Building a 9'x25' pond

[Muske]

Def. slope or step into the deep end. It makes it easier for humans and Jack Russells to get out in the event of a drunken stumble. You will want it stepped so cleaning that deep end will be easier. Great looking tanks BTW. I can't believe your Mbunas don't tear up the hornwort.

 

[bichirsruletheworld]

Wow very nice tanks. I love that 72 bow tank. Good luck with your pond.

 

[mrunlucky07]

Thanks.

It will have a bridge over it connecting the side door to the back yard, so at some point there will probably be an incident requiring climbing out. Part of the reason I planned the shallow side. Children are not in the picture, and we have the yard enclosed with a 6' fence so hopefully it won't be tested unplanned.

You will want it stepped so cleaning that deep end will be easier

Not sure if I follow. When it goes from 24" to 60" is a slope better, one step, or multiple steps?

I can't believe your Mbunas don't tear up the hornwort.

Thats one of their favorite activities I started of with a small clump about 6 months ago and it grows so fast I just pull it out as it becomes thrashed, and there is always still an abundance. I also have to clean the floss in the sump very frequently with it, but that only takes a minute.

 

[mkman]

WOW! fantastic! Do you know what you will put in the pond? Pls say "monster catfish"

 

[Adam-011]

lol wow u in Vabeach i am in Hampton. I am amazed u have even digging the last 2weeks the rain has been crazy. Good Job

 

[mrunlucky07]

Yeah, the rain has been killer. I got about 3 hours in before the rain yesterday and a good afternoon in today. Looks like more rain and back to clay soup mess tomorrow.

Made good progress today, but now I am stumped...literally. The pictures don't seem to do the size of the hole or the stump I uncovered today justice. It looks like when they built the house they cut down a tree even with the ground and left the stump. Explains all of the roots and limbs I have been finding buried.

So now I need to figure out how to remove/cut away the stump.

 

[koigirlfl]

You want to slope your sides by 20 degrees to prevent the wall from collapsing when you add any weight on top ie the top rim of the pond.

Did I see anything in there about a Bottom Drain? You need something to get the muck from the bottom - you don't want to be doing it

 

[fmjnax]

Wow. Looks good (and deep)! I would love to see your sunfish in the 75. I have a 75 with a couple of tetras that I'm thinking of converting over with small sunnies, but I'm not sure how they would look in the aquarium. Also, like you, when they outgrow the 75, they will move outside to my pond.

 

[kumdoalan]

Did I see anything in there about a Bottom Drain?

Ok, Im just going to toss this idea out there for you to look at....

I would not add a bottom drain.

The reason I would not add a bottom drain is due to the way this pond is placed so close to two homes.
A bottom drain might well help in cleaning a pond, but it also could be something in the future that might mess up and leak.

Given that this pond is right next to two homes I would guess that any leak of the bottom drain is going to send water into the basements.

Even if the house next door is without a basement, the addition of lots of water into the gound under a house might cause trouble.
It could also be a concern for the foundation and might be used to explane cracks in a foundation....

This is why people have to think real hard about where they place a pond so as to take into account the many unknowns of the future.
This is why many people that build outdoor pons set them off away from the the property line where any future problems with a water leak would not end up a person in small-claims court with the guy next door.

Bottom drains require you to be 100% sure that your skills at building them are up to the job....
My building skills are never 100% on the money.
Most of my building projects are a story of fixing what i messed up the day before...

While the addition of pond bottom drains is a common design idea, I worry about it's use here because of how close the pond is to the homes....

 

[mrunlucky07]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I would not add a bottom drain.

I have been planning on setting a bottom drain in concrete in the center of the pond. All of the houses in our are are built on slabs without basements, but of course water under that is no good either. From what I have dug up and experienced the ground here does not want to allow water flow or drain at all. I have been wondering if a bottom drain is worth the effort and risks though. I am thinking of using a submersible laguna solids handling pump at the bottom of the pond and running it to a wet/dry made of a 55gallon barrel. It is not the same as a drain but will at least move the water up from the bottom. The pond will have a bridge the length of the pond next to the house that should help hide plumbing.

Has anyone ever tried one of the portable drains and know if they useful? I could easily hide one/several under the bridge with a valve on each. Seems to be an easy DIY too.

http://www.ablackhorse.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=7837

I would love to see your sunfish

I have several. If you get them very small they really adapt well and develop great characteristics and mannerisms. They can get very territorial and mean though. I have one that has to have his own tank, but is one of my favorite fish.


Here is hezzy in a 125g before I had to move him to his own tank about 6 months ago.

Here are some updated pics of the hole too. I basically spent the entire week chipping out the stump with a maul.