I finally started my pond

[jinman]

So would you use PVC pipe or styrofoam for floatation?:confused2:
hugs, Brandi

I would use the PVC for durability and add blocks of styrofoam before sealing the final two pieces together. That way if it ever leaks, the styrofoam inside will prevent it from filling with water and sinking.

 

[bindian]

I would use the PVC for durability and add blocks of styrofoam before sealing the final two pieces together. That way if it ever leaks, the styrofoam inside will prevent it from filling with water and sinking.

Jim,
That is an excellant idea. Walmart and Hobby Lobby have round foam. With the PVC pipe, I can use extra long ty wraps (zip ties) to secure the deck to the pipe.
hugs, Brandi

 

[firefighter9208]

Use swin Noodles found in the kids section at walmart. Cheap!

 

[bindian]

Use swin Noodles found in the kids section at walmart. Cheap!

Another AWESOME suggestion.:thumbsup: I have used Noodles plenty of years in the Frio River. I will check this out for sure.
hugs, Brandi

 

[rd_macgregor]

I just waded through all 29 pages of this thread, whew!
A really nice project and great looking pond, too.
I have a great place for a pond, and have been thinking of digging a pond there for nearly 20 years...but I obviously don't have the initiative that you've shown!
What I wonder is how you mow around the pond edge? Elsewhere, I've read about any number of folks who've driven or tipped their mowers into their ponds. With the very steep sides on yours (I mean the drop-off into deep water), a tip over might very well be fatal. Do you just leave the grass long near the water's edge or weed-whip it or what?
BOB

 

[bindian]

I just waded through all 29 pages of this thread, whew!
A really nice project and great looking pond, too.
I have a great place for a pond, and have been thinking of digging a pond there for nearly 20 years...but I obviously don't have the initiative that you've shown!
What I wonder is how you mow around the pond edge? Elsewhere, I've read about any number of folks who've driven or tipped their mowers into their ponds. With the very steep sides on yours (I mean the drop-off into deep water), a tip over might very well be fatal. Do you just leave the grass long near the water's edge or weed-whip it or what?
BOB

Thanks. I mow it with a Hustler FasTrac Zero Turn mower and use a Weedeater on the water side slope. The FasTrac is low and swatty enough to feel pretty solid on all but the water side. I chicken out there. I am more concerned with a tire loosing traction at the water's edge. If that happens, I would be stuck. The turf tires get slip stuck on level wet low ground and grass way too often. When one tire spins.......the other tire turns the mower into the spinning tire...........which would be a big splash at water's edge.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I just waded through all 29 pages of this thread, whew!

BOB

It just dawned:confused2: on me what your stated..........29 pages. I had no idea!
hugs, Brandi

 

[firefighter9208]

Brandi,

I was going to buy a Grasshopper Zero Turn so the dealer brought me one out to demo. I wasn't real good at operating yet, but decided to mow the inside edge of my dam. :drool: I slid that suck right off into the water. Luckily I was at the spillway and the water wasn't very deep.

I also weedeat around the inside edge of the dam now.

Chris

 

[bindian]

Brandi,

I was going to buy a Grasshopper Zero Turn so the dealer brought me one out to demo. I wasn't real good at operating yet, but decided to mow the inside edge of my dam. :drool: I slid that suck right off into the water. Luckily I was at the spillway and the water wasn't very deep.

I also weedeat around the inside edge of the dam now.

Chris

Firefighter9208,
I don't know if I want to laugh or feel bad for you.:confused2: Either way.....your pants got wet. Now what was scary was having the Big RED Beast up on that dam, parallel with the dam.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I have a question about my catfish. They have been seen from time to time swimming around and circling back and forth like sharks. They investigate anything that lands on the water and floats. They are not hitting the surface for lack of air, but just swimming within a foot of the surface. Are they underfed:licking: and are hungry? We only see one or two at a time doing this.:confused2: When I do feed them, they take a second or two for all of them to surface and feed, so I know they are staying deep for most of the time.
hugs, Brandi

 

[jinman]

Brandi, that kind of activity is normal to what I have seen. In our lake, the big catfish swim back and forth for probably 150' of shoreline. There are so many of them, they make a wake. My wife and I joke about Jaws in the water. I think it's that they see us and get very excited about being fed. It's a normal reaction like a dog getting excited as you prepare their dinner. Catfish are pretty darn smart when it comes to food and they learn quickly who is going to feed them, exactly where, and at what time. Our's rarely jump out of the water until we feed them, but sometimes because there are so many fish in the water they will come to the surface to avoid a collision.:laughing:

 

[EddieWalker]

I feed my catfish in my small pond, but not my big pond. When it's feeding time, you can see them coming from across the pond!!!! But in my big pond, you can see the ripples of them as the go along the shoreline, and it's always looked to me like they were on patrol.

I don't know what they are doing, or why, but it's fairly common behavior and not something to be alarmed about.

As for more food, the more you give them, the bigger they will get. There is a point of being wasteful, but you can figure that out real fast if there's any food left over after they have fed. Mine are getting to and going over the ten pound mark from feeding them every day, during the warm months. It's taken about four years, which I think is very impressive.

Eddie

 

[bindian]

Thanks Jim and Eddie! That all makes sense now. They are not seen as I first approach the water, but after I stand there a second or two and I can be seen. The cats leave a little food floating that the mosquito fish are going after. Every once in a while a cat will swallow a small mosquito fish instead of the food.:licking: One cat is approaching about 8 inches now. They are really growing fast.:thumbsup:
hugs, Brandi

 

[tractorshopper]

Another excellent project thread on TBN. I'm excited for you and it's beautiful. Will hopefully start mine in the next year or so. Gaining experience from following others' projects. Y'all are inspirational.

 

[bindian]

Another excellent project thread on TBN. I'm excited for you and it's beautiful. Will hopefully start mine in the next year or so. Gaining experience from following others' projects. Y'all are inspirational.

Thanks Tractorshopper!:thumbsup: I am really enjoying it more now that the Blue catfish are getting bigger and roving during the afternoon.
hugs, Brandi

 

[MMH]

Good Info - I'm thinking about a pond too, but the wife is not too excited yet.

 

[bindian]

Good Info - I'm thinking about a pond too, but the wife is not too excited yet.

MMH,
Show her great photos of ponds after completed, full of water and stocked with fish and landscaped. The peaceful tranquility of the pond with wildlife coming and going is very soothing.
Show photos of picnic tables, gazebos, and swings near the pond to make it family oriented........or just for You and her. hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I screwed up.:ashamed: I had some algae blooming and I bought Cutrine-Plus Algaecide from Tractor Supply. I miss figured and put in 4 times too much.:ashamed::ashamed::ashamed: I realized my mistake later Saturday night when I was rechecking dosage rates for the second half of the pond. The cats died oh so slowly, it really hurt me that it took that long. Seems they were fine down deep, but would come up, I guess to eat, and get into the algaecide. The last one died this morning.

So life goes on after shedding a few tears and praying to God not to do that mistake again. I stocked Blue Catfish on the advice of a supervisor of mine that Blue's grow fast. But I heard a while back from Eddie that he stocked Channel catfish for catchability. So I am wondering which to stock now.:confused2: What do Y'all think? I am still partial to the Blue catfish for they look like miniature sharks when they come shallow to feed.
hugs, Brandi

 

[rtdiggr]

uuummmmm!!!! gold fish. sorry i couldn't resist, sorry that you lost your fishies.

Shane

 

[EddieWalker]

Sorry to hear about your loss. I usually like chemicals, but don't want to mess with them and alge. I actually like the look of a little bit of it on my pond. How bad was it on your pond?

What I've found with alge and fighting it is to not even try. Usualy the problem is from feeding fish too much food and adding to the food supply for the alge with fish poo. That's just pure fertilizer for the alge, and by over feeding the fish, you just cause them to create more fertilizer for the alge.

My vote is still for channels. Who did you buy your fish from? My supplier, Tyler Fish Farms, is also a fish biologist and he give advice for free when you go to buy from him. I know Overton Fisheries, or something like that is down your way and they also give out advice for free on what to stock, how much to put in there and when the best times are to do so.

Too many fish is worse then not enough. Stocking them at the wrong time, or in the wrong combination is also a big mistake that can set you back.

Being that it is the middle of summer, I might just buy fathead minnows and coppernose bluegill this year and wait until spring for the cats. Of course, the biologists will know more then me and that really is who you need to talk to.

Good luck,
Eddie