Info Overload

[Busy B]

I'm doing research...well mostly dreamin'!dude on adding onto the pond...the last pile of rock that was dumped last year was moved by the DD trying to pay back her cheerleading fees:wink: So that obstacle is now gone. Time to dig. I'm dreaming of a 3 stage settelment/filter chamber and a Savio skimmer and an AquaArt turtle bottom drain. I've looked at the Sweetwater Filter setup in AES and figured I could DIY something similar. Been thru books and the net and so far the Pan Intercorp book of Koi has been the most helpful. The visuals help my brain cells to assimilate:-P

The problem I'm having is...the chambers are made of a concrete base and block. I've never played with concrete but guessing it can't be that hard. My worries tho are...frost heaves and earthquakes. The two of those don't mix well with concrete. Rigid piping, such as a real bottom drain, makes me way nervous. So maybe wood and liner, such as Greg uses?

The pond now that I have was mainly dug in sand. We had to use clay to stabalize the banks. Third season and not alot of shifting or settling. The new part will be sand also but I want to go deeper...I'm guessing 5 foot will be the max I can get away with, with the sand and the liner and not doing block.

And as I dream and research the addition...I keep asking myself...for 3 months of ponding, you're going to go to all this trouble?!bonk

[Jackie Ramo]

Once you get done planning and building the oustside pond you'll have to plan to expand the greenhouse pond!!! never ending, thats the problem with this hobby

[Busy B]

Yeah and I'm still lost...thought I had it figured out and hubby didn't like the idea..would mean having 2 seperate ponds.

Want to put a walkway over the settlement chamber...the trick is figuring out where to put it to allow room for it and access to electricity. Figure the walkway would be a way to hide it and still get at it for cleaning.

Think I'm in over my head..

[Jackie Ramo]

Tell hubby to mind his own business... Unless of course he's digging the pond...

I'd use liner and wood but then liner and wood I understand, cement I don't.

My last pond was 4 ft in sand with no problems and I'm talking yellow beach sand here. Maybe Pam or Rem who had a pond collaspe have an insight.

[GregBickal]

Wood and liner is the way to go. Ever had to break up concrete ? Its not fun, and when your plans change 10 years from now. Wood and liner are sure alot easier to redo. Also alot easier to add on to, new pipe boots or re-configure.

[Cinnamon]

Greg that is true but for sturdiness I am sold on the cinder block walls. Especially with our soil that is clay. During rainy season it doesn't dry out. But in the drought we are having it is hard as a rock. Forget any digging in this! Heiko is tossing around a design for another pond. Part of it will be above ground and part below. It WILL be made of cinder blocks wall with a strong footer as we did the other one. I don't plan on tearing the first pond down for anything. Hey you can always rent a power jackhammer!

:lol: !rofl

[Busy B]

Another pond Cin? :grin: And you shall be the princess of the Castle :smile:

Is there a reasoning behind the examples of chambers I've seen when they use up to 3 or more? More options for collecting the fines and one for bio?

[Cinnamon]

Busy I told him we have to "FINISH THIS ONE FIRST"! :lol: I am concentrating on this one first. It will be a couple years down the road. Our babies won't be too big for this pond... but again the way they are growing who knows!! When everything settles down a bit I am going to net them and take pics. Then I will post before and after pics. Some were bought in Oct 04 and Dec 04. The ones I bought from Brett were in April 05. The others started out as 3" fish and now they are between 12"-14". It is unreal!! Herculese was the biggest from Brett. Now my original fish are bigger than he is! :lol:

[ozzyrockman]

Busy, how about cinder blocks, rebar and each course of cinder block backfilled and packed inside with some of that extra sand with carpet padding as an underlayment and liner over it not using any mortar between the cinder blocks. This would prevent the possibility of decay, give you a lot of flex in the walls and be totally reusable later in the future. Since it will be in ground you will have close to equal pressures on both sides of the wall and eliminate the possibility it falling over and the need for mortar. Allen

PS measure twice cut once :twisted:

[Cinnamon]

Busy I told Heiko I was not setting cinder blocks for the new design when we start it. I am guessing 2 yrs. haha I told him I will form it out and pour solid concrete walls. It is NOT easy to get cinder blocks to form a curve!

Ozzy not mortaring them together wouldn't be as strong would it? Wouldn't that leave a chance for a topple?

You are right on that padding. IF you use cinder blocks it has to have a good cushion that doesn't deteriate to protect the liner! We used the heavy heavy landscape fabric from the pond guy here.

[Busy B]

The only problem I have with concrete is the piping that has to run thru it..heard it was hard to get a good seal but that does sound like a doable plan Ozzy...

[ozzyrockman]

Cinn, if I read correctly Busy is putting this in ground so the balance should be pretty close to neutral from the water on one side and earth on the other. With the rebar staking the blocks in place it shouldn't go to far and if a jumping jack (ie bomag or wacker plate packer) is used on the footing to level that will help a lot too. Allen

[Busy B]

I'm stuck again...

Managed to scoop out a few shovels to get an outline and give me an idea of how big..have to leave room for the fence that will surround the back yard around the pond so I can wave at the moose instead of throwing rocks at them :lol:

Still trying to figure out how to set up the chambers/pump houseing/ and if I want the pump to feed another waterfall ...

Maybe I should just focus on getting the hole dug..:wink:

[Jackie Ramo]

Busy, why don't you put your thoughts in a drawing and then folks will be able to help better with suggestions. I would assume you will go with a gravity fed system.