Pond start up...

[herzausstahl]

So for ponders in cold climates like mine you get a few different takes on overwintering...run an airstone to keep a hole in the ice for air exchange (people worry about toxic gases building up, I always figure bacteria slow down in the cold, not a huge issue), run a heater to keep a hole open (done this with a 100 watt one that will open a small hole, some use 1500 watt farm trough heaters), pond breathers (lower watt that have long breath tubes to keep a hole open,there's a guy zone 2-3 in canada using these with success, ones like me running a pump with a hose pointed at the surface to keep water moving, I've done this with great success, only lost big fish when I undersized this as my usual one failed early winter & I was ignorant as my fish load was too high at the time. So I run a pump rated to cycle the pond an hr (gph on pump equals pond volume, recommended cycle half the volume an hr normally). So each spring I switch over to my summer pumps. I have one to run a waterfall that used to be connected to a pressurized up filter (filters in the pond world equals soil wars in bonsai). The first one I started up is this one. Now it just runs a waterfall and directs some water into the first bog I made. Looks like the videos are too big to load from my iPad so I'll work on that & get them up. When I start up the stream is the coolest one.

 

[Underdog]

Mine is coming along. My only gold fish got tore up in the water fall last weekend while away. I kept him alive all week but now garden fert. I don't want fish anymore. I'll ice skate next winter. I've read a lot on the site you posted and get the "soil wars" analogy. I built a small filter out of a marine battery box filled w/lava and a cut down floor buffing pad for my pump. Pond-ering making the upper pool/falls into a large bottom feed filter with bio balls or equivalent.

Just overcame my first "Pea Soup" episode I believe. Still need a truck load of stone and a lot of landscaping to do.

 

[herzausstahl]

@Underdog looking good! If you haven't, join the other forum, lots of good people there too. Mine was looking pea soup right now, but it will clear once I get it up and running. Then the string algae will start which is unsightly but ironically filters the water too. So I try to remove it when I have time but not detrimental if I don't. Your bio filter sounds good, I think they call it a "skippy" filter. There is more than one right answer I feel when it comes to filters, so it really is like soil wars, lol. Is the upper pond part of the same liner as the lower pond? If not watch out for water loss where the waterfall is. The upper pond also could be a good spot to put a bog if you want. If you look at "Pecan"s pond on the pond forum she has a similar set up I believe if you want to see what it would look like. That would filter your pond well enough. Your idea could also work as long as it doesn't overflow over the waterfall, but the lava rock would help with that, just pump the water up underneath it so it flows through it all.

As for your goldfish, can you post a pic closer up of the base of the waterfall? I'm curious how it got mangled there and wonder if it was a predator of some kind instead. Mine has some sharper rocks in it and the goldfish are in the shallow edges all the time. In fact if you look close when I get the video up you'll see them in the wash swimming from the waterfall I started up. Often I see them in the edges of mine sunning and looking for food. Start with those cheap 25 cent feeder goldfish at pet stores (walmart, petco, petsmart) so if you lose one you aren't out a lot. After you get used to those if you want something colorful like koi but won't get as big, go with Shebunkin goldfish, very beautiful and with longer fins like butterfly koi, should get to 10-12". How deep is your pond? Will affect how many you could have. Another option is go with Rosy Red minnows, usually also at pet stores in the feeder fish tank called Rosy Reds. All of these will overwinter fine in your pond if its deep enough that it won't freeze solid and they won't run out of oxygen.

As for ice skating, if there are no fish, no reason you couldn't once it froze enough! Do you plan to finish rocking the edges?

 

[leatherback]

Nice. More ponds!

I allow mine to get frozen. A few years ago we had a few weeks of -20C and I used buckets of warm water & a long drill to have some air holes in the ice. No pump, except for one to drive a little creek across the garden. I try to keep this natural.



And yes.. It does take a lot of materials. This was half a decade ago..

 

[Underdog]

Do you plan to finish rocking the edges?

I just traded a top end rebuild on a little single cyl motorcycle for 2 ton of stone to be delivered next weekend.

I don't want anymore fish. Just plants, me and the grandkids It's almost 3ft deep in center of 14ft dia.

Is the upper pond part of the same liner as the lower pond? If not watch out for water loss where the waterfall is.

No and I was in there yesterday rearranging the overlaps as to loosing water behind the falls. Seems good now and there is a lot of overlap to work with over a sandstone base.

That pool is about 4ft across the top tapering down to about 2.5 and just under 2ft deep. I think I can make a good filter out of it. I'll look into the skippy further. Thanks

As for the fish, something may have gashed his side and I only found him stuck in the rocks already wounded. He was a 25 cent walmart from last year. (spent 75 bucks on his winter home! LOL)
I don't want anymore fish and to ensure that I bought a gallon of pond treatment for algae safe for plants, animals drinking and swimming. Just no fish.

 

[GrimLore]

If you just want crystal clear water do what us old timers do... A small amount of Copper Sulphate for cleaning drains sprinkled near the intakes or any outflow will kill ALL algae. Instead of chlorine here in the North East many use two cups for rather large swimming pools instead of a ton of chemicals... Easy and inexpensive And serious - crystal clear,

Grimmy

 

[JoeR]

Nice. More ponds!

I allow mine to get frozen. A few years ago we had a few weeks of -20C and I used buckets of warm water & a long drill to have some air holes in the ice. No pump, except for one to drive a little creek across the garden. I try to keep this natural.

View attachment 142156

And yes.. It does take a lot of materials. This was half a decade ago..

View attachment 142157

Wow! Please, more pictures and info! What kind of plants did you add?

 

[herzausstahl]

Wow! Please, more pictures and info! What kind of plants did you add?

Great place for anyone on here with a pond to join go to for info is www.gardenpondforum.com. It really is the pond equivalent to Bnut.

 

[herzausstahl]

@Underdog sorry I meant the filter you already made sounds like a skippy filter. Best thing is the other forum I'm on (same name as here) and bring up any questions you have about anything & you'll get tons of help. I think you have a great start.

 

[herzausstahl]

So lets see if videos from my camera upload better than from my phone (too large it said).


Pond as of today.

 

[herzausstahl]

Ok, gonna have to research further unless I need to upload vids to youtube and link to here. In the meanwhile, here's some pics of the stream with waterfalls and some new grown moss over the last year taking root completely on it's own. I do strive for a natural look in my pond trying to hide the liner, pumps, and piping whenever possible. The edge on the lower pond after 5 years or so is starting to look very natural.

 

[herzausstahl]

the rest

 

[herzausstahl]

So that last pic is what it looks like today, here's some early ones of what used to be back in 2007 or so...last 2 of pond beginning in 2011, lol guess I've had it almost 6 years, built it in July of that year.