Pond cover..is there such a thing?

[hayley3]

Or since you’re moving next year, go with the shop vac and plywood, and leave it for someone else to ponder.

So I bought a skimmer to get out the walnuts, pecans, etc..then I'm gonna run water in it to thin it out more, and once it's clear enough, I have a pool pump. If all that doesn't work, there's the shop vac!

 

[Mmathis]

Skimmers are for skimming stuff off the top of the water (floating debris). Shop vacs will get the stuff on the bottom.

 

[hayley3]

Skimmers are for skimming stuff off the top of the water (floating debris). Shop vacs will get the stuff on the bottom.

I have huge walnuts floating in the water...so I can't suck them up in the shop vac..so I bought a Pool Leaf Skimmer Net from Amazon. I used a rake but those walnuts slipped out. They are the green walnuts so are pretty big.

 

[Mmathis]

Ah, yes a pool skimmer net! Those are great to have. I assumed you meant an actual skimmer.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum!

Hang around we can help, virtually.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Are you sure it was intended to be a fishpond? I wonder if someone used it as a firepit. Given the shallow depth, I doubt it was ever intended to be a fishpond.

 

[Lisak1]

5 inches deep? This isn't a pond. I'm thinking fire pit sounds more likely, too. Probably "holds water" just because of the amount of debris in the bottom. I'd get a shovel and start shoveling myself.

 

[Lisak1]

I just re-read this thread and find myself even more confused. You don't want rain to get in? Just fill it in with dirt and turn it into a planter I guess. Or as someone said. -knock the whole thing down. But if you're unable to lift a bag of sand, I'm not sure how you would accomplish that.

Again - I doubt this was ever a pond. MAYBE a fountain feature?

 

[hayley3]

Welcome to the forum!

Hang around we can help, virtually.

Thanks for the welcome!

So let me tell you the outcome LOL
I started with the shop vac, after skimming up the debris that I could see.
I have a 6 gallon shop vac, it took several seconds and it was full already. 6 gallons of water was a lot to dump each time but I managed. I probably dumped 10 loads. It has wheels but my terrain is filled with walnuts, pecans, small limbs, etc., laying among the ivy so not really rake-able.

So here's the outcome...the pond is deeper than 5 inches, I probably have 5 inches of mud in the bottom. I got as much water out as I could, afraid the shop vac would get clogged with mud and pecans and walnuts that I could not see until it was too late. I have a slight amount of water on top, so I will have to hope it dries out some so I can shovel it out. It's soupy mud at the moment. I will have to measure but I'm thinking this is a 12 inch pond in the middle.

This was not a fun experience as that pond is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Even though I lathered in a mosquito prevention lotion, they were going inside my shirt because I was bent over and biting my face. The lotion worked amazing though as none bit my legs or arms. I also had a kiddie pool full of tadpoles that I was trying to save, which also contributed to my mosquito population. I have chickens so last year I had none.

 

[hayley3]

Are you sure it was intended to be a fishpond? I wonder if someone used it as a firepit. Given the shallow depth, I doubt it was ever intended to be a fishpond.

I'm not sure what it was intended for, they built a small bridge over another square section but it doesn't hold water, thankfully.

 

[YShahar]

Thanks for the welcome!

So let me tell you the outcome LOL
I started with the shop vac, after skimming up the debris that I could see.
I have a 6 gallon shop vac, it took several seconds and it was full already. 6 gallons of water was a lot to dump each time but I managed. I probably dumped 10 loads. It has wheels but my terrain is filled with walnuts, pecans, small limbs, etc., laying among the ivy so not really rake-able.

So here's the outcome...the pond is deeper than 5 inches, I probably have 5 inches of mud in the bottom. I got as much water out as I could, afraid the shop vac would get clogged with mud and pecans and walnuts that I could not see until it was too late. I have a slight amount of water on top, so I will have to hope it dries out some so I can shovel it out. It's soupy mud at the moment. I will have to measure but I'm thinking this is a 12 inch pond in the middle.

This was not a fun experience as that pond is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Even though I lathered in a mosquito prevention lotion, they were going inside my shirt because I was bent over and biting my face. The lotion worked amazing though as none bit my legs or arms. I also had a kiddie pool full of tadpoles that I was trying to save, which also contributed to my mosquito population. I have chickens so last year I had none.

Yikes! For the mosquito issue, you can buy mosquito dunks at most garden supply places. They contain a type of bacteria that will keep the larvae from maturing. You'll need to put them in every so often (it will say how long they last on the package). You can put them in the kiddie pool as well; they're safe for fish, pets, and wildlife.

If you want the hole to drain faster, you could borrow a demolition hammer and knock out one part of the wall first, let it drain, and then slowly start mucking it out.

 

[hayley3]

Yikes! For the mosquito issue, you can buy mosquito dunks at most garden supply places. They contain a type of bacteria that will keep the larvae from maturing. You'll need to put them in every so often (it will say how long they last on the package). You can put them in the kiddie pool as well; they're safe for fish, pets, and wildlife.

If you want the hole to drain faster, you could borrow a demolition hammer and knock out one part of the wall first, let it drain, and then slowly start mucking it out.

Oh! I never heard of mosquito dunks, you just saved my life!...yeah when I walk in my backyard I have a swarm of mosquitoes around me as I walk! When I was draining the pond, I could seem them wiggling in the water that's how many there was. I read that tadpoles eat the larvae but I don't think mine did.
I don't think there's a hole in the pond or if there is, it's clogged because it doesn't drain. 1/8 to 1/4 inch of water is still sitting on top of the mud at this point. The pond is in the shade so I guess I will have to suck up the mud to get the water.

 

[YShahar]

Oh! I never heard of mosquito dunks, you just saved my life!...yeah when I walk in my backyard I have a swarm of mosquitoes around me as I walk! When I was draining the pond, I could seem them wiggling in the water that's how many there was. I read that tadpoles eat the larvae but I don't think mine did.

Mosquito dunks are great, because they're harmless to everything except mosquito larva (and maybe some other insects that have an aquatic larval stage). Sadly, although the mosquito dunks were invented in Israel (where I live), you can't buy them here. Instead, you have to buy a liquid that you mix with the pond water.

Here's a link to the dunks on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Summit-Mosquito-Dunks-Chemical-116-12/dp/B08DTXQJHM/

I don't think there's a hole in the pond or if there is, it's clogged because it doesn't drain. 1/8 to 1/4 inch of water is still sitting on top of the mud at this point. The pond is in the shade so I guess I will have to suck up the mud to get the water.

You'll probably have to drill through the concrete (or use a demo hammer to knock down part of the rim) to get the thing to drain. Bummer!

 

[Hound Heaven]

Dunks do work - and they're safe for my dogs too. Good luck with the muck!

 

[addy1]

You could fill, like said above, with peat moss and sand, make a real neat bog type garden. Plant carnivorous plants etc.
Rain would keep it wet. Would be really pretty.