Where have I been?!?
I dug me a new pond!!
Here's my story. My husband had to go to HK for 2 weeks. This was my chance to do my project - build my lily pond. I do my best projects when he's out of town. With all the knowledge and instructions I learned here at APU, actual experience from the first (now known as the "koi pond") pond, and much thought and planning, I did it!!
Not finished yet but here goes....My plans for a lily pond in the remote dirt area of my backyard started about 2 years ago. We broke ground on Saturday, June 28.
My DS and DD helped start the dig. I figured that since my DS was lifting big heavy weights at the gym this would be so easy for him. It was but he could only help me on the first Saturday. He got the depth I wanted at 32" and about a 2' x5 width of dirt out. I dug the rest over the next 2 days, about 4 hours each day, early morning and cleaned area in the evening before the sun set. Note: Not having the correct tools makes it more difficult. Anyhow the pond hole is approximately 8' x 5' to 4' x 32" and sits against a short retaining wall. I added above ground height with 3 stacks of pressure treated lumber 4x4's around 3 sides and tied them into the back retaining wall. So the water level will be approximately 36" to 40" deep. I also have the bottom graded about 1":1' towards the centerline for easy cleaning.
I was going to go dumpster diving for carpet remnants to line the dirt but after all the digging , etc. I decided to buy 3 indoor/outdoor carpet from Costco when I went grocery shopping. Inexpensive 9'x9' carpet for $14. I cut it to shape in areas to cover the whole opening and the sides of the 4x4's and over the back-drop waterfall.
I bought a pre-cut 15'x15' Firestone rubber liner (.45 mil EPDM) from Laguna Koi Ponds for the price of a 13'x15' that I purposely over-calculated. Now I know why the sales guy gave me a discounted price fro precut! That sucker weighed a ton!!! Ask my doctor, she told me I am in no shape to carry a 15'x15' rubber liner. Downer...inflamed nerve in my back causing radiating pain to my arms. Solution: stop heavy work. More delays on the finished work.
Well I got the liner in the hole and did the folds and all before filling it with water to about 30" on the following Saturday, July 5th. Can't do any of the finishing touches and waterfall stone until I rest my back. I'm no spring chicken!!
Ok! Here are the mechanical details you all were waiting for patiently. Presently I have a Laguna PowerJet 2000 pump with a Pondmaster prefilter pumping into a Matala BioSteps 10 biological filtration box which will return on a rock slab waterfall (nowhere near as nice as Carlos'). With my back out of commission I have the water dumping straight back into the pond through a 1-1/2" pipe. Later I will be attaching a floating skimmer with another pump of the same and a smaller bio-filtration. The return of this water will circulate most of the water down under.
My lilies are in their
not-yet-finished-pond and learning to stretch their pads up to the water level. They have grown about 6" taller since I placed them in the pond. The Lily Pond.
The water level will stay at 30" until I get waterfall finished, because I will be standing in the water to lay the stone and particulars.
I almost forgot. I put the Shubs and wakins I had in the "Koi Pond" into the lily pond where they have a better chance at getting fed.
I also corrupted my hard drive too!!
SSo I've been messing with my poor laptop the past few evenings. Photos to come when I get the info off my old hard drive to this new one to get my drivers and programs in place.
That's where I've been for the past almost 3 weeks
