My pond from last Summer 2021
j.w's pond
Moderator: j.w
Re: j.w's pond
Here is the first pond I ever built.
Overview:
We had been in our new home for a year when I decided to start my first pond. That was back in the Spring of 2001. The pond was about 15' x 6' wide or so and 3&1/2' deep and planted over the septic pipes that I ran into while digging. Sorry about the colorful pinwheel but it was put there to ward off critters w/it's spinning action.
I really enjoyed the little pond all Summer and through fall and then the big winter came w/ lots of snow. I left the pump and filter running all year long w/ no problems.
Overview:
We had been in our new home for a year when I decided to start my first pond. That was back in the Spring of 2001. The pond was about 15' x 6' wide or so and 3&1/2' deep and planted over the septic pipes that I ran into while digging. Sorry about the colorful pinwheel but it was put there to ward off critters w/it's spinning action.
I really enjoyed the little pond all Summer and through fall and then the big winter came w/ lots of snow. I left the pump and filter running all year long w/ no problems.
Re: j.w's pond
Then I decided a few years later that maybe it was not so good of an idea to have a pond right over the septic pipes in case there was ever a problem and the pipes needed replacing. Really just used that as an excuse to make a bigger pond across to the other side of the sidewalk. The new pond I dug is about 15' long x 7' wide and 3&1/2' deep at around 2400 gal.
Re: j.w's pond
Back in Nov. 2013 I added a net to cover my pond and keep it safe from the heron. It's high enough so I can just lift up the excess hanging net around the sides and clip it above so I can get in there and do any maintenance that is needed.
Re: j.w's pond
Made a short step down into the pond before adding the liner so I could place rocks down on the water ledge and then place more rocks above them and around the edge of pond. This way you cannot see the liner at all.
Re: j.w's pond
Here are a few of my wet pets, plants and other critters that made my pond their home.
Plants:
Water Hawthorne
Creeping Jenny
Forget Me Nots
Parrots Feather
Tall Creeping Water Primrose
Sedge (Variegated)
Water Iris
Water Lilies
Plants:
Water Hawthorne
Creeping Jenny
Forget Me Nots
Parrots Feather
Tall Creeping Water Primrose
Sedge (Variegated)
Water Iris
Water Lilies
Re: j.w's pond
Planning and Construction
I searched forever in books, online and asking questions to others who had ponds before me before I got out my shovel and started digging under the south window corner next to the garage. As I was digging I ran into sewer pipes to the septic system. Oh well figured I would just lay the liner on top of them and there would just be a hump. Who would see it and who cares? Laid the protective blankets,rugs,whatever I had on hand that I thought would protect the liner. Not many rocks in our sandy soil so not really much of a problem to the liner. Then I found a really good deal on rocks for the edging around the pond at a nearby concrete company. They let you forage through their piles of all different sizes/shapes of rocks to handpick each one you wanted. You wore a hard hat and climbed up the mountains of rocks and all at a cost of about $7. a truck load............what a deal! Hubby helped me haul them asking my approval each time he found a neat rock. They had a washing station set up right there where you could drive your truck and hose off all the rocks you had collected. Brought them home and laid all the rocks out in the driveway and hosed them off again each one individually so they were nice and clean. Before I finished the pond I made a ledge like step around the edge of the pond to set the lower level of rocks on so they would hide the liner at the top of the pond. Then when I added the next layer of rocks on the very top edge of the pond it would look more natural and hide the top of the liner.
Laid the liner in the pond as perfect as I could get it and started filling and fixing the liner as it filled so it laid just the way I wanted. After that settled for a few days I then added all the rocks in place. Next I made a filter using a big black 20gal plant pot. Drilled more holes in the sides and bottom for flow. Put in a cut circle of Matala filter media on the bottom of the pot. Put in my Pondmaster 2400gal mag-drive submersible pump and surrounded it by more media on the insides and then another cut circle of it laid so it fit really snug on top w/ a slice in it so pump hose and cord would fit out of it. Hose would go to waterfall which I made of rocks piled on dirt w/ a bowl dug out for water to pool into.
Added various plants around the edge and water lilies and some floating duckweed for fun and food for the future fish to nibble at. We have well water so did not have to add any dechlorinator to the water. Let the pond sit like that for awhile and tested the water and one day decided to take the plunge and buy 12 little feeder goldfish. They flourished and multiplied just a little as I never fed my fish at all while in that 1st pond above the septic pipes. They did just fine living off plants and algae and any bug/worms that fell into their home.
I searched forever in books, online and asking questions to others who had ponds before me before I got out my shovel and started digging under the south window corner next to the garage. As I was digging I ran into sewer pipes to the septic system. Oh well figured I would just lay the liner on top of them and there would just be a hump. Who would see it and who cares? Laid the protective blankets,rugs,whatever I had on hand that I thought would protect the liner. Not many rocks in our sandy soil so not really much of a problem to the liner. Then I found a really good deal on rocks for the edging around the pond at a nearby concrete company. They let you forage through their piles of all different sizes/shapes of rocks to handpick each one you wanted. You wore a hard hat and climbed up the mountains of rocks and all at a cost of about $7. a truck load............what a deal! Hubby helped me haul them asking my approval each time he found a neat rock. They had a washing station set up right there where you could drive your truck and hose off all the rocks you had collected. Brought them home and laid all the rocks out in the driveway and hosed them off again each one individually so they were nice and clean. Before I finished the pond I made a ledge like step around the edge of the pond to set the lower level of rocks on so they would hide the liner at the top of the pond. Then when I added the next layer of rocks on the very top edge of the pond it would look more natural and hide the top of the liner.
Laid the liner in the pond as perfect as I could get it and started filling and fixing the liner as it filled so it laid just the way I wanted. After that settled for a few days I then added all the rocks in place. Next I made a filter using a big black 20gal plant pot. Drilled more holes in the sides and bottom for flow. Put in a cut circle of Matala filter media on the bottom of the pot. Put in my Pondmaster 2400gal mag-drive submersible pump and surrounded it by more media on the insides and then another cut circle of it laid so it fit really snug on top w/ a slice in it so pump hose and cord would fit out of it. Hose would go to waterfall which I made of rocks piled on dirt w/ a bowl dug out for water to pool into.
Added various plants around the edge and water lilies and some floating duckweed for fun and food for the future fish to nibble at. We have well water so did not have to add any dechlorinator to the water. Let the pond sit like that for awhile and tested the water and one day decided to take the plunge and buy 12 little feeder goldfish. They flourished and multiplied just a little as I never fed my fish at all while in that 1st pond above the septic pipes. They did just fine living off plants and algae and any bug/worms that fell into their home.
Re: j.w's pond
So decided in 2008 or 09 I needed to move the little pond across to the other side of the walkway and of course make it bigger!
Put lots of plants in there and they flourished.
Then came the heron.
After a few years of fighting w/the heron, using flashy CD's, loud talk radio on the porch, short wire fence and fishing line I gave up and installed a wide weave fishing net over the whole thing attached to the short wire fence.
I finally won the battle.
The Heron still comes around for a visit now and then but paces around the whole pond, turns around and flies off w/a frustrated look on his face!
Put lots of plants in there and they flourished.
Then came the heron.
After a few years of fighting w/the heron, using flashy CD's, loud talk radio on the porch, short wire fence and fishing line I gave up and installed a wide weave fishing net over the whole thing attached to the short wire fence.
I finally won the battle.
The Heron still comes around for a visit now and then but paces around the whole pond, turns around and flies off w/a frustrated look on his face!
Re: j.w's pond
Winters by the pond
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015 Nothing
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015 Nothing
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Re: j.w's pond
How I fixed my nets to my pond.
Nov 13, 2013
I ordered nets from a company in Memphis and the order came yesterday. Addy provided me w/ all the information on what kind to order and what all I needed to do this job. I ordered 4" square mesh mutifilament gill netting #277. I had it coated in a tar like u.v protective coating by the company. They lay it out there after they add the coating and let it dry before they send it. It still is a bit sticky when it arrives and you have to pull the netting apart(it comes in the box in a real long thin line of netting)(looks like a long black thick bunch of string) bit by bit and it takes a long time to do but not that hard once you get going. I staked one side of the netting on the grass next to the driveway and the rest I just used rocks placed on the edges as I unraveled it all.
I will next have to buy some 30lb fish line to sew the 2 pieces of netting together as not wide enough for over my pond w/ just one net. Size of my pond across is about 10' wide and 17' long but I want a few feet to hang over the sides. I will be attaching the netting to t-posts about 5ft tall once pounded in the ground. Clips will be attached to the top of each post so I can squish the net up and place it in the clips to hold it higher up when I need to maintain the pond and get under the netting. A rope (braided poly uv resistant 3/8" rated 244 lbs comes in a roll of about 75' to 100') needs to be strung around the edge of the net about a couple feet hanging down from the posts to make the net more manageable and hang tighter. The rest of the net will just hang loose past the roped part.
This is what I have done so far...............and of course it started raining while I was right in the middle of doing all this but actually the rain kept the tarry stuff from sticking to my fingers. When I started it was not raining and the black stuff was stuck all over my fingers. See that lone black skinny rope looking thing laying on the cement,well that is how it comes packed in the box.
I worked some more out there the next day on the net and was able to get the fish line all done that holds the 2 pieces of net together. I still need to cinch the fish line up tighter tho as it is still kinda loose. Got the rope woven around the net area where it will be tied off to the posts. Had to tie each of the corners of the rope to the netting w/ some smaller twine as it wants to slip and go it's own way. This way when moving it to the pond maybe it will be easier to keep it in place. Hard to see the rope on the one side as I tucked it down into the driveway seam and put rocks over it to hold it still and other sides all I could use were rocks.
The one photo is of the temporary net over the pond right now w/ the tiny screen like holes. Last night it got so cold and the net was lower down than in this photo that the geyser fountain hit the top of the net and water was freezing bringing the net down even lower. Have it all raised up higher again now so that should not happen again.
Maybe just maybe I will have it on the pond tomorrow.
Here are photo of what was happening to the temporary net each night. Ice is pulling that net down but the ice breaks off when the sun warms it and then the net pops back up now since I raised it a bit. The new net will be up higher so this cannot happen. So getting my butt out there now to work on getting that new one up today.
Nov 22, 2013
Didn't get a lot done today on the net and I forgot that I needed to burn the cut ends w/ a lighter so they won't unravel. So sat on a stool out there and did that really monotonous job but got it done. Took out the extra line of fish line I sewed in it yesterday as I didn't like the way I had it. I will just leave the one in there for now and then in Summer when it warms up in the pond I will wade in there and do it then and it will be much easier to do that way too. I think also I will leave the old net on there when installing the new net as it will be easy to pull that old net outta there and that way I will have a platform for the net to lay on while I adjust it all.
Nov 23, 2013
Don't want to go out there yet to work on the net................it's 23F!
But I did.............
Got it up but boy was it a pain! I had to take the back side rope off about 10 times and reweave it as it just wasn't right. I just have some random ropes right now wound around the posts for now to keep it up high. I'll have to fix some nicer looking way later cuz I am beat right now and it's getting dark and cold out there now. Found out tho I cannot leave the net hang all the way to the ground cuz silly cat went in there and got her head and collar stuck in the mesh holes and I heard this coughing sound and had to go rescue her. Have the bottom of the net tied up higher so that hopefully won't happen again. Sheesh!
I hope that darn heron can't get in there now.
Nov 24, 2013
I did some tweaking w/ the rope today and took off the corner tie rope that look big and bulky. Now I just have clips through the rope and clipped to a wire around the posts. All fixed now so heron can't get under or in and cats hopefully can't find a place to get wound up in the net holes!
Dec 19, 2013
HaH, had a visit yesterday from the heron and he stood by my pond looking up,down, around and around at the net I put up. Then he jumped up on a bush and sat there looking some more. He then walked around the front of the pond slowly to the other end. Stood there checking out from top to bottom then backed up a few steps and turned around and flew off. Yay 1 win for me and you lose Mr Heron! My net is working great.
Dec 20, 2013
We got some snow today and the net was doing just fine w/ it. So,so glad I put it up high so I can just lift the bottom edge of hanging part of net, throw it up top and voila I'm in the pond working. Gives me such peace of mind all the time knowing my fish buddies are protected and it does not interfere w/ seeing anything.
Nov 13, 2013
I ordered nets from a company in Memphis and the order came yesterday. Addy provided me w/ all the information on what kind to order and what all I needed to do this job. I ordered 4" square mesh mutifilament gill netting #277. I had it coated in a tar like u.v protective coating by the company. They lay it out there after they add the coating and let it dry before they send it. It still is a bit sticky when it arrives and you have to pull the netting apart(it comes in the box in a real long thin line of netting)(looks like a long black thick bunch of string) bit by bit and it takes a long time to do but not that hard once you get going. I staked one side of the netting on the grass next to the driveway and the rest I just used rocks placed on the edges as I unraveled it all.
I will next have to buy some 30lb fish line to sew the 2 pieces of netting together as not wide enough for over my pond w/ just one net. Size of my pond across is about 10' wide and 17' long but I want a few feet to hang over the sides. I will be attaching the netting to t-posts about 5ft tall once pounded in the ground. Clips will be attached to the top of each post so I can squish the net up and place it in the clips to hold it higher up when I need to maintain the pond and get under the netting. A rope (braided poly uv resistant 3/8" rated 244 lbs comes in a roll of about 75' to 100') needs to be strung around the edge of the net about a couple feet hanging down from the posts to make the net more manageable and hang tighter. The rest of the net will just hang loose past the roped part.
This is what I have done so far...............and of course it started raining while I was right in the middle of doing all this but actually the rain kept the tarry stuff from sticking to my fingers. When I started it was not raining and the black stuff was stuck all over my fingers. See that lone black skinny rope looking thing laying on the cement,well that is how it comes packed in the box.
I worked some more out there the next day on the net and was able to get the fish line all done that holds the 2 pieces of net together. I still need to cinch the fish line up tighter tho as it is still kinda loose. Got the rope woven around the net area where it will be tied off to the posts. Had to tie each of the corners of the rope to the netting w/ some smaller twine as it wants to slip and go it's own way. This way when moving it to the pond maybe it will be easier to keep it in place. Hard to see the rope on the one side as I tucked it down into the driveway seam and put rocks over it to hold it still and other sides all I could use were rocks.
The one photo is of the temporary net over the pond right now w/ the tiny screen like holes. Last night it got so cold and the net was lower down than in this photo that the geyser fountain hit the top of the net and water was freezing bringing the net down even lower. Have it all raised up higher again now so that should not happen again.
Maybe just maybe I will have it on the pond tomorrow.
Here are photo of what was happening to the temporary net each night. Ice is pulling that net down but the ice breaks off when the sun warms it and then the net pops back up now since I raised it a bit. The new net will be up higher so this cannot happen. So getting my butt out there now to work on getting that new one up today.
Nov 22, 2013
Didn't get a lot done today on the net and I forgot that I needed to burn the cut ends w/ a lighter so they won't unravel. So sat on a stool out there and did that really monotonous job but got it done. Took out the extra line of fish line I sewed in it yesterday as I didn't like the way I had it. I will just leave the one in there for now and then in Summer when it warms up in the pond I will wade in there and do it then and it will be much easier to do that way too. I think also I will leave the old net on there when installing the new net as it will be easy to pull that old net outta there and that way I will have a platform for the net to lay on while I adjust it all.
Nov 23, 2013
Don't want to go out there yet to work on the net................it's 23F!
But I did.............
Got it up but boy was it a pain! I had to take the back side rope off about 10 times and reweave it as it just wasn't right. I just have some random ropes right now wound around the posts for now to keep it up high. I'll have to fix some nicer looking way later cuz I am beat right now and it's getting dark and cold out there now. Found out tho I cannot leave the net hang all the way to the ground cuz silly cat went in there and got her head and collar stuck in the mesh holes and I heard this coughing sound and had to go rescue her. Have the bottom of the net tied up higher so that hopefully won't happen again. Sheesh!
I hope that darn heron can't get in there now.
Nov 24, 2013
I did some tweaking w/ the rope today and took off the corner tie rope that look big and bulky. Now I just have clips through the rope and clipped to a wire around the posts. All fixed now so heron can't get under or in and cats hopefully can't find a place to get wound up in the net holes!
Dec 19, 2013
HaH, had a visit yesterday from the heron and he stood by my pond looking up,down, around and around at the net I put up. Then he jumped up on a bush and sat there looking some more. He then walked around the front of the pond slowly to the other end. Stood there checking out from top to bottom then backed up a few steps and turned around and flew off. Yay 1 win for me and you lose Mr Heron! My net is working great.
Dec 20, 2013
We got some snow today and the net was doing just fine w/ it. So,so glad I put it up high so I can just lift the bottom edge of hanging part of net, throw it up top and voila I'm in the pond working. Gives me such peace of mind all the time knowing my fish buddies are protected and it does not interfere w/ seeing anything.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 10 Replies
- 2230 Views
-
Last post by Gemma
-
- 10 Replies
- 2312 Views
-
Last post by brokensword
-
- 1 Replies
- 318 Views
-
Last post by brokensword
-
- 0 Replies
- 97 Views
-
Last post by brokensword
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest