HOORAH FOR THE POND!
So it is still surrounded by a gigantic pile o dirt, and I'm missing 1/3 of the rock wall surround, and I had to patch a leak twice, but I still had to share!!! MY POND IS FINALLY IN AND RUNNING!!! I'm so, so excited about it. Despite it's imperfect finish job I'm positively delighted. I don't have any pics of it yet, because the digital camera is MIA but I can show you where it is in the yard... 
The above is now our new spot for the pond and soon-to-be patio. the back decking is gone, the funky tree thing is being cut down, and the whole thing is a poorly landscaped mess surrounding a gigantic dirt square... but there is a super cool pond in the middle of it now!!! So far we have 2 fantail goldfish in there(getting a few more tonight), along with a waterlily and a few other miscellaneous water plants, plus a way cool lion head spitter fountain and a neato underwater light. Pippin is convinced it is his personal water station and digging spot. I will try to find the camera tonight to take some pictures of it to share! If any fellow pond people want to send me some water lily or lotus tubers, that would be ok too  |
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You and your missing camera!! 
I'm so excited for you with the pond and look forward to pictures! You are very brave with Pip around. One of Foz's nicknames is "Water Boy". |
| Karen....FIND your camera!!! I cant wait to see pics! What are you going to do with the fish in the winter???? I bet Pip is lovin' his personal pool...lol...how many times have you fished him out?? |
Only once has he actually gone in. It was when I was busy finishing the install, and it only had 1/2 the water in it. Then he proceeded to stick both front legs in, get a drink of water, and then GO DIGGING IN THE GIGANTIC DIRT PILE!  His whole front was BLACK!
For the most part he just uses it as a gigantic water dish. Which is ok with me. He loves digging in the dirt pile though 
The fish will either A) have their own personal pond heater to keep the water open or B) go into a kiddie pool in the basement We haven't decided which yet. |
| Hi,
Hey congrats on your pond!! I love them and find the sound of running water relaxing, and it attracks birds to the yard. Can't wait to see the pics!! Marianne and the boys |
I was all geared up for pictures!!  You really must find your camera. I can't wait to see - it sounds lovely. |
| I can't WAIT to see the pics!! A pond is on my "wish" list. Most likely next year not this but deifnately in the future. |
I can't wait to see pics too! 
At first I didn't read your post thoroughly enough, and I was looking at the pic thinking, I don't see a pond! LOL |
Willowsprite wrote: I can't wait to see pics too!
At first I didn't read your post thoroughly enough, and I was looking at the pic thinking, I don't see a pond! LOL HAHAHAHAHA, ME TOO!!! |
Tasker's Mom wrote: Willowsprite wrote: I can't wait to see pics too! At first I didn't read your post thoroughly enough, and I was looking at the pic thinking, I don't see a pond! LOL HAHAHAHAHA, ME TOO!!! Me Three! I thought you posted the wrong picture or the pond was so small that noone but Karen could see it 
Our neighbors on the other side of the fence have a lovely pond. It's nice when we cut the ivy down so we can enjoy it too! Foz likes to looks at the birds taking baths in there. So cute! |
| Thats fantastic!!! Your goldfish will become gigantic in no time - they love to grow when they have the space! Our little pool is now a home to frogs from all over the neighborhood, one fishy, and lots of water plants. It's soooo fun, isn't it?!! Congratulations and I can't wait to see pics! |
Stacy wrote: Tasker's Mom wrote: Willowsprite wrote: I can't wait to see pics too! At first I didn't read your post thoroughly enough, and I was looking at the pic thinking, I don't see a pond! LOL HAHAHAHAHA, ME TOO!!! Me Three! I thought you posted the wrong picture or the pond was so small that noone but Karen could see it Our neighbors on the other side of the fence have a lovely pond. It's nice when we cut the ivy down so we can enjoy it too! Foz likes to looks at the birds taking baths in there. So cute! You could entitle the picture: "The Emperor's new pond" |
| I bet it looks great! |
| That is what you guys get for not reading closely enough.. !
Actually that pic is from last autumn. At that point it really was the Empress' new pond... I was dreaming of ponds and roses last fall. I'll try really hard tonight to find the camera and get some pics! I may even hold a goldie naming contest! |
| Karen,
I cannot wait to see how it turned out. My SIL had a pond then kept changing it and changing it. There was already a concrete pond there. She ended up spending $5000 on it by the time it was finished.
She added a river rock waterfall going into it, then decided to do the river rocks all the way around it and of course it all had to be cemented in place. To me the price tag is ridiculous. I'd rather have a top of the line Jacuzzi so I could enjoy it....lol |
| Find that camera. Will love seeing pictures.
I've always though it would be neat to have a pond and a little water fall. Don't know that I would go as far as Pepsi's Mommy's SIL though!! I should have had them dig a hole when they were here with the backhoe for the room additioin. Oh well. Bet it will provide great picture opportunities with Pippin. |
| Well,
I figured out where the camera went... my sister absconded it to take pictures of her girlfriend Jenn's cats. Jenn is in Iraq with that Air National Guard and Christian is condo/cat sitting. So it was for a good cause, but I still don't have the camera to take pics of the pond  Now Mike is grumpy, because he wanted to take the camera up with him fishing in Canada, but he has to leave without it.
I think I need to buy my family members digital cameras for Christmas, so they will stop stealing mine!!!! Elissa- so far my pond has cost under $200.00. The liner and pump I got for free, the box filter was $30.00, The goldfish were 10$, I had the lion head spitter sitting around unused for years, the rocks so far have been about $60.00- the water plants were about 50$ total. It is definitely do-able even if you don't have lots of $$ to spend!!! |
| Here are a couple of pics of my parents pond...
They did all of it themselves, including building the waterfall rock by rock. 
And a pond lily  |
That's beautiful, Stacey! Wow!!  |
| BEAUTIFUL!!!! |
| sigh... so pretty! I love their waterfall, and the landscaping is so pretty! I hope my lily ends up looking that nice!!! Christina has promised to bring the camera back on Sunday, so I'll have pics of mine for everybody then!!! |
| Wait a minute! Do I recognize that lily? Haven't I seen it before with a goldfish?
Yoko! |
Ron wrote: Wait a minute! Do I recognize that lily? Haven't I seen it before with a goldfish?
Yoko! LOL
Actually, the yellow lily is all by itself closer to the waterfally, there are several pink lillies but they seem to like being out in the sun closer to the front of the pond. LOL  |
| OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| I was at Lowe's today checking out the pond supplies........gettin' the itch!!!
What happens to the fish in the winter??? |
| Don't you just leaved them there.
I remember my ex-husbands Uncle's pond and seeing the Coe swimming below the ice. |
| My parents did bring them in during the winter and kept them in a big tank for the first few years, but last winter they didn't and they were fine. |
| Your parents pond looks pretty big, I wonder how big the pond has to be to do that (how much water to NOT freezw(. |
| Don't you use some kind of recirculating pump so the water doesn't freeze? A pond is on my to do list.....maybe Karen will hire herself out to all of us since she already has experience |
| Here is an interesting site on building a pond....
http://www.watergarden.com/pages/build_wg.html |
| Ponds for koi need to be at least 3' deep in most areas, for several reasons:
#1 water purity- these guys make a lot of fish poo... #2 safety- Herons and other fish loving animals think koi taste yummy #3 size- these guys can get huge- up to 3' long!!! #4 wintering over- in areas of deep cold, like here in MN, you need the pond to be below the frost line to keep some open water for them to be in. They usually don't do well if they get in solid ice all winter. Water can be kept open via a recirculating pump in warmer zones (doesn't work here in MN) or via a pond heater. I'm sticking with goldies. My pond is too little for the big daddies! Pics will follow tonight. We've got auditors today, so now playing on the computer! Whoops gotta go  |
| Ok here are all the new pond pictures, as promised! (Finally...)
Once again for the sake of comparison, Before:
After: 
Here you can see some of thew work I still have to do: 
My favorite angle, here at least you can tell what I'm going for: 
A close up of the lion head spitter: 
the goldies
We still have a ways to go on it, but I'm getting a lot of enjoyment out of the pond already. I can't wait until the pond plants start to fill in and grow... oh yeah, and we get the patio in, so I can sit out there without the giant pile of dirt |
| Ohhhhhhhh, how exciting!!!! It has so much potential!!
Love the fish! |
| It's looking really great! I am sure it will look fabulous when it's done. |
| Looks great! I'm very impressed that you built this yourself |
| Looks great!
I can't wait to see the plants grown too.... |
| The pond looks wonderful, Karen!! Great job! |
| Looks great! I like that picture where you can see what it'll look like.
What are the fish's names? |
| No names yet for the fishies, I'm thinking of holding a namin contest for them when we get a few more. |
| Karen, will you leave the fish in the pond all winder or do you need to bring them in when it gets cold? I'm still trying to figure the whole winter-pond-ice-fish thing out! |
| I could do either... as long as you can maintain a hole in the ice to allow for vapor exchange, and there is some unfrozen water in the pond the fish will be fine. Usually you do that through a pond heater. Their digestive systems shut down in water below 50 degrees farenheit, so they don't need to eat, it is like hibernation... kinda. Native MN fish can live in a solid block of ice all winter, but most goldies aren't quite THAT hardy. I may still put them in the basement in a kiddie pool, it'd probably be less expensive from an electricity standpoint. |
| Ponds looking good
I like Fantails I had one that i had for over 10 years in the pond ,i just lost it last year, it was my first fish. I have about 15 fish in my pond now including 4 koi,2 tench,4 orfe and a Bristol Blue shubumkin. Just been curious How deep is the pond ? |
sixpence wrote: Ponds looking good
I like Fantails I had one that i had for over 10 years in the pond ,i just lost it last year, it was my first fish. I have about 15 fish in my pond now including 4 koi,2 tench,4 orfe and a Bristol Blue shubumkin. So when are yougoing to share pics of YOUR POND????? I've got this pond passion building and I need to see!!! Just been curious How deep is the pond ? |
| I will load some up for you to see
My pond is 6 feet deep. It has to be that deep for the Koi to stay out during winter. Last year my orfs had babies.It was so good watching them develop from the eggs to the fish . |
| Mine is about 2' deep. Way way too little for koi Maybe i'll have them in my dream conservatory pond! |
| That sounds nice
I know of a person who has a pond in his conservatory linked with an ouside one .The fish swim in and out via a glass tube. |
| Yes... someday when I'm wealthy ( ) I want to have a big beautiful old victorian house with an attached conservatory/breakfast room with orchids and an inground koi and lotus pond. Sigh.
For now I'm sticking with my not as glamourous versions of those things! |
| Youv'e got the same dream as me
When i win the lottery
Some photos of my pond and fish. 
 |
| Just heard barking outside and looked out the window and there is Marley cornered against the fish pond by a frog
Must of disturbed him taking the photos. |
| Glorious!!! Did you build the exterior yourself? |
| Yes i bulit the whole thing myself .Hubby put the electrics in. |
| looks great and like easy fishing....lol....just kidding..... |
| It is really wonderful!!!! I hope mine ends up looking that nice eventually. |
| Darcy i have a friend who comes round who keeps wanting to have a fish and chip supper.
Karen i am sure yours will look just as nice .
It just takes a bit of time for everything to get established but once it is the pond will virtually look after itself. |
| That's a beautiful pond! You did a great job building it. |
| OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Sixpence!!!!!!!! I just peaked at your "camera" HOW LOVELY!!!! Karen, take a look, we all have something to aspire to !!!!!!! |
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