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delaney276

Making A Tough Decision

18 years ago

Ponders...I've been tossing around a few ideas here lately...With all the information you folks share in here, it makes for a tough decision at times on what is or isn't the best selection...After looking through years of information I have decided to move my pond..I'm going to move it back to where I had my little 100 gallon insert when I started ponding 5 years ago..It was nice also to just go out the back door walk a few steps and look at the pond...Now I have to walk clear to the back of my property to enjoy it..which isn't that big of a deal but it just isn't the same..The most of the day sun has had me fighting all summer with green water..although it is starting to clear now...I think this is the best decision..I will have shade on 3 out of the 4 sides of the pond area..with a 40' pin oak..and almost 5 20' Leyland Cypress trees..Plus I'm going to add a stream coming from a gravel bog type filter with possibly a skippy style in the mix also...I will take pictures as I build my new pond and keep you updated..so if you don't hear from me for a while you'll know what I've been doing...So wish me luck as I build my poor mans style pond with a stream..(limited budget...lol too many kids)..Pond construction will start this week...Hope to have water flowing by the end of September..I'll be doing all the work by myself and by hand..I'm hoping to use the 20' X 24' pond liner that I have now..The pond I have now is just barely a year old...also with this stream being added, I've heard you need 7 ripples to make the water pure? I just heard this tonight....anything to it? Well I hope everyone is doing good...and once again thank you for all the information....Happy Ponding!! Dave

Comments (9)

  • 18 years ago

    When they say ripples, that doesn't meaning bottles of wine Bro, Dave!

    The plan is good....Happy digging!
    "Horton"

  • 18 years ago

    Not sure about ripples, Dave, but you're going to need at LEAST 7 beers to take on that project. I suggest a fine pairing of Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Pooh Coffee to start off your day working on the pond, and finish the day's work with a generous helping of Sweetwater Happy Ending Imperial Stout.

    And maybe keep that iced tea handy. I can't WAIT to see what you have planned next year! :D

    Brenda

    Here is a link that might be useful: The 10 best beer names ever

  • 18 years ago

    LMAO! Ripples and Beers Woohoo!...I have broken ground! I did some digging for about an hour today..Will work on it again tomorrow...I'm in the middle of 4 12 hr midnight shifts so I can't dive in too hard...but come Tuesday I'll get some dirt a slinging! Cheers my friends!! Dave :-)
    ps....I've got before pictures, and during lol....will post soon...

  • 18 years ago

    I like having my pond at the back end of my yard. The pond is easily accessible from a stepping stone walkway, yet it doesn't interfere with other backyard activities.

    I also like having full sun for most of the day. The frogs and turtles love to bask in the sun and my plants have always flourished. I can't remember the last time I had green water, but my UV has been on standby since May.

  • 18 years ago

    One quick question...It looks like I may have to piece work the liner on the stream section...It shouldn't be any problem if I over lap it going down hill right?...to where it wouldn't be able to go under the liner...Like I said I'm trying to do this as cheap as possible and my buddy has a 10x20' section he's going to sell me for 40 bucks...I'm going to split it to (2)5X20' or so..except for where I have added 2-3 little ponds in the stream...The stream will be between 30'-40' long...didn't get to work on it today..those 3 12 hour midnights in a row finally caught up with me so I slept in today, after my last midnight tonight I'll be off until Friday... LOL...plan on hitting it hard tomorrow....Happy Ponding!..and Happy Labor Day!....Dave

  • 18 years ago

    Dave, if you intended overlapping the two pieces of liner, then I would advise you to seal the joint with EPDM splicing tape.
    You could lose water, through capillary action, if you just leave it as an unsealed overlap.
    Especially on a slight slope, as in a stream bed.
    The water will tend to creep back up and away from, the space between the overlapped liner pieces.
    "Horton"

  • 18 years ago

    Dave, streams are lovely though they do incresase water losses to evaporation. My stream is about the same length as the one you are planning. I used one piece of liner and it is not joined to the main pond liner but is overlapped. My stream has three drops or small falls (about 6 to 10 inches) with small pools at the base of each fall to increase the sound effects and to allow for some water retention in the stream when the pump is off (makes start up quicker and gives the wildlife a place to stay wet until the stream is restarted). A fourth drop of about two feet is into the main pond. I ran the liner from the pond up under the liner for the stream behind and under the rocks that form the waterfall. The liners are not joined together but are overlaped about 4 to 5 feet, just to be sure that if there were any capillary action I would not loose any water. The stream bed liner should not extend below the water line in the main pond. You could use this same method to allow you to use two seperate pieces of liner in your stream. For this to work you must have enough slope in the stream bed to prevent water from running backward between the two liners and it works best if it is done at a drop at a falls where water sheets off a flat rock over a edge into a pool. Of course, joining the liners is best and works great as long as the seam is done right. I have another stream between two ponds, that has no slope kind of like a canal, where I joined two pieces of liners. The first time I did it I did not purchase the correct stuff to do the seam and after about two or three years it leaked. You can bet I got the right stuff the second time. Remember, everything settles with time and the wieight of snow or people ( standing admiring your beautiful strem, nothing keeps them back from the edge:>:) so be sure to keep the sides of your stream bed higher than the water level by quite a bit and do not cut off any excess liner, fold it under to hide it. Good Luck.

  • 18 years ago

    Horton...nspondlady...Thank You for the information...I finished up my last midnight this morning and just couldn't wait to work on the new pond...I dug from 8:30am-11:30am..I got quite a bit done...I have two small ponds before the big pond in the stream...So far I have 5 small waterfalls planned...I put the stream liner on just to check it out...I need to build up some more of the stream..I've added probably 7-10 little places to catch or cause a ripple..I'm hoping this will help with the filtering..so far I have 4 hours into the new pond...I need to use my pond liner in the pond I have now for the main pond..and was wondering what I was going to do with the fish LOL...I think I'll be able to keep them in the bigger of the two little ponds upstream from the main pond..I'm going to get rid of the largemouth bass...but I think I'll keep the catfish...he eats those pellets pretty good....one reason I built the two little ponds upstream was to let smaller fish grow there before I put them in the big pond with the big fish..I'll post some pictures...once again...I Thank You kindly for answering my questions....Happy Ponding!!! Dave :-)

    Here is a link that might be useful: StartingNewStreamPond

  • 18 years ago

    nspondlady..Do you have any pictures of your stream..I'm always open for ideas...especially now that I don't have the liner in yet LOL....Horton..This Bud's for you!...LOL..I'll have to hunt me up some of that tape..I'm glad I asked the question about the overlapping...I thought maybe it was a dumb question...but if I didn't ask it...I would have just overlapped them and went on...Thanks once again!!..Dave