Journal Pondering it all…

[Geoffrey Rea]

So here we are, back at it again. Trying to poke the bear to see what wisdom can be found.

On the planted side there’s client tanks, shop tanks and helping the eldest with his 45P setup. On the marine side there’s the shop marine fish system, invert systems, coral tray and 1200 home reef to take care of. Would be enough systems to care for on a weekly basis if it weren’t for the annoying gap in knowledge about ponds that’s been nagging for a while.

Decided to have a crack at the planted pond side with a planted tank mindset to see where we get.

All started with the summer tub project during the first pandemic lock down and seeing what could be done in a modest garden and budget:



Learned a considerable amount just using a 4ft plasterers tub that season, so committed to using the space for a decent sized pond to see what can be grown with more allotted space.

Cheapo veg beds were cleared end of April so got this space to play with:

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Issue with researching ponds is most show you the end result, not the work involved. Can’t get a digger into this garden due to access so everything will be grunt work… With only one grunt.

Possibly a useful thread for anyone tackling a pond for the first time and working to a budget so doing work solo.

On the electrical front, there’s a 30 metre run of armoured cable required to get to the consumer board and needs to be to spec. That’s realistically 2 feet buried minimum, surrounded by sand/gravel out of harms way for any future work by a pitchfork etc. Get an electrician in to be sure everything is above board before you start.

Suffice to say digging down two feet with a hand shovel/fork, through baked clay in summer temps, creating a trench through rubble and debris, using only hand tools is graft:



Due to the close proximity of the trench to the proposed pond, with the pond being partially raised and buried, the trench needed to be narrow to not disturb the surrounding soil. End result an above board electrical run; end result busted hands, back and sunburn.

Easiest bit for most DIY’ers is the electrical board:



Double pole isolation switch and three double weatherproof sockets should provide enough options for equipment with a cut off.

Run is 20A to the socket bank and the RCD in the consumer board requires upgrading from type AC to type A for DC equipment. This will also require a qualified electrician to test, certify and notify building control of the work being carried out.

 

[PARAGUAY]

Looks like you well planned this and looking forward to seeing the journey🙂

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Looks like you well planned this and looking forward to seeing the journey🙂

Us both @PARAGUAY , gonna be a fun one. Already required lots of thinking and adaptation from the original plan.

The initial footprint was 10ftx7ftx3ft:



However, a 3ft deep rectangle ain’t much use for marginal plants. Was encouraged to try koi carp, but quite frankly, for what purpose.

Every morning when arriving at work, get to feed these folks before opening hours:

















Yes… It is every bit of fun as you suspect. But at home, without large filtration systems to manage waste, not so much. Koi not so good with plants either to say the least and a fish only pond is not of interest currently.

Plan is to go stepped, 1ft, 2ft, 3ft depth left to right for planting. Puts us at roughly 5000 litres.

One part from the Koi side that was of interest is large filtration that can be easily backwashed.

Can run the pond at just over 1x turnover per hour and with a 10’000l/hr pump tuned down to 5000l/hr turnover, the energy usage is as minimal as we can make it.

EA’s EazyPod filter, hand for scale:

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Getting some momentum going now. Sleepers have been dug in and levelled.



The lawn is on a slight slope meaning 2/3 of the sleepers are set below the ground level, with the ground additionally holding outward forces. The rest are freestanding with the whole structure heavily bolted together with 150mm and 200mm timber screws. These take quite a while to drive in with the whole structure using just over 80 screws in total.

Drainage ditch filled with gravel at the back:



Just wide enough to provide access to the back of the pond for maintenance etc.

A few of the sleepers weren’t stored on level ground in the heat and got twisted. Ended up using them on this run on the left side. Successive spraying with the hose, clamping and the pull of the timber screws are gradually pulling them back straight and true in the heat of the sun. A few more rounds of wet/dry and should be sorted by the time we install the pond liner. Will cap the top of the sleepers with decking board once level:



You really wouldn’t suspect it, but so far the project has required the moving of 4 ton of material between top soil removal, sand and gravel. Quite a bit and estimate this is only half of the weight requiring movement in total. Good project if you want to get in shape.

Day off today so sorting the electrical hook up to the consumer board and aiming to finalise the digging. Should have electrical sign off and power by the pond today too, another box ticked on the project list ✅

 

[LondonDragon]

You have been busy 🙂 guess when its ready you can host a BBQ for us up there hahaha don't worry I can man the BBQ!

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

You have been busy 🙂

And the body knows it. Wake up every morning lately like, oh my gawd… my body is full of pain 😂

guess when its ready you can host a BBQ for us up there hahaha don't worry I can man the BBQ!

Sounds cool 😎 Can also leave the pond chlorinated, chuck the airstones in and voila… make shift jacuzzi 😆

 

[LondonDragon]

And the body knows it. Wake up every morning lately like, oh my gawd… my body is full of pain 😂

Can imagine! at least your are young and strong unlike the rest of us 😛

Sounds cool 😎 Can also leave the pond chlorinated, chuck the airstones in and voila… make shift jacuzzi 😆

I was going to say I will bring the sardines! but I guess I can just throw the fish into the barbie!! 😛

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Cable run from the board to the consumer board done. Our sparky has been busy so still awaiting sign off, but should have power soon enough.

Working on the two foot ledge currently whilst there’s some intermittent cloud cover from the sun today :



Also built a stand for the filter with our eldest son yesterday. Kids were off as the school had a teacher training day:



He’s nine, so sawing and drilling stuff is good fun to him. Was nice to spend the morning building something together too.

Only half way there with dig and it’s hard going due to gravel/debris/rocks:



Skip isn’t due for another week and a half due to roadworks delaying the skip permit. Having to use the front lawn as a staging area using one ton bags:



Only on bag seven (half way through volume) and debating putting in wheelchair access to the pond. Not sure the body will ever work again after bag fourteen followed by moving all the contents again from the bags into the skip.

 

[seedoubleyou]

Can’t you just hire a grab instead of a skip and have it all lifted away in the bags?

 

[John q]

Looks like another inspirational journal @Geoffrey Rea

I moved about six tonnes of soil, stone and rocks when I levelled a sloped garden, so can appreciate how broken your body will be at the end of all this.
No pain no gain as the say.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Can’t you just hire a grab instead of a skip and have it all lifted away in the bags?

Skip was originally due a month ago but permit got revoked due to roadworks. The bags were just to get things going in preparation due to the delay.

Yes a grab would be easier at this late stage, things haven’t gone to plan but skip money is non-refundable at this point so locked in.

Looks like another inspirational journal @Geoffrey Rea

I moved about six tonnes of soil, stone and rocks when I levelled a sloped garden, so can appreciate how broken your body will be at the end of all this.
No pain no gain as the say.

Cheers @John q they say pain is just weakness leaving the body… must be so full of weakness 😂

 

[Tim Harrison]

I feel your pain, and another visit to the hospital coming on just looking at those pictures.
But no doubt it'll be awesome when finished.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

But no doubt it'll be awesome when finished.

We’re done with the dig part @Tim Harrison



Ran into a redundant utility line 2 1/2ft down running crossways. No mention of it in the plans but not much to be done now. Had to change plan again. Backfilled and levelled it to 2ft.

Not a bad thing really, more growable space for plants with these dimensions. Will order the liner on Monday in work. Should be manufactured and delivered in a week so not long until we can get things rolling 😎

 

[Tim Harrison]

We’re done with the dig part

Thank goodness for that, I was worried we'd be a team member down and have to send in the sappers or mines rescue to save you.
Seriously good effort and looking nice and level. That must be intensely satisfying.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

worried we'd be a team member down and have to send in the sappers or mines rescue to save you.

Working in the heat hasn’t been box clever, but the project got delayed a month pushing us into June. Just glad to not be out there today though, going to be the hottest day of the year so far ☀️ 😝 🔥 Instead the sun can do the work and bake the pond solid.

Seriously good effort and looking nice and level.

The frame has been built with a very slight lean off to the right, will overspill onto the lawn should it overflow from rain etc. Visually it shouldn’t be noticeable though as the lawn slopes down to the left:



Left an incline and some excess on the sides of the pond for now rather than making them square:



A lot of rain is forecast in the coming week so hoping the sides hold until the liner is in. If any erosion does happen it gives some insurance but it’s doubtful, ground is very hard from the persistent dry weather last few months. Will scrape the walls to remove the excess last minute.

 

[PARAGUAY]

Does remind of those "what have l started moments", but getting closer to the reward ing, water in etc 🙂

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Onwards and upwards folks! The end is getting close…

We have power:



Yeehaw 🤠

We have level sides, a flat base using spent compost, heavy duty gravel liner and capping frame for the pond that just needs joining together:



Woohoo 🙌🏼

We even have the first few plants amalgamating in a tub ready for a new home:



Ooofff 😜

We even have pond fleece and all the plumbing stuff in:



Tah dah 🪄

Not bad for a days work 😎

Just waiting for the skip next week to remove the monstrous amount of soil out on the front garden.

The liner is being manufactured, should be here on the 11th July. Went with 1.00mm Greenseal EPDM. Been advised this will be easier to work with than Butyl in case of any irregularities and imperfections.

 

[hypnogogia]

We even have pond fleece

What’s that for?

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

First customer is already growing impatient:



Trying mate, trying… going as fast as possible! 😂 Can we interest you in a temporary pass to the summer tub whilst you wait?

What’s that for?

Fleece protects the pond liner from sharp stones etc. To be fair between the heavy duty gravel liner, pond fleece and EPDM pond liner, it’s probably overkill but don’t fancy a leak.