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Dez
09-15-2011, 02:38 AM
You haven't seen much of me on the forums this whole summer - it's cause I've been super busy with my backyard. My tank has suffered from negligence. I have been dealing with cyano for about 2 months. Everything is still alive though. I have probably removed (sold) about a dozen super large colonies. Last week I sold a colony that I had to break in half to fit into a 5 gal bucket. Anyway, here is what I have been up to:

This is the backyard we started with
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2645.jpg

This is what we want it to look like. We hired a landscape designer since we made many mistakes in our front yard with types of plants and ground covers (that eventually became weeds or too big etc). He came up with this concept which blew us away. We thought that we'd have a giant pond, but not THAT big. We loved the design, so we went with it.
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo-7.jpg

And the top view (scale drawing)
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2725.jpg

Dez
09-15-2011, 02:43 AM
So then came end of July and we started by ripping up the grass. We have a rental house that needed grass so we moved most of it over to the rental house (fairly easy since the rental house is less than a block away). The rain in July was horrible for trying to grade mud.....but alas we did finish it. A posting on Kijiji for free sod helped us get rid of the rest.
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2683.jpg

Then began the work of laying out the flagstone patio. I NEVER want to do this again. It was tough to level out each one and fit the "puzzle" together. I had to excavate about 5" so that I could get a good 5" layer of road crush and tamp it.

This is it partially laid out (however, I ended up changing all of it in the end and re-laying it out)
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2729.jpg

doch
09-15-2011, 02:46 AM
I was hoping that you'd throw this into the forum! Who knows when I'll be able to make it by again. Keep up the good work!

Dez
09-15-2011, 02:48 AM
Next was digging LARGE holes for trees and planting trees. We ended up planting 11 trees and 2 large hydrangeas. There are still 3 more potted swedish aspens that we'll plant when the project is mostly done as we took a section of fence out so that I could get machinery in and out of the yard. The aspens will go against that fence once it's back in.

I had a machine to aid me in the digging
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2731.jpg

I had to make 4 holes this big
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2735.jpg

The tree company craning the trees in
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2736.jpg
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2737.jpg

Dez
09-15-2011, 02:54 AM
Now for carpentry work. Have never built pergolas of any kind and there isn't much for cantilever style pergolas on the net, so here goes just taking it one step at a time.

Start with a pile of cedar
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2740.jpg

This shows my cedar posts and my beam for the deck to support the deck/bridge
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2738.jpg

This shows one of the pergolas and the start of the bridge, oh and the finished flagstone patio
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2754.jpg

The Grizz
09-15-2011, 02:54 AM
Wow looks sweet Dez but where are the kiddies going to play now :sad: Very impressive design, will be watching as well.

Dez
09-15-2011, 02:55 AM
This was not part of the plan, but as parents we felt bad that the kids swing had to go away so I built them a sandbox off to the side.
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2769.jpg

Dez
09-15-2011, 02:57 AM
Wow looks sweet Dez but where are the kiddies going to play now :sad: Very impressive design, will be watching as well.

The pond is designed that the kids will be able to climb in and all over it. There will be a large stone they'll be able to step out to and stick their hands in the waterfalls. We have warm water going out to one of our hose bibs, next year I am going to make a simple outdoor shower so that they can warm up. They will have fun running back and forth across the bridge and they should be able to skate on it in the winter.

The Grizz
09-15-2011, 02:59 AM
NICE!!! The design of the sand box will blend in very nice.: VERY COOL!

kien
09-15-2011, 03:03 AM
they should be able to skate on it in the winter.

I thought you were going to put fish in the pond ?

Dez
09-15-2011, 03:03 AM
This week, the digging of the pond has begun. Here is the rough layout
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2840.jpg

Here are the guys laying out the liner to check for size
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_2845.jpg

Fast forward to today and this is where she sits
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo-8.jpg

Dez
09-15-2011, 03:05 AM
I thought you were going to put fish in the pond ?

I will only be heating the waterfall side of the pond, so on the other side of the bridge it will freeze solid :)

kien
09-15-2011, 03:06 AM
I will only be heating the waterfall side of the pond, so on the other side of the bridge it will freeze solid :)

Ah gotcha! Looking kick ass :-). That waterfall is going to be rad!

lastlight
09-15-2011, 03:10 AM
Big rocks look nice man. Can't wait to see the finished product.

SeaHorse_Fanatic
09-15-2011, 03:26 AM
Amazing project. Really looking forward to seeing it complete. Gonna be gorgeous.

BMahura
09-15-2011, 03:29 AM
Great Idea. Looking forward to seeing the finished project!!

skabooya
09-15-2011, 04:18 AM
I am intently following this. Your yard will be lovely. :)

ScubaSteve
09-15-2011, 04:35 AM
I think you enjoy making us all look bad. I look at your tank, look at mine... And sigh sadly. I look at the yard I rebuilt over the summer and look at yours... And I looks a drunk orangutan designed my yard compared to yours...

However, if you were smart Dez, you'd have made that a frag pond. No more worrying about corals so big you have to break them in half just to fit in a bucket. I'm a little disappointed.

In all seriousness though, wicked yard!

Dez
09-15-2011, 05:14 AM
Ah ScubaSteve, my tank looks like junk right about now. Everything is red. Cyano cyano cyano. Frustrates me to no end.

About the yard, if we were to design it, then it would look nothing like any of these pictures. That's why we decided to get a professional to design it and that's probably the best decision we've made so far. Never in a million years would we have even thought of making our entire yard a pond. I can't wait until it's done, it's nothing but work work work all summer.

Thanks for the compliments.

fishoholic
09-15-2011, 01:24 PM
Wow looks amazing so far :thumb:

Myka
09-15-2011, 02:24 PM
Awesome Dez! Thanks for sharing! I can't wait to see it next summer when everything is green and blooming! :D

Parker
09-15-2011, 03:04 PM
That's pretty impressive Dez, you've done a ton of work there.

Chowder
09-15-2011, 03:13 PM
Looks awsome Dez. Always wanted a backyard to build a pond in. Can't wait to see it finished.

Chris

christyf5
09-15-2011, 03:35 PM
Awesome!! I am green with envy right now :mrgreen:

Dez
09-15-2011, 03:48 PM
And the digging continues today
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo-9.jpg

Skimmerking
09-15-2011, 11:33 PM
Dez looks amazing so Far, so you are hiring some one to do this or are you Doing this yourself

Dez
09-16-2011, 12:21 AM
Dez looks amazing so Far, so you are hiring some one to do this or are you Doing this yourself

I'm doing everything myself except for the pond (due the fact that I don't have the machinery/man-power to move large boulders. Or a trailer to haul away dirt. The pond is only 1/2 done and about 10 trailers full of dirt has been hauled away.

Dez
09-16-2011, 12:24 AM
We dug something up in our yard
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo-10.jpg

And the digger
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo1-2.jpg

And progress for today
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo2-4.jpg

Myka
09-16-2011, 12:29 AM
That pond liner is tough enough to withstand all that eh?

phi delt reefer
09-16-2011, 08:38 PM
how much more would it have been to put a pool of similar design in the back?

Bblinks
09-16-2011, 10:37 PM
Man-o-man Dez, that's a nice setup you got going on there. I can help myself but to daydream of what it would look like in my backyard that is until my boss snapped me out of it.
Extremely jealous.
I want it. nice work buddy.

Dez
09-17-2011, 12:13 AM
Man-o-man Dez, that's a nice setup you got going on there. I can help myself but to daydream of what it would look like in my backyard that is until my boss snapped me out of it.
Extremely jealous.
I want it. nice work buddy.

This is actually our 10 year anniversary present to each other, but it's been 11 years already. We got a whole bunch of gift certificates for the pond company for our 10 year anniversary. Can't wait for it to be done and we can just enjoy it.

Dez
09-17-2011, 12:18 AM
Well, the rain last night set us back a bit, but it was "dry" enough to work in the afternoon. At the end of the day the pond guys were kind enough to help me lift my bridge joists in. The kids LOVE running across the bridge and all around the rocks. I think that this is a much funner yard for them than just grass. We can still do slip 'n slide in the front yard on the grass.

This is where she sits today
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo-11.jpg

lastlight
09-17-2011, 12:24 AM
That looks awesome!

You're going to have one heck of a time getting the poop from the far end of the pond to the filtration especially with the rocks on the liner bottom no?

Lovin it! Your son is too apparently lol.

Lance
09-17-2011, 12:32 AM
Dez, that's going to be awesome! Very nice. And the best of all: no lawn to mow! :wink:

kien
09-17-2011, 12:34 AM
OMG that beast looks bigger every time! Did you take down a fence and invade the neighbors yard a bit??

kien
09-17-2011, 12:36 AM
PS. That somehow looks more than two feet? :-)

Dez
09-17-2011, 12:40 AM
PS. That somehow looks more than two feet? :-)

Ha ha, they shot it at 30" but I'll be able to adjust it to 24" if I ever get inspected ;). Aren't they great people those pond guys?

Bblinks
09-17-2011, 12:57 AM
You have really out done yourself. Simply amazing. Can't wait till the finished project.

Dez
09-17-2011, 01:22 AM
My wife and I can't decide on the deck top/fascia. We are torn between composite or cedar. If we did cedar than we'd just let it weather naturally cause we want maintenance free. However, composite looks kind of fake/manufactured.

Ross
09-17-2011, 01:26 AM
My wife and I can't decide on the deck top/fascia. We are torn between composite or cedar. If we did cedar than we'd just let it weather naturally cause we want maintenance free. However, composite looks kind of fake/manufactured.


Alot of people are also alergic to the pressed and formed composite decking like trex.

intarsiabox
09-17-2011, 02:09 AM
Dez, that's going to be awesome! Very nice. And the best of all: no lawn to mow! :wink:

No lawn but just trading one type of maintenance for another. I had a 6' by 14' pond for 10 years at my old house and I figure it only takes about 2 minutes a week to mow that size of grass compared to the time it took to clean filters, net debris and clean out sludge that builds up over the years on the bottom. Of course the beauty of a pond is worth the effort. My neighbors loved going to sleep to the sound of the water falls and I had people from all over the neighborhood sneeking into my backyard to take a look at the pond. My favorite visitor was the pelican that ate all my fish that I had been growing for 3 years! I just moved into a new house but the yard isn't as big and is more sloped so I'm going with an above ground formal pond and waterfall this time around.

Dez
09-17-2011, 02:26 AM
We've had our front yard pond for 6 years now so I know what kind of maintenance is involved. It's only about a 7 x 8 pond with a long stream bed, but the maintenance has been pretty minimal. I haven't opened up the skimmer once this season. Although there's a Heron in our area that ate all of our fish 8" or less :(. We're going to get one of those motion sensing hidden scarecrow things next season.

intarsiabox
09-17-2011, 02:39 AM
I was think of getting something similar as well. There's a number of motion sensor activated items for keeping cats out of flower beds so I'll have to look into these when the time comes.

The pond is looking great and it's great to see the kids involved with it!Getting someone else to do the digging and rock hauling is the way to go. I used up a whole month of evenings the summer I did my pond. Lucky for me it was a new area so I didn't have far to go to dump the dirt and I used some of it to build up the waterfall area. But did I ever learn the hard way that a whole heavy wheel barrow full of clay equates to a very small area of excavation. I actually planned on a large oval sized pond but went with a peanut shape just because I was sick of digging and hauling.

Dez
09-17-2011, 03:59 AM
I think they are on the 14th trailer full of dirt hauled away already!!!! I remember hand digging my pond 6 summers ago. Everyday I'd come home from work and get the rubber boots on and go dig (mostly it was raining). I'd dig until well after dark. People would always come by and ask what I was doing digging in the dark. I found out a quick way to cut chit chat was simply say "I need to bury a body." It was worth digging it by myself and all of the rock I found by driving by new subdivisions and looking for freshly excavated basements and there was usually a pile of unwanted rocks that was dug up. However, with the scale of project that I'm doing now, even if I had lots of help, there would be no way I'd be able to move a 3 foot boulder. I'm quite happy with the progress so far.

Dez
09-17-2011, 11:33 PM
Framed out the deck today so it gives a much better visual of what it'll look like.

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo-12.jpg

Lance
09-17-2011, 11:58 PM
No lawn but just trading one type of maintenance for another. I had a 6' by 14' pond for 10 years at my old house and I figure it only takes about 2 minutes a week to mow that size of grass compared to the time it took to clean filters, net debris and clean out sludge that builds up over the years on the bottom. Of course the beauty of a pond is worth the effort. My neighbors loved going to sleep to the sound of the water falls and I had people from all over the neighborhood sneeking into my backyard to take a look at the pond. My favorite visitor was the pelican that ate all my fish that I had been growing for 3 years! I just moved into a new house but the yard isn't as big and is more sloped so I'm going with an above ground formal pond and waterfall this time around.


Racoons are definitely the biggest pain in the butt with our pond. The herons and kingfishers are bad enough, but at least they only get the fish and don't cause damage like the coons do.

Myka
09-18-2011, 01:25 AM
Looking AWESOME! Your yard looks bigger with the framing put in...gives better size perception. That pond is going to be rad.

AquaticFinatic
09-18-2011, 01:34 AM
I'm sorry if I have missed it but how much do you think it costs to do this kinda thing and what do you expect to pay in utility costs running this thing? Thanks.

doch
09-18-2011, 01:54 AM
Holy smokes Dez!! Looks AMAZING!!! My yard next pal! lol I'll be putting in a huge diy led set up though... with a full snorkel pool! I wish.

Dez
09-18-2011, 04:19 AM
I'm sorry if I have missed it but how much do you think it costs to do this kinda thing and what do you expect to pay in utility costs running this thing? Thanks.

Priceless :). Well, my wife and I have decided to keep the total cost to ourselves. It's mostly my own labour and the material costs. The only labour we're paying out is for the pond people, but it's worth it. The pond will probably cost about $100/month just cause of the size of the waterfalls. There is 3" pipe feeding the large falls and 2" pipe feeding the small falls. 1HP pump and 1/2 HP pump. It's worth it to us as we typically don't vacation in the summer but we'll go away in the winter.

Dez
09-18-2011, 04:21 AM
Holy smokes Dez!! Looks AMAZING!!! My yard next pal! lol I'll be putting in a huge diy led set up though... with a full snorkel pool! I wish.

Johnny, we are lighting the pond with LED lights :). I think we are also going to have 4 panels of glass for a see through bridge that you can walk on.

Myka
09-18-2011, 04:21 AM
There is 3" pipe feeding the large falls and 2" pipe feeding the small falls. 1HP pump and 1/2 HP pump. It's worth it to us as we typically don't vacation in the summer but we'll go away in the winter.

:eek: That's going to be some nice waterfalls!!

Dez
09-18-2011, 04:24 AM
Looking AWESOME! Your yard looks bigger with the framing put in...gives better size perception. That pond is going to be rad.

Thanks Mindy. Having the deck framed out definitely gives us a better perspective. There is a lot mor seating now. Those rocks beside the deck were designed to be sat on. We also have 400 sq ft of patio attached to the house that we built when we moved in 6 yrs ago. That's where the outdoor dining set is eventually gonna go. From the yard looking into the house is a direct view of my aquarium.

doch
09-18-2011, 08:02 AM
Johnny, we are lighting the pond with LED lights :). I think we are also going to have 4 panels of glass for a see through bridge that you can walk on.

Dez... you just became my hero!! Your yard is freakin' (with a pretend scottish accent) amazing!! I'm so jealous!

How thick will the glass have to be to walk on? Or am I misinterpreting?

Dez
09-18-2011, 01:33 PM
Dez... you just became my hero!! Your yard is freakin' (with a pretend scottish accent) amazing!! I'm so jealous!

How thick will the glass have to be to walk on? Or am I misinterpreting?

We are going with 1/2" tempered. 4 panels of 11" x 36". And yep, we'll be able to walk on it. We'll get a suction cup from princess auto for an easy "lift and clean". Should be interesting. I just thought of it while walking over the bridge last night and ran it by Caley and she thinks it's awesome. Then we called our glass friend and believe it or not, for the square footage, the glass is almost the same price as the composite decking.

Myka
09-18-2011, 03:06 PM
Hey Dez, consider adding a 3M coating to the glass that you replace once a year to keep the scratches on the 3M instead of the actual glass. I missed that part...that's a pretty awesome idea.

Murminator
09-19-2011, 04:16 AM
Wowsers Dez looks awesome.....that must have taken a lot of fragging :wink:

reefermadness
09-19-2011, 01:55 PM
Amazing Dez...you really raise the bar with what ever you are doing!

Dez
09-21-2011, 03:09 AM
Well, the pond is done now. I am going to wait until the spring to put the pond plants and all of the shrubs/ground cover/perennials around the pond. I will wait until after all the planting to put the bark mulch covering everything else. So this will be how she sits until next year. I finished the deck and tomorrow I'll order the glass to fit into the 4 spaces on the bridge. Here are a couple of pics.

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo-13.jpg

This picture shows a couple of stepping stones above the water level. The kids came home from school today and they were soooo happy. They jumped around and immediately took there shoes off and went knee deep in.
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo1-3.jpg

noirsphynx
09-21-2011, 03:13 AM
So beautiful Dez! I wish my yard looked like that!

Myka
09-21-2011, 03:14 AM
Holy wowzers!! You sure move fast! You've done a lot of work, and YOWZA she looks like a beauty! Good job!

kien
09-21-2011, 05:00 AM
Looks like the leak test is a success! When are you going to add the salt?

STANKYfish
09-21-2011, 05:56 AM
WoW!! this has turned out very beautiful and yes, very fast. :smile:

Chowder
09-21-2011, 06:09 AM
That is awsome ... I am so envious of you.



Chris

Lance
09-21-2011, 04:32 PM
Wow! Fast work Dez. Looks great!

Bblinks
09-21-2011, 05:53 PM
Dez, I am curious on much this build cost you? I got a fairly large backyard that I might want to convert into a pond. I really like what you have done, it is very well planned and executed. :wink:

Dez
09-21-2011, 06:32 PM
Dez, I am curious on much this build cost you? I got a fairly large backyard that I might want to convert into a pond. I really like what you have done, it is very well planned and executed. :wink:

Unfortunately, this may not be what you want to hear - my wife and I have agreed to keep the cost of this project to ourselves. It was pricey, but well worth it to us. However, I saved a ton by doing everything that I could by myself. I pretty much hacked away at it every chance I had by myself, with my wife helping when she could. Made several trips to places to get gravel, lumber, stones, sand, soil, plants, to the dump etc. With the pond company we received several gift certificates for our 10 year anniversary last summer and we will be using those gift certificates toward the pond itself. The only labour we paid out was for the pond company and a couple of teenagers here and there to help dig/weed etc (mainly it was to help those teenagers out during the summer to raise money for certain causes.

lockrookie
09-21-2011, 09:27 PM
Unfortunately, this may not be what you want to hear - my wife and I have agreed to keep the cost of this project to ourselves. It was pricey, but well worth it to us. However, I saved a ton by doing everything that I could by myself. I pretty much hacked away at it every chance I had by myself, with my wife helping when she could. Made several trips to places to get gravel, lumber, stones, sand, soil, plants, to the dump etc. With the pond company we received several gift certificates for our 10 year anniversary last summer and we will be using those gift certificates toward the pond itself. The only labour we paid out was for the pond company and a couple of teenagers here and there to help dig/weed etc (mainly it was to help those teenagers out during the summer to raise money for certain causes.

i agree with you keeping the cost to yourself...its not the cost that counts its the time spent with family in the space that makes it ...priceless

ps i have to chat with you in the next month or so....if your willing to ship out a few frags to me again....will wait untill your work load lessens.

mark
09-22-2011, 01:12 AM
I'm just amazed

Bblinks
09-22-2011, 01:46 AM
Unfortunately, this may not be what you want to hear - my wife and I have agreed to keep the cost of this project to ourselves. It was pricey, but well worth it to us. However, I saved a ton by doing everything that I could by myself. I pretty much hacked away at it every chance I had by myself, with my wife helping when she could. Made several trips to places to get gravel, lumber, stones, sand, soil, plants, to the dump etc. With the pond company we received several gift certificates for our 10 year anniversary last summer and we will be using those gift certificates toward the pond itself. The only labour we paid out was for the pond company and a couple of teenagers here and there to help dig/weed etc (mainly it was to help those teenagers out during the summer to raise money for certain causes.

Thanks for the reply Dez. I understand if you don't want to disclose the total cost of build. I just want to get a reference on how much it would run me, but I guess it wouldn't really matter unless if I factor in the labor. Never the less it is awesome. Keep us posted. The pond is bad ass.

Eduardo
09-22-2011, 03:52 AM
The wife says the backyard looks like a picture out of a home design magazine. Nice job.

phi delt reefer
09-22-2011, 01:11 PM
u got shots of the "mechanical" stuff for us equipment junkies ;)?

Blom
09-22-2011, 01:17 PM
Nice touch with the glass in the bridge!

kien
09-22-2011, 04:55 PM
Ya that glass is a brilliant idea love it! I may try to adopt that for my pond next year :-)

StirCrazy
09-23-2011, 12:19 AM
hey Des, looks amazing so far, I have been trying to figure out what to do with my back yard as we have 1/2 an acre with a few fruit trees and the rest is grass. I was thinking a waterfall that turns into a river and a smaller pond area then you have. this gives me some ideas how things look in a befor /after perspective.

one question though, are you sure 1/2" glass is going to be strong enough for the size of holes you left there? what if some one fat comes to visit and see the oaisis you have created like me :mrgreen: most of the walking panes I have seen are more like 1" thick.

somthing that big you could almost stock it with rainbow trout and go fishing haha

Steve

Ross
09-23-2011, 02:10 AM
one question though, are you sure 1/2" glass is going to be strong enough for the size of holes you left there? what if some one fat comes to visit and see the oaisis you have created like me :mrgreen: most of the walking panes I have seen are more like 1" thick.

somthing that big you could almost stock it with rainbow trout and go fishing haha

Steve

I'd be about someone with a piece of sand or a pebble in thier shoes taking out a pannel rather than big bertha.

In industrial applications they use tempered laminated glass. That way, if the top layer shatters, you wont fall through.

Dez
09-23-2011, 02:24 AM
hey Des, looks amazing so far, I have been trying to figure out what to do with my back yard as we have 1/2 an acre with a few fruit trees and the rest is grass. I was thinking a waterfall that turns into a river and a smaller pond area then you have. this gives me some ideas how things look in a befor /after perspective.

one question though, are you sure 1/2" glass is going to be strong enough for the size of holes you left there? what if some one fat comes to visit and see the oaisis you have created like me :mrgreen: most of the walking panes I have seen are more like 1" thick.

somthing that big you could almost stock it with rainbow trout and go fishing haha

Steve

There is a glass company that rents some warehouse space I have. They said that for that size, 6mm tempered will do. There are pictures of a person standing on a 48" x 48" piece of 6mm tempered only supported from 2 edges in one of his glass magazines. So we went double the thickness and tempered. It's only 11" wide so I'm not too concerned. I looked into what Mindy suggessted (rock guard 3M stuff), but that stuff is more expensive than my glass, so I'll just replace it every couple of years. The glass is costing me less than $200 for all 4 sheets, so quite reasonable.

Dez
09-23-2011, 02:25 AM
Ya that glass is a brilliant idea love it! I may try to adopt that for my pond next year :-)

Believe it or not, it was a spontaneous idea I had while framing the deck and then I prompty called my glass guy to check on cost/strength (of course after consulting my wife for the OK)

Dez
09-23-2011, 02:26 AM
u got shots of the "mechanical" stuff for us equipment junkies ;)?

Will probably come after the weekend. I am going Scuba diving this weekend so I won't be around and it's dark now already.

kien
09-23-2011, 04:13 AM
Believe it or not, it was a spontaneous idea I had while framing the deck and then I prompty called my glass guy to check on cost/strength (of course after consulting my wife for the OK)

Nice :-) Speaking of the Ok, I just got the OK from the wife to renovate our pond next year! We are going to tear down our house and build an extension to the pond in its place. We are not sure yet where we are going to sleep but the pond will be kick a$$. Go big or go home! :biggrin:

Coleus
09-23-2011, 04:16 AM
Nice :-) Speaking of the Ok, I just got the OK from the wife to renovate our pond next year! We are going to tear down our house and build an extension to the pond in its place. We are not sure yet where we are going to sleep but the pond will be kick ass. Go big or go home! :biggrin:

What is your SECRET to make your wife say YES to anything?

phi delt reefer
09-23-2011, 11:16 AM
What is your SECRET to make your wife say YES to anything?

yes Dez, please share... does she have a sister? Looking to trade my current "No way in HELL!" model in :mrgreen:

Dez
09-23-2011, 01:49 PM
My secret is that both the reef and the pond were her ideas. I am just the executor of said projects. I prefer to do things once only.

Dez
09-23-2011, 04:51 PM
Okay, the guts. It's quite simple. Here is the skimmer where the 2 pumps are housed. The net is there to catch leaves, so you just pull it out and dump. Then you see a set of brushes that catches fine media. Just pull it out and hose.
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo2-5.jpg

Here is a picture of one of the waterfalls. Where you see all that gravel, you can plant stuff in there. There is a trough so that it's always wet at the bottom. You can plant stuff like creeping jenny etc so that it climbs and hides the plastic and the open portions. You can see the media in there. This falls unit holds about 100 gallons alone and it it packed with this media for surface area for the bacteria to colonize. Around the falls unit I will have to fill with topsoil and we'l l be planting shrubs and ground covers all around.
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo1-4.jpg

Moved some fish and got some more :) That big one is 2 feet.
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo-14.jpg

And a FTS with fish. For perspective, the biggest fish you see there is 24"
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo3-2.jpg

The pond company will be coming back today to add some feature boulders around the pond and make a cave in the pond for the fish and tidy up things a bit.

mr_alberta
09-23-2011, 05:17 PM
Cool pond Des, but I think you should have done a SPS pond...

bkelly
09-23-2011, 05:34 PM
that looks really good Dez!

Sunee
09-23-2011, 08:46 PM
Beautiful!! Can't wait to see with plants and shrubs.

noirsphynx
09-23-2011, 09:07 PM
I think you should be part of the upcoming tank tour again so we can drool over your tank and pond :mrgreen:

kam
09-23-2011, 09:56 PM
Will it be deep enough for the fish to survive through the winter or do you have a holding tank for them?

Dez
09-24-2011, 12:27 AM
I think you should be part of the upcoming tank tour again so we can drool over your tank and pond :mrgreen:

I think that we are away on the tank tour weekend. And besides, my tank looks like junk, still full of Cyano. We'll show off our pond once it's planted next year. :)

Dez
09-24-2011, 12:28 AM
Will it be deep enough for the fish to survive through the winter or do you have a holding tank for them?

We are wintering them in the pond. We'll have a heater and an aerator in there.

kam
09-24-2011, 02:58 AM
Awesome! Definitely a dream backyard.

StirCrazy
09-24-2011, 03:34 AM
It's only 11" wide so I'm not too concerned. I looked into what Mindy suggessted (rock guard 3M stuff), but that stuff is more expensive than my glass, so I'll just replace it every couple of years. The glass is costing me less than $200 for all 4 sheets, so quite reasonable.

11" ok looked way bigger to me. makes sence.

Steve

Bblinks
09-24-2011, 03:41 AM
I think that we are away on the tank tour weekend. And besides, my tank looks like junk, still full of Cyano. We'll show off our pond once it's planted next year. :)

I am in, even if means I gotta fly my butt up to Calgary.:wink:

Dez
09-24-2011, 04:17 AM
I am in, even if means I gotta fly my butt up to Calgary.:wink:

Slight problem though, the pond isn't in Calgary, it's in Edmonton ;)

JMes
09-24-2011, 05:26 AM
One of the nicest backyard ponds I have seen. Your hard work and dedication to this massive project definitely paid off. You should enter your pond in your local Horticultural Society competition.:biggrin:

AHHope
09-24-2011, 07:55 AM
Have you ever looked into an IonGen? There fairly new to the pond hobby and keep your pond 100% free of all algeas when set up properly. Its the same technology they use the keep the water features algea free on the las vegas strip without using chemicals

Bblinks
09-24-2011, 03:53 PM
Slight problem though, the pond isn't in Calgary, it's in Edmonton ;)

Haha, that would've been pretty crappy showing up in Calgary. :mrgreen: Edmonton is my home down anyways. I am due for a visit.

dsaundry
09-24-2011, 05:28 PM
Very nice build, I have a small pond in my yard and will be updating it next year, have you calculated how many gallons of water in pond? What pump[s] are you using in it? Freezing not a big problem for me for the most part but I would imagine you must have some heavy duty heater set up for your one end of the pond. When it does freeze please post some pics as I would be very interested.

Dez
09-26-2011, 02:50 AM
One of the nicest backyard ponds I have seen. Your hard work and dedication to this massive project definitely paid off. You should enter your pond in your local Horticultural Society competition.:biggrin:

Thanks for the kind words. I can't wait to get planting in the spring to make it look more natural.

Dez
09-26-2011, 02:52 AM
Have you ever looked into an IonGen? There fairly new to the pond hobby and keep your pond 100% free of all algeas when set up properly. Its the same technology they use the keep the water features algea free on the las vegas strip without using chemicals

Have not looked into this. I will be pretty much leaving it natural for now. I have seen many of the ponds that this company has built and they are all algae free. It's a natural method with basically tons of surface area for natural biological filtration and tons of flow. We'll have to see from year to year though.

Dez
09-26-2011, 02:56 AM
Very nice build, I have a small pond in my yard and will be updating it next year, have you calculated how many gallons of water in pond? What pump[s] are you using in it? Freezing not a big problem for me for the most part but I would imagine you must have some heavy duty heater set up for your one end of the pond. When it does freeze please post some pics as I would be very interested.

I'm not sure, maybe 2500 gallons? It's 17' x 33' x 24" deep but there is a ton of rock displacement and a few shelves. So it's very hard to guess or calculate the volume. They are japanese pumps I believe (1 HP, and 1/2 HP). I think about 11000 gallons/hr total flow.

Dez
09-26-2011, 02:58 AM
My glass panels are in now - my son is testing it out as he wasn't quite sure at first. My mother in law came and she wouldn't walk on the glass (kinda funny). She is the type of person however that won't walk on the glass in the Calgary Tower and doesn't like riding in elevators that you can see out of that are made of glass.
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/photo-15.jpg

doch
09-26-2011, 04:47 AM
Dez... I'm on shutdown until November, but I'm self inviting me and the family over for a BBQ! I'll bring the beer and steaks! All you need to do is cover your whole back yard so it doesn't freeze... and isn't cold. It looks amazing buddy... maybe we'll have to wait till next year??

lastlight
09-26-2011, 04:54 AM
Pretending your pond isn't awesome (and that I don't need to desperately move so I have a yard) is getting tougher bro. Again I'm in awe I just LOVE what you did here.

Dez
10-15-2011, 04:59 AM
This pond puts my pond to shame. I just visited it yesterday. Wow, it's at the Maui Ocean Center.

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_3154.jpg

And a peek of a few of the fish in that pond.
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_3155.jpg

And yes, Johnny, we can certainly arrange a BBQ :). Maybe next year when we're all planted.

Delphinus
10-15-2011, 05:51 AM
What does Koi taste like BBQ'd? :lol:

StirCrazy
10-15-2011, 03:51 PM
What does Koi taste like BBQ'd? :lol:

haha, I would be out in the back yard fishing all day :mrgreen:

Steve

Myka
10-15-2011, 03:59 PM
Those fish look great! So does the glass. :D

I looked into what Mindy suggested (rock guard 3M stuff), but that stuff is more expensive than my glass, so I'll just replace it every couple of years. The glass is costing me less than $200 for all 4 sheets, so quite reasonable.

Really? Wow, didn't think it would be that much...it isn't too bad to coat the front of the car and headlights.

StirCrazy
10-16-2011, 12:33 AM
This pond puts my pond to shame. I just visited it yesterday. Wow, it's at the Maui Ocean Center.





Dez, if you go to wikiki, go to the aquarium there. it has some real nice ponds and outdoor tanks also.

Steve

Dez
07-14-2012, 11:33 PM
A little update from our backyard pond build.

Here is a FTS from last month sometime.
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_4801.jpg?t=1342308452

Some of the fishies
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_4790.jpg?t=1342308452

More fishies, they overwintered fine and a few new ones
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_4849.jpg?t=1342308532

And a baby. My fish spawned 2 1/2 weeks ago, this picture was from Canada Day, it was only about 1mm. Now the babies are about 3/4 - 1"
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt88/des_sublime/IMG_4853.jpg?t=1342308527

SeaHorse_Fanatic
07-14-2012, 11:58 PM
Looks gorgeous. Love what you've done with the backyard. I couldn't imagine living here without a good sized backyard to play with. Makes it worth having a smaller indoor living space. Love the koi with the red forehead spot.

Skimmerking
07-15-2012, 04:44 AM
Congrats. Dez your a new daddy btw I love the yellow koi

Lance
07-15-2012, 03:51 PM
:thumb::thumb::thumb:

reefme
07-15-2012, 04:50 PM
Oh wow!! The water so clear and clean compared to mine.

Dez
07-15-2012, 06:32 PM
Oh wow!! The water so clear and clean compared to mine.

When I restarted the pond in the spring I went through about 1 1/2 weeks of "pea soup" while it cycled. Then it cleared up and has stayed clear since.

Myka
07-15-2012, 07:07 PM
Looks great Dez!

reefme
07-15-2012, 07:31 PM
When I restarted the pond in the spring I went through about 1 1/2 weeks of "pea soup" while it cycled. Then it cleared up and has stayed clear since.

How are you cycled your pond? Mine is barely see the fish, but they grow twice as big from last year.

Dez
07-15-2012, 08:16 PM
How are you cycled your pond? Mine is barely see the fish, but they grow twice as big from last year.

I took the fish out in the Spring for a day while I drained the pond and cleaned it, then I put all fresh water in and the clean media back in as I took all the media out last fall, then put the fish back in the next day. The water was still cold so it took a while before the beneficial bacteria could grow as the temperature warmed up, then I got an algae bloom (which was expected) and then it cleared up. I couldn't see the fish during that algae bloom either. My pond sits in full sun for most of the day and it's still crystal clear now. I backwash the media every 2 weeks so that the fish waste and other garbage has less of a chance to decompose.

reefme
07-15-2012, 10:37 PM
No wonder, cause I did nothing to the pond when comes to spring.
Thank you so much.

Dez
05-13-2013, 02:12 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/13/6uqysu7e.jpg

Took a picture of the pond while the sun was setting. It is up and running again and I think just about done cycling. Can't wait for the trees and shrubs to go green again. I've already done a minor overhaul of my front yard pond. Here's a pic.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/13/7ysega2a.jpg

And the upper falls that I expanded.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/13/jeqejeze.jpg

Dez
05-13-2013, 02:13 PM
Btw if a moderator is reading this, can this be moved to the pond forum please. I don't think it existed when I started this thread. Thanks in advance.

kien
05-13-2013, 03:33 PM
Looks great Dez! I have the exact same pagoda !! We're like twins! That front yard pond is rockin' (see what I did there?). I keep thinking about putting a water feature in my front yard but I can't seem to decide on what. I'm thinking maybe a pondless waterfall maybe. Yay for pond season!

lastlight
05-13-2013, 03:45 PM
can't even tell you were digging in the front yard nice stealth reno! i really want a pond AND a froster now :cry:

kien
05-13-2013, 03:48 PM
can't even tell you were digging in the front yard nice stealth reno! i really want a pond AND a froster now :cry:

?

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRFWXSanPqcrMRlSbD09EdDoGVGB89k8 nsnVGPzFcNVayJ-o2cR

lastlight
05-13-2013, 03:49 PM
i could fit exactly zero koi in that. nice try though.

andestang
05-13-2013, 05:35 PM
Wow very nice Dez. Missed all this during my LOA. A few ?'s for you. When you clean out the pond in the spring how do you refill the water, just the old tap & water or brought in ? I'm on a well so I would have to consider bringing the water in. I'm just getting ready to lay the main pond liner and haven't decided on a bottom drain or not yet. What are you using or doing for water ATO ? And finally with the addition of the back pond how bad has your power bill gone up & what size pumps are you using ? If Kien reads this maybe some input from him, I was going to ask on his thread.

Dez
05-13-2013, 06:07 PM
Thanks Kien. Yah, that pagoda is awesome. My wife scored it somewhere last year.

Brett, good eye on that Froster. Haha. Had to have something refreshing whole working on it.

Andestang, my power bill was probably up about $75/month. We're running a 1 horse and a 1/2 horse pump. I wanted to go grand with the waterfalls. It is totally worth it though since we don't go away in the summer. We try to stay and enjoy the yard as much as possible and we eat outside whenever it is nice out. Hope this helps.

Dez
05-13-2013, 06:10 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/14/dudaqa9y.jpg

This is what the stream bed looks like pre-liner. I went from about a 12" wide stream to 2'. This was taken a few days ago.

Dez
05-13-2013, 06:12 PM
Andestang, I just use a straight float valve from my tap through an irrigation line underground into the skimmer box for ATO.

As for start up, it's straight old tap water. I put declorinator in and that's about it.

doch
05-13-2013, 07:55 PM
HOLY CRAP Dez!!!

Looks amazing... nice work!

kien
05-13-2013, 08:49 PM
i could fit exactly zero koi in that. nice try though.

My son has a container pond sitting on the deck with a couple of baby koi living in it just fine :P

Wow very nice Dez. Missed all this during my LOA. A few ?'s for you. When you clean out the pond in the spring how do you refill the water, just the old tap & water or brought in ? I'm on a well so I would have to consider bringing the water in. I'm just getting ready to lay the main pond liner and haven't decided on a bottom drain or not yet. What are you using or doing for water ATO ? And finally with the addition of the back pond how bad has your power bill gone up & what size pumps are you using ? If Kien reads this maybe some input from him, I was going to ask on his thread.

I have no idea what my additional power bill is. I don't think it's huge because all I have running at the moment is a pump which sucks water and gunk off the bottom of the pond and pushes it into a giant canister filter with a UV sterilizer built in. I'm more concerned about the extra cost in feeding them! High quality koi food is expensive and koi eat like there's no tomorrow :neutral:

As for a bottom drain, of all the people that I know of that have ponds in our climate, no one has a bottom drain. When you read on the dedicate pond/koi forums they all highly suggest bottom drains and I too thought about installing one. However, in our climate I would personally be worried about a bottom drain freezing, cracking and leaking. If something should go wrong down there or with a bottom drain plumbing you're hosed! (no pun intended). When a bottom drain is suggested for koi ponds it is mainly to suck up koi poop and other debris because koi poop a lot! You can achieve this with a good pump that sucks up from the bottom of your pond. You can also MacGyver your semi-bottom drain. This is what I did. Essentially a giant pipe with a crap load of 2" holes drilled into it to suck up all the gunk off the bottom of the pond.

You can also buy these types of bottom drains that just sit on the bottom of your pond. Or make something similar.

http://www.jackmcneary.com/assets/images/Bottom-drain-Aqua-Art-5920.jpg

Does your plan have a pond skimmer? I think those are important too and will make your life a lot easier in the long run. There are different types of pond skimmers to choose from.

monza
05-14-2013, 04:21 AM
Amazing landscaping, nice job!

SeaHorse_Fanatic
05-14-2013, 04:55 AM
Now my wife wants the same. Thanks a lot buddy.:wink:

monkE
05-14-2013, 05:01 AM
this has been a fascinating thread! thanks for sharing it man. Very well done and amazingly close to the original concept drawing.

congrats on successfully making the entire fish-keeping world jealous with your back yard! :)

Dez
05-14-2013, 01:21 PM
Thanks for the kind words. We were outside until close to midnight last night enjoying a little bonfire with a couple of friends. We were realizing that it beat buying camping gear, driving hours away to set up a tent to sit by a lake and sleep in the cold. Can you tell we aren't camping people? We are "stay in Alberta in the summer people" and "Go to warm places and Disneyland in the winter" people.

lastlight
05-14-2013, 03:06 PM
we just went camping and there was a fire ban... so yeah you've got something special there =)

Dez
05-15-2013, 01:25 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/15/re4yvame.jpg

This guy is by far my favourite fish. He's not flashy or bright, but he's got the best personality. He always rushes for food and will let my pet his head. He is a noisy eater. The kids named him clownie cause he's kinda got clown fish colours.

kien
05-15-2013, 01:29 PM
Ahhhhhh, look at those puppy dog eyes!

Skimmerking
05-15-2013, 02:42 PM
awesome man love those trypes of fish that have the character.

lastlight
05-15-2013, 02:55 PM
whoa clear shot. when's my next personal fragmeet? i need to come over and pretend to be interested in frags and go oogle your backyard silly :biggrin:

michika
05-15-2013, 03:29 PM
Dez you should honestly have your backyard entered into the Edmonton Horticultural Society's annual garden tour, it is stunning.

kien
05-15-2013, 03:51 PM
whoa clear shot. when's my next personal fragmeet? i need to come over and pretend to be interested in frags and go oogle your backyard silly :biggrin:

Brett and I may be in Edmonton the weekend of August 23-25. *hint*hint* *wink*wink* *nudge*nudge*

Oilers
05-15-2013, 03:56 PM
Dez,
Can you tell me the pond company you were dealing with? PM me if you like. Also, what kind of filter media do you use? I would love to see some pics of your filter system. Do you use a vortex?

Dez
05-15-2013, 06:14 PM
Dez you should honestly have your backyard entered into the Edmonton Horticultural Society's annual garden tour, it is stunning.

Hmmm. Thanks. It will be part of the Waterworks Ponds annual pond tour Aug 10-11. http://www.waterworksponds.ca/events_pondtour.php

That's the company which constructed the actual pond. It's basically a self guided tour where you donate $10 per person and they will provide you with a list of ponds and descriptions. You drive around on your own time and just walk into people's yard during certain hours and enjoy the yard then off to the next pond. This is where we got a couple of our ideas and where we met our backyard designer. We saw his own personal yard and was in awe. Definitely worth doing if you like ponds. All proceeds go to some charity.

Dez
05-15-2013, 06:22 PM
Brett and I may be in Edmonton the weekend of August 23-25. *hint*hint* *wink*wink* *nudge*nudge*

You guys are welcome to stop by. I mean Kien, we are fictitious friends on FB, it's about time for a face to face meeting.

Dez
05-15-2013, 06:25 PM
Dez,
Can you tell me the pond company you were dealing with? PM me if you like. Also, what kind of filter media do you use? I would love to see some pics of your filter system. Do you use a vortex?

Water Works Ponds Ltd. However they got out of doing installs this year. They mainly do pond supplies now. If you read the thread on page 9 you will find info on my filtration system.

kien
05-15-2013, 08:24 PM
Hmmm. Thanks. It will be part of the Waterworks Ponds annual pond tour Aug 10-11. http://www.waterworksponds.ca/events_pondtour.php

That's the company which constructed the actual pond. It's basically a self guided tour where you donate $10 per person and they will provide you with a list of ponds and descriptions. You drive around on your own time and just walk into people's yard during certain hours and enjoy the yard then off to the next pond. This is where we got a couple of our ideas and where we met our backyard designer. We saw his own personal yard and was in awe. Definitely worth doing if you like ponds. All proceeds go to some charity.

Wow, I wish we had something like that in Calgary. Also, those guys make some nice ponds! Love their gallery.

hillegom
05-16-2013, 08:08 AM
I just read this entire thread. Don't know how I missed it all this time.
Awesome!!!

Reef Pilot
05-16-2013, 01:45 PM
I sure do like that stream in the front yard.... Is the water connected to your back yard pond, or is it standalone?



http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/13/7ysega2a.jpg

And the upper falls that I expanded.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/13/jeqejeze.jpg

Dez
05-16-2013, 05:34 PM
The front yard pond is a stand alone pond. We dug it 8 summers ago. Little did we know that it would lead to a giant pond.

Dez
06-09-2013, 02:04 PM
Breakfast time for the fishies.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/09/atypanyv.jpg

Reef Pilot
06-09-2013, 02:13 PM
Such nice clear water... <sigh>

Dez
06-09-2013, 02:36 PM
Such nice clear water... <sigh>

The secret is hydrogen peroxide and RapiClear by Crystal clear. 3-40z/1000 gals of 29% H202 once a week or after every heavy rainfall. And use the RapiClear flocculent if your water gets cloudy (providing you have mechanical filtration that you can backwash). The water was clear all summer last year after I started doing this. I had green water during the cycling process last season. This year I cheated the green water cycling stage by dosing H202 every day for about 2 weeks.

I actually starting dosing H202 in my reef about 3 weeks ago and all my algae went away, and so did my cyan0 (which I've had for over 2 years). Certain corals have shown increased polyp extension. It's amazing!

Reef Pilot
06-09-2013, 02:40 PM
I actually starting dosing H202 in my reef about 3 weeks ago and all my algae went away, and so did my cyan0 (which I've had for over 2 years). Certain corals have shown increased polyp extension. It's amazing!

Where do you buy the stuff?? I did find one shop that had it, but they wanted 18 bucks for a bottle (about 1 litre, I think). Is that the going price?

Dez
06-09-2013, 02:40 PM
Here's a picture of the full yard with some of the plants in bloom. I've got 3 lilies that are going to bloom soon.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/09/7yhe8yme.jpg

Reef Pilot
06-09-2013, 02:42 PM
Here's a picture of the full yard with some of the plants in bloom. I've got 3 lilies that are going to bloom soon.

Wow,... is all I can say...!!

daplatapus
06-09-2013, 03:12 PM
Prettiest picture of Edmonton I've ever seen :D

SeaHorse_Fanatic
06-09-2013, 06:27 PM
London Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart sell Hydrogen Peroxide. Very inexpensive. Its for cleaning and sterilizing wounds.

Dez
06-09-2013, 06:30 PM
London Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart sell Hydrogen Peroxide. Very inexpensive. Its for cleaning and sterilizing wounds.

I use 29% stuff. The London Drugs variety is only 3%. Google it in BC. Natural health food places have it. One pond place has it here. It's about $130 for 5 gallons. That lasts me a season.

Sebae again
06-12-2013, 04:25 AM
Your pond and stream look amazing ! I am surprised there is no one camping in your back yard. I was wondering how much H2O2 you dose in your reef tank and how often . Thanks

ScubaSteve
06-12-2013, 04:38 AM
I was wondering how much H2O2 you dose in your reef tank and how often . Thanks

I'm wondering the same.

reefme
06-12-2013, 10:44 AM
I want to give this a try. Where are you buying h2o2 in Edmonton?

SeaHorse_Fanatic
06-12-2013, 10:47 AM
Your backyard is completely amazing. I just would be scared to get drunk and try to walk around, hehe. Trip and fall, go sleeping with the fishes:razz:

Dez
06-12-2013, 02:05 PM
I am diluting my 29% h2o2 purchased from water works ponds here in Edmonton. I mixed 50ml of 29% h202 with 450ml of RO water, then I started with 3 tablespoons/day in my system for a week and it did nothing. I slowly pushed it to 6 tablespoons/day now for about 2 weeks. I had cyano pretty bad for those who seen my tank anytime in the last 2 years. I also had quite a bit of hair algae. The main reason I started using h202 was not for the algae, but for the fish. We had got a Niger trigger here from a member on Canreef who claimed it was healthy, and immediately the next day ALL of my fish were infested with white spots which I feared was marine velvet. Having mostly sps in my system, I knew I couldn't medicate and I knew that I couldn't catch all the fish out. I knew that you could use h202 with open sores on koi and humans so that's when I started dosing. My fish got better, with exception to my 3 1/2 year old powder blue tang, who couldn't fight off the disease. I was the second owner of that fish too :(. I warn you, use h202 at your OWN RISK. I was simply experimenting and am still using it daily now. My system is about 350g water volume now. Hope this helps.

banditpowdercoat
06-12-2013, 10:15 PM
H2o2 is just hydrogen peroxide. In case any one didn't know


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dez
06-26-2013, 11:56 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/27/ume8ume6.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/27/ge7ymaju.jpg

First couple of blooms if the season. They only last a day or so cause my fish developed a taste for them....sigh. They won't eat the yellow ones so I get to enjoy them for a few days at least.

Reef Pilot
06-27-2013, 12:11 AM
Looks nice. What are the names of those blooms? I need to get more plants for my pond.

Dez
06-27-2013, 12:28 AM
Looks nice. What are the names of those blooms? I need to get more plants for my pond.

The yellow one is just a yellow pond lily that we dug up in a wild pond. The white one is another pond lily of some sort. They come back every year despite the harsh winter.

Proteus
06-27-2013, 12:35 AM
So I kind of did the math on your peroxide dosing. Though I failed in school lol.

Your diluted solution turns out to be 3.8% dosing 88.68 ml(6tbsp) a day

Math is probably of a little. But gives some insight for people who want to try the 3% from the drug store.

My tank would require approx 4.2ml at 42g to achive same level.

But if you do choose to dose I might stress to start small and increase slowly to reach desired affect

I'm sure there's some brain children here that could smash my math skills and maybe give us a ml/100g ratio at 3%

Proteus
06-27-2013, 12:57 AM
Dez did you happen to take orp readings before and after dosing h2o2

lastlight
06-27-2013, 01:16 AM
Didn't realize the gravel In there was decorative. Looks really clear in the water too! Flowers are of course nice as well.

Dez
06-27-2013, 02:08 AM
Dez did you happen to take orp readings before and after dosing h2o2

If you're talking about my reef tank, then I never take any readings (at least not for the past 3 years). If you're talking about the pond, I never take any readings either.... Sigh. Sorry.

Dez
06-27-2013, 02:10 AM
Didn't realize the gravel In there was decorative. Looks really clear in the water too! Flowers are of course nice as well.

Thanks Brett. You still visiting in Aug? Even with the heavy rains this past couple of weeks the water has still stayed clear. I haven't dosed any H202 or flocculent either for a couple of weeks now.

lastlight
06-27-2013, 02:44 AM
Thanks Brett. You still visiting in Aug? Even with the heavy rains this past couple of weeks the water has still stayed clear. I haven't dosed any H202 or flocculent either for a couple of weeks now.

I think we're in town for 2 full days for the marathon so if you're game i'll be there =)

Dez
09-02-2013, 01:25 AM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/02/tu8ysumy.jpg

It's how my pond sits today. Tons of lilies bloomed this season. Water was crystal clear all summer, and fish were happy and disease free.

Dez
09-02-2013, 01:27 AM
Another pic.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/02/ena6uquv.jpg

daplatapus
09-02-2013, 02:37 PM
That looks awesome. Well done, it's growing in nicely.

Seth81
09-02-2013, 02:59 PM
Amazing pond! I'm tempted to convert my pondless waterfall! My only question is when are you going to get a hot tub? One sitting on that deck would be perfect!:lol:

SanguinesDream
09-02-2013, 09:04 PM
Gorgeous pond and yard. Sigh. Lions and Kings.

Dez
09-27-2013, 01:39 PM
It is almost October and the lilies are still blooming. As of last night there are more new lily buds coming up. This is amazing. It's been a good season for lilies. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/27/guguguta.jpg

Ross
09-27-2013, 02:51 PM
It is almost October and the lilies are still blooming. As of last night there are more new lily buds coming up. This is amazing. It's been a good season for lilies.

Still fantastic looking.
Since its been two years now, would you do anything different?

kien
09-27-2013, 03:07 PM
Looks great Dez! It was a great year for the lillies for sure! Sadly I am planning to start winterizing mine this weekend now that night time temperatures are dropping to near zero :cry:

SeaHorse_Fanatic
09-27-2013, 03:08 PM
Stunning Dez. You make us all look bad to our spouses though, you know that don'tcha?:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

Anthony

Dez
09-27-2013, 08:03 PM
Still fantastic looking.
Since its been two years now, would you do anything different?

I think it was planned out pretty well. The only thing I might do different is to pipe in a line for back flushing the filter. But then again, that would mean another line to blow out before winter. I back flush every 2 weeks and it only takes about 15 mins. I keep a pump and hose handy to back flush with. I guess 15 mins every 2 weeks ain't bad though.

Dez
09-27-2013, 08:04 PM
Stunning Dez. You make us all look bad to our spouses though, you know that don'tcha?:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

Anthony

Just don't show your wife haha.

MMAX
10-04-2013, 12:06 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/02/tu8ysumy.jpg

It's how my pond sits today. Tons of lilies bloomed this season. Water was crystal clear all summer, and fish were happy and disease free.

What are you growing there down at the bottom? Looks like a healthy "crop".

Dez
10-05-2013, 01:04 PM
What are you growing there down at the bottom? Looks like a healthy "crop".

They are Lupins and creeping thyme.

Dez
03-20-2014, 03:14 AM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/20/emyry2a7.jpg

My pond season has officially started! WOO HOO! I got it running a few days ago. Only lost a couple of small goldfish that I got for free last year, other than that my koi are happy and in clean water now! Tons of new buds on all of my pond lilies. Excited for this season. I'll actually get to have my pond running for more than 1/2 a year this season.

kien
03-20-2014, 04:12 AM
Nice! Did all your ice melt or did you haul the ice out of your pond ? Mine still has a couple of icebergs in it. I suppose in could remove them and do a 100% water chnage like you did. Also, you're not feeding your fish already are you? I didn't think you were allowed to feed them till the water temp go up to 10 degrees.

gregzz4
03-20-2014, 04:38 AM
Excellent !!

New pics plz :smile:

Dez
03-20-2014, 05:36 AM
Nice! Did all your ice melt or did you haul the ice out of your pond ? Mine still has a couple of icebergs in it. I suppose in could remove them and do a 100% water chnage like you did. Also, you're not feeding your fish already are you? I didn't think you were allowed to feed them till the water temp go up to 10 degrees.


The only ice I had to get rid of was in the sump. I just used hot water (cause I can get hot water from my outside taps). There was a bit if ice all around the edges too, but that melted during the water change. I won't feed the koi for probably a couple of months still.

Dez
03-20-2014, 05:39 AM
Excellent !!

New pics plz :smile:


Not pic worthy yet. My yard is still full of snow all around the pond with all of my yard furniture stacked to the side. I just wanted to get the ball rolling with the pond cause we're supposed to have another cold snap here soon.

MMAX
03-20-2014, 12:05 PM
The ice was off mine a couple of weeks ago. Saw all my fish on the weekend and looks like they wintered quite well. I usually lose a goldfish or 2 each winter but didn't find any dead this time.

Dez
03-20-2014, 03:17 PM
The ice was off mine a couple of weeks ago. Saw all my fish on the weekend and looks like they wintered quite well. I usually lose a goldfish or 2 each winter but didn't find any dead this time.


I didn't find any dead until I did the thorough clean and drain. I think the small goldfish aren't too smart, they go and swim off to the shallows and get frozen in there. The big ones just stay at the bottom. I'm glad I got it running. Snowing like crazy here today.

BackPackHunter
03-20-2014, 07:55 PM
Really nice yard
Thanks for the read

Dez
03-20-2014, 09:07 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/21/age4eta6.jpg

Here is the bare slow clad yard as she sits today.

Seriak
03-21-2014, 12:45 AM
Looks like an amazing winter landscape. If only I had the willpower to complete something like that.

Dez
03-21-2014, 10:15 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/22/mypu9aba.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/22/ugyda9yr.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/22/y3u5a4yj.jpg

It got really cold today so the whole top of the pond is now frozen and the waterfalls are looking splendid with the icicles.

Dez
03-21-2014, 10:16 PM
Oops, double picture. On my phone so I can't edit. Sorry.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/22/qegutyve.jpg

Delphinus
03-21-2014, 10:30 PM
Purdy..

lastlight
03-21-2014, 10:49 PM
hard to believe there's fish living in there but you dug that 4 feet deep in spots right? can't wait to see what you do with it this year.

Doug
03-22-2014, 12:20 AM
My gawd I love all your guys back yards/ponds. Just amazing.

BlueTang<3
03-22-2014, 03:03 AM
I just read through this, were looking at maybe doing something to the yard. We have a hill in the corner I wouldn't mind doing a waterfall from down to a pond. This starts the wheels turning, was at a lfs tonight and had some massive koi so friendly too came out of the water to check us out. Cool stuff where did you find most of the info on the design and build of the pond plumbing and equipment ?

Like everyone else has said well done, it's great to see such high end work.

Dez
03-22-2014, 07:17 AM
hard to believe there's fish living in there but you dug that 4 feet deep in spots right? can't wait to see what you do with it this year.


Only went 24". Any deeper then you'd need a swimming pool permit here in Edmonton.

Dez
03-22-2014, 07:19 AM
Wes, I learned a lot from building my front pond 8 yrs ago. The. I went based on the experience of water works pond Edmonton because their display pond has been running for years and it's always spotless and they winter their fish outside too so I knew they had long term success in our climate.

Dez
04-07-2014, 12:20 AM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/07/yryjamur.jpg
Finally all the ice melted today.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/07/yvevuzej.jpg
Some of the fishies swimming.

Craigdillman
04-07-2014, 01:22 AM
Just read through this whole post this is so epic, i need to do this, Good Job i know its probably more upkeep than you let onto looks good

The Grizz
05-19-2014, 01:30 AM
Dez I was reading in another thread about your use of peroxide in your pond, what do you use that for?

Dez
05-19-2014, 01:46 AM
Greg, I use the hydrogen peroxide to shock the pond every year before start up. I did that on March 17th this year. It brings up all the gunk from the bottom of the pond and gets rid of the algae from the season before. Then during the pond season I dose it daily at first during the cycling stage and then once a week during the rest of the pond season. It keeps it algae free even in the full sun and makes for a clear pond all season. This is a picture from this evening.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/19/ra6u4uba.jpg

Dez
05-19-2014, 01:48 AM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/19/4enygava.jpg

michika
05-19-2014, 03:56 AM
Very nice! Looks great.

kien
05-19-2014, 02:48 PM
Gorgeous! As usual :-)

Dez
05-21-2014, 02:31 AM
Some of my pond plants are already a foot out of the water from being frozen all winter.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/21/sy3a4ymu.jpg

Here you can see flower buds already coming up from my yellow pond lily.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/21/ytanaryz.jpg

Like Kien has stated, the marsh marigold is always the first to bloom. Nice to see colour in the yard already.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/21/y4u5uham.jpg

More lilies coming up. This is exactly 24" below the water surface - the deepest part of the pond.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/21/y9urysyb.jpg

This is Clownie. The kids names him Clownie when we first got him years ago cause he's got memo colours. He has the most personality out of all the fish. Always one of the first at the food. Here, he's going out of the water just to try to get that one last piece of fish food in the corner.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/21/jyqubabu.jpg

The Guy
05-21-2014, 05:14 AM
Wow! beautiful yard and pond, you probably mentioned this somewhere in your posts, just wondering if the fish come indoors in the winter?

Dez
05-21-2014, 11:59 AM
Wow! beautiful yard and pond, you probably mentioned this somewhere in your posts, just wondering if the fish come indoors in the winter?


They stay outside all winter. Most people that I've talked to that have tried wintering indoors and outdoors prefer leaving the fish outside. Keeping large fish indoors requires tons of water changes just to keep the water quality high. With wintering them indoors, you have to feed them which soils the water.

kien
05-21-2014, 02:41 PM
They stay outside all winter. Most people that I've talked to that have tried wintering indoors and outdoors prefer leaving the fish outside. Keeping large fish indoors requires tons of water changes just to keep the water quality high. With wintering them indoors, you have to feed them which soils the water.

When I first started I used to winter my koi inside too. Did that for a couple of seasons until I couldn't take it anymore! You need a very large container, lots of water changes, etc. It was a royal pain in the butt. After doing more research and discovering that people overwintered their koi outside I went that approach as well and haven't looked back. Any ya, it always surprises people whenever I tell them that the fish stay outside all winter. Genetically koi are a cold water fish. They will hibernate just like any other lake fish.

mike31154
05-21-2014, 02:57 PM
They stay outside all winter. Most people that I've talked to that have tried wintering indoors and outdoors prefer leaving the fish outside. Keeping large fish indoors requires tons of water changes just to keep the water quality high. With wintering them indoors, you have to feed them which soils the water.

How do you keep the pond from freezing solid during the long Edmonton winters? I lived in the Cold Lake area for many years and the lake ice would be several feet thick! Seems to me your 24" depth could easily freeze all the way down during a cold snap? Even though the koi hibernate as Kien mentions, don't they still need O2, especially considering the size of some of those bad boys?

MMAX
05-21-2014, 11:50 PM
How do you keep the pond from freezing solid during the long Edmonton winters? I lived in the Cold Lake area for many years and the lake ice would be several feet thick! Seems to me your 24" depth could easily freeze all the way down during a cold snap? Even though the koi hibernate as Kien mentions, don't they still need O2, especially considering the size of some of those bad boys?

Do what I do....disconnect the waterfall pump and point the outlet straight up. 4280gph shooting to the top keeps a nice sized hole open.

The Guy
05-21-2014, 11:54 PM
How do you keep the pond from freezing solid during the long Edmonton winters? I lived in the Cold Lake area for many years and the lake ice would be several feet thick! Seems to me your 24" depth could easily freeze all the way down during a cold snap? Even though the koi hibernate as Kien mentions, don't they still need O2, especially considering the size of some of those bad boys?
Ya I guess that was my concern with the fish in a pond 24" deep, that they could be caught in the ice, or do you run your pump all winter with a heat source?

mike31154
05-22-2014, 01:02 AM
Ya I guess that was my concern with the fish in a pond 24" deep, that they could be caught in the ice, or do you run your pump all winter with a heat source?

I don't have a pond yet, it's on the to do list and it's interesting to see what other folks have done/are doing. I was going to go deeper when I dig it, but now I'm wondering if the City of Vernon has similar rules with depth, pool permits etc. Sigh, nothing's ever very straight forward in a city, rules, codes, higher taxes..... Tempted to move out into the boonies somewhere, where I can do pretty much what I want, but it's nice to be able to walk to the Village Market 2 blocks away for groceries too....

kien
05-22-2014, 02:51 AM
How do you keep the pond from freezing solid during the long Edmonton winters? I lived in the Cold Lake area for many years and the lake ice would be several feet thick! Seems to me your 24" depth could easily freeze all the way down during a cold snap? Even though the koi hibernate as Kien mentions, don't they still need O2, especially considering the size of some of those bad boys?

You need to keep the water surface agitated, for several reasons:

1. Provides oxygen
2. Helps keep a hole in the ice so that gas can escape
3. Helps keep the pond from freezing solid.

You can achieve this several ways. Either with a pump as MMAX suggested or do what Dez does and just run an air stone all winter.

Seriak
05-22-2014, 01:35 PM
When I had my in ground pond (I have an above ground pond now) I would still bring my fish inside. Although I recognize the hassle, it was worth it, as if my heater / airstone / whatever stopped working for a couple of days in the middle of winter, everyone of my fish would be done for. It just wasn't worth the risk as I see technology fail all the time.

Dez
05-22-2014, 03:29 PM
I have a lighted extension chord that my airstones/heaters are plugged into so that I can look outside and know that there is power to them. Also I plug each heater onto 2 different circuits just in case. And it's quite obvious if the 2 airstones are going cause you can see bubbles. That's regime.

lastlight
05-22-2014, 05:21 PM
did any of those babies you had a while back grow up?

Dez
05-22-2014, 10:45 PM
Brett. I brought them in from the cold, then I wanted to acclimate them slowly to the warm inside water for the winter, I did a 4 hr acclimation for them in a bucket, but I wasn't even thinking about oxygen. So I lost all but 6 I think during the acclimation to the warm water. Silly me. So out of the 6 that survived acclimation, all 6 of them got eaten by the bigger koi (I tried bringing in 4 bigger koi indoors to see how that would go). But one survived the big pond outside that I didn't even know about until after winter was over. So I still have that one and it's about 5" now.

Timbits
05-23-2014, 02:21 AM
Wow this just blew me away. Hands down the nicest pond I have ever seen. I want a pond now!!! Is it hard to do/maintain?

Timbits
05-23-2014, 02:26 AM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/15/re4yvame.jpg

This guy is by far my favourite fish. He's not flashy or bright, but he's got the best personality. He always rushes for food and will let my pet his head. He is a noisy eater. The kids named him clownie cause he's kinda got clown fish colours.

Sooo cute!!!!!! Love the name :biggrin:

"He always rushes for food and will let my pet his head." That feeling must be wonderful, makes it all worth it.

Dez
06-01-2014, 12:46 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/01/hazuze2u.jpg

A few lily pads have reached the water surface already.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/01/azaqapuq.jpg

Doug
06-01-2014, 04:32 PM
OUTSTANDING.....:D

Dez
06-18-2014, 01:23 AM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/18/utujevam.jpg
First lily bloom of the season and many more buds coming from this one.

kien
06-18-2014, 04:02 AM
Cool! Yellow is one colour I do not have.

FishingGoalie
06-18-2014, 04:07 AM
Kien i could get you any colour you want for lilies at my cottage we have like 30 different colors

kien
06-18-2014, 04:08 AM
Kien i could get you any colour you want for lilies at my cottage we have like 30 different colors

OMG, hook a brutha up yo!!

Dez
06-18-2014, 04:16 AM
OMG, hook two bruthas up yo!!

Kien, I dug this yellow one out of a lake near Caroline, Alberta while canoeing.

FishingGoalie
06-18-2014, 04:26 AM
Lol Ill try how do i transport them from manitoba? we have red purple blue light blue tonnes of colours

kien
06-18-2014, 04:39 AM
OH EMM GEE BLUE lillies ?!?!

FishingGoalie
06-18-2014, 05:31 AM
lol how do i transport them?

kien
06-18-2014, 06:16 AM
lol how do i transport them?

You're a reefer, don't you have 5g pales laying around ?

FishingGoalie
06-18-2014, 03:34 PM
You're a reefer, don't you have 5g pales laying around ?

Lol yes but not for a 18 hour drive in the back of my truck

hillegom
06-18-2014, 03:39 PM
Send by greyhound in the pail

FishingGoalie
06-18-2014, 04:22 PM
lol ill pm you guys if i can do it it won't be for awhile though as everything is so far behind and ill have to check which ones are each

Dez
06-18-2014, 11:51 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/19/4apunyhu.jpg

Full pond shot. This is the first year that my pond iris's will bloom. The flower buds are a poppin!

Dez
06-18-2014, 11:55 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/19/y4y2y9y6.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/19/hury2e7u.jpg

kevin S
07-11-2014, 06:29 PM
One of the nicest backyard ponds I have seen :wink: Can you please provide me with total gal and size of your pond.


Thanks KS

Dez
07-12-2014, 01:49 PM
With rock displacement and uneven shape my best estimate would be in the 3500 - 4000 gal range. It's 17' x 33' and 24" deep at all of the max dimensions.

Dez
07-17-2014, 11:22 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/18/zezemy7e.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/18/y4y6abys.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/18/uza4azan.jpg

Dez
07-17-2014, 11:25 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/18/a7umahe4.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/18/y4e7ejet.jpg

kien
07-18-2014, 12:36 AM
Show off. :-)
(I need to do another renovation on my pond lol)