lets livin this section up a bit

[DAC]

how many of us reefers have a pond?
I have 3 with many koi and plants.

[Stang69]

I dont have a pond anymore but as a child we had one with Kio and such in it till the coons found it. We liked ours but couldnt figure out how to keep the coons fed so they wouldnt go fishing

Jeff

[DAC]

those dang coons.. its real hard once they know of a pond they WILL return.,. the best thing is to try and discourage them from coming back... loud noise, a dog, or even a light will sometimes work.

[Cosine]

My dad wants to put one in the backyard
he's been saying it for awhile. I don't think he'd do it unless I plan it out.

I don't know anything about them though

are cats a problem?
we don't have any racoons here

[DAC]

no cats you dont really have to worry about. If you are serious about setting one up I will walk you through it. I would go with a rubber liner. They (IMO) are the best unless you want to spend BOO KOO bucks on cement/gunite...etc.
As with reef tanks, filter and flow is a major concern. Get back to me if you want more info.......


,,,anyone.

[ShirleyM]

I have a 100 gallon pond...

Here's how I built it 1 yr ago... all 8 fish lived through the winter and my water lilies are still alive, too, as are my irises.

I have Koi, shebunkins, a sarassa, and comets.

How I made it:

http://shirleymorgan.com/misc/Pondweb/

[VWD]

I think I wanr t a pond someday. Shirly You have one right, I think I was looking at some pictures of it in the recent past is that right. maybe youcan post a few pictures of it here. Thank you.

Vince

[ShirleyM]

Yes, and the link above is to the same one, and it show how I did it ALL BY MYSELF even the digging!! in one afternoon!! I was so proud of myself!!

If you go to Margaritaville...

Well, here's the link...in BoF, couldn't find it right of in M'ville:

http://www.thebirdforums.com/forums/...read.php?t=225

I love my pond! It's right outside a window, and I look at it every morning first thing, winter and summer!

[VWD]

Thank You Shirley, I remember it now, great looking. I have to make a visit over to BOF. Been busy and Have not gotten there lately.


Vince

[Cosine]

It seems that Dad will be setting up a pond in the backyard.... so let's talk ponds
I know extremely little about them
so what do I need to know to be successful.
We are looking at making it 3 feet deep, this was recomended to us so that it doesn't completely freeze during winter...
So anything you'd like to share, advice would be great!
thanks

So Dominic I guess I'm taking you up on the more info offer

[ShirleyM]

3 ft deep would be awesome, but I could only find pre-formed ponds 2ft to 2-1/2 ft deep... it didn't get nearly cold enough to freeze completely with the powerhead running. It did freeze over, but the water was moving underneath. We didn't lose fish or lilies. But... we are in Indiana, not Canada...

[Cosine]

Dad has a plan to build his own frame.
I haven't seen the material yet so I'm not sure what he is talking about but I think it's sort of a rubbery material that comes in a roll. So it will be 8ft wide by whatever length.

The plan is to dig a hole and let this form fit. Our neighbours behind us have a pond... I should ask them about their specs.

Also I mentioned the pump/powerhead for current underneath to keep it from freezing. But, Dad seems to be more about the depth. (this could end up being a fairly large pond with 3ft depth).
How much current would you want in one of these?

It does get cold up here in winter but where we are right on the Ocean it's more of a wet cold than temperature. So Inland Canada like Ontario/praries can get -30C and stuff like that we get more actual minus 10ish celsius I guess that feels like -30 windshield... So maybe that would make a difference to the pond

[DAC]

sorry guys and gals..
I would recommend a epdm lliner, thats the rubbery stuff you were talking about/
This will allow you to make any shape you want. Preformes can get a little tricky and you are limited to what you can do.
Next is the pump and filter. I tell my customers that the pump and filter are like your heart. with out a good heart you have a bad "system/body/pond.
You need as much current as in a reef tanl but current helps. I would include a "through liner bottom drain" then plump it to your pump.
Btw how big were you thinking???
Stay away from "gravel bottom ponds" if you want fish and clean water. Those are for looks only./ i hate them...

if you have water fall and it creates splashing and good movement you shouldnt have to worry about freezin ( as much). Aslo include a skimmer or mid level intake so you can use this one during the winter. (keeps over all bottom temp warmer)


what else do you want to know?

[Twitterbait]

Ponds are awsome, a nice bear trap is a good raccoon deterrent
(boy do they tast good if you fry 'em up right... just kidding). I was a nice guy and put a 250 gal and a 4000 gallon in my parents backyard. then they were nice enough to move away a year later... oh well. Let me know if you need advice.