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

[RobAmy]

Looking good, a quick question, if I remember your design, wouldn't you want to have the skimmer on the other side opposite the bog/waterfall for a better push pull effect?

 

[GBBUDD]

A note worthy question to say the least. Where the largest amount of rubber is on the patio at the bottom left of the photo above that is along the curved wall. I am going to have return jets that will be pushing the water off to the right . There will be at least two of them pushing in the same direction off to the right toward the skimmer. The idea is when a large amount of water comes into the pond ie. the 12,000 gph as the water pushes across the pond the water around the falls path gets pulled in that direction so the water in the corners will get pulled toward the path of the falls. I have seen many times water flowing UP stream due to this and i'm hoping my idea is solid. does that make sense or am I dreaming. I should also add I plan on making a stream leaving the pond as well I guess in phase 4 or 5 I have lost count. this will leave the pond on the top left and it will head down toward the large pile of dirt I just excavated and I a thinking of making a cave in appearance and have the stream disappear into the cave instead of just pondless water fall type design the disappears into the ground

 

[Lisak1]

Standard pond building wisdom does dictate that your skimmer should be opposite your waterfall. I'm not sure about the rest of what you said, but I THINK you said that the force of the waterfall would create a vortex of some kind to pull the water back toward the skimmer. Did I get that right?

 

[GBBUDD]

Standard pond building wisdom does dictate that your skimmer should be opposite your waterfall. I'm not sure about the rest of what you said, but I THINK you said that the force of the waterfall would create a vortex of some kind to pull the water back toward the skimmer. Did I get that right?

YOU DID IN DEED but it pulls water from around where the falls enters the pond displacing the flow or pulls water around past the skimmer or into .

Who knows I may be dead wrong but that's the nice part about rubber it can be seamed and the skimmer could be moved though not easily due to the drain line.

Don't forget I also have two bottom drains. Those are in line of the water flow from the falls . My skimmer is strickly for surface skimming as I went with the Helix.

 

[Telion]

Amazing progress!

 

[addy1]

That is going to be great! I put my skimmer on the downwind side of our pond.

 

[GBBUDD]

That is going to be great! I put my skimmer on the downwind side of our pond.

The skimmer is on the east side of the pond as well wind comes over the garage and gets trapped at the hedge

 

[addy1]

I am really enjoying your build, it will be awesome when you are done.

I have a huge maple that drops a ton of seeds in the spring. Most get sucked up by the skimmer. Then apple blossoms. Very few leaves hit the pond in the fall.

 

[Jhn]

@GBBUDD some 2000-3000lb boulders for you .....because well......your a rock hoe.

 

[GBBUDD]

For those asking about cinder blocks in the pond or under the liner. a couple quick passes with a scarifier and you have rounded edges and at the bottom of the cinder block wall I opted to fill in the 90 degree corner with mortar changing it to a 45 degree corner. rubber doesn't like to play nice in the sand box with 90 degree corners but 45's it flies through.

 

[GBBUDD]

First photo is my DYI Snorkel I guess you could say it's the big brother to the standard version. The hole idea is to separate the solids from the water column well I think this should do the job between the 24" pipe x 10 feet long and the aqua blox on top and only pushing 3,000 gph maybe a little more it will take probably 20 minutes to a half hour for the water to work it's way out through the bog in volume it's 10,000 gallons but that's not taking into consideration all the rock. I also used a chain saw to cut the slots into the 24" horizontal centipede. They are basicly every 6" with a 8 inch cut by an inch wide.
If you look at the photo with the aqua blox you will see the top left block has some round holes I had to drill them in as the manufacturing was not up to par i'll let you know how the manufacture stands up to there product latter.

 

[Telion]

Lol I have those Geico commercials in my mind again. Lol ...you get more...more of everything. that is going to be some intense filtration. Glad you are sharing so much detail for others to learn from.

 

[GBBUDD]

Lol I have those Geico commercials in my mind again. Lol ...you get more...more of everything. that is going to be some intense filtration. Glad you are sharing so much detail for others to learn from.

Hey i'm learning myself I have never built anything like this before. But I haven't heard from anyone saying my ideas are off. I'm hoping it's not due to being nice . PLEASE if someone see's something i'm missing over looking or doing . please say so . I have thick skin .. glad to hear others input and experience.

 

[addy1]

Would love to offer advice, but my pond is so simple compared to your build!

 

[GBBUDD]

Would love to offer advice, but my pond is so simple compared to your build!

Like I said before i'm polish never learned how to keep it simple. Guess i'll find out in the long run if it was all worth it