Estimate on price - building a pond

~Roy wrote:
On Tue, 8 Nov 2005 08:15:53 -0600, "Carol-Ann" wrote:

snip

Or you could do as Carol Gulley / Reel McKoi does and just slitther
around behind the local quickie marts and strip malls and rip off
their shipping containers to use for small ponds.........


==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o

LOL

Oh have I got the answer for you................................ from an earlier
post

"Cyde Weys" wrote:
I live in Maryland near Washington, D.C.. Let's say I wanted to build
a pond outside for koi and water plants. I'd be willing to do all of
the work myself, soo ... how much would it cost?

"Here I sit in a tent next to a lake with my hands shaking and the coffee
helping my nerves. What has this got to do with building a water
garden you ask? Well, sit back and let me share the story of my "little
water garden" that started a few months back.
Boy, these ponds sure look like a lot of fun to build and our neighbor
fred up the street said it was easy to install yourself.
So I started to dig a hole and everything was going great until I hit
"the Rock", which would later prove to be my demise. I thought I could
dig around this rock by hand so I dug and dug and well you get the
picture. I went through two wooden handled shovels trying to leverage
the rock out so I ordered a steel shaft shovel from biggertools.com on
the internet. Of course I paid the extra for the overnight delivery(I
didn’t want to slow my progress). It was delivered the next day by 8:30
AM.
By 9:30 AM I was rushed to the doctor’s office by ambulance…….why you
ask? Well the steel shafted shovel weighed in at 90 lbs. After
digging for about an hour I felt a snap in my back which caused me in
turn to drop the shovel on my big toe which would have been fine had I
been wearing boots…unfortunately I was wearing sandals which do not have
steel reinforced straps!!!
After a few stitches to my toe, corrective shoes and 2 weeks of therapy
for my back and I was as good as well, well a forty year old.
Back to the rock….Well, I called explosives-r-us and they assured me
they could handle this rock. Everything was going well until they
pushed the button. The good news is my pond is going to be much bigger
than originally thought. The bad news is it blew out all of my
neighbors windows. I told him, look you will get much better
ventilation this summer that way. He found no humor in the moment…..my
insurance company assured me I was covered under the "idiot clause" in
my insurance, of course less my deductible.
I hopped into my escort and sped off to the local pond store to get my
30 ‘x40’ liner. With the help of the employees we dropped the liner
into the trunk off by sliding it off of the forklift.
I didn’t think the noise from my bumper dragging was all that bad..I
just turned the 8 track up louder and I didn’t notice the sparks from
the bumper starting the prairie fire in the lot next to my house.
I pulled into the drive and my wife and I pulled the liner out after
using several successful words I learned from my dad as a kid that
always helped in situations like this. It was after I got the liner out
that I noticed the smoke coming from the back yard….remember the sparks
from my bumper?
With a little help from the local volunteer fire dept. we had the fire
out in a couple of hours. Man that smoke really does burn your eyes
and the looks from my wife were pretty painful also.
The good news is the fire killed all the grass around my pond and now
landscaping will be much easier I pointed out to my wife.
The rest of the pond construction was pretty uneventful except for the
new electrical panel we had to install to handle the 25,000 gph pump I
had to have and the fact that the city tracked the lowering of the local
reservoir by two feet to me filling up our new pond.
I was able to stock my water garden with some great Koi…the bad news is
my mother-in-law found out I had hocked some of her jewelry to fund this
purchase. She has decided not to press charges now and the police said
the ink will wear off of my fingertips in a few weeks.
Which brings me back to the tent and the coffee. My wife said I can
move back in as soon as I pay her mother back for the fish and I can
find someone to get this Koi tattoo(don’t ask) off of my body.
I have had to take two other jobs to pay off the pond related expenses
as follows
2 wooden shovels @ $20.00 ea. $40.00
1 Steel shafted shovel @ $40.00 $40.00
1 Overnight delivery $60.00
Doctor’s Office Visit $100.00
Physical Therapy $375.00
Explosives-R-Us $950.00
Insurance deductible $500.00
Pond Equipment & liner $1250.00
Repair Escort Bumper* $150.00
Have Ford Dealer repair bumper correctly $649.00
Donation to volunteer fire dept. $500.00
New Electrical panel $700.00
City Fine for lowering reservoir $275.00
Cruise to pay off mother in law $3700.00
Tatoo(From Vinnys Tatoo & Garage) $245.00
Second Honeymoon with wife to
Save marriage $5000.00
Camping Gear $875.00
I am now back with my wife and the pond was worth every penny……the
lesson, do lots of research, read books, magazines, go on tours and then
dig in! Ponding is really very easy and will provide you with a
lifetime of enjoyment. Phil Geusz

"I got a copy of the Daphnian (the bulletin of the Boston Aquarium
Society) in the mail a couple weeks back, and have been forgetting
almost daily to post my thanks here to whoever reprinted my silly little
article there. (I carefully kept the name of my beneficiary on file, but
a hard-drive crash scrambled it for me.)
I also want to thank the list as a whole- if it had not been for the
friendly atmosphere here I never would have posted something so
frivolous. And yet it resulted in something very important to me- the
first time I have ever seen real print. And in the prime inside-cover
spot, too...
I bought everyone at work a soda the day that publication arrived. I
can't do that for everyone here, but I would if I could.
And my fish are fine. The house, car, and retaining wall, well, work
progresses.... Phil"


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://list.lovemyoldhome.com/web/wa.cgi?REPORT&z=3
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for
any of the recommendations I make.
AND I DID NOT AUTHORIZE ADS AT THE OLD PUREGOLD SITE

You said the magic or dreaded word "Koi". Research Koi ponds as they
are typically deeper, include bottom drains, settling chambers,
Skimmer, UV and filters that may include anything from vortex systems,
bead filters, trickle towers, or combos of these items. I built my
16x14x4 with BD, setting pond, bead filter, Skimmer with UV and 45 EPDM
liner for $4000. This includes $1000 for coping rocks, plus
landscaping, also the cost of concrete block, cement, rebar, plumbing,
plants, pump, ect.

In 6 years my Koi have grown to be between 6-8 lbs. They are huge poop
makers, so plan accordingly to save headaches down the road.

Happy ponding.


--
Koitoy

Koitoy wrote:
You said the magic or dreaded word "Koi". Research Koi ponds as they
are typically deeper,
.... true
include bottom drains, settling chambers, Skimmer, filters that may include anything from vortex systems,
bead filters, trickle towers, or combos of these items.
..... nope, dont have to

http://weloveteaching.com/mypond/mypond.htm
........... my pond is made of 2x4 greenwood sides with greenwood plywood, carpet
padding, permalon liner, the filter is 2x8 pine with 2x5 cedar front on the filter
and around the front. I DO have a big ass air blower @ $400 but it isnt totally
necessary. I have a pump for the water fall. Once a year I pull out the plants (to
take em inside for winter) and suction out the crud in the filter with a wet vac. I
do use a UV light but the filter really sucks the rest out. The pond has been up
since 2000 and I can still see the stones knocked out of my lily pot and a couple
wrinkles in the liner on the bottom and have never cleaned the bottom at all.
All summer I walk out, sit down, feed the fish. once a week or when I remember I
squish the snails attached to the little wimp pump that feeds the UV. A couple times
in the summer if I think the water is slowing I pull up the pump to clean off the
grate that keeps junk outta the pump. A couple times a year I run 500 gallons or so
out and replace. Other than that ...... I just enjoy it immensely. absolutely cheap
and simplicity itself to take care of. Ingrid


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://list.lovemyoldhome.com/web/wa.cgi?REPORT&z=3
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for
any of the recommendations I make.
AND I DID NOT AUTHORIZE ADS AT THE OLD PUREGOLD SITE

Wrote:
Koitoy wrote:
You said the magic or dreaded word "Koi". Research Koi ponds as they
are typically deeper,
.... true
include bottom drains, settling chambers, Skimmer, filters that may
include anything from vortex systems,
bead filters, trickle towers, or combos of these items.
..... nope, dont have to

http://tinyurl.com/ac7dv
........... my pond is made of 2x4 greenwood sides with greenwood
plywood, carpet
padding, permalon liner, the filter is 2x8 pine with 2x5 cedar front on
the filter
and around the front. I DO have a big ass air blower @ $400 but it
isnt totally
necessary. I have a pump for the water fall. Once a year I pull out
the plants (to
take em inside for winter) and suction out the crud in the filter with
a wet vac. I
do use a UV light but the filter really sucks the rest out. The pond
has been up
since 2000 and I can still see the stones knocked out of my lily pot
and a couple
wrinkles in the liner on the bottom and have never cleaned the bottom
at all.
All summer I walk out, sit down, feed the fish. once a week or when I
remember I
squish the snails attached to the little wimp pump that feeds the UV.
A couple times
in the summer if I think the water is slowing I pull up the pump to
clean off the
grate that keeps junk outta the pump. A couple times a year I run 500
gallons or so
out and replace. Other than that ...... I just enjoy it immensely.
absolutely cheap
and simplicity itself to take care of. Ingrid


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ingrid- Rock on! If your pond works for you- then great. My pond
needed a redo when the Koi grew to 6-8 lbs each. My simple system did
not work anymore. The new system provides crystal clear water, and the
water quality tests excellent, even though I feed the fish a lot. There
is more then one way to have a pond, and I am glad that you enjoy your
pond. But with 6 years experience with Koi- I stand by my
recommendation to do a lot of research, and plan to include adaquate
filtration. Happy ponding.


--
Koitoy

Koitoy Wrote:
Wrote:
Koitoy wrote:
You said the magic or dreaded word "Koi". Research Koi ponds as they
are typically deeper,
.... true
include bottom drains, settling chambers, Skimmer, filters that may
include anything from vortex systems,
bead filters, trickle towers, or combos of these items.
..... nope, dont have to

Just to counter balance the 'how not to do it' and the 'how to burn
money faster' approaches....

Here's the 'how to do it extremely cost effectively and end up with
very happy koi' approach

1) Dig hole in diggable ground, at a steady pace, couple of cubic
yards at a time, over winter when it is convenient to wear thick
clothes and heavy boots.... Dig down 1.5' over most of the area, ramp
sides up by one foot (big tip, dig half the depth, use dug stuff to
raise sides aka dig half a pond to make full depth)

2) 40' x 20' was the target. To cost effectively use 25' wide roll
stuff.

3) 45° Angled sides go to a 30" deep area (deep enough for a bucket,
with water lilies to have 18" water over them) Angled sides
discourage herons, they don't like steep pond sides

4) Kidney narrow mid section has a five foot pit, where sediments
drift and gather in, the rest of the 30" deep area gently shelves
toward the 5' deep 'pit'

5) Pond size, depth and volume is calculated to accommodate five
breeding size koi...

stats: 13,000 gallons, in effect 2,500 gallons per fish. With 60% of
the pond area heavily planted with classy waterlilies, the water
quality of that volume of water being filtered by aquatics easily
coped with five fish. The fish had tons of tasty tid bits to spare
and females spawned three times a year, with a little perk of meaty
tidbits

No pumps, filters or water squelching devices. Yes, there was a
pleasant paddle to rake out sediments drifting into the five foot
deep pit on a day warm for paddling, a couple of dozen buckets to tip
out in the bog bed made for gunnera, nest to the koi pond.

Because of the low density fish levels and very big margin of safety
on water quality, nothing other than topping up required with a hose
pipe. Maybe sprinkle the pond on a hot day to oxygenate it toward
dawn, using existing timer switch

Fish never ill over ten year period... Modest Copper sulphate doses
in Autumn and Spring, to suppress fungus

Cost? Maybe $40 for the liner (traded for with classy aquatic plants)
aka zilch...

Shovel? barely used, already in shed

Stone bridge across part of the pond? that is another story...

Regards, andy
http://tinyurl.com/o8ax


--
adavisus

http://www.msn.americangreetings.com...=1652&rr=y&sou


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://list.lovemyoldhome.com/web/wa.cgi?REPORT&z=3
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for
any of the recommendations I make.
AND I DID NOT AUTHORIZE ADS AT THE OLD PUREGOLD SITE

Fun card. Our turkey did not live up to its female friend. 23
lbs...tomorrow.

Jim
wrote in message
...
http://www.msn.americangreetings.com...=1652&rr=y&sou


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://list.lovemyoldhome.com/web/wa.cgi?REPORT&z=3
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for
any of the recommendations I make.
AND I DID NOT AUTHORIZE ADS AT THE OLD PUREGOLD SITE

wrote in message

http://www.msn.americangreetings.com...=1652&rr=y&sou

That is great! ~ jan
~ jan/WA
Zone 7a

We had a guy with a backhoe do the basic digging of our pond. Cost was only
a few hundred dollars. The hole was 16 x 22 feet. A bargain in terms of
time and effort. In an hour, we had a hole and downhill berm. Think about
the process. We have never regretted the step. The link in the signature
will show you our end product.

Jim

"Cyde Weys" wrote in message
oups.com...
I live in Maryland near Washington, D.C.. Let's say I wanted to build
a pond outside for koi and water plants. I'd be willing to do all of
the work myself, soo ... how much would it cost? I know this depends
on how big it's going to be, so let's say big enough so that it doesn't
freeze over the winter (to keep the fish alive). If that's even
possible, anyway. Presumably I'd need some sort of lining material, the
fish, the plants, and a pump. How much would I expect to pay? And
there's probably other stuff I haven't thought of, seeing as how I
haven't done this before.