460 gal. basement pond build

[The_Nuge]

Ok here we go, I have my wifes ok I guess..lol

I have a man cave that ill have to sacrifice some room in for this otherwise I would go much bigger! we'll see how this goes and if I like it i can upgrade later.

Ill post a pic of the area im going to build in for the (before pic) lets see how long this takes.

Ill tear out the existing 2x2 studs that used to hold fake wood paneling. ill first frame in the pond in 2x4s then frame the wall around it in 2x3s saves a little space, im not sure if im going to clean up n paint the concrete or not, not sure if ill put plastic up either, suggestions?

the pond frame will be a little over 2.5 feet tall, a little over 3.5 wide, and 7 feet long.

im not set on a filter set up yet, im not doing a Rubbermaid or trash can, I want it to look nice and finished ill probably build something and line it.

I have a couple guys from MFK offering help already but id like to hear any suggestions or ideas!

 

[CichlidMan416]

Sounds like quite the job! I'll be interested in seeing the finish project. What are you planning on putting int it? Keep me posted on the updated pictures!

 

[The_Nuge]

yeah its gona be a project thats for sure, ill put my LMB and walleye in it for sure, they have wore there welcome in the tanks and outdoor pond, I want to find a couple native cats to put in there also.. we'll see.

ill be sure to keep updates coming on this thread, im thinking ill start on it after this weekend.

I did buy lumber and screws!, but im still working on a plan.

 

[The_Nuge]

I tore out the old 2x2 studs you could see in the pics above, next ill paint the wall with a mold resistant sealer and then start framing the new walls and pond.. no pics yet, not worth the hassle.

 

[Muske]

If you are going to line it, use your same outdoor set-up for filtration. Micro skimmer and bio-fall.

I have the idea of using an outdoor system for main filtration and areation plus a few extras. A UV and bio-tower could be plumbed into a seperate sump area. The skimmer can be made to sit on a box at the final water level u want and the falls can also sit on a box that is tied into the framing. The skimmer box could also be plumbed into a bottom drain. The falls will house all of your mech. (no hyacinth, but possibly w/a pendant hanging over the top)and skimmer basket/net can be replaced with brushes. Might eat a little more space to frame them on the outside of the pond, but those areas can be made into storage or bench seats.

 

[The_Nuge]

I thought about that Muskie but I just dont have the room for that. it would eat up a lot of my water volume and defeat the purpose of having enough gallons to support the fish i have. some day when I have a bigger house and bigger man cave ill do that with a 1500 gal or something of that sort.

Im a bit late from my original schedule but I am starting construction this week.. pics to come soon, I also changed the dimensions a bit to squeeze 500 gal out of it.

 

[arowanaryan]

I thought about that Muskie but I just dont have the room for that. it would eat up a lot of my water volume and defeat the purpose of having enough gallons to support the fish i have. some day when I have a bigger house and bigger man cave ill do that with a 1500 gal or something of that sort.

Im a bit late from my original schedule but I am starting construction this week.. pics to come soon, I also changed the dimensions a bit to squeeze 500 gal out of it.

Cool stuff dude! You thought about adding and gars or LMB/SMB? Sorry if you already have them... I'm not to familiar w/ your stock.

 

[The_Nuge]

i have a LMB and a walleye, Im looking into a couple cats, i have a few Bullheads but they dont fill out 500 gallons. I would like to move my sunfish to the pond so i can start small in my tank again, but i dont want to over stock the pond. it would be 1 13in. LMB one 11in walleye a bullhead or 2 and a few 4in. sunfish and a flat head.. i guess thats not terrible for 500 gal.

 

[The_Nuge]

I finished clearing out a bunch of clutter and cleaned up the floor a bit.

changed plans from building it into the wall, so i framed the walls first.

im building the pond UN-attatched so I can move the pond around to clean or maintenance if need be.

so here is a pic of the slow progress, I did change dimensions to get 500 gal.

green tape shows where the pond will rest, after sheet rock n paint ill have a 40" lcd above the pond to the right of the window. sound system n arcade game or two. dads man cave coming soon! and of course ill move my kegorator in there too.

 

[The_Nuge]

pond frame has been started, pics coming soon.