What would you have done differently building your pond(s)

[jdogfunk100]

#1 by far, is I wish I installed a UV algae light/filter. I struggled for 10 years needlessly.

 

[GBBUDD]

SAVE ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL AND BUILD YOUR SELF A BOG

 

[bagsmom]

I wish I had made my waterfall differently. Instead of making it tall-ish, I should have made it lower and had a short bit of "stream." I went for a vertical emphasis and should have been thinking horizontally. It's fine as it is and the change would be small, but I think it would have made everything look more natural.

 

[addy1]

#1 by far, is I wish I installed a UV algae light/filter. I struggled for 10 years needlessly.

I have never had one, but do filter with only a large plant filled bog. Keeps the water perfect, no green water or excess algae.

 

[mrsclem]

Used thicker lumber building our one raised pond. The support posts gave out and the walls are bowed (2x12). Wish I had known to make my bog walls higher. Having to try to cut the notch for the out flow deeper with the liner in place! Also, never put a stock tank up on blocks if you live where it gets cold. Took 2 cracked tanks to learn that one!

 

[TheFishGuy]

Used thicker lumber building our one raised pond. The support posts gave out and the walls are bowed (2x12). Wish I had known to make my bog walls higher. Having to try to cut the notch for the out flow deeper with the liner in place! Also, never put a stock tank up on blocks if you live where it gets cold. Took 2 cracked tanks to learn that one!

Looks like I will be glad I didn't build my above ground pond with 2x4s!

 

[jdogfunk100]

SAVE ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL AND BUILD YOUR SELF A BOG

I have solar, so I don't have an electric bill

 

[GBBUDD]

I'D NEED A FIELD OF PANNELS

 

[addy1]

My biggest regret was not being able to talk my wife into doing all the work...

Sigh I am the wife and did almost all the work, couldn't talk hubby into it.

 

[YShahar]

Sigh I am the wife and did almost all the work, couldn't talk hubby into it.

Oh yeah, I hear you! The hubby (aka His Honor the Cook) does have his uses, but pond building is sadly not among them. Nor is anything else that requires manual labor or hand-eye coordination. But he makes me laugh, and he cooks, which is why I married him!

Biggest mistake in building my first pond? The surrounding landscape planting. I planted a grevilleah, which dumped tons of flower bits and leaves into the pond, and then compounded the error by planting a callistemon as well. And then, to top it off, I didn't take into account how quickly the small citrus trees would grow and shade the whole area. The result was constant organic matter dropping into a fairly small pond. And because the little pond was originally built to be a biofilter for the larger one, the increasing shade meant that it is no longer suited to the task now that I've gotten around to finally completing the main pond.

Lessons learned:
1. Location location location! Take into account the future growth of trees.

2. Planting. Don't plant anything near, or downwind of, the pond that will be dropping bits of itself on a continual basis.

 

[TheFishGuy]

Oh yeah, I hear you! The hubby (aka His Honor the Cook) does have his uses, but pond building is sadly not among them. Nor is anything else that requires manual labor or hand-eye coordination. But he makes me laugh, and he cooks, which is why I married him!

Biggest mistake in building my first pond? The surrounding landscape planting. I planted a grevilleah, which dumped tons of flower bits and leaves into the pond, and then compounded the error by planting a callistemon as well. And then, to top it off, I didn't take into account how quickly the small citrus trees would grow and shade the whole area. The result was constant organic matter dropping into a fairly small pond. And because the little pond was originally built to be a biofilter for the larger one, the increasing shade meant that it is no longer suited to the task now that I've gotten around to finally completing the main pond.

Lessons learned:
1. Location location location! Take into account the future growth of trees.

2. Planting. Don't plant anything near, or downwind of, the pond that will be dropping bits of itself on a continual basis.

I put my pond under the worst type of tree:

in the spring, it flowers, and then drops them in my pond

in late summer, it makes fruit, and then drops them in my pond

In the fall, the leaves fall in my pond....

So I hear you on the location thing!

 

[Relic]

Yeah, that tree thing. I planted a small 1-gallon Japanese Maple in a corner next to the pond and the house. Figured I could keep it small with judicious pruning. Fast forward 20 years and it took a chain saw to remove the tree that had spread its trunk up and over the patio, completely encapsulated and then finally tore all the sprinkler system wires that ran out into the yard, and dropped a crap-metric ton of leaves into the little 660 gallon pond each autumn. But it was a beautiful tree that shaded the pond and camouflaged it from the herons flying overhead and added a zen-like quality to the whole scene: shade and water-fall gurgles. Trying harder now to see the end from the beginning...

(Yes, there is a little pond in all of that. Tree eventually doubled in size from this.)

 

[rubyduby]

I put my pond under the worst type of tree:

in the spring, it flowers, and then drops them in my pond

in late summer, it makes fruit, and then drops them in my pond

In the fall, the leaves fall in my pond....

So I hear you on the location thing!

I had to put my pond under a Live Oak! I have been skimming leaves for months now. We are getting to the end of it for this year thank goodness. My back is killing...BUT I had no choice because I am in Florida and my pond needs shade in the summer...I am not a fan of sails for cover so skimming will always be part of my daily chores

 

[combatwombat]

I have solar, so I don't have an electric bill

Your electric bill is just prepaid. I have solar too. Energy is never free. Wish it were!

 

[GBBUDD]

I put my pond under the worst type of tree:

in the spring, it flowers, and then drops them in my pond

in late summer, it makes fruit, and then drops them in my pond

In the fall, the leaves fall in my pond....

So I hear you on the location thing!

Sounds like an dogwood achusa tree. The absolute worse tree that i know are the pine trees and the always wonderful southern catalpa. it grows 100 feet tall flowers like no ones business looks like popcorn all over the tree. so those flowers fall in june and turn to this gunky sticky mess. then the leaves fall in yes the fall , the cigar pods open in december and spread seed all over . then you have the pods that fall in january. I HATED THAT TREEEEEEEEEEEE they met the chainsaw