Who's Bama? I have no idea how to reach chem geek except to create a new topic and hope he/she replies. Also, this IS a chemistry question, as opposed to a strictly build/use/repair question, so I'm not sure why it got bumped out of the chemistry section. But whatever -- your forum, your rules.
Making (deliberate) pond using backwash?
- Thread starter singerteacher
- Start date
That's me.
PM him if you want to make sure he sees it.
We don't allow multiple posting the same question in different places as it gets very confusing for people trying to answer and keep up with everyones questions.
PM him if you want to make sure he sees it.
We don't allow multiple posting the same question in different places as it gets very confusing for people trying to answer and keep up with everyones questions.
Short-term toxicity to fish was not found except at thousands of ppm CYA just to see any effects. There were no mortalities of aquatic invertebrates at >1000 ppm CYA. Basically, CYA by itself is not going to be a problem for a pond. On the other hand, soil bacteria which can get into the water can degrade CYA and as noted that could produce ammonia or it could produce nitrogen gas depending on the specific bacteria and conditions. However, if that happens, more likely than not algae will grow and they will consume most of the ammonia. So if you dechlorinate the water, you could try using the pool water in the pond and it may work, especially if things get into balance and the backwash is just used to top off. The pond might not be a clean and clear one, but that's true of real ponds as well and varies depending on the plants and organisms in the pond.
Thank you so much, chemgeek. I really appreciate your help, time and expertise!
Now, to learn more about pond construction ... Harley, do you have any advice? I will try to post a pic of the rock garden.
Now, to learn more about pond construction ... Harley, do you have any advice? I will try to post a pic of the rock garden.
My advice is to find a good Koi keeping forum, and research proper pond construction.
The ponds i built when i used to landscape full time in college were improperly built, i was just doing what the owner told me, they just ended up being a nasty hole in the earth. When i decided to build my own pond i started research on Gardenweb, and built it the best i could. It turned out great for Goldfish and my dogs. It was about 12' long by 5' wide and 2' deep at the deepest. I lined it with flags stone that i glued in place with http://www.coastalpond.com/e6000-black- ... -4993.html . I had access to free flagstone and free e-6000, otherwise i wouldn't have done it. I made a homemade filter out of a plastic storage bin and a ton of scrubbies, and used a pond pump. It is much like a large fishtank.
The first thing i would do is decide on a dimension for your pond, width, length and depth. For a proper pond it will need to be deeper than you think, research that. You will not want to fill it up with stone as i mentioned before. You'll want a bottom drain, filter (or two, like a pool) and a pump. I'd figure out a budget, and then see what can be done with that.
As far as design, i always liked the ones that look sunken into the ground like a natural setting. Too many people pile rocks all around them and it's just a dead giveaway that its man made. Of course you want it set up so that surround run-off does not get into the pond. But you can accomplish both the sunken look and no runoff. If it were built into a flat yard, i would want the stones that go around the pond, and on top of the liner's edge to be level with the ground. Meaning that the tops of those stones would be like maybe an inch above the ground. Just to give you and idea of what i mean by "sunken".
While you are at it, it's always nice to have a little stream flowing into the pond but not necessary.
Yes please take and post some pics, and if you do find a forum that you start posting on about your project either link it here or keep posting here too, sound fun and DD will really enjoy it.
The ponds i built when i used to landscape full time in college were improperly built, i was just doing what the owner told me, they just ended up being a nasty hole in the earth. When i decided to build my own pond i started research on Gardenweb, and built it the best i could. It turned out great for Goldfish and my dogs. It was about 12' long by 5' wide and 2' deep at the deepest. I lined it with flags stone that i glued in place with http://www.coastalpond.com/e6000-black- ... -4993.html . I had access to free flagstone and free e-6000, otherwise i wouldn't have done it. I made a homemade filter out of a plastic storage bin and a ton of scrubbies, and used a pond pump. It is much like a large fishtank.
The first thing i would do is decide on a dimension for your pond, width, length and depth. For a proper pond it will need to be deeper than you think, research that. You will not want to fill it up with stone as i mentioned before. You'll want a bottom drain, filter (or two, like a pool) and a pump. I'd figure out a budget, and then see what can be done with that.
As far as design, i always liked the ones that look sunken into the ground like a natural setting. Too many people pile rocks all around them and it's just a dead giveaway that its man made. Of course you want it set up so that surround run-off does not get into the pond. But you can accomplish both the sunken look and no runoff. If it were built into a flat yard, i would want the stones that go around the pond, and on top of the liner's edge to be level with the ground. Meaning that the tops of those stones would be like maybe an inch above the ground. Just to give you and idea of what i mean by "sunken".
While you are at it, it's always nice to have a little stream flowing into the pond but not necessary.
Yes please take and post some pics, and if you do find a forum that you start posting on about your project either link it here or keep posting here too, sound fun and DD will really enjoy it.
I was looking for pictures of the pond i made, i actually made two, one in a brick planter....here are the best pics i could find...
Your ponds are awesome, Harley! I will do more research and hopefully post something at some point. Thank you so much!
Alas we sold that house, new owner loved the ponds. That was 7 years ago.
The white English Setter was Harley and the Black and Tan Gordon Setter was Silo, thus my user name.
Good luck on your research!
The white English Setter was Harley and the Black and Tan Gordon Setter was Silo, thus my user name.
Good luck on your research!
singerteacher, did you ever build your pond? I bought a house and when they replaced the septic leach field, they put it where the pool currently backwashes, so I was thinking of rerouting the backwash to a 60'x100' pond that I have on the property. I was curious as to how plants fared in your pond.