The pond dig has begun!

[sissy]

was grey sorry as he had told me it had activitaded carbon in it and it had 1 plastic band on it that said washable activated carbon I just found the clear plastic corner from it.He called it a swamp cooler

 

[sissy]

good gosh some are made of hogs hair naked pigs what next LOL AND ASPEN

 

[sissy]

hogs hair naked pigs aspen ones and no wonder there are quaking aspens there scared

 

[CometKeith]

hi countryescape. It looks like your pond is coming out great! I am really impressed that this is your first one. You did everything right by doing a lot of research beforehand and getting a lot of great advice during the planing and execution of it. Regarding your question regarding the winter in Illinois anything that keeps a hole open in the ice is sufficient. I use a few airstones and it has the added benefit of adding O2 into the water in case there is a heavy snow fall. Also I have found that keeping the waterfall working as long as possible at the start of the winter and end reduces anaerobic decay and keeps your water fresher.

 

[addy1]

This winter we will try to keep a hole, last winter didn't think any fish were in the pond, to my surprise 5 were.

She has done a wonderful job, great planning, research and of course joining the forum and asking all us "experts"

 

[CountryEscape]

Thanks so much, ComeKeith and Addy. Sissy, that's hilarious about the hog hairs. :lol:
I am now at the point where I'm at a standstill, because company coming, but anxious to get back to it and get the outside landscape stones leveled and laid this coming week in the evenings, and finish filling the pond. I will have the fountain going this weekend, just to show that the pond is close to complete.
Lot of filter questions, and answers, and I thank everyone for that!
I laid in bed this morning, thinking about the bog, Addy, and am somewhat concerned I cut the inside wall (between bog and pond) a little narrow on one end. Thinking I may need to put some of the dirt back to help hold that wall. There should not be any weight on it, except one landscape stone, so it should be ok, but I sure don't want a stone falling behind the liner! That would be disastrous, but maybe the pressure of the water would never let that happen??? Your thoughts? It's just one stone that is not completely on dirt wall, and the stone is 8" wide, so the wall in that area is maybe 6". Now would be the time to add the dirt, I guess, as not much water in the bog, just what Mother Nature put there from the recent rains. And, if it was unstable in the future, I could simply remove the gravel, peel the liner back and add dirt, too, but mostly worried that stone may fall behind the liner. Hoping that this is impossible, with the pressure of the water, but not certain.

 

[sissy]

geeze country make company feel at home give them something to do .Pressure of water will keep it in place as long as water level does not get low mine has landscape block like that for 5 years and no problems with it moving in the winter it just freezes in place and here with the weather we have if landscape block was going to move it would have by now .70 degrees 1 day in the winter to 10 degrees the next day the block would have moved and never did .If you feel better doing that then do it ,it will give you piece of mind

 

[CountryEscape]

Nope, then I'm going to leave it, Sissy! LOL, yeah, I should put them to work, but plans are to sit by my cousins' pool this weekend.
Also still wondering if a fence is going to be needed to keep the dogs out, as they are all drinking from the pond now, although no edge stones are in place. Wondering if the top cap stone, which will be flat or somewhat flat, to cover the liner on the top of the landscape stone, if I have it overhang the pond, will that discourage them, or make them fall in (or the stone fall in) if they get too close to the edge? And, on way home last night, there was a Giant blue heron flying low in the field next to my property. :-( So, if the heron is going to be a problem, which I'm sure eventually it WILL be, will a fence keep it from landing in the pond, too, or do I also have to have something over the top? My sister in AZ has fishing line strung on the side and over the top, on her pergola.

 

[sissy]

you can use spray foam to hold the rocks in place so the dogs don't knock them in ,because hate to say it but I almost did that once myself .Stepped to far on the overhang part and me and the stone almost went in ..Yeh knowing you you will be sitting by the pool thinking about your pond as you look into the pool water you will see pond water .

 

[CountryEscape]

Yes, that is so very true! And, I am soooo anxious to buy some koi, but have put myself on a minimum 30 day waiting period! In the meantime, I'm seeing some gorgeous fish going on E-Bay. BUT, my local pet shop has a beautiful one, too. And, I have a couple of leads of individual breeders that I may choose to buy from instead. Patience, Patti, patience ..... NOT my strong suit. LOL

 

[sissy]

must feel like 30 years .I remember when I built this bigger pond and my poor fish were still in the little pond and I had to wait it was pure torture .Wish you had some better places to get koi did you google it there .

 

[sissy]

you near Keystone Illinois there there is a hatchery there I googled it

 

[CountryEscape]

Hmm ... I did find some people on Craigs' List a couple of months ago, when I was looking around, but not sure where Keystone, IL is. Not even on my Atlas ...

 

[sissy]

keystone hatcheries.com

 

[sissy]

you could use one of the map sights to see how far it is