Author Topic: indoor pond doing its job........NEW Pics added. (Read 7061 times)

Ky Kim · « **on:** August 31, 2007, 06:45:06 PM »

It got dark before we could finish. All that is left is the supports on the outside, and the liner. Its on the small side, 5x2x20=150 gallons. I would have like have gone larger, but my greenhouse just isn't big enough for it. Figured it was longer than a 100 gallon stock tank, so I'm hoping it will work. I'll take pictures when its finished. We made it out of treated lumber, he doesn't know this but this way I can take it outside during the summer....

It does line up better than the pic, we just moved off the grass till tomorrow or Sunday. Kids bowl in the am, then I work tomorrow pm.

Look at my daughter, having a ball in the first section of the pond. I told her it looks like she is laying in a coffin, get out.

Kim

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #1 on:** August 31, 2007, 06:57:30 PM »

Look's like your daughter is getting "kissed" by her furry friend .....

Pond box look's good...cannot wait to see it with the liner & water in it.
bonnie

Ky Kim · « **Reply #2 on:** August 31, 2007, 07:03:31 PM »

Yeah, that is Wednesday our little girl pug. She's buck wild, let me tell ya. (the dog)
Kim

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #3 on:** September 01, 2007, 05:05:53 AM »

Quote from: Ky Kim on August 31, 2007, 07:03:31 PM

Yeah, that is Wednesday our little girl pug. She's buck wild, let me tell ya. (the dog)
Kim

My neice has a pug ,cute as a button .....but as u say buck wild....

.
Her's is a male .

bonnie

Vickie · « **Reply #4 on:** September 01, 2007, 05:49:49 AM »

Looks great. I wish I had one like that. Next yr we might be building number 11.

tranquility · « **Reply #5 on:** September 01, 2007, 06:24:03 AM »

Looks good.....the lilies will be really happy in there this winter....
Lawanna

mcp · « **Reply #6 on:** September 01, 2007, 09:13:09 AM »

Kim looks like it is going to be a great addition to have this winter. Will be so nice to enjoy pond and not have towait for spring. Your DD looks like she is having a ball. Thanks for sharing with us . Hope to see more pictures when up and runniing.

Gets my little pea brain thinking maybe I could do somethiing like that to break uo winiter.

maryvonne · « **Reply #7 on:** September 01, 2007, 09:28:36 AM »

Nice. Now you will be able to overwinter your lilies in style. Cute photo of your daughter and the pooch.

Maryvonne

Ky Kim · « **Reply #8 on:** September 01, 2007, 11:00:05 AM »

Thanks you all.

I can't wait to get it finished and get water in it. Were going to go ahead and set it up, so the water will be warm when its time. I'm not really looking forward to using it, because that means cold weather.

Kim

Ky Kim · « **Reply #9 on:** September 02, 2007, 05:35:36 PM »

Its not finished, but there is water in it. Added some of the tropical babies. The tap was temp was 78 degrees and the preform was collapsing from not being in the ground and being level. I really didn't have a choice.

I have an aquarium filter stuck on the side, just for a little water movement for now. Mosquitos are bad right now and didn't want to make a breeding ground for them. (the piece of wood you see is only holding up the extra liner for now, so that air will get under there).

We still need to trim the liner, and add some wood around the top. Its sitting on concrete blocks, makes it easier to reach the bottom, plus gives me a little storage area under it for pots. If we ever finish the liner and top I'll post pics then. We're just tired tonight, and quit. The greenhouse did get a big cleaning up today too.

Kim

The blue cups have about 6 or so inches of water over it, but it sure doesn't look like it in the pics.

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #10 on:** September 02, 2007, 05:42:49 PM »

Looking good Kim....

..
I've got a question for u ...how are u going to keep the water warm enough for the tropical w.lilies?
I have a big g'house with a pond in it ( I'm going to make it deeper this fall) , I make a smaller g'house
inside the bigger one over the pond to keep other tropical's in...like my taro's ect. but the water is not warm enough for my tropical w.lilies . I would love to keep them in the pond in the g'house , just don't know how to keep the water warm enough.

bonnie

Ky Kim · « **Reply #11 on:** September 02, 2007, 05:45:56 PM »

Going to use a couple of aquarium heaters. I asked Sean, and that's what he said he use to use. Plus I run an electric heater in there when temps get to chilly. So far, all my tropical plants have thrived in there. I tried keeping a couple tropicals in a heated fish tank last year, made it until spring. Put them in the pond and they didn't do anything.

Kim

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #12 on:** September 02, 2007, 05:53:47 PM »

Quote from: Ky Kim on September 02, 2007, 05:45:56 PM

Going to use a couple of aquarium heaters. I asked Sean, and that's what he said he use to use. Plus I run an electric heater in there when temps get to chilly. So far, all my tropical plants have thrived in there. I tried keeping a couple tropicals in a heated fish tank last year, made it until spring. Put them in the pond and they didn't do anything.

Kim

Are they in your house or outside in a building ? The big g'house will get 80 degree's outside during the winter....BUT it cool's down very quickly when the sun set's ....then it's pretty cold.
Last year I used 2 heat lamps on my tropical plant's .....it stayed 65 degree's during night time ....that's just wasn't warm enough for the lilie's.....I left one in there just to see how it would do & it died... :'( .

I wonder if I could put a waterbed heater under the liner , wonder if that would help keep it warmer ?

I keep all my tropical lilies in a spare bedroom upstair's in this old house. I keep them in plastic bag's with name tag's in a rubbermaid tub & water ...we burn wood here & my DH keep's it hot ! Sometime's I think he's
running a fever keeping it that hot!....

bonnie

Ky Kim · « **Reply #13 on:** September 02, 2007, 06:20:05 PM »

Its in the greenhouse. Its just a shot in the dark, I'm just hoping with the aquairum heaters going, and the electric heater and lights they will make it. I got so close last year. The greenhouse stays pretty warm during the winter. Guess cause its wood except the one side, then we have foam insulation in the top. It seems like it stays between 70 to 80 in there during the winter. We only had about a month of really cold weather here last year. Winters just aren't what they use to be. Worse comes to worse, I'll take the tubers and store them. Still may store some of them just in case.

My Taros, in the past all I've ever done is stick them in buckets, or 10 gallon tanks with water in them. With the electric heater going, they just live and grow. I have hibiscus bloom all through the winter, I even kept a pot of petunias and impatients alive all winter. I really don't do anything special to them, just have the heater come on at night. It stays pretty warm in there.

The waterbed heater idea sounds like a good one. I know it would heat it pretty even........hmmmm, you might be on to something. I just mentioned that to dh and he thinks there's one up in our attic.

Kim

Ky Kim · « **Reply #14 on:** September 03, 2007, 10:40:16 AM »

Bonnie,

Yup sure enough, there was an old waterbed heater up in the attic. Its worth a try. Now, I've gotta go drain it, put the heater in and refill it.

Kim

Kat · « **Reply #15 on:** September 03, 2007, 10:49:15 AM »

Have fun with that! If I had a basement, that's what I'd be trying to do

barb · « **Reply #16 on:** September 03, 2007, 01:20:06 PM »

Ohh, very nice!!

tammie · « **Reply #17 on:** September 03, 2007, 03:54:04 PM »

Louis used a waterbed heater one year...and it caught on fire!
Tammie

Reedman · « **Reply #18 on:** September 03, 2007, 05:45:05 PM »

I remember when Louis had that waterbed heater overheat for his lily pond

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #19 on:** September 03, 2007, 06:26:51 PM »

I wonder what caused it to over heat ? Was it a used or new one ?
bonnie

Esther · « **Reply #20 on:** September 03, 2007, 07:21:35 PM »

That looks like a lot of work. You're having fun though, I bet.

Ky Kim · « **Reply #21 on:** September 04, 2007, 12:18:49 AM »

Caught fire, oh no. Now I'm going to worry to death about it.

Kim

tranquility · « **Reply #22 on:** September 04, 2007, 06:08:28 AM »

Bonnie I keep all of my trops in the gh thru the winter....no heater in the water and no light on them- they will go semi-dormant like that....just have to make sure the temps in the gh don't drop below 50 degrees....
Lawanna

joeyb5980 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 04, 2007, 08:53:20 AM »

Very cool! Good luck with your overwintering!

Ky Kim · « **Reply #24 on:** September 04, 2007, 12:57:34 PM »

I unplugged the waterbed heater, its hot outside anyway. I think I'll just get an aquarium heater. I'm scared now. I have several aquarium heaters, but nothing above 100 watts.

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/9082/cid/2215 Think this will be safer.

Just wonder if one of these would be any good. I went up to feeders supply, there heater stock was empty. They didn't have anything to choose from.

Kim

El Jefe · « **Reply #25 on:** September 04, 2007, 03:36:43 PM »

Kim your waterbed heater should be fine. Odds are that the one that caught fire was damage even before it got put in. check yours for any cracks etc. If you think about it, the product liability laws alone ensure that the product is the safest it can be. (can you imagine the lawsuit from a heater that shorts out and burns up and melts a hole in a bed your sleeping on? It would be a "Shocking" experience to say the least, Pardon the pun...) If your heater was kept in good condition Your fine. I Used one for years to heat water in a reptile incubation chamber and it performed beautifully. Your babies will be fine. I would be a little leary of standard aquarium heaters, they are meant to rest against glass not rubber liners. I may well be fine but keep an eye on it One suggestion in either case. Buy a small water fountain pump and add a length of tubing to it, face the tubing/pump so that it is directing water flow down the length of your pond liner. This will circulate the water around and over the water bed heater and keep the water an even temperature throughout the pond. This will prevent uneven heating and your heater(s) will work less. I used this method last winter and it worked well, all my plants thrived.

Hope that eases your mind a little.
Andy

tammie · « **Reply #26 on:** September 04, 2007, 03:43:43 PM »

I wouldn't trust the waterbed heater... Correct me if I'm wrong - but a waterbed heater is placed on a sheet of plywood, which is on a platform - i.e. air space under it. If you put it on the ground, or anything solid, you'll not have any air circulation. I do beleive that that was the problem when Lou tried it. No air circulation= melted, overheated waterbed heater.
Tammie

Ky Kim · « **Reply #27 on:** September 04, 2007, 05:22:30 PM »

Andy and Tammie, I still haven't made up my mind which to do. I do have a magnum 350 hanging on the end with a hose already the length of it, there is current but nothing major. I didn't want to breed mosquitos right now. DH went to get me a Betta to put in as well, can't have water with out a fish in it.

My greenhouse is on a GFCI breaker, so I don't worry there. Its not on the ground, basically the same concept as a waterbed, its on plywood, with a frame around it. I could always add a air vent hole in the plywood. But then again, the only part of a waterbed that is open is where the wires went through to plug in the heater. Worst that could happen is melt the liner right, kick the breaker. If it started a fire, its in a place if the greenhouse burned down, it wouldn't cause a real problem. I'm out there at all hours, I work weird hours and someone is always home. We'll monitor it for several days to be sure. We have insurance..LOL. I made sure when we increased our insurance in 2005 that it would cover the outbuildings and deck, they said it would.

I've emailed several pond places, and just got this reply back.

Quote

That's an interesting idea with the water bed heaters. I wouldn't think
you'd have a problem. The water beds are vinyl and the liner is EPDM
(Synthetic rubber). I would suggest using the same base as the water bed (I
think they are wood). I would also use a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit
Interrupter) to power your system - just-in-case you spring a leak

-----Original Message-----
From: Kimberly White [mailto:Kimkass@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 6:40 PM
To: yourpondstore.com
Subject: Message from yourpondstore.com

From: Kimberly White
Email: Kimkass@aol.com

Think I'll give it a chance, I can always replace the liner. I'll only have it sitting where the water will stay about 50-60 degrees.

So keep your fingers crossed, and hold your breath for me Tammie....LOL, I know, I'll let DH make the decision, then if it malfunctions I'll just blame him, if it works I'll take the credit.

El Jefe · « **Reply #28 on:** September 04, 2007, 09:08:35 PM »

Tammie based on Kims pictures the setup is the same as with a typical water bed. the heater is placed between the liner and the plywood or particle wood base (chipboard) the airspace is virtually nil. Kim should be fine given that the butylene (sp.) rubber liner is as good or better than the typical vinyl liner used in water beds. When you have too much airspace you have a problem, that is when you end up with a fire hazard as it will burn through. Waterbed heaters are not designed to work that way. Keeping it compressed against the liner and the plywood is optimum. Seriously I don't think that you will have an issue IF it was in good working condition from the get go. Make sure it is out in the middle and no air space around it.

Andy

tammie · « **Reply #29 on:** September 04, 2007, 10:20:24 PM »

Glad I don't have to worry about heating the water! I think you all should just move here - problem solved!
I don't remember if Louis used a new or used heater... I do remember him posting pictures of the burned area on the plywood... Where is that boy!?
Tammie