Cichlid-gal's 2014 Pond

OK...Cory got us rolling.  Going to do the inground pond.  It will not be as big as I would like it to be due to space limitations with the location we have chosen.  I wanted to put the pond in near my patio in an existing huge double layer garden bed but we have a really big 3-tier fountain in that bed and we just didn't have anywhere to move it to (plus it weighs a ton...maybe more than big tanks even).

Anyway...pond will go in where our 35 gallon tub was last year but it will be inground and hopefully bigger.  Started clearing things today to make way for the digging part.  As I shared once we start digging I have no idea what we will run into....rocks and roots for sure.  The size of the rocks are yet to be determined...

These are the types of rocks we run into (these came out of a few holes in this bed...not the pond bed)
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We had to cut off some of our magnoilia tree for working space
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We pulled all the rocks out of the shed (saved from old tank setups and various piles around the yard) for use when we get to the "hold down the liner" stage (sucks that we have basalt AND river rock...I would prefer one type but I don't think I want to go pick rocks to do it)
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Prepping the area...rocks removed (mostly), tree cut, emptying the old pond
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Old pond out - yippee
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Now it's digging the new hole, lining it, setting up the pump and filter, planting and finally stocking...ALL TO COME IN TIME

oh...and the old prefab liner...35G still in great shape will be at the GSAS Auction for auction this coming Saturday..so if you are looking for a pond maybe this would do the trick...and you don't  have to have a super big hole to hold it as you can see in the pics

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More to come later...  

This might inspire me to do a outdoor pool also on my flowerbed near my dwarf pear tree. But got a mole problem that likes to be in the flower bed and of cours my green lawn. The mole thing I kill them every year they're like roaches keep coming back. Will they puncture the plastic of pond or leave it alone? What you guys think?

SiRWesDragon wrote:This might inspire me to do a outdoor pool also on my flowerbed near my dwarf pear tree. But got a mole problem that likes to be in the flower bed and of cours my green lawn. The mole thing I kill them every year they're like roaches keep coming back. Will they puncture the plastic of pond or leave it alone? What you guys think?

They might puncture a thin plastic liner, but not a thick preformed plastic pond like cichlid-gal has in the previous photos. Their claws are long, but they are definitely not strong enough to put a hole in thick plastic like that and they'd probably burrow around the pond form which wouldn't cause any problems.

SiRWesDragon wrote:This might inspire me to do a outdoor pool also on my flowerbed near my dwarf pear tree. But got a mole problem that likes to be in the flower bed and of cours my green lawn. The mole thing I kill them every year they're like roaches keep coming back. Will they puncture the plastic of pond or leave it alone? What you guys think?

  

I know we are going to have deal with roots from that magnolia tree but we think we can make it work...and if push comes to shove we will exit to the left and go out that way if necessary to get a little bit of size.

SiRWesDragon wrote:This might inspire me to do a outdoor pool also on my flowerbed near my dwarf pear tree. But got a mole problem that likes to be in the flower bed and of cours my green lawn. The mole thing I kill them every year they're like roaches keep coming back. Will they puncture the plastic of pond or leave it alone? What you guys think?

here you go!

(Im kidding we were sure they were gone first)

Dinner? fried Mole ... yikkes

cichlid-gal wrote:Dinner?  fried Mole ... yikkes

   Yumm!!

Cool project Donna. I started digging a pond this weekend and ran into this 3-400 pound rock. Trying to figure out a way to get it out without machinery. So, digging a ramp to roll it out. It'll eventually be part of the landscape around the pond.
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fishNAbowl wrote:Cool project Donna. I started digging a pond this weekend and ran into this 3-400 pound rock.
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Massive hardscaping!

fishNAbowl wrote:Cool project Donna. I started digging a pond this weekend and ran into this 3-400 pound rock. Trying to figure out a way to get it out without machinery. So, digging a ramp to roll it out. It'll eventually be part of the landscape around the pond.
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At least you were able to get around it Chad..we've hit them so big we had to plant on top of them. Don't overdo it ... and get some help. We don't want injuries!!!

Looking forward to watching the progress as this goes along.

I have the space and almost no rocks in most of the yard, so easy digging, but I don't have the time to attempt anything like this, this summer.

cant wait to see the final project.

CMooreCichlids wrote:They might puncture a thin plastic liner, but not a thick preformed plastic pond like cichlid-gal has in the previous photos. Their claws are long, but they are definitely not strong enough to put a hole in thick plastic like that and they'd probably burrow around the pond form which wouldn't cause any problems.

Thanks CMooreCichlids.

MorganEA wrote:
here you go!

(Im kidding we were sure they were gone first)

If I did that my irrigation pipes will probably burn also. Moles dig along the pipes. But the gum method works but they keep coming every time.

Update...week 2 (or day 2 work...LOL).  We worked some more on digging the hole today.  Things started pretty good then we hit the "rock bed".  John and I discussed the fact that this area was once under water and we wonder if the layer of rock we hit (its rounded just like river rock) is an old river bed layer.  We hit it at about 12-14 inches deep...tons of rocks.  More rocks than soil.  Thank goodness we have only hit a couple of big rocks but tons of little rocks.  

We will work some more tomorrow on things.  I hope the going is a little faster.

The beginning of the hole
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About an hour into the work...notice not many stones at this point
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About three hours in...notice the piles of rocks...geez
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todays end result
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and our helpers today
This is Monte
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and Dudley
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And this is going to be our Lady of the Pond...we have had this piece for about 8 years so I hope she will work...we have never used her like she is supposed to be used (as a fountain ornament)...we have only had her sitting in the yard.  I can't wait to see her hooked up
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cichlid-gal wrote:And this is going to be our Lady of the Pond...we have had this piece for about 8 years so I hope she will work...we have never used her like she is supposed to be used (as a fountain ornament)...we have only had her sitting in the yard.  I can't wait to see her hooked up
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Don't blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And don't blink.

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Monte a Papillon?

Dr. Who is my husbands favorite show    and yes, Mr. Monte is a Papillon. We raised and bred them and had 15 at one time (I used to say they were like potato chips, you can't have just one). My daughter did Junior Showmanship with her Pap. We got to go to Westminster. Lots of fun those days were.

How are your backs this morning? It makes mine hurt just looking at those pics.

I have to ask about Dudley -- a silky or yorkie?

Backs are pretty good this morning Betty and thanks for asking...Aleve works wonders and its mostly John doing the rock digging. I helped when it was soil but now we are to the rocks its mostly him.

Dudley is a rescue of my daughters. I'm not sure...I think a yorky but he could be a silky. He came with really bad ears, so swollen that they were almost protruding with folds. We've been medicating for two months and now I can see openings in them. He is a sweetie...so lovable and well trained. Makes you wonder why folks would let him go. He stays with us while our daughter works so he's got home love most of the day. He is thriving and really coming into his own.

Day 3 update:

We worked pretty much all day today.  Just coming in and having some dinner now.  We'll finish off the remaining over the next week and start stocking with plants.  Anyway...here's todays progress:

The big rock in the middle of the hole
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We got the rock out and layed out the supplies
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And the rocks ... the rocks
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Laying the edges
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Underlayment and lining
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Filled
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We still have some work to do as I see a few jutting edges on the top under the rocks and we still need to do some backfilling with more rock but its mostly done, at least the hard part.  You would have laughed at us...we had to put our swimsuits on to finish the pond as we needed to work inside it to lay the rock ledge and make sure the lining was not pulled too tight anywhere.  Good thing it was a warm and nonwindy day.  We had a fun time doing this.

The Lady of the Pond is set up but we need to get a pump big enough to pump up her height.  It will come.  Can't wait to get my plants in and a little later some fishies.  Not sure how many gallons we ended up with .. probably somewhere between 100 and 125.  It's a good sized pond.

beautiful! I'm so tempted to set up a pond this summer I saw a filter like the one you have on CL for 25$!

Thank Morgan....and I wish I could have found that filter for $25...geez. I looked on craigslist for a bit before starting this project but couldn't find anything over here.

Oh and John says he thinks this is more like 250-275 gallons or so give then fact the deep part is 4x3x2 and then we have the 2 shelf areas on each end.

Update...some plants put in.  We'll see how things look in a month or so. Thanks Aquarium Co-op for shipping the water hyacinth my way. Looks great...nice and healthy.

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Still deciding on what type of fish we want in here.  I'd like to have something you can see against the black background.  Decisions, decisions.

Looks great Donna.

AWWWW COME ON!!!!!!

THATS FREAKING AWESOME!

That pond turned out so cool. So jealous right now. I'm still staring at a 500 pound rock in the hole I dug , Ugh.

If it were me, I'd do golden white clouds.

Thanks Tom, Chad and Cory. And we had a couple of the golden white clouds in our pond last year...they were the only fish you could see. The regular white clouds just disappeared into the background of the pond. We had no fry last year either or if we did they didn't survive the pump. There's a bigger pump now in the pond but it does have a pre-filter on it so maybe their chances would be better.

It looks awesome, Donna! If it were mine, I think I'd have to put albino bristlenose in there.   

Our neighbors used to have a nice pond in their front yard and a lot of mornings I would see a heron sitting there!

That pond looks AWESOME, wish my pond looked 1/4th as good as that... lol

Thanks Betty and Sonic...already loving walking out and sitting by this even though its a little chilly yet. I'll can't wait for warmer days, I know I'm going to enjoy this tremendously.

Beautiful Donna, I am thinking of doing one in a green house and/or a hot tub type cover. I want to put Cichlids in it year round

Love ponds! I out one in my moms yard two years ago with koi! I must say that I love the landscaping of yours! Also like the white cloud idea, that would look cool in there!

Thanks Madness and Lloyd. Lloyd, the location chose itself and all we did was dig a hole where there where not things growing. I know we will get leaves in the pond from the plants around the pond but I like the look of those also. I've always been a huge gardener. Here's my front yard. I probably could have fit a pond out there but I like the privacy in the back yard. Who know...maybe a year or two from now we'll do the front yard pond thing too. Oh...and i'm a flower nutcase if you can't tell.

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and one of those flowers...this is one in my pot on my front deck (Osteospermum)
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OK...first pond bloom.  I asked the gal at the Portland water garden store probably 3 times what this plant was because I'd never seen it.  I am still at a loss.  I have been unable to locate it in the pond plants I've searched.  Anyway...its lovely and I like the way the blooms develop.

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And coming up shortly I'll be having my 1st water lily blooms...can't wait

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Found that plant above finally (i knew she said something with a "y" I kept trying to find ybarra...it was yerba)
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I am loving the pond progress so far! This looks great! I might be heading east in the next few weeks, would love to stop by and check it out too!

Water lilies make a pond worth doing just by themselves.   

Cool! Very beautiful pond. Cant wait to see when all the plants grow in.

Thanks guys and Tom...fishy friends are always welcome at our house

Just a couple more additions to this pond thread for now...sharing some of my readings on water changes and aeration in ponds.  I have a big airstone running in the deep part of my pond so I think I have the aeration covered.  And my plan is to find tubing that will fit the outflow from the pond filter that we can attach to the outflow spout and run around the yard/garden area with as we pump out some water weekly (the 5-10% .... I'll try this 1st to see how it works and monitor water parameters).  

Here's the articles
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ok...pond update as I was sharing some stuff in Cory's Summer Tubbin thread so need to come here and do the updates.  Pond is going gangbusters.  I keep dumping my excess floating plants from my indoor tanks into the pond so now I have salvina and duckweed going to town.  Lilies are growing slow as the temps are just starting to warm up.  Wind has wrecked havoc on my mini cattails.  They were sorely overgrown and kept being knocked over by the wind so we repotted them.  We'll see how they transition.  Stocked fish are white cloud minnows (and a few regular from last year), red shiners, and some goldfish.  Not sure about compatibility of all these guys...probably have some that will eat others but so far so good.  My pond doesn't get tons of sun as its kinda tucked in the corner.  Don't know if that is a good thing or bad thing ... minimal algae growth so far but that could be the goldfish eating it.  Anyway...here's the updated pics.

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Donna, you and your husband have done an amazing job with. It is absolutely beautiful.   

Thank you very much Madness

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! What a beautiful pond, Donna! Really. All your hard work has really paid off

I love the progress pictures!

Thanks Angelo

Looks so nice and relaxing!

It is Betty...just the place to sit and while away a few minutes.

I do the same thing. except I haven't really put out much fish yet.. I watch my daphnia pond lol...

Aquarium Co-Op wrote:I do the same thing. except I haven't really put out much fish yet.. I watch my daphnia pond lol...

  Well get cracking Cory   

Feeding the fishes...my beautiful Sarasa Comets.  The large mostly orange with white is names Drogo and the large mostly white with the halfmoon orange on head is Daenerys.  I know these will outgrow our pond over time (our neighbor has a huge pond and has told me they will home them for us when they outgrow our pond).  Anyway...enjoying these guys for now.  Also have some white cloud minnows and red finned shiners in there.  You will see them darting in and around.

That is awesome Donna, I love the look of that pond. You and your husband did an amazing job and I cant wait to see it.

Very cool! well done! So soothing and peaceful