What is your pond experience?

**thailazer** · 15-11-2010, 03:48 PM

We have room on our property for a 10 by 30 meter pond, but we are wondering if it is worth doing. Water table is 3 meters below the surface, so we would have to pump it full. A few of the neighbors have ponds and they seem nice but not well kept up. Why the water never drains away from them is beyond me.

If you put in a pond, was it worth it? Are you glad you did it? What were the pitfalls?

**dirtydog** · 15-11-2010, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by thailazer

Why the water never drains away from them is beyond me.

Don't they lime them? I like my pond and it is always full, but I have never done anything to it.

**DrAndy** · 15-11-2010, 04:07 PM

my pond is great; the water never drains away because the earth is clay and is fairly impermeable

it does get filled and drained when they let the water into the adjoining canals, but we control that

you could fill yours in the rainy season if you don't want to pump water and have no canal

the local farmers drain their ponds once a year and catch all the fish that have got in with the canal water, sometimes very large ones

I don't do that anymore and have a nicely balanced eco-pond which attracts all sorts of wildlife

it used to look like this

and then like this - a year ago

I will have to take some more pics

**superman** · 15-11-2010, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by thailazer

Why the water never drains away from them is beyond me.

It's called clay. Which reminds me of an Irish guy I worked with. He said that if you had a bucket of sand and poured some water on the sand, it will disappear. Whereas the sea never disappears. So that goes to show you that there is a God.
An absolutely true story.

**DrAndy** · 15-11-2010, 04:08 PM

oh yes, pitfalls

the most serious is edge erosion but hopefully we have solved the worst of that with the planting

**dirtydog** · 15-11-2010, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by superman

if you had a bucket of sand and poured some water on the sand, it will disappear. Whereas the sea never disappears. So that goes to show you that there is a God.

He has a good point though.

FarangRed · 15-11-2010, 04:36 PM

I posted a thread a while ago I think they look great to have but I am not an expert.
Take a look at mine

https://teakdoor.com/farming-and-gard...d-flowers.html

**superman** · 15-11-2010, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Originally Posted by superman

if you had a bucket of sand and poured some water on the sand, it will disappear. Whereas the sea never disappears. So that goes to show you that there is a God.

He has a good point though.

I could write a book on the things the little jerk used to say and ask. I'm of Irish origin myself, and he really brought it home that I was lucky not to have been full Irish. The guy was 63 and asked me what an orgasm was. He'd over heard the word whilst I was in conversation with someone else. I told him it was what he has when he has a wank. He said "I don't wank". Bearing in mind his age, I said "when you used to wank". He then got irate claiming "I've never wanked" and want to fight me.
I could go on.

**Airportwo** · 15-11-2010, 06:38 PM

Use Bentonite (clay) to seal a pond, cheap and effective.

**thailazer** · 15-11-2010, 07:05 PM

Thanks all for the posts. And Dr Andy, those pics are great. Thanks for posting them. One of the reasons we would like one is as you stated, that they attract all sorts of wildlife. I know of the clay sealer as it was used back in the USA on canals I lived next to. The neighbors here in Thailand say all they did was "dig the hole", so I guess the underlying material is clay like it is on the surface. (Dry season the surface is rock hard!)

Okay so next questions: How deep did you go? Did a truck take the dirt away, or did the end-loader move it out and away?

**superman** · 15-11-2010, 07:14 PM

You can either sell the soil yourself and pay the excavation fees, or get it excavated for free, and the contractor sells the soil. It's open to negotiation.

**Loy Toy** · 15-11-2010, 07:15 PM

Here's my pond and the biggest problem with it is it draws snakes, lizards and pollution from the local council.

Great for fishing though and the kids take a row boat out on it occassionally.

**thailazer** · 15-11-2010, 08:55 PM

Nice view from inside the house Loy! But aren't the snakes eaten by the herons?

**thailazer** · 15-11-2010, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by superman

You can either sell the soil yourself and pay the excavation fees, or get it excavated for free, and the contractor sells the soil. It's open to negotiation.

We actually have an area that we would like raised a bit, so it is a short haul of 50 meters or so. We haven't talked to any contractors yet but don't expect it would be too expensive when you consider a truckload of fill delivered up here is 400 baht.

**Loy Toy** · 15-11-2010, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by thailazer

Nice view from inside the house Loy! But aren't the snakes eaten by the herons?

At one time we had hundreds of birds, turtles and other wildlife and it was wonderful.

Then the Pattaya council allowed everyone to pump their sewerage into the stormwater drains and f##ked up everything but after a big fight it looks like we are getting the lake back to normal.

**DrAndy** · 16-11-2010, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Originally Posted by superman

if you had a bucket of sand and poured some water on the sand, it will disappear. Whereas the sea never disappears. So that goes to show you that there is a God.

He has a good point though.

God has no point

**DrAndy** · 16-11-2010, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by thailazer

Okay so next questions: How deep did you go? Did a truck take the dirt away, or did the end-loader move it out and away?

our lake was exavated and the soil used to make the adjoining land higher, for the building plot and gardens. This was done by a previous owner and was almost box shaped (deep at the edges)

Because of edge erosion, we had it remodelled into a saucer profile, about 3 m deep in the centre

**DrAndy** · 16-11-2010, 07:19 AM

Originally Posted by thailazer

But aren't the snakes eaten by the herons?

I wondered where all my snakes had gone last year! but we have some nice big ones again this year

**sabang** · 16-11-2010, 09:57 AM

Yep, yours is an absolute beauty LT, and the wee critters and occasional pong is a very small price to pay. But mate, you're on a bend in a canal with weirs & stuff. A humble hole in the ground is what most of us are restricted to.

We got our humble hole in the ground dug no problems, but things hit a snag when we sank a few holes to find no water underfoot. Most of us do not have watercourses flowing through our properties, unfortunately. Anyhow, that didn't stop us throwing 65 striplings (pla nin, pla duk and 'redfish'(?) )in there early August, and letting the pond fill naturally-

That was near it's peak, it's prolly dropped a couple of foot since. But, hallelujah, we now have well water sorted (thru' snide means), and pretty good stuff too. So we can keep the pond going during dry season, and maybe even get it looking nice

.

We had agreed not to catch or harvest any until December, but you know how it goes

-

If the hole in the ground leaks too much, we'll drain and harvest it during the dry, and get it coated with clay. I reckon it's fun having a fishpond.

Of course, little goes to waste in Isaan. I'm assured it was delicious-

**dirtydog** · 16-11-2010, 10:13 AM

I want one of these

**Norton** · 16-11-2010, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

I want one of these

Great place. Nice cozy bedroom inside as well. Last time I stayed, the "pond" was a hole in the ground. Filled up, looks much better.

**Norton** · 16-11-2010, 11:54 AM

Having a fair amount of land we have a few ponds. None really for esoteric value, even though they are attractive, but rather a source of food fish.

All no maintenance. Dig a hole in the ground and except for annual stocking with fingerling fish and some feeding, let mother nature take care of the rest. We help mother nature a bit when at the beginning of dry season, small ponds are pumped dry and fish are harvested. Great fun for the kids as they muck around in a few centimeters of water trying to catch the elusive, slippery fish.

This one right behind the house. Good place to sit on the bank and contemplate my navel.

Another about 50 meters from the house.

And this one which has been on property for many years. Really more a natural lake now. Totally self sustaining. Fish and fresh water prawns reproduce and even in dry season has water albeit at times very low.

**DrAndy** · 16-11-2010, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Norton

All no maintenance. Dig a hole in the ground

those pics show my problem from before

unlike yourself, my pond edge was near the path and boundary, so erosion was a serious problem

you are getting steep edges and that means the middle is getting filled up and shallower

**Norton** · 16-11-2010, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by DrAndy

you are getting steep edges and that means the middle is getting filled up and shallower

Yes, edges much steeper and deeper. Built for different purpose than yours. Food vs water feature.

**thailazer** · 16-11-2010, 09:45 PM

Thanks all for the comments and excellent photos. My wife and I have decided we will put it in. Makes sense for the fill we need, and we both enjoy watching birds and other critters. Raising a few fish would be neat as well if they would do okay in a small pond 10 wide by 30 meters long. (Actually 17 meters wide on one end.)

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