.33 gallons.
You averaged a gallon every 20 seconds and it took 550 minutes to drain.

Hope this helped. (hope I'm right :lol: )
Time for me to go home.
Rembrandt

[Dewi]

Mines a little different, you have 9hr/10min if you change these to minutes on my clock it gives you 550min............ as Rembrant sez 1/gal every 20seconds, this gives you 3 gals a min multiply 550 by 3..... gives you 1650. :grin:

I see the idea behind your ring of concrete blocks, stopping the top layer of sand from falling in, but whats supporting the blocks, A better idea would have been to build them off footings from the bottom, hope it works for you.
Dewi.

PS By the way, the pond looks good, had to do mine by my self son away at uni :roll:

[piscies75]

hi thanks , must convert from US gallons to Imperial too, will do a google,
must be something wrong basic pond measurements 8 x 12 x 4 ft x 7.5 is over 2800 gallons. Dewi what holding up block? cut right into the earth, he used re bar and cement in one of those u shaped blocks, it seems pretty solid I can only hope. Looks like I will do the rest of it myself. Will research as ask around. The Tetra pf 3 bio filter has a venturi on it. the pump I put a small piece of floss on the pump intake I think I will need to increase this. My main pump to run the run the falls comes next week.

[Dewi]

My calculations were based on the information you gave me, If your watering can is 5 US gals then 1650 is your answer, If it was imperial then the same 1650. Thjere are 3.785 lietres to a US gal and 4.546 imperial, the difference is almost 3/4 of a litre.

[Dewi]

hi thanks , must convert from US gallons to Imperial too, will do a google,
must be something wrong basic pond measurements 8 x 12 x 4 ft x 7.5 is over 2800 gallons. Dewi what holding up block? cut right into the earth, he used re bar and cement in one of those u shaped blocks, it seems pretty solid I can only hope. Looks like I will do the rest of it myself. Will research as ask around. The Tetra pf 3 bio filter has a venturi on it. the pump I put a small piece of floss on the pump intake I think I will need to increase this. My main pump to run the run the falls comes next week. I take it thats US, Imperial is 2392. Yep something wrong, Its important that you calculate youtr pond Dim accurately or at least more so than is already,

If someone was running off water to your supply this will decrease the pressure, therefor the 100 sec to fill 5 gall would be incorrect as the 5 gals would have filled quicker. :)

[Jackie Ramo]

What happened to reading the meter??? :frisbee:

[piscies75]

hi shots from today went swimming. http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/3/23830356 got the plant table in, looking great, hope to finish it all Sunday.
we ended up without a meter, silly I know. I used a 5 gallon usa bucket of Indian Ocean Salt water mix, empty ,.....we filled it over a few days, in spirts. it is looking good.

[Jackie Ramo]

Nice shots, water looks cold.

[Charla]

The number of gallons your pond holds calculated by measuring would be accurate IF you pond was a cube. You ... or your pond... has curves. :lol: I'd trust the bucket. Looks great, that was a lot of work.

[piscies75]

at first yes, but at 68 degrees was okay until the sun went down. Was longer than I thought as the table wanted to float. We took out the umbrella plug and it settled down a bit,lets hope anyways . I think the rocks will help the bio and we plan to put the famous spitting fish in the middle. Sunday we hope to put in the water falls and finish the bio falls & finish the electrical , move the Tetra pf3 to nearer the house where the old rose bush was, we are going to elevate it on concrete blocks for better flow and hide it later. NOw I don't want to take the plunge again anytime soon, but my little Perfect Peach and resident love godess, wonders out loud, " how do you put the fertilizer spikes in the three water lillies on the bottom?. " $5 to best idea that works , all judging will take place in an exotic hidden location and this year we have the on our panel the Canadian Idol judges so if you can sing it, you stand a better chance. hats off mom :-P

[Charla]

try a piece of PVC pipe larger in diameter than a fertilizer spike and use a dowel...broomstick or ??? as a ramrod . Or you could blow it in like a dart : !rofl :lol: !rofl

[piscies75]

looky, looky http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/50/23958345

Charla our judges says : your singing should be restricted to the shower and your idea too. just kidding , heck you win a prize ............yes you and a long lost relative twice removed on your aunt Clara's side; namely me, will come and stay with you in beautiful California for the summer ........yes , get that guest room ready, ..........b flat .";it never (high c) rains (e minor) in Southern California....."

[Jackie Ramo]

:lol: :lol: I think the Buda looks handsome there.

give the pellets to the fish, they will poop on the lilies no need to get wet.

[piscies75]

moved beside the red maple looks great. the inch and half flex pipe does not fit any of the Home Depot fittings. drats,,,,,,,what a pain. also cannot locate a one and half inch ball valve. ANy swimmimg supply stores around?
right now only running bio falls and just a trickle coming out, filter floss full, trying to give Lovely Linda instructions over the internet to fix. goodnight Alice. :-?

[piscies75]

wow, she did it. biofalls back working only 30 degrees outside, lol..........more than a pretty face. :frisbee:

[Jackie Ramo]

You better hope she isn't reading these threads or you will have hot tongue and cold shoulder for dinner!!

Big pool place over on Kenedy rd... Beta Pools or something.

[piscies75]

my favourite , I also love a women with spunk. Honestly I am flattering her; now for the latest adventures. Tried several Home Depot's they don't have 1 and half inch ball valves, so I went to Big Al's Kennedy Road. they will have some tomorrow . They explained I bought Laguana pipe and only their fittings will work. HOme Depot wrong size fitting $17, Big AL's apparently proper size. $41. ouch those bandits. Onward and outward. !dude

[Jackie Ramo]

At least home depot will give you your money back.

[piscies75]

plumbing is always fun, ....not............http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/51/24623746

[Jackie Ramo]

Very nice Steve!!! You and Linda should be proud of the hard work you did.

[piscies75]

had my pretty goldfish go surfing, jumped clear over the waterfalls, took the day off work hookey, so went to Big Al's where I had a $40 credit and bought 3 small cute walkins. http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/4/24872748
have been shooting for my bbq for the photoclub this Thursday and looks good , other than we are broke
thanks Jackie for the tip on reducing .15 amonia, all levels perfect again. :grin:

[Jackie Ramo]

Now the bad news!! Fish do not jump out of ponds if they are happy!! Are you Q'ing these fish or just dumping them into the pond? Any other symptoms?

[piscies75]

had about 20 people over last night from the Beaches photoclub , despite iffy weather it was a nice night. They loved the pond and the fish tank downstairs and the front garden. Lost two of the walkins in a power head and pulled them out in front of everybody, drats, but have since installed a guard on it :-) . Jackie the four remaining fish seem fine. From what I have read healthy fish often jump trying to catch bugs but I am certainly a newbie really.

[Jackie Ramo]

Most fish don't jump but a few do. Keep an eye out for them... some folks are lucky and some are not when it comes to the lottery of buying parasite free fish.

[piscies75]

hi pretty happy with it so far http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/5
nothing like sitting at night with the waterfalls lights on, and the accent light over the surface. At 4 feet deep not used to the fish being so shy , though.

[Jackie Ramo]

Looks great Steve. The fish will come around they just have to train you to feed them shrimp.

[piscies75]

woke up Sunday morning to find my bio falls had crashed into the pond. I guess my new fat buda was too much. Randall Clarke had said in his talk at the koi club meeting that he hated flex kink hose because it almost impossible to join it anything. He recommend a rubber pipe clamp with dual metal hose clamps at the ends. They are certaintly better. See you do learn ...maybe the hard way but........will post buda picture at smugmug soon.

[Jackie Ramo]

What a rude awakening!!! Is that the budda you were talking about buying??? fat buddas weigh a lot!!!

[piscies75]

the one I was looking at Gardenscapes was $99 it was a cool earthy bronze colour , the same model was at Trinity Gallery for $55 but only in green or charcoal, see http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/5/27119766 ,
as you know still playing with the plumbing and pumps but it seems when the slate and buda hit the pond it may have put a hole in the liner. I am losing 6" plus a day. I hope not .... oh the wife is home , party is over. lol.....

[Jackie Ramo]

Hope Linda had a good trip.

6" a day!!! oh oh, that's not good...

[piscies75]

filled up the pond yesterday afternoon , this am down an inch or two will get out the ruller tomorrow . heck it is hot . :-? Still working on a pump, some people say cannot parts for the Beckett's

[Jackie Ramo]

An inch perhaps but not 6 inches... look for that leak. Doesn't have to be big, just constant.

[piscies75]

I am running two pumps now, it has been suggested I turn the one off that controls the bio waterfalls to see if the leaking is in the waterfalls , lost half an inch additional yesterday. lots of fun. Mosquitos bad at night, anyone using those new machines (traps) or candles? S

[Terri]

Steve we're losing water to due to evaporation, it's bad in this heat. The water garden goes down about 3" a day and the koi and fry ponds about the same... I think it was Monday intoTuesday that the koi pond went down a total 6 inches. I did a water change late Tueday morning and by the evening it had gone down again by 1 1/2".

Still, I would do as suggested and look for a leak, the biofalls is a good place to start.. check the bulkhead fitting.

Out here in the sticks nothing saves you from the mossies, not even Muskol! Between 8:30pm and 10:00pm it's just best stay inside LOL

[Jackie Ramo]

Mine is only going down an inch a day, less yesterday with no breeze.

Skeeters, you got skeeters?? None near the pond but I got ate alive picking raspberries in the back yesterday. I wonder how they are breeding since its been so dry here....

[Terri]

We have wind, lots of wind... it's about the only thing that makes being outside in this heat "comfortable". Wind + Heat = Lots of evaporation. I filled the fry pond up yesterday evening, 2 1/2" top up, well looks like I didn't do it at all this morning.

With mossies comes loads of dragonflies and I think I saw a couple of purple martins the other day :grin: I don't know how Ian does it when home, he goes out into the bush to do whatever... if I happen to go out there I don't get 4ft in without being attacked!!

[piscies75]

no breeze here very often , sheltered. I have some citronalla torches maybe put some deet on. As for the pond have virtually put all the plumbing fittings in the pond now. Should have set up a spray bar for the waterfalls and not just put holes in the pipe like Randall said in his talk . I am going to buy the Beckett pump and take out the Pondmaster. SO let me get there and I will report back. cheers . !dude

[Jackie Ramo]

Get to work!!

How is the lovely Linda?

[piscies75]

http://dunn.smugmug.com/gallery/498262/5/29522417 bought 3 or 4 years ago first time bloom. WOrked really hard on the pond today. Was actually in the pond adjusting for 3 hours , the power was out anyways in whole neighbourhood. Just as I exited on the power came. thank God , I was getting worried. More pictures to follow . Got a real shock to find maybe 10 baby fish? I thought all my fish were less than a year old. Strange stuff. Suddenly ponding is more exciting again.

[piscies75]

hi again, Linda is suffering algeries but otherwise fine. When I went in the pond last I saw too many babies, must have been that larger goldfish that jumped out last month to her demaise. Managed to catch one of the babies and it is a goldfish. :-P

[Jackie Ramo]

Goldfish are the pond world's answer to rabbits :lol: Still it is fun to have babies in the pond.

[piscies75]

the novelty of babies has worn off, managed to catch a dozen of them, air stone bucket, but what now? offered them free to others , no takers, oh well. Still have a few to catch . Pond doing good, going to move the biofalls around the corner to the little spruce and maybe recess it a bit.
OUr new front driveway with cobblestones is almost finished, pictures to follow. !wow!

[Jackie Ramo]

I have about 50 babies in the pond myself... plus a few in the lotus bucket and 8 in the aquarium.... Cute but yes, now what indeed!!

[piscies75]

I do have a 20 gallon I am not using, but I have two beta fish , a small 1 gallon salt water tank, and my 180 gallon, how many fish do you need? It must be boring for them they just hang around the air stone. Glad to hear you got your pump hooked up Jackie , I love my Beckett, huge difference.
, you got to love ponding

[Jackie Ramo]

Well you have to feed them and change their water. Big Al's may take them or your buddy on Kingston road.

[TASSAJARA]

Jackie, at least you don't have to burp them. :lol:

[Jackie Ramo]

At the rate mine are eating... I'm not so sure!!! I'm feeding the fry 6-8 times a day plus they get green water once a day... still smaller than the pond fry....

[piscies75]

electrical almost fully in. a few shots of fish growing like crazy, will post new waterfalls/stream took biofalls and moved it back and around the bush

[piscies75]

here it is

[Jackie Ramo]

Steve, it looks great! Fish look healthy and happy. Is Linda happy yet?

[piscies75]

well not really, Mark did a really nice job of putting the wire in conduit and a super terminal demarkation point with a beautiful clear cover that will keep things dry but ...............only one, i have at least 10 things plugged into the pond and used extension cords because Mark installed it all in the night with a light on a helmut. he is so busy............lol.............he could up picked worms for food. anyways, LInda had a fit when I hooked up all these extensions as she says I squashed her plants. ectra, she just ripped them out, so I put them back again. ....she is leaving this weekend for England , god bless her. Otherwise we are never closer since the last daughter moved out. Last night we sat on the porch and talked for hours listening to the CBC classical without commercials. Come and See it everybody it is breathtaking. Steve

[Terri]

Looking very good Steve :grin: Best wishes to Linda for a safe trip...

[Jackie Ramo]

Better get Mark back while she is away and get it fixed... it will be a nice welcome home for her. Besides all those extension cords are dangerous!!

Besides I know she's going to see her mother so she can avoid wanting to go back to school :lol:

[Busy B]

Looks great! Love the choice of rock in the waterfall :eek:

[piscies75]

extension cords are outside ones, running uv sterlizer with two imputs, before he put in the main box the gfi was tripping every time it rained. Now I don't think that will be a problem. I love a good story. Need lots more rocks for the waterfalls/stream thanks busy bee