Did you dig it?
- Thread starter Melos
- Start date
if that was last summer i wana c this summer. have any pic?
koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
i see your skippy filter..what size tank are you using? go to the poll in the garden pond talk and vote your filter.
homemade or store bought filters is the poll
homemade or store bought filters is the poll
I dug my pond by hand. I actually thought it was easier then i expected.
I dug my 7ft by 3ft by 3ft with a shovel. HARD WORK! I also hit a couple of roots about a foot down. Both were under 2" in diameter so I just got the sawzall out and took care of them.
I dug my 9' by 5' and 30" deep pond by hand. Took a week at night. It's 100% clay which was really heavy and hard to throw.
We started our current pond on april 4th "big dig day" it took us 3 weeks and we did it with a lil help from dad. We started early and dug through the wettest april chicago has seen in over 80 years lucky us. Here's a couple pics.
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I dug mine by hand last summer its 7x8x3 ft. unfortunately didn't make it big enough for my grand scheme and am getting ready to add another foot around, another fall w/stream and a bog. the wife currently thinks I'm crazy, but she thought that way before the initial pond , too.
I am digging my own pond by hand as well. The hard clay type soil here is sometimes brutal but I am not going to let it beat me lol. Welcome to forum as well !
dig deeper and bigger!
I dug mine myself. Figure 8 design: 13ft (x2) wide (widest parts) 4ft (skinny part) x 21ft long. It is 3' 9" deep at each wide area. I haven't figured out the gallons and probably never will. I do wish it was bigger, but now I am hoping to add my swimming pond next year and use this as a feeder bog for that......... Wife never saw it coming.....
I dug mine myself. Figure 8 design: 13ft (x2) wide (widest parts) 4ft (skinny part) x 21ft long. It is 3' 9" deep at each wide area. I haven't figured out the gallons and probably never will. I do wish it was bigger, but now I am hoping to add my swimming pond next year and use this as a feeder bog for that......... Wife never saw it coming.....
We dug ours by hand. Didn't have a choice. Line locates indicated our power line was right were the small end of the pond would be located (never did see the power line). Hard red clay soil here and FULL of rocks! Took about a month to dig! We had planned to go 4' deep but stopped at 3'. Hope I never have to hand dig another pond again! Here are some progress photos:
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Thats the type of stuff that using an air hammer to break it up would make it a lot easier. Thats how I dug mine, though it was solid rock. But I have used it where it was clay and it worked great. You just wave it around and it loosens it all up and then you scoop it to the side. I even just vacuum it up as I go, but to do a large area, the vacuum clogging all the time would get annoying. I am using this method now to dig a ditch a foot down for the 2" filter drain pipe.
aviator79 said:
Ahhh...an air hammer would've worked great and probably would've been safe to use in the area of the power line as well. We could've rented a backhoe for the larger end but by the time we had the smaller end done, my husband said "Well, it's almost done now. Might as well finish it by hand.". Between the patios was really easy...still clay but much softer and no rocks. That was my digging area. :biggrin:
Except for 2 wheel barrow loads that my hubby did, I dug it all myself with a basic round point shovel. 6ft. diameter and 3 ft. deep. Installed the liner 2 liners, 10 ft. and 15 ft. square hauled most of the rocks and stacked the retaining walls and falls all by my lonesome. 
While I was planning this project and telling my hubby about it, he'd just roll his eyes
While I was planning this project and telling my hubby about it, he'd just roll his eyesWe STARTED digging our monster with a old backhoe...that broke and spewed oil everywhere, so we switched to shovels and an improvised "sled" hooked to a tractor to fill and haul out of the pit.
After the basic shape was there, i dug out shelves and details with a SPOON! Old river edge composed of pressed silt and nothing else. We hit the old river rbed and rock at about 6 feet down, luckily no water!
What i would have done different is lessen the slope down to the deepest section so rocks don't slip and whip down to the bottom. Bigger? OH YES! I'd build a LAKE if i could! But it works for us.
After the basic shape was there, i dug out shelves and details with a SPOON! Old river edge composed of pressed silt and nothing else. We hit the old river rbed and rock at about 6 feet down, luckily no water!
What i would have done different is lessen the slope down to the deepest section so rocks don't slip and whip down to the bottom. Bigger? OH YES! I'd build a LAKE if i could! But it works for us.