redecorating, building, DIY ponds

[Andrew McFadden]

I have sponge, plastic mesh balls, hefty coarse filter media (meant for a chimney/stove), rock, and tons of polyfill. All in random layers. Pain the behind to clean but I rinse everything 1-2x a month (except for winter- filter is off). I would be hesitant to use barley straw in a filter simply because it degrades quickly. I know some people put bales of the stuff in a pond for clarity and algae control. I have used barley extract in the past but I honestly dont think it did anything special and it was pretty pricey.

Ok thanks again
I know last summer I had a ton of algae but with more water changes and also adding floss I was able to keep it under control. So maybe I'll skip the barley and just do a simple filter with normal things and go from there. What's plastic mesh balls? I have the normal bio balls but mesh I've never heard of.

 

[jlk]

Haha! Wasnt sure how to describe them! They are the plastic mesh shower balls/scrubbers (puffs?) you use with liquid soap. I have a two layers of them in addition to everything else.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Haha! Wasnt sure how to describe them! They are the plastic mesh shower balls/scrubbers (puffs?) you use with liquid soap. I have a two layers of them in addition to everything else.

loofah bath sponge these things

 

[jlk]

Yep! I used clear/white ones because I was fearful of dyes leaking from the colored ones. I know some people use the plastic mesh pot scrubbers, too.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Yep! I used clear/white ones because I was fearful of dyes leaking from the colored ones. I know some people use the plastic mesh pot scrubbers, too.

Do they actually do anything? I wouldn't think it would with regular sponges. Have you tried them without?

 

[jlk]

Umm... no science here but they filter out larger debris and provide more real estate for bacteria to grow on. Nothing special other than just a different physical form of media than poly.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Umm... no science here but they filter out larger debris and provide more real estate for bacteria to grow on. Nothing special other than just a different physical form of media than poly.

They are cheap so I may just give them a try and see how they do. I'll need more things to go in this bucket anyways. More is always better I guess. Thanks

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Here is a picture from this year of what I got so far.

 

[bigbanker]

I wish I could be of some sort of help! But I'm out of my league here.

Looks good though

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I wish I could be of some sort of help! But I'm out of my league here.

Looks good though

Thanks!!

 

[Fresh2o]

In a larger pond (~1500g) years ago I used a 100 gallon plastic trough filled with expanded shale and then later lava rock, both up flow style. Had a drain but was still a pain to clean. Currently in a 55g pond I have a down flow filter that goes through several layers of sponge sheets, different densities and large plastic bioballs and plastic barrels. Fed by a 500 gph mag pump housed in a prefilter with course sponge and plastic barrels. I clean the prefilter 3-4 times a year and the filter 1-2 times a year.

Would like to swap out all of the media for either matala mats or round plastic pot scrubbers. And maybe change it from a down flow to a side flow. I have a low bio load (5-6 rosy red minnows and 10-15 mosquito fish). A raccoon got fat on my common goldies and comets a few years ago.

The bridge looks nice stained. You could try creeping Jenny as a hardy ground cover around the rocks near the water fall to soften the edges. I started with 2x2 pot of it and it covers several square feet around the pond after 1-2 seasons. Over winters well in US zone 7 (VA).

 

[Andrew McFadden]

In a larger pond (~1500g) years ago I used a 100 gallon plastic trough filled with expanded shale and then later lava rock, both up flow style. Had a drain but was still a pain to clean. Currently in a 55g pond I have a down flow filter that goes through several layers of sponge sheets, different densities and large plastic bioballs and plastic barrels. Fed by a 500 gph mag pump housed in a prefilter with course sponge and plastic barrels. I clean the prefilter 3-4 times a year and the filter 1-2 times a year.

Would like to swap out all of the media for either matala mats or round plastic pot scrubbers. And maybe change it from a down flow to a side flow. I have a low bio load (5-6 rosy red minnows and 10-15 mosquito fish). A raccoon got fat on my common goldies and comets a few years ago.

The bridge looks nice stained. You could try creeping Jenny as a hardy ground cover around the rocks near the water fall to soften the edges. I started with 2x2 pot of it and it covers several square feet around the pond after 1-2 seasons. Over winters well in US zone 7 (VA).

Thanks!! I added some decorative grass around the edges this year ( not showing in that picture). I'll have to look that Jenny stuff out, do you have a link for it? Why do you want to go with a side vs the top fed to bottom hose? I'm using a 2000+ gph pump but it's split up but the filter is cranked up over the other two or the waterfall doesn't get enough flow and it runs out.

 

[Fresh2o]

I don't have a link but here is an image from google:



Grows in and out of water, comes in green and golden, trailing ground cover, can be invasive. When it gets in the lawn, the mower takes care of it.
As for the side or up flow filter, I would like to allow gravity to separate some of the debris before it gets embedded in the filter media. That would facilitate draining out the heavy debris at frequent intervals. However, given the small filter size (20"L x 10"W x 12"H) and the high flow rate (and the fact that the impeller churns up debris), what I am hoping more would prolly not occur.

 

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Why only goldfish?

Maybe an algea eating fish could help?
Why are all the pebbles/gravel their? Or is that where the flowers/plants are going?

Just my 2cents...

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I don't have a link but here is an image from google:

Grows in and out of water, comes in green and golden, trailing ground cover, can be invasive. When it gets in the lawn, the mower takes care of it.
As for the side or up flow filter, I would like to allow gravity to separate some of the debris before it gets embedded in the filter media. That would facilitate draining out the heavy debris at frequent intervals. However, given the small filter size (20"L x 10"W x 12"H) and the high flow rate (and the fact that the impeller churns up debris), what I am hoping more would prolly not occur.

Thanks I do like that stuff

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Why only goldfish?

Maybe an algea eating fish could help?
Why are all the pebbles/gravel their? Or is that where the flowers/plants are going?

Just my 2cents...

A bench is going where the gravel is and I wanted it to look a little more natural without plants blocking my view. I'll see how it turns out when it's in full bloom this year as I planted a ton of wild flowers.

 

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A bench is going where the gravel is and I wanted it to look a little more natural without plants blocking my view. I'll see how it turns out when it's in full bloom this year as I planted a ton of wild flowers.

Oh ok....

 

[Fresh2o]

A bench is going where the gravel is and I wanted it to look a little more natural without plants blocking my view. I'll see how it turns out when it's in full bloom this year as I planted a ton of wild flowers.

If not a bench, Maybe an adirondack chair. Either way, a nice place to relax and enjoy your hard work.
I try to trim perimeter plants before they get too comfortable (start growing roots in the water). I have this feeling that they are drawing water out of the pond.
My hardy lily has several oval leaves reaching the surface. I also have a lotus but might not see anything until it gets warmer.

 

[Fresh2o]

In the filter that feeds the water fall/stream, will you be putting in floating or rooted plants? I have a small section that the filter empties into and usually keep water lettuce/hyacinth in it. It was a place where the goldfish would not eat the roots. However, with no goldfish they'll prolly float in the main area as well.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I never did get around to the filter but it's on my to do list that's super long. I did however get some ground cover planted this year. I think I need to buy some more, only time will tell. My wild flowers I planted didn't do that great back behind the bench that I finally got. With the flowers I only had one kind I think maybe two come up out of like 6 different kinds. I'll get back to working on it at some point.