Sparky’s Pond Build.

[Sparky]

From where this project started seems a long time ago. Been thinking about it for years. Here’s what I got. I’ll just post pics and hopefully you folks will tell me if I’m crazy or on the right track. FYI. Inside 1/2 PT plywood and liner are coming this weekend so I will be a busy boy.

 

[qclabrat]

looks great, is the storage cabinet filter for indoor or outdoor use? I assume it's get out by gravity since not pressurized? very innovative use of common parts and media

 

[Sparky]

Thanks. The water is pumped into the garage to the cabinet, then returned to the pond via gravity/water fall.

 

[Lisak1]

Very clever! I saw an aquaponics set up that was very similar. And love love love the furry guy - he's super excited obviously!

 

[sissy]

your dog must watch to much of the Flintstones

 

[Panzer13]

I built a 185 gallon above ground pond about six months ago. I would like to share some lessons learned.

Firstly I am wondering if that is lumber rated for ground contact that you used. If not do you intend on using some sort of moisture barrier?

Second do not under estimate the weight and force you are dealing with. If the pond size is 550 gallons, it is holding 4,592.5 pounds of water.

My pond is made out of 2x6 treated lumber which I reinforced with framing ties. The first two times I filed it with water, it literally began to tear itself apart do to the weight.

In the end I put eight steal straps that ran under the pond width wise, and four 2x2 cross supports on the top. The 2x2 are secured by lag bolts. This may seem like overkill but trust it’s not.

It looks like about six inches of the structure is below ground so you will get some additional support from this, which is good. It looks like the frame is about two feet tall. So you are going to have allot of pressure at the top. You may want to reinforce around the top a bit more.

I hope I am not sounding critical as that is not my intent. I said allot of choice words and lost more hair that I can’t afford to lose at my age when I did mine. I would spare you that if I can.

I like the photo of your not so motivated but present four legged helper. My cat just shows up at the end to see if I have done it rite. Sort of like my very own fury building inspector.
Please post pick of the build, should be fun to follow.

 

[sissy]

It has the same way when people build to close to a concrete porch or foundation of a house ..One of the new ponders here had her whole front concrete porch lift up this past winter .The sudden cold from winter hit early and cracked the whole thing . We dropped from 70 degrees down to 17 degrees that night with snow . She was there for our little pond meeting and showed pics of the damage ..Her liner sunk and most of the water ran out under the porch ,she did manage to save the 4 small fish they had .Her hubby was not very happy

 

[Sparky]

The structure is PT, glued and screwed. A cross brace across the top did cross my mind but I did way overbuild. The entire thing is suspended on 2” build grade certifoam to deal with yearly frost heave. Another reason below grade ponds in northern Minnesota can be a challenge. I watched a commercial pond (concrete) literally levitate out of the ground and sheared away from the waterfall. That bowl was 5” reenforced concrete! And please, you are not sounding critical. You sound like a guy who’s been around the block trying to save me a headache or 10. I managed to get about 12” down before ledgerock. Can’t believe the wife said no to blasting.

 

[Panzer13]

The structure is PT, glued and screwed. A cross brace across the top did cross my mind but I did way overbuild. The entire thing is suspended on 2” build grade certifoam to deal with yearly frost heave. Another reason below grade ponds in northern Minnesota can be a challenge. I watched a commercial pond (concrete) literally levitate out of the ground and sheared away from the waterfall. That bowl was 5” reenforced concrete! And please, you are not sounding critical. You sound like a guy who’s been around the block trying to save me a headache or 10. I managed to get about 12” down before ledgerock. Can’t believe the wife said no to blasting.

Ya I don't what is about wives and blasting, they wanna take all the fun out of it.
I would put a pump inside the pond when you fill. This way if things should go wrong you can get the water out fast and hopefully minimize and damage to the frame.
Let know us know how it turns out.

 

[Sparky]

Slept on it and after Panzer’s advice I am incorporating a center brace. Cedar 4x4 to match the finishing untreated cedar 2x6 cap. Gonna sister on some more PT in the middle to give the lags plenty of bite. AND THEN run some low voltage wiring to the middle since I have this dandy new 4x4 brace where lights could hide AND why not put something on top of it like a planter? Nah, let it implode and buy more aquariums.

 

[Sparky]

Slept on it and after Panzer’s advice I am incorporating a center brace. Cedar 4x4 to match the finishing untreated cedar 2x6 cap. Gonna sister on some more PT in the middle to give the lags plenty of bite. AND THEN run some low voltage wiring to the middle since I have this dandy new 4x4 brace where lights could hide AND why not put something on top of it like a planter? Nah, let it implode and buy more aquariums.

And thank you Panzer! A wise man once told me “it’s a 50-50 deal. Either your the hero or you come out looking like a dumb@$$”. The first option is appealing.

 

[Panzer13]

Slept on it and after Panzer’s advice I am incorporating a center brace. Cedar 4x4 to match the finishing untreated cedar 2x6 cap. Gonna sister on some more PT in the middle to give the lags plenty of bite. AND THEN run some low voltage wiring to the middle since I have this dandy new 4x4 brace where lights could hide AND why not put something on top of it like a planter? Nah, let it implode and buy more aquariums.

More meat can never hurt. I think you will be fine just keep an eye on it while it's filling. That is a good idea about covering the brace with a planter. I did something simular with mine.

 

[Sparky]

More meat can never hurt. I think you will be fine just keep an eye on it while it's filling. That is a good idea about covering the brace with a planter. I did something simular with mine.

Damn that looks sharp.

 

[Panzer13]

Damn that looks sharp.

Thank you.

 

[Sparky]

Long day!