Mmathis
TurtleMommy
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2011
- Messages
- 14,285
- Reaction score
- 8,339
- Location
- NW Louisiana -- zone 8b
- Hardiness Zone
- 8b
- Country
Welcome! Wow, that's a lot of work!
Rehabbing a Completely Overgrown Pond
- Thread starter Dirty Dawg
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2014
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
- 3
Is that all you had to do to get that pond back in order? .... Just kidding. a back hoe rental might have been a good idea, eh? Of course you don't want to rip that liner. Very nice work sir.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2014
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
- 3
That's a lot of progress from the original pic. wow.
Thanks for the welcomes everybody.
Yea, tons of work, my girlfriend has been right down in there with me mucking, what a trooper she is. There's been at least ten nights we're covered in muck and and smell like a sewer, lol.
So, any bets on what plant life re-emmerges? I'm not sure how all of you cull unwanted plants, my only real experience has been using Roundup, as pulling weeds leaves roots that grow back, on my lawn anyways.
Anybody have any thoughts on that swimming pool sand filter I'm using in addition to the typical mats that are in the skimmer and waterfall weir? Waste of time or keep it and make it permanent?
Before all the landscaping around the pond is final, I plan on running a 1" water line to it from the house, and using a sprinkler valve, controller, and float switch for an "auto-fill" system. At my last place I used our sprikler timer to turn the fountain on and off and it also had the fill valve and piping to the pond but no float, it was manual. Or........... buying a cheap PLC and using it for that and other logic like low water alarmin the skimmer pit, restart attempt delay timer and pump disable after a certain number of tries.
When my mind rambles...............I wanna buy a 100hp pump and accumulator, and build a mini Bellagio, lol.
Yea, tons of work, my girlfriend has been right down in there with me mucking, what a trooper she is. There's been at least ten nights we're covered in muck and and smell like a sewer, lol.
So, any bets on what plant life re-emmerges? I'm not sure how all of you cull unwanted plants, my only real experience has been using Roundup, as pulling weeds leaves roots that grow back, on my lawn anyways.
Anybody have any thoughts on that swimming pool sand filter I'm using in addition to the typical mats that are in the skimmer and waterfall weir? Waste of time or keep it and make it permanent?
Before all the landscaping around the pond is final, I plan on running a 1" water line to it from the house, and using a sprinkler valve, controller, and float switch for an "auto-fill" system. At my last place I used our sprikler timer to turn the fountain on and off and it also had the fill valve and piping to the pond but no float, it was manual. Or........... buying a cheap PLC and using it for that and other logic like low water alarmin the skimmer pit, restart attempt delay timer and pump disable after a certain number of tries.
When my mind rambles...............I wanna buy a 100hp pump and accumulator, and build a mini Bellagio, lol.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2013
- Messages
- 3,308
- Reaction score
- 7,293
- Location
- Rhode Island, USA
- Showcase(s):
- 1
- Hardiness Zone
- 6a
- Country
Very nice, that's a lot of work but you will enjoy it when done
Great progress on your pond! Look forward to seeing the finished product!
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2010
- Messages
- 44,939
- Reaction score
- 29,965
- Location
- Frederick, Maryland
- Showcase(s):
- 1
- Hardiness Zone
- 6b
- Country
What a ton or work! That will look great when you are done.
Welcome to our group of ponding fanatics.
Welcome to our group of ponding fanatics.
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2013
- Messages
- 6,284
- Reaction score
- 5,066
- Location
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Hardiness Zone
- 6 A
- Country
You can add some additional filter mats to your Savio skimmer, I just cute three pieces and place in the leaf basket. Is the sand filter, the only other filtration? I don't have experience with one in a pond, but think you'll need other filtration with fish.
Round Up use isn't advisable in your pond!! You'll learn to thin out your plants and share with others
Round Up use isn't advisable in your pond!! You'll learn to thin out your plants and share with others
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2010
- Messages
- 44,939
- Reaction score
- 29,965
- Location
- Frederick, Maryland
- Showcase(s):
- 1
- Hardiness Zone
- 6b
- Country
Roundup is deadly to frogs, tads, toads etc. Just something to file away for the future pond you will have.
You can add some additional filter mats to your Savio skimmer, I just cute three pieces and place in the leaf basket. Is the sand filter, the only other filtration? I don't have experience with one in a pond, but think you'll need other filtration with fish.
Round Up use isn't advisable in your pond!! You'll learn to thin out your plants and share with others
It's not installed yet, I also have the Savio waterfall weir that has a filter mat in it, about the same surface area of what's in the skimmer. I couldn't bring myself to spend the money on their much more expensive, fancy upflow filter.
I'm a do-it-yourself kinda guy and will more than likely follow some plans from this site and build a good filter box on my own once I have some free time. Still on the fence about adding the UV light option to that skimmer, sure looks pricey since I think I need two of the 50w units based on the size of the pond?
It's pretty funny, before starting on this rehab of the pond, I told the girlfriend I was in no hurry for fish.
But now that there's water pumping, I've got some fish webisites up and wanna pull the trigger on a dozen 6-8" Ruby Red Veiltail Comets that are on sale, lol.
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2013
- Messages
- 6,284
- Reaction score
- 5,066
- Location
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Hardiness Zone
- 6 A
- Country
Fish are what make things fun!! My Savio came with a thin mat, which I replaced with a sheet of thicker matala. I have to clean my skimmer filters often, as they really trap "stuff".
Wow, the information on this site is incredible!
I've fallen in love with the idea of some type of bog for filtration. Then I don't have to figure-out a way to hide that pump energy-sucking pool filter either. The problem is, short of eating-up the open-water pond space that I'd like to keep, my only other space is up that hill I've shown where I'm planning the waterfall.
Contemplating in my head a way to do some type of terraced bog setup up that hill, with at least one decent waterfall drop into the pond. Maybe one up at the top entering the bog. The problem is I see most bogs are bottom-fed, so the water doesn't just skip over the top.
Or, still have a regular waterfall/steep creek run down the hill three feet wide or so, an have the bog alongside it running downhill. That space is ten feet wide and my liner for the project is 10 x 15.
Hmmmm................
I've fallen in love with the idea of some type of bog for filtration. Then I don't have to figure-out a way to hide that pump energy-sucking pool filter either. The problem is, short of eating-up the open-water pond space that I'd like to keep, my only other space is up that hill I've shown where I'm planning the waterfall.
Contemplating in my head a way to do some type of terraced bog setup up that hill, with at least one decent waterfall drop into the pond. Maybe one up at the top entering the bog. The problem is I see most bogs are bottom-fed, so the water doesn't just skip over the top.
Or, still have a regular waterfall/steep creek run down the hill three feet wide or so, an have the bog alongside it running downhill. That space is ten feet wide and my liner for the project is 10 x 15.
Hmmmm................
sissy
sissy
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2011
- Messages
- 33,086
- Reaction score
- 15,707
- Location
- Axton virginia
- Showcase(s):
- 1
- Hardiness Zone
- 7A
- Country
Your waterfall will also help clean and aerate the pond .But at least you have a lot done and it always takes time .But seems like you have it all under control
I now have pea soup, lol.
It clogs that sand filter in a couple hours. Bog building begins tomorrow.
It clogs that sand filter in a couple hours. Bog building begins tomorrow.
Being an inheritor of 15+ year old 14,000 gallon pond system with a large canape above the pond. Everything was completely filled to the brim with muck and tons of frogs, salamanders, and their broods alike.
The family and I demucked/drained the entire bottom pond with 5 gallon buckets and a 80gallon shock vac, it was great.
Sadly 6 years later(2 months ago) We never tackled the top pond and the upflow gravel filter. Both completely clogged basically had no filtration causing the bottom pond to build up substantial amount of muck and destroying my water quality killing all my koi breaking my heart. After going through that i have been all gung-ho about getting the pond exactly how I want it.
Now I can finally enjoy properly running filters, bigger water fall, and new fully rock top river/pond.
Few bumps in the road with the new koi but everything is good now.
Good luck with your progression it will be worth.
The family and I demucked/drained the entire bottom pond with 5 gallon buckets and a 80gallon shock vac, it was great.
Sadly 6 years later(2 months ago) We never tackled the top pond and the upflow gravel filter. Both completely clogged basically had no filtration causing the bottom pond to build up substantial amount of muck and destroying my water quality killing all my koi breaking my heart. After going through that i have been all gung-ho about getting the pond exactly how I want it.
Now I can finally enjoy properly running filters, bigger water fall, and new fully rock top river/pond.
Few bumps in the road with the new koi but everything is good now.
Good luck with your progression it will be worth.