The Official Pond Thread...

[spykes]

your afraid of bears?

i dont knwo if you see the bear and salmon commercials.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Actually for most bears a Koi Pond is like opening a can of sardines. I remember seeing koi ponds with nets about 1-2 feet from the bottom of the pond to give the fish a secure place to swim to if a predator comes a callin. Only problem is if you get yogi and boo boo in your pond and they get wrapped up in the net you may turn your pond into a bear trap.

 

[Chris5]

I dont know if a mesh net with hold the weight of a bear lol but you could try it ...:tongue1: ..Yeah hopefully either today or next week we should be turning on all the stuff to get the pond goin, as for the landscaping around the area that wont happen for a couple of weeks at least....

That herron was so massive it needed a running start to leave the area :sgrin:

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Actually I saw nets made of thick rope. Was about 1" Diameter with 10"x10" squares.

 

[masterswimmer]

Actually I saw nets made of thick rope. Was about 1" Diameter with 10"x10" squares.

Bears are a big problem where I live. I get them in my driveway all the time. I've got videos of them and a ton of still pictures.

The 10" x 10" squares would be a decent size for very large predators. But much too large for the small, more common theif, the racoon. They wreak more havoc than the black bears do (on my pond).

Chris, watching Blue Herons take off is like watching the Flintstones. They look like a Pterydactyl 'airplane' and need a runway! :thrash:

Russ

 

[Chris5]

Nice, it will be like a cargo net around the pond lol, you can play american gladiator over it :thrash:

Just had to order a new pond filter from fosters (ordered the new tetra extreme pond filter) this morning so the pond now will be delayed on its official opening another couple of days lol ....:shhh:

Yeah Master the things wing span was shocking, i thought at one point maybe i should be calling the bronx zoo to see if they are missing any birds lol ....It really did a number on our pond but luckily for the bird he didnt get to our prized Koi (mostly white with hints of orange and is absolutely huge, as well as old, been with us forever)....

 

[spykes]

cant wait to build my pond. how deep do you guys go so kois can escape winter?

 

[masterswimmer]

cant wait to build my pond. how deep do you guys go so kois can escape winter?

David, make sure you post pix as you go along. I'd love to see the progress.

The depth of a pond is another minor debate. Many people that use a surface heater feel they can go with a shallower pond. I don't agree with that. Ideally, the bottom of the pond should be below the frost level. Where I live that is at 42". It varies by geographical location.

Russ

 

[spykes]

so russ you dont even use a surface heater?

 

[masterswimmer]

so russ you dont even use a surface heater?

No I don't. My pond is a natural pond. I did not build it. It is about 8' deep at one end. So I don't worry about freezing. I do worry about it running dry in the summer droughts though. And I wouldn't consider adding water to it when the droughts come. It is about 20 - 25 yards x 10 - 15 yds x 8' deep.

Russ

 

[spykes]

is that a swimming pool i hear?

 

[masterswimmer]

is that a swimming pool i hear?

lol, not quite. You wouldn't want to swim in this pond. Even in the summer it stays quite cold.

R

 

[Chris5]

Pond Update...

Well as we get closer to Summer, the pond is starting to take shape and the shrubbery is starting to bloom!!! Here are some update pics for you to enjoy!!! :fish:

 

[Pedro]

Looking good. I love the sound of running water, so soothing. They sure look huge!

 

[masterswimmer]

Chris, looking good. Always nice after it's matured for a few years and it starts growing in the spring without any intervention on your part.

Nice looking Koi.

How high of a lift do you have to the top of the stream? From the pic it looks like a good 6 or 7 feet. And about 25-30' long.

swimmer

 

[Chris5]

Yeah Russ, just about that it works pretty well, just enough flow to go up through the trickle filter and through the UV and come back down via the stream!!!!

They are getting big but more so multiplying fast every winter llike clockwork!!

 

[PalmTree]

Nice thread. I love the pond Chris. I'm in the process of putting in a pond at my co worker's house. I think he kind of overdid it. It measures about 15ft X 20ft and bet 3 to 5ft deep. Its freakin crazy! I'll post pics when I get a chance. It is still a work in progress so it is far from pretty!

 

[Chris5]

Thanks Palm...Yeh def would love to see some pics!!!! ....If i had to do it again i would ditch the stream and go for a more rock waterfall...maybe one day lol.....:Up_to_som

 

[TimberTDI]

Chris: What size pump are using? I've been debating the pond thing for a couple of years now.

Russ: How much a problem have the predators been? This is one of the things that have been keeping me from taking the plunge. Also is your pond fed off of Bonnie Brook there?

 

[masterswimmer]

Hey Jazzy,
My pond originates so damn far uphill I've hiked it to the point that it becomes so thick with underbrush that I can't go any farther. However, there is a valley between the high point behind my house and Bonnie Brook. So I'd say no, it doesn't feed off there.

As far as predators are concerned, I've seen the following with my 8" goldfish in their mouths (I was sure there would be predator issues, so that's why I didn't go with koi):
-racoons
-blue herons
-black bear

Those are just the ones I've personally seen. There might be others, but they're more covert in there operation

swimmer