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Half Barrel pond and new pond project.

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Nice and settled today.

Thought I would share what I'm doing with ferts etc.

I'm basically putting a tipple of tnc complete in each day, I have a small glass tank outside with some duckweed, a bit of frogbit and a few stems of elodea I'm using tnc Lite on to see if I get different results.
 
When you get the bug...

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Going to remove the plant at the back, dig down in steps 1ft at a time, going to be 4ft in the middle, 2 high breeze block wall around it.

Plan is to house goldfish, or I might end up falling in and resting myself 😆
 
That plant would provide a decent amount of shade for fish. I would keep it.
So many goldfish to choose from now, your spoilt for fish.
And remember fancies do very well outdoors aswell.
 
Gill said:
That plant would provide a decent amount of shade for fish. I would keep it.
So many goldfish to choose from now, your spoilt for fish.
And remember fancies do very well outdoors aswell.
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I have actually kept some of the plant closest to the fence, gonna be a while yet before I get around to finishing it, apparently we need to redecorate and re floor some rooms in the house first.
 
Anyone have any experience with portable power stations that are solar powered?

I'm trying to come up with a way to filter the new pond without running electricity from the house.

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That's the barrel today going to go duckweed hunting at the weekend.
 
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Do you really need a filter?
If the barrel just houses plants & various water beasties with no fish then there shouldn't be any water quality issues.
I don't filter my little tub & the water is clear with loads of daphnia etc buzzing around.
The patio pond containing brawling hooligan fish is another matter.....😄
 
The Miniaturist said:
Do you really need a filter?
If the barrel just houses plants & various water beasties with no fish then there shouldn't be any water quality issues.
I don't filter my little tub & the water is clear with loads of daphnia etc buzzing around.
The patio pond containing brawling hooligan fish is another matter.....😄
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Yeah it's the new pond I'm digging I need to filter, going to house goldfish.
 
Sorry, my mistake, I forgot you were digging a new pond as well!
I've just got a solar fountain which I turn off in the evening but a filter would need to run all the time. I'm hoping as I have filled the pond with oxygenating & other plants it will reach some kind of equilibrium eventually & a filter won't be needed.
 
In general pond filters have a UV light and need to run 24/7 As far as I am aware there is no cheap off the shelf solar solution. The main problem with it being solar is you need a battery to store energy for when the sun is not shining (night as the bio filter must run 24/7) Batteries that can do the job are big (In capacity) so you need more/bigger solar panels. I costed it for my pool, it would be fun to do but I stopped when the figures hit £700, Just found another place for the kit, silly me, it wasn't £700 see for your self, click me
 
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martin-green said:
In general pond filters have a UV light and need to run 24/7 As far as I am aware there is no cheap off the shelf solar solution. The main problem with it being solar is you need a battery to store energy for when the sun is not shining (night as the bio filter must run 24/7) Batteries that can do the job are big (In capacity) so you need more/bigger solar panels. I costed it for my pool, it would be fun to do but I stopped when the figures hit £700, Just found another place for the kit, silly me, it wasn't £700 see for your self, click me
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What about some form of generator that collects solar energy but you can charge manually from the mains when it's dry?
 
richard brown said:
What about some form of generator that collects solar energy but you can charge manually from the mains when it's dry?
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The only other "solar collector" I know of heats water, which would be no use in this case. If you could find such a device that was electric, you would need at least two of the "collector/storage" devices, so you could charge one and use the other. Sadly you can't use a car battery either, well you could, but it wouldn't last long (years) as car batteries are not meant to be fully discharged on a regular basis, you would need "deep cycle" batteries, a decent (10yr warrantee) battery is around £400, but you would still need 2 of them. (One on charge while the other one is in use.) Having outside sockets installed is looking better. Unless anyone has other suggestions? (I would still like to run it on solar, just for the "fun/project" aspect of it, but it's too expensive, and running it on the mains is cheaper.)
 
How would a 2500l pond cope with 4 goldfish/shabunkin and no pump/filter?obv will have floaters and a load of elodea, maybe a lotus and some marginals?
 
The jury is still out on that one. Some say that a pond WILL achieve "natural balance" on its own, some say doesn't work. Me? I am sitting on the fence, I have seen some ponds that "always stay clear" .....................except that time last year when it all went green. (So it didn't stay clear all the time then.) To date, no where have I ever seen a "formula" that works 100% for any pond, which leads me to say, with no filter and UV, try it and see.
 
Just wanted to picksome brains.

Im considering this: Outdoor socket extension

Would this be feasable providing I make sure I use a containment box for the sockets to protect them and protect the wire enough?
 
Just my 2p worth.

On the face of it, it looks like it may be suitable, but when you take a good look............................

About this item​


  • Product 1: WEATHERPROOF AND ROBUST: From Masterplug, the double inline socket extension lead, has an IP54 weather and dust proof rating, giving you a safe temporary outdoor power supply
It is only designed to be used for example, to be run out, spike pushed into the soil while you cut the grass, and if it rains, you can leave it outside as the plug is connected under a weather proof cover (Orange thing, not green box) just hope lawnmower doesn't rust. ;)
There is no mention of RCD protection.
The orange flex, is just that, orange flex, it is not capable of withstanding cold temperature (You would need this if it is to stay outside all year, which it is NOT designed to do)
The orange flex has no mechanical protection, meaning it can easily be severed, nicked or similar, another reason it is only for temporary use.
If you do the job properly you will save money in the long run.

Are you putting in a cheap polythene liner in the hole? why not, it will hold water? Obviously you will be using a decent quality of liner, so why not do the electrical part right first time too?
 
martin-green said:
Just my 2p worth.

On the face of it, it looks like it may be suitable, but when you take a good look............................

About this item​


  • Product 1: WEATHERPROOF AND ROBUST: From Masterplug, the double inline socket extension lead, has an IP54 weather and dust proof rating, giving you a safe temporary outdoor power supply
It is only designed to be used for example, to be run out, spike pushed into the soil while you cut the grass, and if it rains, you can leave it outside as the plug is connected under a weather proof cover (Orange thing, not green box) just hope lawnmower doesn't rust. ;)
There is no mention of RCD protection.
The orange flex, is just that, orange flex, it is not capable of withstanding cold temperature (You would need this if it is to stay outside all year, which it is NOT designed to do)
The orange flex has no mechanical protection, meaning it can easily be severed, nicked or similar, another reason it is only for temporary use.
If you do the job properly you will save money in the long run.

Are you putting in a cheap polythene liner in the hole? why not, it will hold water? Obviously you will be using a decent quality of liner, so why not do the electrical part right first time too?
Click to expand...
I get what you are saying completely, you can add rcd protection to that item by adding the option on the page, I would also completely box it in a watertight container, I would also make sure the wire is very well protected.

Part of the reason I am looking to compromise is we live in a council property and I'm not sure if I would actually be allowed to install an outdoor socket.
 
Only asking, how are you going to make a cable that is flexible and only designed for temporary use "well protected" so it can survive the extremes of weather and being accidentally hit?
richard brown said:
Part of the reason I am looking to compromise is we live in a council property and I'm not sure if I would actually be allowed to install an outdoor socket.
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Who is going to know? You should only do the job once, do it right first time, as it often costs less as you don't have to change what you have done.
 
martin-green said:
Only asking, how are you going to make a cable that is flexible and only designed for temporary use "well protected" so it can survive the extremes of weather and being accidentally hit?


Who is going to know? You should only do the job once, do it right first time, as it often costs less as you don't have to change what you have done.
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By feeding it through some casing and laying under the slabs on the patio, any external wire would be in casing. I cant see aslong as I take all precautions why this cant be done.
 
I think I'm right that you didn't line this? Are you sure you can add fish? The guides that I saw were mostly clear that a whisky barrel needs lined. Sorry if I misread the thread.
 
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