How do you all clean up the sediments at the bottom of your ponds.
My pond is about 12 foot diameter and 3 feet deep at the center.
Thanks
Pat

I install bottom drains.

"Pat" wrote in message
news:eZHUf.1493$Qm2.220@trndny03...
How do you all clean up the sediments at the bottom of your ponds.
My pond is about 12 foot diameter and 3 feet deep at the center.
Thanks
Pat

"Pat" wrote in message
news:eZHUf.1493$Qm2.220@trndny03...
How do you all clean up the sediments at the bottom of your ponds.
My pond is about 12 foot diameter and 3 feet deep at the center.
Thanks
Pat

I used to use a shop vac but now have frogs
so I just use a strong net to bring some of
the sediment up, not too much at one time.
I suppose it depends on how much you get.

Gail
near San Antonio TX

On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 18:17:45 -0800, "Pat"
wrote:

How do you all clean up the sediments at the bottom of your ponds.
My pond is about 12 foot diameter and 3 feet deep at the center.
Thanks
I install bottom drains.

You did install bottom drains, or you're asking if you should? A pond that
has a 12 foot diameter, a bottom drain would sure make things easier. Check
out my website on how to go over the side using a tetra bell vacuum bottom
drain, so you can retrofit a pre-existing pond. (Click on My Filter). For
heavier stuff, that the koi don't get moved down to the location of the
bottom drain, I use my shop vac. ~ jan

--------------
See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

"Pat" wrote in message
news:eZHUf.1493$Qm2.220@trndny03...
How do you all clean up the sediments at the bottom of your ponds.
My pond is about 12 foot diameter and 3 feet deep at the center.
=======================
I have a fine mulm net to get what collects in the deepest part. A less
fine net gets the leaves, small twigs and any frogs that didn't survive the
winter. Once the pumps are turned on the circulation of water stirs up
what's left and it ends up in the filters.
--
Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

I am one of those who's daddy said "dont want no leak, dont put in no holes".
actually, my current koi pond doesnt appear to have any mulm on the bottom. after 5
years I can still see the little gravel scattered on the bottom which the koi like to
remove from the lily pot and scatter. they also pick it up and spit it into the
bucket filter.
My pond is rectangular so the water falls in at one end, is sucked out by the pump at
the other. the koi stir up the bottom and eventually it looks like all the mulm just
gets dumped into the veggie filter.
every fall when I move the plants from the veggie filter I find a couple inches if
mulm which I use a wet dry to remove and put it on my flower beds.
my pond is netted to keep out leaves
I feed the highest quality koi food I can find and very little of it at a time.
overfeeding leads to fouling the water.

My other two ponds out at the dacha dont have netting and get filled with leaves and
I have a pond service come and drain and clean the ponds in spring after the temp is
above 55 for a couple weeks. Ingrid

"Pat" wrote:

How do you all clean up the sediments at the bottom of your ponds.
My pond is about 12 foot diameter and 3 feet deep at the center.
Thanks
Pat




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?...s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan

My name is pat, too.

"Pat" wrote in message
news:IldVf.253$tZ.160@trndny03...
Jan - I didn't write that. I have no idea how that got my name on it.
Weird... I don't have bottom drains. Never heard of them till now, but I
won't be
messing with my liner. I will get a fine net to scoop the bottom layer.
Thanks
Pat

You did install bottom drains, or you're asking if you should? A pond
that
has a 12 foot diameter, a bottom drain would sure make things easier.
Check
out my website on how to go over the side using a tetra bell vacuum
bottom
drain, so you can retrofit a pre-existing pond. (Click on My Filter). For
heavier stuff, that the koi don't get moved down to the location of the
bottom drain, I use my shop vac. ~ jan

--------------
See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

"~ janj" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 18:17:45 -0800, "Pat"
wrote:

How do you all clean up the sediments at the bottom of your ponds.
My pond is about 12 foot diameter and 3 feet deep at the center.
Thanks
I install bottom drains.

Hi Pat :-) I didn't know you were out there. Hello - Where are you from? I
live in NJ. Just getting the pond going this year. Do you have pics? I'll
add my initials to my post. :-)

thanks
Pat B - NJ



"Pat" wrote in message
...
My name is pat, too.

"Pat" wrote in message
news:IldVf.253$tZ.160@trndny03...
Jan - I didn't write that. I have no idea how that got my name on it.
Weird... I don't have bottom drains. Never heard of them till now, but
I
won't be
messing with my liner. I will get a fine net to scoop the bottom layer.
Thanks
Pat

You did install bottom drains, or you're asking if you should? A pond
that
has a 12 foot diameter, a bottom drain would sure make things easier.
Check
out my website on how to go over the side using a tetra bell vacuum
bottom
drain, so you can retrofit a pre-existing pond. (Click on My Filter).
For
heavier stuff, that the koi don't get moved down to the location of the
bottom drain, I use my shop vac. ~ jan

--------------
See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

"~ janj" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 18:17:45 -0800, "Pat"
wrote:

How do you all clean up the sediments at the bottom of your ponds.
My pond is about 12 foot diameter and 3 feet deep at the center.
Thanks
I install bottom drains.

I live in Oregon near a small rural town called Amity. A few pictures here
http://20d.us/rockpage/ of one of my small ponds. If you look close in the
first and last picture you may spot my drain. It is a short length of pvc
pipe that the pond overflows into. To drain the pond I simply pull the pipe
out of its fitting located at the bottom of the pond. I made the rock using
some chicken wire and mortar. This pond is located beside my patio just
outside my living room. It can be enjoyed from the living room through the
patio doors or it is very pleasant to sit on the patio beside it. My pump
is turned off for the winter however I turned it on briefly to take these
pictures a week ago. To make a bottom drain I stick the pipe through the
liner and put a hose clamp around it.

"Pat" wrote in message
news:zYyVf.727$Q9.334@trndny07...
Hi Pat :-) I didn't know you were out there. Hello - Where are you from?
I
live in NJ. Just getting the pond going this year. Do you have pics? I'll
add my initials to my post. :-)

thanks
Pat B - NJ



"Pat" wrote in message
...
My name is pat, too.

"Pat" wrote in message
news:IldVf.253$tZ.160@trndny03...
Jan - I didn't write that. I have no idea how that got my name on it.
Weird... I don't have bottom drains. Never heard of them till now, but
I
won't be
messing with my liner. I will get a fine net to scoop the bottom layer.
Thanks
Pat

You did install bottom drains, or you're asking if you should? A pond
that
has a 12 foot diameter, a bottom drain would sure make things easier.
Check
out my website on how to go over the side using a tetra bell vacuum
bottom
drain, so you can retrofit a pre-existing pond. (Click on My Filter).
For
heavier stuff, that the koi don't get moved down to the location of
the
bottom drain, I use my shop vac. ~ jan

--------------
See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

"~ janj" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 18:17:45 -0800, "Pat"

wrote:

How do you all clean up the sediments at the bottom of your ponds.
My pond is about 12 foot diameter and 3 feet deep at the center.
Thanks
I install bottom drains.

On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 19:25:01 -0800, "Pat"
wrote:

I live in Oregon near a small rural town called Amity. A few pictures here
http://20d.us/rockpage/ of one of my small ponds.

Cool pond! Like the rock waterfall. ~ jan


~ jan/WA
Zone 7a

I like it too. I learned a lot making the rock.

"~ janj" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 19:25:01 -0800, "Pat"
wrote:

I live in Oregon near a small rural town called Amity. A few pictures
here
http://20d.us/rockpage/ of one of my small ponds.

Cool pond! Like the rock waterfall. ~ jan


~ jan/WA
Zone 7a

"Pat" wrote in message
...
I like it too. I learned a lot making the rock.

Such as??

I might try to incorporate a artificial rock like that along with my natural
rocks as well.

Did you build a wooden framework for the rock, and also do chemicals leech
out of the mortar into the pond? (In other words, is it fish freindly?)

--
Gareee©
(Gary Tabar Jr.)

I think fresh cement can turn the water alkaline. After it ages a week or
so its okay.

I bought a 25 foot roll of chicken wire 3 feet wide. I folded it so it was
4 layers. Sewed the top edge closed using some wire. Then opened the
bottom up and shaped it. I pictured filling the inside up with foam so I
bought some spray cans of foam. I quickly learned that the foam didn't go
very far and was expensive. I ended up with a thin holey layer of foam on
the inside. Mostly I was trying to make a surface that would hold the
mortar in place. If I was to make another one I think I would try Paper
Mache. Cheap and easy. I made it sitting on some sawhorses in my driveway.
I kept having to go back to the store and buy more mortar. Pretty soon I
realized that this rock was going to be pretty heavy. I was able to back my
pickup up to it and slide it in. Then I drove my pickup to the pond and
slid it off. Probably weighs 3-400 pounds. Next one gets built in place.
The rock is probably 1 foot thick. The curved shape keeps it stable.





"Gareee©" wrote in message
...
"Pat" wrote in message
...
I like it too. I learned a lot making the rock.

Such as??

I might try to incorporate a artificial rock like that along with my
natural rocks as well.

Did you build a wooden framework for the rock, and also do chemicals leech
out of the mortar into the pond? (In other words, is it fish freindly?)

--
Gareee©
(Gary Tabar Jr.)

All useful information.

So if I attempt building my own, letting it cure for a week or so will allow
me to then use it for a waterfall?

I'm thinking of working some planters into it, and adding some real rocks as
well to the mortar, to make it look a little more real, and blend more.


"Pat" wrote in message
...
I think fresh cement can turn the water alkaline. After it ages a week or
so its okay.

I bought a 25 foot roll of chicken wire 3 feet wide. I folded it so it
was 4 layers. Sewed the top edge closed using some wire. Then opened the
bottom up and shaped it. I pictured filling the inside up with foam so I
bought some spray cans of foam. I quickly learned that the foam didn't go
very far and was expensive. I ended up with a thin holey layer of foam on
the inside. Mostly I was trying to make a surface that would hold the
mortar in place. If I was to make another one I think I would try Paper
Mache. Cheap and easy. I made it sitting on some sawhorses in my
driveway. I kept having to go back to the store and buy more mortar.
Pretty soon I realized that this rock was going to be pretty heavy. I was
able to back my pickup up to it and slide it in. Then I drove my pickup
to the pond and slid it off. Probably weighs 3-400 pounds. Next one gets
built in place. The rock is probably 1 foot thick. The curved shape keeps
it stable.





"Gareee©" wrote in message
...
"Pat" wrote in message
...
I like it too. I learned a lot making the rock.

Such as??

I might try to incorporate a artificial rock like that along with my
natural rocks as well.

Did you build a wooden framework for the rock, and also do chemicals
leech out of the mortar into the pond? (In other words, is it fish
freindly?)

--
Gareee©
(Gary Tabar Jr.)

Pat wrote:

I think fresh cement can turn the water alkaline. After it ages a week or
so its okay.

A season or so? Cement doesn't even _set_ in a week. I really wouldn't
want to put fish in a cement pond until the pond was a year old.
--
derek