Yet another newb pond construction thread

[brokensword]

and lastly, I changed my waterfall for 7 straight years until I finally 'got it'. Don't be afraid to tweak and let something grow on you. Eventually, you'll know how your waterfall has to be. When I expanded, I was almost afraid of having to 're-create' what it took me 7 years to figure out but I found it wasn't that hard at all, even adding another fall to the mix! Like the extended landscape mentioned earlier, plants can help alleviate that 'pile of rocks' feel.

 

[Jeremydmeyer76]

I have dirt to move and not much daylight left but I want to say that this forum is awesome.

 

[brokensword]

I have almost given up with freshwater aquariums, they are just so hard to get right, ponds are so much easier.

saltwater is just so much easier to make look nice and function well, although the same probably couldn't be said with a saltwater pond.....

funny, most would say an aquarium is easier than a pond. I know I never had issues re aquariums and had to learn re a pond but that's because nature didn't have much say with my aquarium! They're basically the same, after Mother Nature is left from the equation. And I thought saltwater was much more maintenance than my freshwater aquariums. Then I sort of applied what I'd learned from ponding to saltwater and now, it isn't much different there, either. Most people would be surprised to learn I've kept saltwater for over a decade now WITHOUT any filter other than live rock.

 

[Lisak1]

@brokensword exactly! Lots of old aquarium habits were carried over to the ponding hobby (i.e., salt in the pond) until people started to question some of those practices and how the applied to this hobby. The aquarium is in an environment that essentially never changes. The pond environment changes daily. They both have water and fish... and everything else is just a variable.

 

[TheFishGuy]

funny, most would say an aquarium is easier than a pond. I know I never had issues re aquariums and had to learn re a pond but that's because nature didn't have much say with my aquarium! They're basically the same, after Mother Nature is left from the equation. And I thought saltwater was much more maintenance than my freshwater aquariums. Then I sort of applied what I'd learned from ponding to saltwater and now, it isn't much different there, either. Most people would be surprised to learn I've kept saltwater for over a decade now WITHOUT any filter other than live rock.

When I did my first saltwater setup, I cheaped out, and am using a 10 gallon rated hob filter, not sure it is doing much other than water movement, which the powerhead is doing better.

I am having zero problems, no protein skimmer, no sump, and literally all the algae that grows on my rocks looks pretty nice!

that is my main problem with most freshwater systems I do, I can't bring myself to set up a pink gravel spongebob house tank, so I go out and buy fluvals new plant light, and seachems nutrient gravel. Then it all just turns into a slimy noxious algae mess.

I now only do 10 gallon and under freshwater, because I still enjoy that densely planted forest look, but when it comes time to clean every few days it isn't such a chore. and of course frameless low iron panoramic viewing tanks are cheaper


oh but I forgot to mention I do understock my saltwater tanks, like a lot. My smallest one right now, a 20 gallon has two small clownfish and a candy cane cleaner shrimp.

I don't do much coral, just stuff like zoas and gsp, but I do enjoy macroalgae, if you get the right stuff it is hard to kill, looks nice, and grows fast!

 

[Jeremydmeyer76]

Tonight's activity. Tapering out the berm and getting away from that "volcano" look.The yard is flat the waterfall needs to basically be a short stream with a few drops. It's becoming easier to visualize the path.

Speaking of path....being the berm is now tapered out so far I had to dig a path back through it so I can dig a trench for the electrical, flex hose going from the skimmer to the pumps as well as the the bottom drain to the pump.

It sucks digging dirt that you have already dug a couple times but it didnt make sense to run the line all the way around.

 

[GBBUDD]

Welcome to the next level.
I too had the reef aquarium but i did so in the days before kalkwashers . The infancy of bio balls and live rock. My avatar here is actualy a picture of that the next step that was divorce she got my money and the salt talk and i built a planted tank. And i heard the same there you can do that you cant do this it won't work. if you weren't detered by 15 years of fish keeping i imagine you know the fundamentals and can make about any design work. The planted tank i had was open toped where i started with desk lamps quartz halides. not only did it work i placed 148 in the ada competition. sorry i don't remember the year but the tank can be found typing padarium vivarium i am unsure but i think you'll like. . The next evolution was to build a waterfall on the top of the open fish tank . which then became a water proof shelf basicly creating a bog with peat long long long before this bog stuff ever came out. and to top it off i placed two finches in this area by simply running window screen down from the ceiling.
But enough there the point is don't be affraid to give things a shot i believe strongly i can make my system work with minimal effort but to someone else not so much and vise versa.
You have some fantastic top soil there and lots of it . how ever thats something you'll need to be very carefull with as n matter how much compaction you may add just add enough water and it will wash out. On the plus side sprinkle a little grass seed and the roots can stablize your soils rather quickly.
Your bottom drain for it to work really well you may want to concider the bottom of the pond as a bowl with the drain at the deepest point. which brings the next point. and a member here back then gave me this tid bit that by code i had to have two drains on the sam pipe so if someone got it the deep water they could no get held down by a drain check with your local building codes.
You have the shelve all around you build but they are very even and round did out a corner even if it's only a foot deep and three feet as a jog can do A lot to make it look natural and it was always there. Whoops just noticed the closest wall is not rounded.
I don't know your particular soil but as was mentioned if it is as i believe i would have a tarp to cover the pond and keep the water from ever seeing the edges of your selves.
If you dig out one area of your middle self and bring it down to the bottom of the pond it's a fish cave you only need a large piece of flag stone or similar and trust me your fish will love it especially in the winter.
Ok enough of my two cents nice bones thus far looking forward to your build.
Oh yeah and i whole heartedly back the bog as well.
i to make a area / island for bog plants but as they will absorb through there roots they can do what a bog filter does.
If you think this response is long my build can be found this in the blue text below

 

[GBBUDD]

Tonight's activity. Tapering out the berm and getting away from that "volcano" look.The yard is flat the waterfall needs to basically be a short stream with a few drops. It's becoming easier to visualize the path.

Speaking of path....being the berm is now tapered out so far I had to dig a path back through it so I can dig a trench for the electrical, flex hose going from the skimmer to the pumps as well as the the bottom drain to the pump.

It sucks digging dirt that you have already dug a couple times but it didnt make sense to run the line all the way around.

One issue to keep in mind you have to keep that beautiful top soil from washing into your pond water run off into the pond is BADDDDDD

 

[Jeremydmeyer76]

One issue to keep in mind you have to keep that beautiful top soil from washing into your pond water run off into the pond is BADDDDDD

I was thinking most of the berm would be covered with underlayment and then covered with mulch. The berm will also be heavily planted.

 

[GBBUDD]

This could be one of the most important designs for your pond that you may do. id try to pitch the water away from the pond d another rock wall maybe a completely differant rock then what is in the pond like a flat field stone and river rock in the pond

 

[Jeremydmeyer76]

Welcome to the next level.
I too had the reef aquarium but i did so in the days before kalkwashers . The infancy of bio balls and live rock. My avatar here is actualy a picture of that the next step that was divorce she got my money and the salt talk and i built a planted tank. And i heard the same there you can do that you cant do this it won't work. if you weren't detered by 15 years of fish keeping i imagine you know the fundamentals and can make about any design work. The planted tank i had was open toped where i started with desk lamps quartz halides. not only did it work i placed 148 in the ada competition. sorry i don't remember the year but the tank can be found typing padarium vivarium i am unsure but i think you'll like. . The next evolution was to build a waterfall on the top of the open fish tank . which then became a water proof shelf basicly creating a bog with peat long long long before this bog stuff ever came out. and to top it off i placed two finches in this area by simply running window screen down from the ceiling.
But enough there the point is don't be affraid to give things a shot i believe strongly i can make my system work with minimal effort but to someone else not so much and vise versa.
You have some fantastic top soil there and lots of it . how ever thats something you'll need to be very carefull with as n matter how much compaction you may add just add enough water and it will wash out. On the plus side sprinkle a little grass seed and the roots can stablize your soils rather quickly.
Your bottom drain for it to work really well you may want to concider the bottom of the pond as a bowl with the drain at the deepest point. which brings the next point. and a member here back then gave me this tid bit that by code i had to have two drains on the sam pipe so if someone got it the deep water they could no get held down by a drain check with your local building codes.
You have the shelve all around you build but they are very even and round did out a corner even if it's only a foot deep and three feet as a jog can do A lot to make it look natural and it was always there. Whoops just noticed the closest wall is not rounded.
I don't know your particular soil but as was mentioned if it is as i believe i would have a tarp to cover the pond and keep the water from ever seeing the edges of your selves.
If you dig out one area of your middle self and bring it down to the bottom of the pond it's a fish cave you only need a large piece of flag stone or similar and trust me your fish will love it especially in the winter.
Ok enough of my two cents nice bones thus far looking forward to your build.
Oh yeah and i whole heartedly back the bog as well.
i to make a area / island for bog plants but as they will absorb through there roots they can do what a bog filter does.
If you think this response is long my build can be found this in the blue text below

I am actually pretty sure I've seen your old paludarium/ finch enclosure on google before! There are not too many palidarium finch enclosures around.

Heres my planted tank.

Thanks for the tips. I'll check out your build.

 

[GBBUDD]

Very nice!!!!!!

As much as i love the pond i miss having the tranquility right next to my lazy boy in my living room.

 

[Jeremydmeyer76]

Very nice!!!!!!

As much as i love the pond i miss having the tranquility right next to my lazy boy in my living room.
View attachment 134687View attachment 134689

 

[Jeremydmeyer76]

Yep, that's the tank I was thinking of! Small world.
Also, I just browsed through your build log and am blown away! I'm starting to think I need to think about using bigger stones. I really dislike the look of using all small field stones without anything to break them. It makes a pond and waterfall just look like a rock pile on the corner of every field around me.

 

[GBBUDD]

Thanks

Even if only a couple boulders are used the appearance place just so can do a lot

One trick i have used is to find the biggest and flattest rocks slip fabric under them and you can make a sling for 4 men to help carry. and if you stand it up and place an other rock in front of it or a tree stump you'd never know it was thin and not a big boulder