Pop's Backyard Pond

(This page may take a bit to load... there's lots of pictures at the bottom)

CLICK  HERE to see how we "winterized" The Pond!

Lots of links to other Pond-pages at the bottom of this page

CLICK HERE to see a live video "feed" from The Pond

The pond consists of two major sections; the "bog-filter" and the main pond.

I wanted a pond that would be mostly maintenance free. I didn't want to have to clean out messy filters all the time. I had kept fresh water tropical fish for years and was tired of the constant maintenance.

So, I designed the pond with a bog-filter that was about 10 - 12 feet in diameter with a large pile of stones in the middle of it. This "filter" is about 15 - 16 inches deep with about 4-5 inches of sand in the bottom. It is planted very heavily with lots of different plants. We pump water from the bottom of the main pond up through the pile of rocks and then let the water cascade down through the rocks into the bog-filter, where the water has to travel through all the plants to eventually over flow back into the main pond.

The large pile of rocks tends to add lots of air to the water as it cascades through them. Further, a bacterial colony grows on the rocks that removes toxins from the water. The plants finish the job of removing toxins from the water so that the water which eventually flows back into the main pond has been processed "naturally" and is fairly clean and healthy. I use two pumps and pump about 1,000 - 1,200 gallons per hour with each pump. If one pump were to fail, I'd still have the other one operating to keep things working until I could replace the failed pump.

Fish need lots of oxygen in the water, so it is important that the pumps be working at all times. To further help put more oxygen back into the water, I have a small water wheel and have recently added a small fountain. I intend to add a large, powerful, air pump to bubble air into the main pond over the winter when we sometimes have to turn the other pumps off because of freezing. If the winter gets cold enough, the upper bog-filter turns to solid ice and the pumps are simply pumping water out of the pond and into the bog-filter where it freezes and cannot return to the pond. You can easily pump a pond empty in a day's time when that happens. So, in the coldest part of the winter, we have to shut down the main pumps. Since the fish are in hibernation at that time, their oxygen needs are greatly reduced. But, during the first few days when they come out of hibernation in the Spring... and before the pumps can be turned on again, is a very dangerous time for the fish. They need lots of oxygen and it is possible that the pumps can still have plugs of frozen ice in the ends of the hoses that go up through the pile of rocks in the bog-filter. So, it is during those few days, that I'll need the bubbler to add the oxygen back into the water.

Now, if the weather is just right, and we can start the main pumps before the fish come out of hibernation, then everything is OK and the bubbler will not be needed.

The main pond is about 32 inches deep in the middle with "shelves" around some parts of the edge on which we can sit potted plants. We have placed as many potted plants as possible on the shelves as well as quite a few floating plants. With a few exceptions all the plants are "hardy" and will survive our Pennsylvania winters.

Next year, I will be adding sand and small pea-gravel to the shelves and planting some of the plants directly in the sand. They will do a lot better if planted directly in the sand. Plants tend to get root-bound very quickly in pots and need to be re-potted almost every year. That's a lot of work, that I plan to eliminate.

Right now we have 10 - 15 large fish (10 - 15 inches each) and 20 - 30 small fish (2 - 6 inches each) in the pond. I have a mixture of species and colors of fish. The small fish are all from hatchings last summer. We also have two frogs, each about the size of a large lemon that we think are eating the fish eggs, because so far this summer we have not had any hatchings. By this time last year we had several hundred fish hatched. We may have to do away with the frogs if we don't soon have some hatchings.

We feed the fish as much as they will eat as often as they will eat it during the summer to help them grow as much as possible. We feed a high-protein food all summer and switch to a high-carb food for fall and spring.

We have lots of algae clinging to the walls of the pond and everything in the pond. But, the water is usually crystal clear. The algae sucks lots of toxins from the water, which helps to keep the water healthy for the fish. When the algae becomes free-floating, we scoop it out with a net.

The concept of the bog-filter has proven to be a good one. However, the bog-filter needs lots of large rocks to splash the water over so it will get lots of air and sunshine and bio-filtration. And, to be sure, it needs to be very densely planted.

I would make the bog-filter about 30 - 50% larger in diameter. As it is, I have to be careful to use stones to deflect the water so the water from the pumps does not splash out of the bog-filter.

I would make the pond about twice as big. The larger the body of water, the easier it is to keep the water healthy for the fish.

I would dig the original hole in the ground to about 40 - 44 inches deep and then put 6-8 inches of sand and pea-gravel (1" gravel...not much bigger) in the bottom on top of the liner. With a layer of sand and pea-gravel in the bottom it would be possible to get into the pond and walk around to do maintenance tasks like arranging under water lights, decorative stones, pumps, fountains, etc. Without the layer of sand and pea gravel, you run the risk of stepping on a sharp stone or cracking a snail shell and puncturing the rubber liner. Also, anything that might fall into the pond accidentally (we have three small grandchildren) could puncture the liner if it had a sharp edge and fell just right.

Buried in the gravel would be a network of 2 - 3" pipe with lots of 1/4" holes drilled in it and connected up in such a way as to act as an under the gravel filter.... sucking everything that settles to the bottom into the pipes for removal to the bog-filter. This under the gravel filter system should feed into a deep reservoir with a very powerful pump that could move the water to the bog-filter. An under the gravel system is also a great help in keeping the bottom of the pond clean and avoiding a build up of toxic waster material.

Skimmer systems are a great help in removing floating debris before it can sink to the bottom. So, I would definitely include a skimmer system. However, rather than having filters in the skimmer that would need to be cleaned, I'd pump the water directly to the bog-filter. The intake to the skimmer system should be opposite the bog-filter's water-fall back into the main pond so as to set up a flow of fresh water (from the bog-filter), across the entire pond,  to the skimmer intake.

I would design the shape of the "shelves" around the edge of the pond so that I could put 3-4 inches of sand and pea gravel on them and then put the plants directly in the sand instead of pots. The plants in pots become root bound very quickly and need to be re-potted almost every year. If they were planted directly in the sand, they would grow much better and be able to expand naturally. People will tell you that if you plant directly into the gravel, that the lotus and grasses will spread and take over the pond. The answer is simple... cull out the excess every spring and sell it of trash it.

I would wrap the hoses from the main pumps with thermal (electrical) tape to prevent the hoses (above ground) from freezing in the winter. That way, the main pumps could be started much earlier in the spring to provide for more oxygen in the water as the fish come out of hibernation.

I would install more hiding places for the fish in the form of large flat slate stones suspended over large round rocks. The fish could swim under these stones to hide from would be predators such as herons.

I would leave the edge of the rubber liner a little longer and not cut it so close. That would allow more flexibility in building up edges of the pond that settle over time and become low places where the pond can over flow.

CLICK  HERE to see how we "winterized" The Pond!

CLICK HERE to see a live video "feed" from The Pond

This photo was taken in early July, 2003 before our Chawan Basu lotus (center foreground) bloomed

CLICK HERE to see a live video "feed" from The Pond

Ludwigia sedoides "Mosaic Plant"

We think this is a beautiful, special, water plant. It is a "tropical" so it cannot live through our cold, Pennsylvania winters. When fall came this year (September 2003) we took some of these plants indoors to see if we could keep them alive over the winter. We'll keep you posted on how it goes. This plant is hardy to Zone 10, and really loves warm water..

The Water Hyacinth plant is a mixed blessing for water gardens. It sucks out tons of nutrients from the water which helps to make the water nice for the fish. But, it also spreads like wild fire and will crowd out things like lilies and lotus. The picture below was taken in our pond in July 2003. While these plants are thought to be "tropical" there is considerable fear that they might, one day, develop hardy characteristics and become a terrible nuisance if released into the wild in the northern states, They are already a terrible problem in the southern states. To see more details about this plant and how we got it to bloom indoors after we took it in for the winter, click HERE..

Our 'bog filter' is the secret to our low maintenance. We pump water from the main pond up through a pile of rocks and let it cascade down over and through the rocks into the shallow basin at the bottom where it eventually over flows back into the main pond. The many plants in the bog suck nutrients out of the water. A bio-culture in the rocks also helps with purifying the water. Lots of air and sunshine does the rest. We do not use any other type of filter... nothing to have to clean out!

The wind mill is purely decorative. The base under the windmill is a housing for all the under ground electrical circuits that power the pumps and lights. The water wheel is decorative, but it also adds a lot of oxygen to the water.

Chawan Basu Lotus

We are now (September 2003) busy collecting the lotus seeds so we can sprout them during the winter. Then, in the spring we'll have several happy, healthy, new lotus plants to set out in the pond. The Chawan Basu, like most lotus, is a hardy species. This variety typically sells for around $45.00 when mature and potted. If you'd like seeds from our Chawan Basu, send me an Email and I'll put you on the list for next fall, Oct 2004. We only had 12 seeds this year.

Next year we hope to have photos of our Mrs. Perry D. Slocum Lotus! We're trying to grow the lotus from some seeds given to us by a friend in our local water garden club. I doubt if we'll have any blossoms by next year - I'm told they won't bloom until the 2nd or 3rd season.

We've been able to locate some seeds for the Egyptian Blue Lotus...which is actually a tropical lily. I'm told that there is no such thing as a true "Blue Lotus". We hope to have some plants to set out in the spring if we're successful in getting the seeds to germinate and grow over the winter months.

Chawan Basu Lotus

"Anna Epple" pink, day-blooming, hardy, lily

Nymphea "Little Sue" day-blooming, hardy, lily
Peachy bronze flowers, with very speckled foliage
Notice the edge of a Mosaic cluster to the left of the flower.

This is a red, double hollyhock. while it is not exactly a "pond plant" it is planted in the soil near the edge of our pond and adds lots of color all summer long. Hollyhocks like full sun.

Nymphea "Little Sue" day-blooming, hardy, lily

"Walter Pagels" white, day-blooming, hardy, lily

Lobelia 'Queen Victoria'
(the little red-colored stuff)

Nymphoides crenata (sometimes called Nymphoides germinata) "Yellow Water Snowflake", day-blooming, tropical, lily
Delicately fringed yellow flowers present themselves above distinctly ruffled foliage that sprouts a burgundy-red
blotch in the center. this lily is hardy to Zone 8, so we have to buy a new one each year here in our Pennsylvania Zone 6 climate.

We had two frogs about this size in our pond most of the summer (2003). We enjoyed hearing them "sing", but I suspect that they were the reason that we didn't have any baby fish hatching this year. Last year, we had no frogs and we had tons of baby fish hatching out all summer long. So, I wasn't too broken up when our two frogs left the pond for new horizons.

These are the first blooms (summer 2004) from our Blue Nile "Lotus"
I was finally able to acquire this plant from a local breeder. I tried to raise "Blue Nile' plants from seed with no luck at all. I am told that there is no such thing as a "blue" lotus. However, if any of you know of one, please let me know!!

The Blue Nile "Lotus" is actually a tropical lily called the Nymphaea Blue Capensis
It is a day-bloomer and should get a bit larger than these first blooms. It is hardy to Zone 8, but here in Pennsylvania (Zone 6), it will need to be taken in during the winter.

These are some beautiful red/orange lilies that are planted in the soil near the edge of the pond. They get about 3' high and bloom in June. They are hardy here in Pennsylvania. I have no idea what their correct name is. If any of you know, please let me know.

These are the same lilies as the ones to the left. The difference is the type of lighting that was used to take the picture. The ones to the left were shot in full sun shine. These were shot on a cloudy, overcast, day. By the way, these lilies are growing in an area that receives shade about 80% of the day.

This is one of our famous "Popper" plants taken during the day when the blossoms are closed. The plant blooms at night and then closes up during the day. It blooms in June, but only every other year! The plant gets about 5' high and really looks like a weed when it is first growing in the spring. The plant is very hardy and easily comes back every year after the harshest winters.

Here you see the same plant during the early evening when the blossoms have opened.

The plant is hardy here in Pennsylvania, and tends to spread a bit. I have been told that it is called a "night blooming prim rose". We've always called it a "Popper" plant.

Here is another cluster of blossoms taken with flash at night. This plant attracts humming birds... at NIGHT!! I've seen hummingbirds feeding on this plant as late as 11:00pm... well after dark!

Here is our beautiful blood-red Dahlia. It is planted in the soil, in full sun, near the pond. It is a "tropical" day-bloomer that begins blooming in mid-June. The plant gets about 4 feet tall. In the fall you dig the tuber "root" and store it in a cool, dry, place in the basement.

This is one of our orange-colored lilies. It grows to about 5' to 6' high and blooms in June. It is planted in the soil near the edge of the pond. It is hardy. If any of you know the correct name for this lily, please let me know.

For more pictures of things that grow
around The Pond, CLICK HERE

Pond Starting Page

Pond_Flowers_1

Pond_Flowers_2

Pond_Flowers_3

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Starting Moon Flowers

Dealing With Herons

Winterizing A Pond

The Egyptian Blue Lotus

Water Hyacinth

Growing Blue Lotus

Starting With Seeds

Starting Carnations From Seeds

RoboGator

Holding Tropicals Over The Winter

Starting Lotus Seeds

Tree Trimming

Live Video Feed From The Pond