You should get a magnetic drive pump, they use less electricity and fail less than cheaper pumps.

I use Pondmasters and have had great results with them.

Real FISH people swear by bottom drains. If you want to install one, now is the time before you place the liner.

I consider myself a water gardener and I use a vac. With the size of your pond, you could probably use one also.

My best tip...don't put rocks in the bottom. They make a good place for the poop to hide from the vacuum.

Enjoy!

Joanne,

It sounds like a nice sized pond. If I were digging it I'd have some shelves at different depths for marginal plants(though some people don't like shelves because of raccoon problems) and I'd have a center part about 3' deep. The extra depth can help with temperature regulation.

I love the stream and waterfalls. Some days they are the best part of the ponding experience; just sitting there relaxing after a tough day at work, listening to the water and watching the birds and insects come for a drink - oh, yeah, the chipmonks too!

The bottom drain sounds like a nice idea come cleaning time.

One thing I have that I swear by is a skippy filter (biological filter). It is home-made and solved my pea-soup water problem. The UV lights are also great for that.
I'm sure others with large ponds will give you more precise information.

My pump is a Pondmaster which I have had for over 5 years and it is fabulous - so dependable. I have replaced the impeller and cover once - whopping $14 cost - and it is simple to replace.

I look forward to seeing the pictures of your pond.
Anne

Mamasue, What vac do you use? Joanne

I use 8' livestock tanks above ground for my plants. I use a muck vac. I never use a water hose, but syphon instead. It is easy with a little practice.

I have even cleaned true stock tanks in the pasture with it with good results.

Well...I did everything wrong. I've now looked at a lot of ponds pics and ponds and know I want something different than I was doing. I still want a pond but...I know bigger ponds are easier, but I don't want one. I just want a small pond in front of my deck so I can see a few fish, have a waterfall and have everything surrounded by plants and flowers. That's what I want...but that's not what I dug. I went too long and too wide. I also used most of the soil I dug out to build up my gardens. So...the only thing I can think of doing is fill it all in and then start again next Spring doing a much smaller pond, so it will leave me plenty of time to landscape the area post pond build. I have sandy soil and I'm told that the area will not be solid enough in one year. So...maybe a pond won't happen. :-( Joanne

Joanne

This is a common mistake. Most people don't know how big a thing it is to build and maintain a pond. It costs significant money, and will take up a lot of your time for years and years. You have to really love it and consider it a hobby.

You are basically creating and maintaining an ecosystem, and that ain't easy.

The good news is you realized it in time and can reverse course. Many people plow forward and end up with second thoughts and regrets.

I love my pond and it's a labor of love. But it is labor. I am out there nearly every day attending to it and improving it and cleaning it and maintaining it.

Tha natural urge for a man made pond is to turn into a stinking rotting hole in the ground. It takes a lot of time, money, and energy to keep that from happening on a daily basis.

It is definitely NOT "set it and forget it".

Hi Joanne:

Here's a suggestion.

Are you able to use those big gray construction blocks to line the hole? You can use long rebar in the blocks for reinforcement till you get the size you want, then backfill the block holes with soil. You can even step the construction blocks to give you shelves if that's what you want. You don't need to go to the top of the hole with the blocks. Once the blocks lining the hole are the size you want lay the liner over them (be sure liner is larger than the hole and you use an underlayer so the blocks don't tear it). Once you lay the liner over the top layer of blocks, lay a layer of flat stones/rocks on top of that, then fold the liner back over the 1st layer of rocks. Add another layer of rocks then backfill around the construction blocks. This may even give you a raised pond edge to avoid overflow into the pond while hiding the liner. You can backfill up to the edge to give it a sloping effect. Now you can plant flowers in the backfill. Just an idea you may want to consider. This way you won't have to wait till next year. Hope this helps.

Good luck no matter what you decide!

Jenny