Regular chlorine evaporates from water fairly easily. Given enough time, (probably a few weeks), most backyard pools would be ok for fish. But it all depends on the chemicals used of course.
Craig
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Regular chlorine evaporates from water fairly easily. Given enough time, (probably a few weeks), most backyard pools would be ok for fish. But it all depends on the chemicals used of course.
Craig
I think that is what is bothering me Craig is in the not knowing. There is just no way to know exactly what has been used in that pool since they recently bought the house. Whatever has been used will probably just evaporate like you said, but MY LUCK would be something nasty was used, and even if I asked the previous owners, they would have forgotten something.
In any regard, I love the shape of the pool and location of the hot tub area and cant wait to see it done!
In any regard, I love the shape of the pool and location of the hot tub area and cant wait to see it done!
You raise a good point about them being new owners to the house and not knowing what the previous owners used. I hadn't really picked up on that in the post and probably wouldn't have have thought about it from that angle.
I'd love to be able to convert a pool to a pond! Lucky folks!
I'd love to be able to convert a pool to a pond! Lucky folks!
There are several people around here in Central Florida who have converted pools to ponds. None of them completely drained the pool. I do agree with Craig's suggestion to lower the pond water and paint the coping tile and top foot or so with black pool paint. You'll not be able get plants to grow over the sides unless they are in pots. If you cycle the pond without adding any chemicals, i.e. let it run and run and run without added chemicals, most will start to evaporate out. Plus you are coming up on the CA rainy season, and that should help you some.
All that said, the best definitive answer comes from a water test. Your local extension agent can help you get one through the state, or you can find a for-profit testing lab online. Chances are being California and all, you won't find anything bad, but a test will tell you for sure, take the guessing game out of the equation.
What little I know about swimming pool conversions is that though they are big, they really don't make all that good of a koi pond. You can't get good filtration. If you are dead set on having koi, then you'll need to do a lot more research and look into putting a bunch of filtering devices in, it looks like the ground slopes off behind the spa? That spot would work.
The pool conversions around here are garden ponds with goldfish, gambusia, rosy reds, sailfin mollies, killifish and the like for mosquito control. Most of these ponds are not clear.
If you want clearish water, you might look into building or buying a rock trickle tower to put nearish the center of the pool.
All that said, the best definitive answer comes from a water test. Your local extension agent can help you get one through the state, or you can find a for-profit testing lab online. Chances are being California and all, you won't find anything bad, but a test will tell you for sure, take the guessing game out of the equation.
What little I know about swimming pool conversions is that though they are big, they really don't make all that good of a koi pond. You can't get good filtration. If you are dead set on having koi, then you'll need to do a lot more research and look into putting a bunch of filtering devices in, it looks like the ground slopes off behind the spa? That spot would work.
The pool conversions around here are garden ponds with goldfish, gambusia, rosy reds, sailfin mollies, killifish and the like for mosquito control. Most of these ponds are not clear.
If you want clearish water, you might look into building or buying a rock trickle tower to put nearish the center of the pool.
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What brand or kind of paint should I use?
I don't have a suggestion on paint for you since personally I haven't used them. I just know they are out there. Do a search on WaterBug's postings. I beleive he's posted some info previously on the subject.
Craig
Craig
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As everyone can see from the picture I have a area at the far end that was the "jacuzzi". At the near end is the skimmer and there is a bottom drain that will pull water through the filtration system. Water returns to the pool through pvc piping that is in the sides of the pool and jacuzzi. There are two for the pool and four in the jacuzzi. My plan is the use the current plumbing system. The pump will pull the water from the pond through the bottom drain and the skimmer and return the water through the pvc piping. At the jacuzzi end I plan to build a waterfall that will fall into the jacuzzi area and then flow out of it over the low spot you can see in the photo. Do you experts think this is a good plan or is there something else that I should consider?
- Joined
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- Saratoga Springs, UT
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- 7a
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[color=rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;]As everyone can see from the pictures I have a area at the far end that was the "jacuzzi". At the near end is the skimmer and there is a bottom drain that will pull water through the filtration system. Water returns to the pool through pvc piping that is in the sides of the pool and jacuzzi. There are two for the pool and four in the jacuzzi. My plan is the use the current plumbing system. The pump will pull the water from the pond through the bottom drain and the skimmer and return the water through the pvc piping. At the jacuzzi end I plan to build a waterfall that will fall into the jacuzzi area and then flow out of it over the low spot you can see in the photo. Do you experts think this is a good plan or is there something else that I should consider?[/color]
