I'm building a pond - is my plan ok?

Discussion in 'Water Gardening' started by clueless1, Dec 24, 2012.

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  1. clueless1

    clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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    I've done that with my current attempt, so that I can plant things at different depths and so that any animals that fall in can find a way out.

    Its also designed so that on a hot day, you can walk in started at the very shallow part, and stepping down gradually, should anyone decide it would be fun to get in it (mostly that'll be me, love jumping in water).
     
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      clueless1, Jun 3, 2013
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    • ARMANDII

      ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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      That's good, but the kids will still need to have an eye kept on them!!!:snork: I don't want to be a Killjoy but pond water ain't the healthiest of water to be jumping or wading in. I learnt that some years ago when I went into my pond which just trainers on with a cut on my foot. I spent a very painful month before the infection was killed by anti-biotics:gaah: When I go into the pond now I don Chest Waders!! I've planted all my marginal plants in cheap plastic containers like half size washing baskets. I lined them with hessian, put ordinary garden soil in them, put the plants in and then put gravel on top to stop the soil floating to the surface. People advise using Aquatic compost and, for me, it's pointless spending good money on something that isn't needed.:dunno::snork:
       
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      • clueless1

        clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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        I never thought about nasty diseases in pond water. I'll look into that and see what (if anything) can be done.
         
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        • ARMANDII

          ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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          Well, if you're planning a normal pool with plants in it etc, there's not much you can do as bugs, [good and bad] are part of the natural eco-system and are needed a part of a balance needed to maintain natural ponds. If you're going to jump in water build a swimming pool!!! Even then you have to play Chemical Warfare to kill the bugs.:snork:
           
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            ARMANDII, Jun 3, 2013
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          • clueless1

            clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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            A swimming pool would be good, but I promised the lad a pond that we can go fishing in. But he also came up with the idea of playing boats in it (he meant toy boats, our pond isn't big enough for a real boat). So I'm not sure what to do next. But then I rarely do. My approach to most projects is to just make it up as I go along and see what I end up with:)
             
            clueless1, Jun 3, 2013
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          • ARMANDII

            ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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            Well, sailing toy boats on the pond won't do any harm.:snork: But again Kids and ponds are not a good mix unless supervised. I fenced off the pond and put a lockable gate on it when my 3 daughters were here. It's an attraction especially when no adult is looking and it only takes a minute for something to happen.:dunno: Also for a youngster sailing a boat on a pond can be a passing fancy whereas a pond is a nearly permanent fixture needing some maintenance.
             
            ARMANDII, Jun 3, 2013
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          • clueless1

            clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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            I'm going to fence the whole section off, and he'll only be allowed in there when I or wife are there with him. Its going to be sort of a secret garden. You can't see it from the house because its behind the greenhouse at the far end of the 'obvious' half of the garden. Its going to be really cool.
             
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            • ARMANDII

              ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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              :thumbsup::snork: You know where to come for support!!:snork:
               
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              • clueless1

                clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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                Being the impatient sort that I am, I've set the hose off filling it up. I fully expect there to be some leaks, and for some of the cement to crack under the pressure, but I figured its worth seeing if its at least level and going to look right now before I put too much more effort into it.

                Next I will figure out how to drain it again, and see what's happened to it and whether its worth continuing as I was or if I should write it off and do it again properly with a liner.

                Its nearly full now.
                 
                clueless1, Jun 4, 2013
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              • ARMANDII

                ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                Don't forget to let the lime in the cement to dissolve over a day or two!!:snork:
                 
                ARMANDII, Jun 4, 2013
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              • clueless1

                clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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                I'm going to order some pond liner. Its a disaster. I expected a few leaks on the first fill. I didn't expect it to leak like a sieve.

                I filled it up. Nipped to my mam's for an hour to sort out her TV which had stopped working (simple case of dodgy ariel wire), and came back, pond is less than half full.
                 
                clueless1, Jun 4, 2013
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              • ARMANDII

                ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                Order the Butyl type if you can, it's slightly more money but it's worth it. How deep have you dug it and will that be the same depth for the next one.

                If you don't try, you'll never know!:snork:
                 
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              • clueless1

                clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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                At its deepest point, Its about 30 inches. The next one will be smaller, and will be miraculously made out of a pre-formed pond:)
                 
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              • ARMANDII

                ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                Hmmmm, I'm not a lover of preformed liners as they have to be seated exactly right in the soil or where they are not fitting properly comes under strain from the weight of the water. With liner you just dig the hole, put in old carpet and lay the liner........job done. Don't forget the smaller and shallower the pool the easy it is for it to heat up and for algae to grow.:snork:
                 
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                • Jenny namaste

                  Jenny namaste Total Gardener

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                  Hi Clue,
                  my heart goes out to you over this project. It 'ain't as easy as it reads on the packet is it? I have premonitions of a pre-formed shifting over time - unless you can be sure it's on a very firm, level base.
                  James must be getting very excited at the thought of this pond. He will love being down there with his Dad,
                  Jenny
                   
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