AJ pond build

[addy1]

WOW! Fantastic job!

 

[C-Note]

This is a really cool pond build project! Thanks for sharing all the progress and photos!

 

[AJ1500]

Thanks for the kind words
I will keep posting as we go along.
I have to build the bog next, have to get it dug out and then order the liner for it so it looks like I'm still a couple weeks out
so far I have only been working on it on the weekends.

 

[addy1]

For a week ended you are doing great!

 

[AJ1500]

Thanks addy1

I need more clarification, I am getting VERY conflicting opinions about the folds in my liner. one the one hand I am being told to embrace them and use them as best I can, but on the other hand I am hearing to seal them up DON'T let them stay, it can cause serious toxins from buildup within them over time.Now from all my years of aquariums and my little plastic ponds I do have a good grasp on the general concept of of having fish and taking care of them, BUT this is new, I mean the use of a liner and folds in it. Can I get a little more feedback on this topic. personally I feel as long as I either wash them out every so often with a water hose to keep setiment from building or just stir the water good around them it would be fine.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Folds in a liner should not have any impact on water quality in a well-designed and well-maintained pond.

 

[Mmathis]

@AJ1500 I think a lot of it has to do with who you are listening to. There are some really hard core koi people who would literally have a siezure if they found a single leaf on the bottom of their pond -- well, maybe I exaggerate a tad, but when you read their forum posts......... [rolling eyes] Then there are us dirty old garden pond/goldfish pond people. Most of us don't even have a bottom drain [!!!!!] in our ponds, plus most of us line our pond edges with rocks....GASP!!!!.....or even worse, we filter our water with a ..... BOG!!!! Again, exaggerating [or am I?].

My opinion on folds is that you're gonna have them. Period. I like to make them as small as possible [many small ones instead of a few big ones]. I don't tape mine because I feel the tape's probably going to come loose at some point anyway, and that's just one more thing to fret over. Do they trap toxins? Maybe. Are a couple of folds going to be "toxic" enough to kill your fish? I doubt it. And especially if you do regular bottom maintenance. Can fish get trapped in them? Yes/who knows. Like so many other things with ponds, it ends up being personal preference, and it depends on what your priorities are.......

 

[Lisak1]

Totally agree with @Mmathis - totally a personal preference. We kept our folds as small as possible just because I was a little OCD about the whole liner thing, but didn't worry too much about debris getting trapped later because we were going to cover them with GASP!!! GRAVEL! Haha!

If the only two choices are between large loose folds and large folds that are taped or seamed, I would keep them loose. Anything that floats in can just as easily float right out, and your fish can get in there and poke around. I would worry about trying to seal a fold that an edge would work loose and a fish might wander in and not be able to find it's way back out. CLAUSTROPHOBIC MUCH??

 

[snoozer]

I have folds that haven't caused any issues. Well maybe one spot that seems to trip me every now and then. It's more an issue with a clumsy ponder as opposed to an issue with the fold.

 

[AJ1500]

Thanks all
that was pretty much the way I feel as well. but I am new to this so I would rather ask

 

[tbendl]

I've got big folds and I cannot lie... LOL I haven't had issues.

 

[AJ1500]

so I started digging out for the bog this weekend, I only had about 1/2 a day due to previous commitments so I didn't get a lot done I did take the grass and move it to the end of the walkway and set the walk pavers to the fence. I ran out of grass about 1/2 way so I need to find somewhere else in the yard that doesn't need grass
I did get our jasmine put back on the post in the island
I plan on picking up all the PVC piping and hose for the bio filter and bog this week. I'm hoping to have all the outer edges done by this weekend so I can pump out the water that's in it now and refill it for the initial roll to get started, I will just connect the bog once it's done

 

[AJ1500]

I got to work on the pond some this weekend. I got the bio filter put together and hooked up. did some other tid bits here and there and laid out some rocks on the bottom around the big fold areas to keep them from floating up in the water. I think I will need more big rocks but for now I will just let it ride. I am going to make something to cover my pump. I didn't mess with the area for the bog other than to outline it with scalloped pavers
I filled it with water and turned the pump on

 

[AJ1500]

so I got out sat and dug the bog area out and used blocks to frame the 3 outer sides that will be raised above the pond itself
I dug it out to right around 20" deep and roughly 10X10 in size. I got the liner ordered today so once I get it I can go pick up the gravel
I did not build in any shelves, it's just a almost square hole

Questions
should I have put some shelves or even staggered levels for plants or is that a waste of time
is it best to fill the entire bog with pea gravel or should I mix it up with another size too

 

[addy1]

I wouldn't bother with shelves, the plants will use what space they need.

I had a truck load of pea gravel delivered, 38000 lbs. I had to actually buy a little more to fluff it when it settled after running for a year or so. Then I bought the construction gravel since it was cheaper than pea gravel at home depot. I used just one size.