Calling for pictures and description of Meyer Jordans pond!

[Troutredds]

Beautiful layout, Meyer.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

His pond is pretty nice, but I think his avatar is really cool. Sort of a baby Mucky_Waters avatar.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[Meyer Jordan]

In designing this pond, I knew that I had enough space (100' x 75') to approximate many different naturally occurring features. The ultimate goal was to establish a very stable food chain which would truly make this pond self-sufficient. To do that would require establishing a very rich diversity of micro- and meio-fauna that would easily sustain the higher life forms in the food chain. To this end, every possible form of aquatic micro-habitat was included. I knew from previous research and observation that for a balanced and stable aquatic environment, not only was the Nitrogen cycle important, but of equal importance was the Carbon cycle.
Primarily supporting the Nitrogen cycle would be the function of the "marsh' area (soil filled) and the wetlands area. Both pictured below.

'Marsh' area-first photo lower left: Nitrification and de-nitrification
Wetlands area-second photo: Nitrification

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing

What are the cinder block structures?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing

What are the cinder block structures?

Those are tanks for housing fish and aquatic plants.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Okay, That's what I thought but wasn't sure

 

[Meyer Jordan]

His pond is pretty nice, but I think his avatar is really cool. Sort of a baby Mucky_Waters avatar.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[MitchM]

Very nice, Meyer.
Do you do all the work yourself or do you have helpers/employees as well?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Very nice, Meyer.
Do you do all the work yourself or do you have helpers/employees as well?

As a general rule, I have employees that help on installations, but because this was going to be mine and was constructed more as a laboratory than a decorative feature, I wanted everything to be exact. I hand-placed each and every stone used in this project with the exception of the large specimen boulders. A little over 40 tons of rock!!!.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Need to finish up the initial construction tour with the streams and settling pools.

Top photo is the last settling pool with a center planting island.
Second photo is the second of two settling pools in the Eastern stream.
Third photo is the first of the two settling pools in the Eastern stream. Eastern stream has very low water velocity.
Final photo is the sole settling for the Western stream. This pool is 2 feet deep. Water velocity in this Western stream is about triple the velocity of the Eastern stream.
The combined total length of the streams is about 100 feet. Over half of this is under high canopy Pecan and Oak trees. In order to approximate Nature as closely as possible leaf litter is allowed to fall into the streams.The initial decomp takes place in the actual stream beds and completed in the settling pools which catch and retain the suspended solids. By the time the water leaves the final lower circular settling pool almost all of the suspended solids have been removed. These settling pools along with the streams provide varying micro-habitats and food sources for a diversity of micro- and meio-organisms. Some of which are washed downstream eventually reaching the main pond basin providing added variety to the Koi's natural diet. Also because the leaf litter is, in fact, recycled, trace minerals and elements are added back to the water column. This system has proved out over the years as a way to establish a truly balanced, self-sustaining aquatic eco-system.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Need to finish up the initial construction tour with the streams and settling pools. View attachment 77040 View attachment 77041 View attachment 77042 View attachment 77043
Top photo is the last settling pool with a center planting island.
Second photo is the second of two settling pools in the Eastern stream.
Third photo is the first of the two settling pools in the Eastern stream. Eastern stream has very low water velocity.
Final photo is the sole settling for the Western stream. This pool is 2 feet deep. Water velocity in this Western stream is about triple the velocity of the Eastern stream.
The combined total length of the streams is about 100 feet. Over half of this is under high canopy Pecan and Oak trees. In order to approximate Nature as closely as possible leaf litter is allowed to fall into the streams.The initial decomp takes place in the actual stream beds and completed in the settling pools which catch and retain the suspended solids. By the time the water leaves the final lower circular settling pool almost all of the suspended solids have been removed. These settling pools along with the streams provide varying micro-habitats and food sources for a diversity of micro- and meio-organisms. Some of which are washed downstream eventually reaching the main pond basin providing added variety to the Koi's natural diet. Also because the leaf litter is, in fact, recycled, trace minerals and elements are added back to the water column. This system has proved out over the years as a way to establish a truly balanced, self-sustaining aquatic eco-system.

It looks like you have very sandy soil. Can you post some more recent photos? Have you hidden the exposed liner?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Here is a 'walk-through' portfolio approximately one year later.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Are the cinder block ponds all on the same filtration system?

Would you mind explaining how you built those and how many gallons of water each hold?

Thanks

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Are the cinder block ponds all on the same filtration system?

Would you mind explaining how you built those and how many gallons of water each hold?

Thanks

Each tank is independent. They are lined with 45 mil EPDM with a channeled and sloped bottom. Each is provided with a submersible pump and aerator. The tanks on the right side of the photos are for plants, those on the left for fish. The fish tanks have a constructed compartment on one end that houses the biofiltration media (bags of lava rock) that is fed by an upflow system that empties into the main chamber of the tank via a spillway.
Tank capacity varies from about 300 gallons to 1500 gallons.Water depth is 1.5 feet in all tanks.

 

[cas]

Very nice. How long did it take for you to build? Do you know the approximate number of gallons for your natural pond / stream?