My backyard overhaul journal

[Delphinus]

Super nice stuff. I always wanted to try lilies but never had any success with them using a barrel. I suppose a pond will have to do. Maybe I'll have to put one in. (Sure, just put that on my "I'll get to it soon I promise" list. :) ). Maybe I just need to get Kien or Dez to come dig a big hole in my garden. I've seen the holes they dig. They look much nicer than the holes I dig. I fear I have already said too much. Shutting up now.

To recap: nice flowers and stuff!

[The Grizz]

Holy crap Dez some day I hope my pond looks this good. Speaking of my pond I need a little help so Im sending you a pm.

[Dez]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/11/y5y3a9em.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/11/6u5ybepe.jpg

[daplatapus]

Awesome drone shot Dez, that's cool. Very nice landscape :)

[Dez]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/12/tazy6y6y.jpg

Came home from 9 days away to 10 lily blooms. Only 7 shown in this pic.

[Dez]

Pond is up and running today! Yay for early spring!
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/03/12/d68bf036eafa05a4a38df5245bf53ac1.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/03/12/1233bf2c5323686c9b0d78307387c50d.jpg

[The Grizz]

Nice start Dez, the wife has a question about the plants you have in the pond. Do they just stay on the pond over the winter?

[Dez]

Yes. We have perennials so the plants just come back every year fuller than the year before.

[MMAX]

Looks good. Noticed today my fish are starting to get active but I haven't fired up the waterfall yet. Might have to take the plunge and do the peroxide treatment this year.

[kien]

Looks good. Noticed today my fish are starting to get active but I haven't fired up the waterfall yet. Might have to take the plunge and do the peroxide treatment this year.

Did you find a source for the peroxide ? I'm still looking for some and hoping to nuke my pond (of hair algae) this spring.

[Dez]

Peroxide is the greatest thing ever! I caught my fish out and shocked my pond with 8 litres of 30% peroxide and the pond just started bubbling and all the algae and goo floated to the surface. So satisfying.

[MMAX]

Don't need the peroxide this year. After 5 years, totally drained and did a complete clean out. Must have got about 50 pounds of algae and sludge out with a 100% water change. Hopefully it's good for another 5 years.

[Dez]

I do a 100% water change/clean out every year. I think a clean pond to start the season with is key to a good season.

[Seriak]

Did you find a source for the peroxide ? I'm still looking for some and hoping to nuke my pond (of hair algae) this spring.

Farmers use it all the time for their dugouts. Try UFA.

[ronau]

Did you find a source for the peroxide ? I'm still looking for some and hoping to nuke my pond (of hair algae) this spring.

Community Natural Foods should carry 35% food grade.

[lastlight]

Dez I had a few questions about your wintering process. I've gone through your thread and it looks like during winter you only run a pair of heaters and an air stone.

- how many watts are the heaters and what's the output of the air stone?

- do you blow out the buried flex hose?

- do you empty your skimmer chamber and put your pumps indoors so the box can't freeze and potentially crack?

- after winter is done and you're shocking the pond, what do you keep the koi in and how long are they in it? what supports them in there for bio?

Thanks and moar pics please!

[kien]

Community Natural Foods should carry 35% food grade.

I totally missed this post! THANKS!!

[Dez]

Dez I had a few questions about your wintering process. I've gone through your thread and it looks like during winter you only run a pair of heaters and an air stone.

- how many watts are the heaters and what's the output of the air stone?

- do you blow out the buried flex hose?

- do you empty your skimmer chamber and put your pumps indoors so the box can't freeze and potentially crack?

- after winter is done and you're shocking the pond, what do you keep the koi in and how long are they in it? what supports them in there for bio?

Thanks and moar pics please!

Ha. I don't check can reef at all these days. Sorry for the delay.

- I think the heaters are 1500watts? Buy realistically they don't kick on that much. My electric bill doesn't change from summer to winter so that's good for budgeting purposes. They are designed to kick on only when the water drops below 6 degrees c. The more snow the better, the snow sits on top of the ice and insulates everything.

- there are 2 airstones. Output is whatever the largest Laguna air pump is. Bought it in 2011 so I can't remember.

-I use a shop vac to suck out the buried lines.

- no I don't empty the skimmer chamber as the pond is still full. I just take the pumps inside.

In the spring, I inflate an 8' kiddie pool on the deck, pump old pond water in, put all the fish into the pond, and put an air stone in the pool and a net over top, then shock the pond overnight. Next day, drain, fill, dechlorinate, and put the fish back in.

Hope this helps.

[lastlight]

That does thanks :) I don't need this info until next summer so to some degree your reply is timely enough lol.

[Dez]

Here Brett
A few pics from this season for you.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/15/b3d8e7e71486789e7a4459c689a5ffc3.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/15/773907c0f82736d05826e998aa359cc2.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/15/92f38ddb050cd600ab36761fe73acfed.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/15/156a9c829d4e52f43853eca5fd2db098.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/15/4a9b40bc9ddf5a92bbde8cf1a593377d.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/15/f88424f89afd14b75f2e04404ea1974d.jpg

[Myka]

The more it ages the better it looks!

[shiftline]

It looks awesome. Nice work!

[Reef-Geek]

This is amazing!