7,000 gallon in progress...

[AquataHolic420]

nice sturgeon???!

 

[tankyou]

More pics....full shot from 2nd story bedroom window. Do you this pool pond idea has a little bit of style or should I scrap the idea?

Sorry about double pic can't figure out how to remove it.

 

[tankyou]

nice sturgeon???!

Yep sturgeon not too hard of a decision I guess. He is about 24" long now and eats like a pig carnivore pellets. Koi is getting fatter and might have grown an inch in the last month.

 

[pophead]

View attachment 68971

View attachment 68972More pics....full shot from 2nd story bedroom window. Do you this pool pond idea has a little bit of style or should I scrap the idea?

Sorry about double pic can't figure out how to remove it.

if you don't like the pool look couldn't you build up ground around it, to give it more of a pond look?

 

[AquataHolic420]

if you don't like the pool look couldn't you build up ground around it, to give it more of a pond look?

GREAT IDEA!

 

[danzig]

I think if you surrounded it with a brick, stone or wooden border it would look really nice. Those rounded bricks for retaining walls would look very cool, although could be pricey.
I wish i could do that but i live in Canada so my pool could only stay up about 1 month out of the year lol (sarcasm)

 

[johnptc]

i like the large cartridge type filters....why not run the output of the pool filter into plastic 55 gal barrels of bio balls and let them gravity return to the pond......this will give you both mechanial and bio filtering without buying another pump at this time....................

I have a 30' by 15' by 4' deep outdoor above ground pool converted into a small pond. Blue vinyl liner Estimated 7,000 gallons. Not a round pool. like an elongated rectangle with rounded corners on each end....(==) <---like that. Has a wooden deck platform perfect for standing there and observing the fish.
After a complete water change and new filter install, I bought about 150 feeders and let em go in the pool...er...pond in early September. Best part...they lived...thrived. After a month went by and no dead goldfish (would throw flake food in for them) I began collecting some sunfish and whatever else I could catch with a cast net. They are dissapearing however because there is a couple predatory fish in there. Now there is goldfish...shiners...mozambique tilapias and other exotics from the local waters. No structure in it yet. Just fish and using the large canister type pool filter to filter it (I know I need to change that...thats the reason for this post). I also do water changes in it periodically. Strange thing is the new life in the pool keeps the water clear even though there is algea growing. You can at least see the bottom now, whereas before the pool bottom was hardly ever visible. The algea are sustaining the fish and the other way around seems like. No fish have been found belly up since I converted it, but I am sure it is not a healthy system for them because it is not filtered properly. But it has potential. I never knew others have done the same until now.

Anyone have a suggestion for a system I can use with an above ground set up? I want to begin doing this right but I don't have much money to spend on it so it can't be state of the art but has to be effective. Also, winter is not much a concern here for freezing but would like to keep it from going below 50. But summer is a definite concern so what would be the best way to PLAN NOW on keeping the water cool in the Summer months. Should I cover it to keep the sun out by then?

THANKS FOR ANY INFO YOU CAN PROVIDE SPECIFIC TO MY APPLICATION. Help me get my pond up a running before spring!

 

[tankyou]

if you don't like the pool look couldn't you build up ground around it, to give it more of a pond look?

That does sound like a great idea...awesome idea. Why dig it when you can simply fill dirt around it. Hmmm...I like that idea

I could then place rocks on the dirt around the edge completely hiding the fact it is an above ground pool. But at 4' tall....that would be a lot of dirt!!! ...and rocks too
Fortunately large rocks are not hard to find in Central Texas...

Only problem would be if I resell this home someday and the new owners going WTF is this? I would have to remove it all at that time well in advance.

I want to build up the bottom for a sloping appearance heading towards one end too.

 

[Chad55]

Well then replace the liner and convert it back to a pool. A nicely landscaped pool that is .

Chad

 

[tankyou]

I see your vision Chad55. I could say "Tadahhhhh!!!!"