Comments on: Swimming Pool to Pond http://kilk.com kilk.com Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:51:23 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5.2 hourly 1 By: Kevin http://kilk.com/pond/comment-page-3/#comment-854 Kevin Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:51:23 +0000 http://kilk.com/pond/#comment-854 Wow, looks great. And the part about filtration is inspirational. I have just completed two large ponds linked with a short stream. Bottom drains pull water from the lower pond and send it back to the upper pond where a splitter valve feeds a spring and waterfall. As the rock work is not finished I haven't put but a few small fish in the pond. Now it's time to install a filter, but the prices for a canister filter large enough to clean 3500 gallons seems silly -- around $1300. I'm wondering how/where you learned to build your natural filter. ?? Wow, looks great. And the part about filtration is inspirational. I have just completed two large ponds linked with a short stream. Bottom drains pull water from the lower pond and send it back to the upper pond where a splitter valve feeds a spring and waterfall. As the rock work is not finished I haven’t put but a few small fish in the pond. Now it’s time to install a filter, but the prices for a canister filter large enough to clean 3500 gallons seems silly — around $1300. I’m wondering how/where you learned to build your natural filter. ??

]]> By: Smith http://kilk.com/pond/comment-page-3/#comment-853 Smith Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:48:00 +0000 http://kilk.com/pond/#comment-853 You truly are an inspiration! thank you for sharing You truly are an inspiration! thank you for sharing

]]> By: Boby Thomas http://kilk.com/pond/comment-page-3/#comment-852 Boby Thomas Tue, 12 Jan 2010 07:54:31 +0000 http://kilk.com/pond/#comment-852 Excellent. I have a natural pond in my farmhouse and this is an inspiration to make it better. Excellent. I have a natural pond in my farmhouse and this is an inspiration to make it better.

]]> By: Larry http://kilk.com/pond/comment-page-3/#comment-851 Larry Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:34:14 +0000 http://kilk.com/pond/#comment-851 Hi, I live in a nearby community and have enjoyed my pond for several years, it is somewhere in the real of 15000 gallons, free-form with a maximum depth of 5 feet. I really like you idea of the external Biological filter. I'm going to build and additon to my pond and incorporate your external filter idea as a backup to the existing filter system. It should be fairly easy to add an archetecturally appealing external filter box, the one I have in mind will become a backdrop to the existing planter beds along the East side of my pond. I'll send pictures as I accomplish the construction. We have over 20 Koi, the larger fish are nearly 2 feet, a huge Blue Catfish and large Sturgeon. This year we had our first gift of hatchlings... it appears that 14 of them have survived and when I cleared out the Water Hyacinths and Lettuce from the recent frost discovered there are 14 of the young fish, they are now nearly 4 inches long. It's a pleasure to see creative ideas in ponds. Hi, I live in a nearby community and have enjoyed my pond for several years, it is somewhere in the real of 15000 gallons, free-form with a maximum depth of 5 feet. I really like you idea of the external Biological filter. I’m going to build and additon to my pond and incorporate your external filter idea as a backup to the existing filter system. It should be fairly easy to add an archetecturally appealing external filter box, the one I have in mind will become a backdrop to the existing planter beds along the East side of my pond. I’ll send pictures as I accomplish the construction. We have over 20 Koi, the larger fish are nearly 2 feet, a huge Blue Catfish and large Sturgeon. This year we had our first gift of hatchlings… it appears that 14 of them have survived and when I cleared out the Water Hyacinths and Lettuce from the recent frost discovered there are 14 of the young fish, they are now nearly 4 inches long. It’s a pleasure to see creative ideas in ponds.

]]> By: Ben http://kilk.com/pond/comment-page-3/#comment-849 Ben Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:58:10 +0000 http://kilk.com/pond/#comment-849 Your pond looks great. I'm glad I found your site. I am searching for information that I might be able to use in order to keep my natural pool/pond clean and reasonably algae free without adding chemicals. We currently use ours for swimming but the more I think about it, I think I want to try and turn it into an ecologically balanced pond with plants and fish etc. I'm not sure if it can be done without major re-construction though. We don't have any filtration and the pool is not 100% water tight. We are currently pumping about 3000 gallons per hour of fresh water into it almost continuously. We draw water from a shallow well about 50 feet from the pool (we are located beside a small river and the well has been dug to several feet below the water level in the river) and when the pool is full the excess water just overflows and returns to the river after passing through a series of dirt channels that meander through our banana trees and other food producing garden plants. I have a picture of the pool on our website and would love to hear any ideas that you (or any of your readers may have. The longest length in the pool is a section that measures exactly 25 meters and the pool (when full) is over 3 meters deep in several places. It was constructed using only the local rocks stuck together with concrete. Your pond looks great. I’m glad I found your site. I am searching for information that I might be able to use in order to keep my natural pool/pond clean and reasonably algae free without adding chemicals. We currently use ours for swimming but the more I think about it, I think I want to try and turn it into an ecologically balanced pond with plants and fish etc. I’m not sure if it can be done without major re-construction though. We don’t have any filtration and the pool is not 100% water tight. We are currently pumping about 3000 gallons per hour of fresh water into it almost continuously. We draw water from a shallow well about 50 feet from the pool (we are located beside a small river and the well has been dug to several feet below the water level in the river) and when the pool is full the excess water just overflows and returns to the river after passing through a series of dirt channels that meander through our banana trees and other food producing garden plants. I have a picture of the pool on our website and would love to hear any ideas that you (or any of your readers may have. The longest length in the pool is a section that measures exactly 25 meters and the pool (when full) is over 3 meters deep in several places. It was constructed using only the local rocks stuck together with concrete.

]]> By: Scott B. http://kilk.com/pond/comment-page-3/#comment-848 Scott B. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:02:38 +0000 http://kilk.com/pond/#comment-848 Well done,very creative, original, and just a solid piece of workmanship. kudos! Well done,very creative, original, and just a solid piece of workmanship. kudos!

]]> By: Tracy http://kilk.com/pond/comment-page-3/#comment-847 Tracy Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:28:46 +0000 http://kilk.com/pond/#comment-847 I don't know whether to forward this to my husband or pray that he never finds it! What a task- and what a beautiful oasis at the end. Great job. I don’t know whether to forward this to my husband or pray that he never finds it! What a task- and what a beautiful oasis at the end. Great job.

]]> By: Marc Descollonges http://kilk.com/pond/comment-page-3/#comment-846 Marc Descollonges Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:22:12 +0000 http://kilk.com/pond/#comment-846 I have just purchased a house in California because it has a nice koi fish pond. Unfortunately, the equipment hasn't been maintained for a year and the water has become quite murky. The fish are still healthy but they are barely visible. I am very tempted to throw away the old pumps, filters and UV lights and to set up a bio filter with sand and hyacinth, based on your model, Erik. The pool holds 16,000 gallons of water. I would have to build a filter about 18'x3'x2', that is 800 gallons. I think I could keep the pool as deep as it is (no sand bags and dirt to reduce the water volume), and have an immersed pump. I submitted that idea to the guy who converted the old swimming pool to a fish pond 10 years ago and did the maintenance up to 2008. He said that up flow gravel filter with plants on the top are more difficult to maintain over a long term. He has one client that still uses up-flow gravel however he does not recommend them. What do you think Erik? I love the concept of your filter but would there be any benefit in making it down flow? I have just purchased a house in California because it has a nice koi fish pond. Unfortunately, the equipment hasn’t been maintained for a year and the water has become quite murky. The fish are still healthy but they are barely visible. I am very tempted to throw away the old pumps, filters and UV lights and to set up a bio filter with sand and hyacinth, based on your model, Erik. The pool holds 16,000 gallons of water. I would have to build a filter about 18′x3′x2′, that is 800 gallons. I think I could keep the pool as deep as it is (no sand bags and dirt to reduce the water volume), and have an immersed pump. I submitted that idea to the guy who converted the old swimming pool to a fish pond 10 years ago and did the maintenance up to 2008. He said that up flow gravel filter with plants on the top are more difficult to maintain over a long term. He has one client that still uses up-flow gravel however he does not recommend them. What do you think Erik? I love the concept of your filter but would there be any benefit in making it down flow?

]]> By: Themainescene http://kilk.com/pond/comment-page-3/#comment-845 Themainescene Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:53:33 +0000 http://kilk.com/pond/#comment-845 I am so impressed with your pond! I am in the stages of building one of my own. I am ready to put the liner in but my pond has stairs and seats and I NEED to have no wrinkles in the liner. My liner in 15ft round. How would I be able to do this? Cut down the sides? Help. I am so impressed with your pond! I am in the stages of building one of my own. I am ready to put the liner in but my pond has stairs and seats and I NEED to have no wrinkles in the liner. My liner in 15ft round. How would I be able to do this? Cut down the sides? Help.

]]> By: Erik http://kilk.com/pond/comment-page-3/#comment-844 Erik Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:23:21 +0000 http://kilk.com/pond/#comment-844 Hi everyone, this is Erik. I'm checking in. I love reading all the comments and getting e-mail from everyone. Thanks everyone!! I don't hang out here every day anymore. Feel free to write to me directly though. I can often write back within a few days. I get a few queries a week. My address is at the top of all the comments. The only question I'm kind of tired of answering is if you can use your swimming pool filter. My answer is absolutely not. The high pressure sand filter will clog within days or weeks with all the pond gunk, algae, leaves, dead bugs, twigs, etc. I gave away my filter and heater for free and ripped out all of its plumbing. Another question I get often is if you can swim in your pond. I'm not an expert about this, but I don't think that is wise. I'd go into my pond for cleaning and enjoyed the fresh smell of the water. But I would think after awhile microbes would start festering on human debris and it would not be safe at all. Besides to get a healthy pond you'll want underwater oxygenating plants and eventually those will grow into a little forest (great for fish !!) and your legs and arms will get tangled in them. Happy pool to pond converting !! Erik Hi everyone, this is Erik. I’m checking in. I love reading all the comments and getting e-mail from everyone. Thanks everyone!! I don’t hang out here every day anymore. Feel free to write to me directly though. I can often write back within a few days. I get a few queries a week. My address is at the top of all the comments.

The only question I’m kind of tired of answering is if you can use your swimming pool filter. My answer is absolutely not. The high pressure sand filter will clog within days or weeks with all the pond gunk, algae, leaves, dead bugs, twigs, etc. I gave away my filter and heater for free and ripped out all of its plumbing.

Another question I get often is if you can swim in your pond. I’m not an expert about this, but I don’t think that is wise. I’d go into my pond for cleaning and enjoyed the fresh smell of the water. But I would think after awhile microbes would start festering on human debris and it would not be safe at all. Besides to get a healthy pond you’ll want underwater oxygenating plants and eventually those will grow into a little forest (great for fish !!) and your legs and arms will get tangled in them.

Happy pool to pond converting !!
Erik

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