Pond construction, from dreams to reality!

[Muske]

For the record, 4 years in a row, no pump issues. I do remove the flagstone lip on the falls and rearrange a few boulders to create a flat, sheet of water coming out of the falls. The issues with burnt out pump come when the ice forms dams and diverts water out of the pond. If the falls does not splash that much, you will be fine. I will post before and after pics. of my falls to show how it runs. I used a cow through heater once, the first year. It shorted out when I was on vacation and the pond froze over, never again w/them. 3 Koi and a handful of goldfish casuaities made me re-think winters here in Chicago where weeks of below zero are not uncommon. If you do go that route, I would suggest getting two in the event one does crap out. I personally would go with a solids handling pump that is placed below the surface and points upward.

 

[coach_z]

WOW! very nice!
i am going to have to drive down to brick in the spring and have a beer in your back yard!

 

[xsdbs]

wow, this is coming along nicely. oh and spring will be here before you know it.

 

[myswtsins]

For the record, 4 years in a row, no pump issues. I do remove the flagstone lip on the falls and rearrange a few boulders to create a flat, sheet of water coming out of the falls. The issues with burnt out pump come when the ice forms dams and diverts water out of the pond. If the falls does not splash that much, you will be fine. I will post before and after pics. of my falls to show how it runs. I used a cow through heater once, the first year. It shorted out when I was on vacation and the pond froze over, never again w/them. 3 Koi and a handful of goldfish casuaities made me re-think winters here in Chicago where weeks of below zero are not uncommon. If you do go that route, I would suggest getting two in the event one does crap out. I personally would go with a solids handling pump that is placed below the surface and points upward.

Thanks Muske! Never thought about rearranging the water fall for winter.

WOW! very nice!
i am going to have to drive down to brick in the spring and have a beer in your back yard!

Thanks, although it might be hard to see my pond from Brick since I live in Farmingdale.

wow, this is coming along nicely. oh and spring will be here before you know it.

Thank you! I dunno, right now I am going nuts trying to figure out what to do with myself till Spring!!!


I am kinda at a stand still because the basement is not ready for the QT tub & the guy I want to buy barrels from is not responding so I am trying to get an idea of what kind of Koi I want. My local garden center has 4"-6" Malaysian platinum Ogon & a yellowish Orgon (either Orenji or Yamabuki) for $10 and lots of 4"-6" Matsuba (butterfly and regular fin) for $15. They have lots of Israel koi too for even cheaper, $5-$10, but they were not as active or pretty, anyone have any opinions of these guys?

I am worried about the liner wrinkle issue too. I didn't time the pond filling but according to my new calculations the pond should be just shy of 3,000g. Gotta go to work again, bye bye!

 

[Muske]

Platium Ogon look good since they are really bright white and stand out.
Yamabuki will be yellow and have orange flecks on the head.
Orenji will (should) look really bright and orange.
A book I have says Matsuba are pretty rare. The center of the scale is black and it gives a pinecone effect. The look cool in the pics. I have.

With all of them look for the ones that are the most active and swimming normal (no flashing or sluggish fish). Ones that are breathing normally too. If they will, ask to see them eat so you can get a closer look at them for and really torn fins, missing scales, or redding around the gills.

The wrinkles you can work on in the spring. You are going to have to lower the water level to install the skimmer and falls so you can work them out then. I have heard of people floating basketballs and pieces of styrofoam in their ponds to help absord ice pressure. You may want to think about that near the bigger folds as a precaution?

 

[Muske]

With the falls, you just want to control the spalshing as much as poss. Hear is a couple of pics. during spring or summer with the falls stone in place and more boulders under it.



These are winter prep. photos with the falls tweaked.



Overhead showing the flat sheet that flows out of the filter.


It still freezes, it just doesn't make any ice dams near the face of the falls.

 

[myswtsins]

Very helpful again Muske! If Matsuba are rare it is probably not what I am looking at then. It is hard to tell because they are so active but they have the pine cone effect all the way up to their heads and have yellow, orange or white (single) base color. The pattern does look a little messy but again, they are CRAWLING on top of each other begging for food so it is hard to tell.

I do not know ANYthing about IDing koi I am just trying to wing it here. I imagine most of the cheap koi at the garden center are somewhat of mutts but I am not looking for anything show quality just something that looks nice in my pond.

The wrinkles worry me because we tried really hard to get the wrinkles out as we went and didn't achieve much, I can't expect too much more of the Spring. I think we will end up pulling it all out and cutting back the entire indent on the one side which would make better swimming room anyways.

 

[Jennie Beth]

I wouldn't worry too much about your wrinkles. Unless they are really deep folds, dead water isn't going to be a problem. And remember you will have all that water pressure squeezing the liner tight against itself, even at the folds. Lots of little folds are better than just a few really deep ones if you are still concerned with dead pockets. Takes alot of time, but if they really make you crazy, drain the pond in the spring, let the liner sit out in the sun for a good part of the day to soften up, and then start filling it. With you in the pond (plan on being COLD!!!), fill a little, tug a little, fill a little, until you get to the top. AND, yet another reason to rock the entire pond!!! Can't see the wrinkles under the rocks, can you? LOL

Gotta say, I have never worried much what 'style' my fish are. Just look for the ones with lots of personality and lots of color, and I think you'll be happier than if you have a ho-hum "fancy" fish just because it is rare. That being said, one of my favorite shubs was speckled just like the bottom of the pond gravel, and was hard to find even in photos The bright orange ones, on the other hand, I can see from clear upstairs. Great to look out the window and catch a flash of orange or white as someone goes cruising by.
Jen

 

[myswtsins]

You rock people just don't give up, do ya? I may yet rock the bottom, you guys make great points!

Yeah, I like the pine cone marked ones no matter what their names are or how much they are worth! I would even buy the Israel ones because they are cheaper but they were not as pretty or active and that is what really matters.

Unfortunately I will never be able to see the pond from a window because all MY windows are on the front and rear of the house, the windows by the pond are a bathroom & the other bedrooms. :cry: But if I try really hard I will be able to see the next pond on the other side of the yard from my room & the kitchen, yay!

 

[frigginchi]

You could set up a web cam over the pond and watch it while you mess around on AC.

You rock people just don't give up, do ya? I may yet rock the bottom, you guys make great points!

Yeah, I like the pine cone marked ones no matter what their names are or how much they are worth! I would even buy the Israel ones because they are cheaper but they were not as pretty or active and that is what really matters.

Unfortunately I will never be able to see the pond from a window because all MY windows are on the front and rear of the house, the windows by the pond are a bathroom & the other bedrooms. :cry: But if I try really hard I will be able to see the next pond on the other side of the yard from my room & the kitchen, yay!