My Maybe Pond

[gidgetsgirl90]

hello all. my parents are looking at a place and are going to try and get it if they do.. i get a little project.. a BIG pond..

I don't know how big it is yet the owner didn't know because it was there when he got the place but it dried up and the fish died , anyway I'm hoping its at least 6 foot deep, witch i think it will be close to it if not i know how use digging tools.

Anyway my moms said i can do what ever i want with the pond. I'm thinking of getting a bridge for it but that might be a little to much because its so big thinking of the size the bridge have to be if it wasn't built on site it have to have a Crane and semi bring it in lol.

For stocking I'm thinking plecos and koi.. i don't want anything will make me loose a limp or toe because we will more them likely swim in the pond to, I've heard of people swimming in there ponds with there koi. id like other fish maybe I'm not sure on that yet.

I like gold fish but I've heard koi and goldfish can breed and the hybrid is ugly if anyone has a pic of this hybrid id like to see it.

Id also like to have a boat one looks like the ones that are wood in the 40s and 60s movies.. that be cool..

It doesn't have shelves so should i add them or make some sort of floating thing with an open bottom for the plants?, what plants would be good in a zone 6? for around the pond out side of the watter, and what plants will do good in the sun? theres vary little shade if any there.. i could build something to make shade i guess or if the bridge idea works out i can put them under it lol.

I'm also thinking of adding a small house to the side of it some were that will act as a shelter for the mini horses and have a room in the back for a filter and have it pump fed up but gravity fed back down into the pond maybe over some rocks for a waterfall.. i don't know.

the pond needs a liner. the person who made it didn't use one they thought the clay would hold the watter it did till the drought last year?.

sorry its been a long post that i know a lot of people will probably have trouble reading I'm sorry for this as my um grammar? isn't the best i have trouble remembering were the dots and things of that mass go. but i try my best... thanks for suffering through my post and all.

By the way theres pics!

edit: any good tips on how to get those rocks out? and theres a pipe of some kinda in the side of it at the time mom seems to think its to drain the land but i don't think so. as we have had good raining the past 2 days and theres no watter to be seen anywhere. will this bother the fish? if not then good if so then how i fix this? thank you

the pipe is in the last pic to the right of the people "mom and grandpa"

 

[gidgetsgirl90]

on second thought i think I'll make it at least 4 4 1/2 feet deep..i don't think i want the watter to be higher then i am tall

 

[carolines100]

Wish i add that much room to build a pond . Get a mini digger to move the rocks . Yes u need a liner . With all that open space and sun on it all day it will green up fast i would make sure u can cover at least 20% off the pond out off sun light and get a u v or u wont even see the koi for green water. Dont think i would go swimming with my koi but up to u i guess .

 

[Kobeclone]

Very ambitious for a preteen-teenage girl are we?

Good luck with the pond

 

[DiXoN]

Very ambitious for a preteen-teenage girl are we?

Good luck with the pond

i think she is probably older than 12 and guess the 90 may be related to the year she was born so preteen is probably a little off dont you think.
anyway from the sounds of it i dont think she is paying for it herself so no need for attitude.
good luck if you do get this and little pond is funny it looks quite big to me LOL.

 

[davo]

Very ambitious for a preteen-teenage girl are we?

Good luck with the pond

I'm jealous too...

Looks like a fantastic opportunity, could do a lot with that.

 

[Dr Joe]

Hi gidgetsgirl90,

That's a great find .

Have you got a budget for this so we know what we have to work with?

I like the boat idea for this size pond, I'm thinking a small dinghy.

To measure the depth pull a string taught across the pond and measure to the bottom.

Removing the rock could definitely be a career move, does your family know
anyone with a frontloader?

Heavy duty pond liners are a good investment...

http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/RTProduct.asp?SKU=FIR-W56PL45075

When will you know if you get it?

Dr Joe

.

 

[frasertheking]

if you are getting koi 6 foot of depth is a good minimum as it adds volume and helps the system stay stable . what is the temps like ?

if it was my pond i would make the entire outer rim full of plants potted or you could build gravel beds all around the pond . sounds pricey but a few tonnes of gravel from a builders merchant is pretty cheap . that will take care of a lot of the biological side of things .

 

[philliptobin]

Personally, I would look into using Sodium Bentonite as a liner. If you get a leak you sprinke it over the suface of the pond, NO Draining Necessary. I used the sodium bentonite on a pond that I rebuilt in early 1990, it worked great. There were horses in and out of the pond all the time and it never got a leak. Just something about horses and plastic that makes me question the normal type of liner.

 

[gidgetsgirl90]

Get a mini digger to move the rocks: mini digger?
Yes u need a liner: i know i will need one anyone know were to find a good priced one?

With all that open space and sun on it all day it will green up fast i would make sure u can cover at least 20% off the pond out off sun light and get a u v or u wont even see the koi for green water: i was thinking of having one of those lights in the filter and using green clean. i'm not sure how id cover 20% but i'll think of something there will be a building of a good size to be a shelter for the minis and have the filter in the back.

Very ambitious for a preteen-teenage girl are we?
Preteen is off by a bit. I'll be 18 in august

i think she is probably older than 12 and guess the 90 may be related to the year she was born so preteen is probably a little off dont you think.
anyway from the sounds of it i dont think she is paying for it herself so no need for attitude.
good luck if you do get this and little pond is funny it looks quite big to me LOL.

yes you are right i wont be paying for it all my self but will probably try to do a lot of it or pay them back some how as this will be my pond. maybe make it look real nice "best i can anyway."

Hi gidgetsgirl90,
That's a great find . :thank you

Have you got a budget for this so we know what we have to work with?: there really isn't one but i would like to stay in the middle to low range on the cost. how ever much that be. i'm thinking 3 to 5k for a liner, thats what another pond forum told me from a different pic..

I like the boat idea for this size pond, I'm thinking a small dinghy.: i googled these and yes those are what i had in mind! thank you!. now just to find one later..

To measure the depth pull a string taught across the pond and measure to the bottom.: i will do this as soon as we get the house. if we do i really hope we do.

Removing the rock could definitely be a career move, does your family know
anyone with a frontloader?: i think my uncle might have something like this if not i'm not scared to take along time and use hand tools

Heavy duty pond liners are a good investment... thank you for the link i will check it out

http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/RTProduct.asp?SKU=FIR-W56PL45075

When will you know if you get it?: well mom says 6 months "too long" but we have to sell are current 2 houses and set up a modular home on it for my grandparents "not a mobile home there made like normal homes just not on the property"

Dr Joe

.

if you are getting koi 6 foot of depth is a good minimum as it adds volume and helps the system stay stable: yes i really plan on koi and sense 6 foot is good for them its good for me.

what is the temps like ?: well its TN so its mild winters and only short hot times in the summer highest was 106 last year usually only gets into the 90ish i guess, winter watter only freezes maybe a total of 7 times a year and its not for long at a time. a body of watter this big i don't think will freeze bad if at all. and i'm used to braking ice and getting it out it be no problem to do for the fish.

if it was my pond i would make the entire outer rim full of plants potted or you could build gravel beds all around the pond . sounds pricey but a few tonnes of gravel from a builders merchant is pretty cheap . that will take care of a lot of the biological side of things .

Personally, I would look into using Sodium Bentonite as a liner. If you get a leak you sprinke it over the suface of the pond, NO Draining Necessary. I used the sodium bentonite on a pond that I rebuilt in early 1990, it worked great. There were horses in and out of the pond all the time and it never got a leak. Just something about horses and plastic that makes me question the normal type of liner: i''ve never seen this stuff, and the horses wont be able to get in the pond i'm planning on fencing them out of it. i don't want them eating the plants and one of the minis try to kill small animals so ya. i don't want him try and stomp the fish

thank you all for your comments and replys even the preteen one , I'm posting early because i want to go in knowing as much as possible on what i need to do and what i need to get etc