Taj Mafishie

[MichigooseOH]

EWWWWW! My aching back, and sweating forehead... Ok...I'm just going to moan here. I built my first goldfish pond (fibreglass even pouring the resin by myself) when I was 12....I built another one in CT...and loved some of my sarassas so much that I brought them down here in May and temporarily housed them in a 20 gal. whiskey barrel liner....

Well, we moved down here (Dayton, OH area) in the middle of June and I am still unpacking and trying to get plants I moved down here in the ground....My neighbor offered to help me dig the pond (I think she felt sorry for the finny friends)...so, yesterday we started digging....Let me tell you.....this soil is pure clay. Today we just used the pick ax and shoveled out the chunks.

My plan is to build one which is roughly kidney shaped, and although I'd like it a little bigger, about 10' x 4'. At present it has two shallow 9' shelves on each end and we are trying to dig to at least 24" in the middle....I'd like to make it to 30...but this is very tough slogging....

I'm building a diy biofilter with a 100 gal. stock tank (already purchased and set in the location), and a settling chamber (I was going to use an old desicant barrel I have which is smaller than 55 gal, but I'm told that I should have a 55 gal drum), bottom drain, and a diy skimmer. I still have to chase down the roofing EPDM, and the container for the skimmer....

Has anyone made one of these? Greg Bickal suggests using a PVC utility sink....but, I'm wondering if there is something less expensive that I could use for the skimmer. I wouldn't be running the skimmer in the winter, and will have it set up with a submersible pump separate from the settling chamber/bio-filter/waterfall external pump.....

I'm also just posting this so I can whine a little....

As the CT pond had a simple submersible filter/pump set up, and was only 5' x 4' x 24"....I'm thinking the fishies are going to think that this is the fishie taj mahal (only I hope that it isn't a funerary crypt!...maybe I'm going to slip under the epdm...)

[bench72]

You're givin' Wolf a run for his money with this whole DIY thing aye...

I've found that digging wet clay is easier than when it is dry and feels like solid rock! Of course, it is heavier but easier to stick the shovel in.

And remember take it slow and easy, better to take a year digging up your pond than mucking up ur back!

Good luck and make sure you show us what the end result of the pond looks like.


Cheers
Tim

[MichigooseOH]

Ok dig dig dig....ponder (double meaning) think think think redesign, dig dig dig. Today I hope to extend some areas and start doing the plumbing....

[Diane]

I admire the effort, and envy you a yard - - but I have to admit, I would have hired one of the local hispanic day laborers to do the digging. (They are some of the hardest working people I know)

[MichigooseOH]

Lol...here in Ohio, the only Hispanic day worker I know of is my husband....and he isn't really into this ponding thing...I think he thinks I have slipped completely over the edge as this is MUCH more elaborate than anything I have ever done. He's going to help me with the plumbing bit...hopefully tomorrow, as otherwise I'll have to wait for him to help after work.

I dread doing the leveling....

[Brutal_Dreamer]

IT is looking really great! You will be so happy you did it yourself when you are done! Keep up the good work and keep us posted on your progress!

Cheers!
BD

[MichigooseOH]

Ok...Hole is dug deeper, settling pond is extended and dug (where the barrel was....barrell was toooo small. My husband came home from CA and we made some improvements to Greg Bickal's bottom drain design, returned $68 worth of fittings and purchased $26 instead, cut, and drilled stuff for the bd, and tomorrow I have to do some fine tuning of the sidewall and the lift from the bd to the settling pond. And...I have to level the edges....something I REALLY hate to do! I'll upload pictures tomorrow.....after my digi's batteries recharge.....dd left on the camera... ; )

[Diane]

Michigoose!!! Whare are you??? Did you fall in?? What's happening?? Should we send the EMTs??

[WolfinKW]

Or you could always rent a mini back hoe type device... or a ditch witch sorry came into this one late. LOL was talking about renting the above equipment to dig the hole. lOL

[LJA]

Michigoose!!! Whare are you??? Did you fall in?? What's happening?? Should we send the EMTs??

Was wondering the same thing!

Daily updates, and then, ---- ???

Where'd ya go???