Going for it! phase one 12,000 gallon pond.

[GBBUDD]

Looking awesome. I didn't realize how wide around it is. You might want take that extention cord out of the water though.

No water my good man and that's due to the cord as it is hooked up to THE BUG a cheap little water pump to keep the water level down and this little thing does a pretty good job it can suck down to an 1/8" depth if not less.

It's going to get smaller and smaller as the large boulders get placed and the little stones on the bottom. I will easily loose three feet in length and width due to the rocks.

 

[GBBUDD]

Just took a bite into the budget and ordered 15 Aqua Blox the amount of money they get for these and they are 95% air is astounding. Even more so is that I bought some. But if I do start traveling again I don't want what happened to my planted tank to happen to my pond I am definitely trying to make it as maintenance free as I can. Attached is the planted tank i'm talking about I can only hope I can get a balance in the pond that's half as rewarding.

 

[cas]

How many gallons is your planted tank? It's beautiful.

 

[GBBUDD]

It ALAS WAS 90 gallons it was a corner tank so it was much deeper then the standard aquarium . but it came to a point in the back. After traveling for business for ten years my wife took care of the tank for me where she did a hell of a job. but she started traveling with me and my son wasn't able to maintain the tank. It had a three foot water fall falling into the open top of the tank where there was also a mating pair of shaft tail finches. At first we thought it was so cool but after having up to 8 birds squawking above the tank it was a bit much at times in the living room watching a movie.

Thank you

 

[Lisak1]

I'm with you on the price of those AquaBlox. We bought the first ones for our pondless waterfall and by the time we built the pond the next year they were 30% more. I remember we paid $32 a piece for the big ones. Now they are $20 more than that. We did check out a few competing products though and nothing seemed as well made. We've got a few extras in the garage... I should put them up for sale and recoup some of my investment!

 

[GBBUDD]

I'm with you on the price of those AquaBlox. We bought the first ones for our pondless waterfall and by the time we built the pond the next year they were 30% more. I remember we paid $32 a piece for the big ones. Now they are $20 more than that. We did check out a few competing products though and nothing seemed as well made.

We've got a few extras in the garage... I should put them up for sale and recoup some of my investment!

Now you tell me I would have gladly taken them off your hands. Then again I have phase three coming up how many blocks do you have ?

 

[Lisak1]

I'd have to check to be sure - but I think I have four or five. Maybe three small and two large? Remind me if spring ever comes... haha!

 

[GBBUDD]

Spent the day re working the electrical for the garage the old circuit panel had no room left for a 2 pole gfci that is a must for the new water pump. and the entire garage being so close to the pond needs to have all circuits on a gfci. so it was time to upgrade it all to insure no issues down the road.

 

[GBBUDD]

Unfortunately and sometimes things are done for a reason. I found some electrical issues in the garage the joys of owning a 100 year old home. One receptacle had 18 wires in it WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!!!!!! But the good news is the air pump a nitto 120 and the performance pro 12,000 gph are wired up and ready to go.

A couple more mafia blocks and a few tons of river rock and i'd guess 3 cubic yards of 3/4 river rock for the bog and 5 cubic yards of 3/8" river rock for the pond and stream and I should be ready to rock and roll. The returns and the lights will be installed as the rock is placed. And I still have to outside wall along where the falls will be to sculpt, been trying to lay out what boulders will make up the area.

I knew this was going to be a large project but my yard is destroyed at least 3/4 of an acre is effected by this undertaking. thank God for the woods and the tree line at least that area isn't inundated with rock.

 

[Angel]

i'm jealous. I am trying to get the wife on board to up our pond by 2 fold.

 

[GBBUDD]

I guess I am lucky there she knows I won't settle I will build the full monty and not start small and see how it goes. She knows I jump in with both feet and it will be something when I am done. This was the compromise to moving.

 

[GBBUDD]

Would fause dragon head be a good choice for a main bog plant ?
it seems to have a root system that does not have the HAIRS to the root system. i'm thinking it could be better if I did have the HAIRS but it could also clog the bog if It did your thoughts?
What would be your choice for a new bog be that will have sun for 3/4 of the day .

 

[Jhn]

I haven’t tried obedient plant personally, but I would try it if I had come across it while planting my bog. Also, just an FYI that pic you copied is a mix of pickerel rush and obedient plant it looks like.

I have irises in mine not the yellow iris though as it grows crazy fast and can be tough to pull out. water forget me not, bloody dock, hibiscus, golden club, water clover, creeping Jenny, some other plants I can’t remember at the moment are in the bog.

I would keep some plants that grow quickly, so they use up more nutrients provided by the fish, but can be weeded back easily providing nutrient export along with nutrient banking.

I have water celery in my pond it literally grows like a weed around the perimeter of the pond, but can be pulled out easily. Some don’t like it but I like the look as it softens the rock edges of the pond and gives frogs places to hide. I wouldn’t put it in a bog though as it would take over the entire bog in one summer.

 

[RobAmy]

I have both in my pond, the obedient plant grows everywhere. Lets just say it does not stay obedient. Hummingbirds love it. I think either one would be good, you just may have to thin out from time to time. The obedient plant takes root outside the pond also. I do not have a bog, but they both grow fairly easy.

​

 

[GBBUDD]

I have both in my pond, the obedient plant grows everywhere. Lets just say it does not stay obedient. Hummingbirds love it. I think either one would be good, you just may have to thin out from time to time. The obedient plant takes root outside the pond also. I do not have a bog, but they both grow fairly easy.

​

I won't have too much of a worry for it growing out of the bog to land as it is going to be at least 3 feet above grade if not 6 feet on the down hill side. I am leaning toward no more than three plants in the bog. the balance of three. I was thinking the obedient and I could have sworn there was pickerel rush in there which I am happy for as I love that plant. and I am thinking of something like a parrot feather or bog bean that would try to reach for the ground outside the bog by draping down the retaining wall. It will be Mafia blocks for now and see what I have left for rock or I was thinking of possibly using bamboo to make a veneer over the mafia blocks. is there any bog plants that realy like to send out runners and would be like a sweetish ivy .


another question for you experienced ponders. what depth do you wish you had more of for plantings is it the bog with the stone a couple inches above water level.
is it a shelf at 6 to 8 inches
or is it 18inches deep
or 24" maybe