#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Construction in Thailand >  >  > Building in Thailand Famous Threads >  >  Buadhai Builds A Pond

## buad hai

I sincerely hope that this thread doesn't go on as long as the house construction thread. But, it may....

While waiting for the new fridge to arrive yesterday I decided to get to work on the pond. The plants we've put in pretty much define where the pond will go and we'd discussed many times what we want. There will be two connected ponds. One long narrow pond that will look like a flowing stream and another roughly circular pond. The stream will be in the shade and will be surrounded with shade loving plants. The pond will be in the sun and will be planted with lotus and lily.

This will be a lined pond. Around the rim of the pond will be a poured concrete beam that will secure the edge of the pond and prevent collapse from people walking around it.

The first step is to level the area where the pond will be. Since I want the pond to be about 15 cm lower than the stream I had to dig out and level an area slightly larger than the pond.


The stream will come from the vicinity of the large Plumeria tree in the background, flow about where the yellow spirit level is and into the pond.


I used a long, semi-straight 2X4 and the spirit level. It doesn't have to be exact, just roughly level.


The actual pond will be about 15 cm smaller than the excavated area. I've drawn a line in the dirt to define where the trench for the beam will be.


Yes, the old geezer is really doing this all by himself.

Not sure when I'll get to digging the trench and pouring the beam, but I'm hoping it will be this week. They started building a house next to ours so I should have a close-by supply of water "real soon now".

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## Marmite the Dog

Did you get dirt on the camera or did Mrs BH take all the piccies?

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## AntRobertson

This should be good, quite keen on putting one in myself so will be interesting to follow your progress - and learn from any mistakes  :Wink:

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## sabang

I look forward to this one too.  :Smile:

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## buad hai

> Did you get dirt on the camera or did Mrs BH take all the piccies?


Now, now. I'm a very clean worker....

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## buad hai

As I mentioned this is a lined pond. Here's what the cross section of the finished pond is supposed to look like:



After pouring the concrete beam around the perimeter you dig out the pond. Mine will be about 60-70 meters with one bit a little deeper than that.

Next step is to put some sort of underlayment. This protects the liner from puncture from roots or sharp objects remaining in the soil. In the US you can buy specially made woven stuff that is quite strong and lasts forever. I haven't seen it here. In the past, I have used cardboard and newspaper. Buried newspaper lasts almost forever. As it gets wet underground it forms a sort of gel that is actually waterproof. So, if the liner gets punctured the newspaper gel can actually slow the leak.

The liner goes on next. You need to use a piece that is wide enough to cover the bottom and sides and then come up a few cm higher than the proposed water level. You can slowly fill the pond as you fit the liner into the corners and up the sides of the pond.

I plan to use PVC liner. I can be repaired with ordinary PVC glue and a hunk of the liner. And, it is flexible enough to fit easily into the odd shapes of the pond sides. UV resistant PVC liner is available locally.

Next step is to mortar rocks or pavers to anchor the liner and provide an edging for the pond. Along the "stream" I plan to use granite rocks. Around the pond I will use some brick (if I can find it) or laterite pavers so people can stand on the edge and look into the pond.

Once the mortar is set you can fill the pond up to the desired level. It's a good idea to create some sort of overflow outlet so that if the pond gets over full from rain (or whatever) you can direct the flow of the excess.

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## Marmite the Dog

> Mine will be about 60-70 meters with one bit a little deeper than that.


Fuck! That's deep!

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## AntRobertson

> Mine will be about 60-70 meters with one bit a little deeper than that.


What are you doing, planning on going diving!?  You'll have to watch out for the bends at those depths, don't forget to equalise!

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## buad hai

Uh, er, that's centimeters....

This metric stuff is so confusing!

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## Thetyim

It's  an escape plan.
Any TD members appear he can leap into his bathascope and dive out of contact   :Smile:

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## buad hai

Ah, thread post count climbing nicely....

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## AntRobertson

> Uh, er, that's centimeters.... This metric stuff is so confusing!


Oh right, just as well we cleared that up then.  Yup, you'll be needing a lot deeper than that for your dive pond.

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## buad hai



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## Marmite the Dog

Will you hire a digger or just use a spade?

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## The_Dude

This diagram shows no room for fish to turn around. And if a fat visitor will fall in they may get wedged in. :Smile:

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## Thetyim

If you see this man in the bar don't speak to him

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## buad hai

> Will you hire a digger or just use a spade?


The same tiny Lao woman who digs the tunnels under the streets here.




> This diagram shows no room for fish to turn around. And if a fat visitor will fall in they may get wedged in.


Better not cross post this on Thai Visa then.

Mods? Can this thread be moved to the "Jokes and Funny Stories" forum then?

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## Thetyim

You must end up with over cubic metre of earth.
Where will it go ?

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## AntRobertson

> Mods? Can this thread be moved to the "Jokes and Funny Stories" forum then?


Apologies, keep it up.  I'll keep my lame jokes to myself  :Wink: 

Genuinely interested to see how you get on.  Definately interested in doing something similar at my place when we've finished our current renovations.

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## buad hai

> Apologies, keep it up. I'll keep my lame jokes to myself


No, no. It's good fun. I've been laughing so loud I've lost track of the movie I was trying to watch....




> You must end up with over cubic metre of earth.
> Where will it go ?


Places like this:



I used the soil from the first excavation to vary the terrain between the pond and the carport. I didn't want it to be perfectly flat, so that was a good spot for it.

I've yet to buy a wheelbarrow. I will before I dig the main hole and then put some of the dirt in slumps as in the photo above and the rest will be used to raise the grade level around the stream.

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## AntRobertson

> You must end up with over cubic metre of earth. Where will it go ?


I had a problem with that when they dug the base for my driveway.  Unfortunately I wasn't there at the time so when I got how there where filthy great sods of turf lined all the way around my fence line  :Sad:

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## buad hai

Started raining last night here in Korat and has continued to drizzle all day and looks to continue. Unfortunately, that puts an end to the pond work for now. I don't mind digging, but I won't dig in the mud.

Ms. B's off tomorrow. Maybe I can persuade her how much we need a wheelbarrow.

Updates when work continues.

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## jizzybloke

Good stuff bh i thoroughly enjoy your threads!  :Smile:

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## buad hai

^Thanks bloke.

Just got back from the house and it's almost as if it never rained there. No mud. So, if I can convince Ms. B to buy some cement, gravel and sand tomorrow I'll be pouring the perimeter beam this week.

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## buad hai

Who knows what these are for?

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## buad hai

> It's the most beautiful pond I've ever seen.


Thanks so much!

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## Marmite the Dog

No problem mate. Good job and all that...

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## El Gibbon

A job well done BH

Guess I gotta spread some Rep around but you get the gist.


E. G.

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## hillbilly

I think it looks great. I love doing projects like this. And yes, I have the same misfortunes... :Sad:

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## buad hai

> And yes, I have the same misfortunes...


Some of which you have beautifully and humorously illustrated. Your threads are an inspiration. The leg injury photo essay comes to mind....

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## Scooter

Fantastic looking pond,really enjoyed this thread.

Whats the next project then?

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## a. boozer

> Whats the next project then?



One would assume, moving in !

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## buad hai

> One would assume, moving in !


I wish....

Future garden projects include sprinklers for the rest of the garden, a small sala next to the house and overlooking the stream, a platform for the spirit house, a catchment and drainage system for the roof runoff on the pond side of the house, a mini-garden with small fountain or pond off the kitchen and more.

A gardener's work is never done....

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## Jet Gorgon

Yes, it is lovely and truly tranquil. Great job and it seemed so fast. Hope you have a nice perch there to drink beer and enjoy it. What colour are the fishies?

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## buad hai

^Many nice spots from which to consume a beer or two.

Once the pump arrives and the water clears up I'll get some fish photos. These are typical Comets: orange, black and white.

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## pugforever

lovely pond indeed! :Razz:

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## ceburat

Buadhai you sure have a beautiful pond.  Great thread.  I just reviewed it all tonight.

The EPDM, PVC and HDPE quality type liner you wanted to buy.  You said they only sell in 100 meter rolls.  How wide is the roll?  Do you remember price for a roll that large? Can you provide contact information?  Also the same type of information for the underlayment. Thank you

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## buad hai

Liner and Underlayment: Service and Distributor for HDPE, PVC & GEOTEXTILE - PREMIER LINING PLAS BANGKOK THAILAND

Underlayment: Thai Foam

The liner comes in various widths. I've seen anything from a meter wide to four meters wide. The cost for a hundred meter roll of a meter wide HDPE was about 7000 baht.

Boon Thai Hardware (near the Korat night market -- name in English on the shop) can order liner but only in 100 foot rolls.

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## Jet Gorgon

Where are those dam fishies?

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## buad hai

> Where are those dam fishies?


Patience. Pump still on the way so the main pond is still a bit cloudy. And, the fish are still quite shy....

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## dirtydog

What do you mean the fish are quite shy? They wont even know what a camera is  :Smile:

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## buad hai

> What do you mean the fish are quite shy?


They stay on the bottom of the pond and only come up briefly to feed....

I'm trying to work up a model release now....

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## Jet Gorgon

^ You mean they were on Vogue covers? 
Get Mrs B to throw them bread crumbs and then snap away when they come up. You don't need a photo stylist; you do good pics.

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## ceburat

Thank you

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## buad hai

This is the best I could do on the fish. The sun wasn't out and the fish were skittish, but they came up for food:





The stream is looking good:





As I'd hoped, the roots of the grass have grown right down through the clay into the laterite:

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## The_Dude

BH,
From the looks of your pics, it seems that the water is clearing up. Very nice. Looks peaceful. I imagine you get alot of people peering over your fence. I thinking you have no privacy at times.

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## Jet Gorgon

Wow! Looks better with every post, BH, and thanks for the fish flicks! They are very pretty.

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## DrAndy

good pond

get some piranha to make some entertainment

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## buad hai

^Wanna go for a swim, Dr. Andy?

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## DrAndy

yes, I would but I will wait until the water clears a little

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## buad hai

^But then you'd be able to see the piranhas....

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## DrAndy

quite

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## jumbo

Very nice BH I envy your artistic flare.

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## buad hai

The solar panel, pump and battery finally arrived yesterday.



We tested it out today and it seems to work fine, although the pump is no powerhouse. All made in China, natch. Duty was 300 baht.

I have to go to Immigration to get an extension of stay this morning, but we plan to buy some flexible plastic tubing while we're out and install the pump later on this afternoon.

Ironic that Thailand's largest solar panel manufacturer is located here in Korat but it was easier and cheaper to order a complete kit made in China from a online retailer in Singapore.

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## Jet Gorgon

Oh, this will be fun. Take lots of snaps, BH. That rock cover looks like a petrified brain.

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## buad hai

> That rock cover looks like a petrified brain.


Ah, right. Too funny.

Not exactly "realistic" is it....

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## ChiangMai noon

^
I have to say that your projects seem to develop rather more quickly and successfully than mine.

I'll be going up the new place later to finally start some work on my bamboo hut.

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## a. boozer

> That rock cover looks like a petrified brain.



Jet, That reminds me of a regular customer at one business that I had, to this day, I still maintain that he was the world's first surviving brain transplant donor!

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## buad hai

^^Well, I am retired....

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## lom

> I'll be going up the new place later to finally start some work on my bamboo hut.


Now, when was it you were gonna move in there? :France: 

Octoberish ....

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## a. boozer

> ^^Well, I am retired....



*BH. Are you sure about that? You seem to manage to put plenty into each and every day, sometimes I even feel a tinge of guilt, when I see what you have achieved! Notice I did only say a tinge, certainly never much more than that!*

BH.  Have just remembered what I haven't done, sorry! (put it down to advancing years), will send later on today.

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## Jet Gorgon

> ^
> I have to say that your projects seem to develop rather more quickly and successfully than mine.
> 
> I'll be going up the new place later to finally start some work on my bamboo hut.


Did you take the meow-faces up there?
Maybe you could borrow Mrs B for awhile to help out.

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## buad hai

> You seem to manage to put plenty into each and every day


Still stuck with that Puritan ethic. I'm happiest when I'm busy and active and feel that I've accomplished something. No telling what will happen when the garden is overflowing.....

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## Lily

> No telling what will happen when the garden is overflowing.....


Then you will just have to watch it from a shady vantage point with a nice cold gin and tonic in your hand. :Smile:

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## a. boozer

Then you will just have to watch it from a shady vantage point with a nice cold gin and tonic in your hand. :Smile: [/quote]


Now, that sounds like an excellent idea!

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## buad hai

More Bad Luck - It appears that the solar panel that came with the pump kit is defective. I'll take my DC voltmeter over today to make sure. But, it won't power the pump. However, the pump did work with the residual charge left in the battery.


Putting the pump in the pond.


This terra cotta elephant, named Bai Fern, will serve as the fountain. I drilled a hole in the brick pedestal on which she sits and routed the plastic tubing through there and up to her mouth.


If I ever get a working solar panel I'll mount it up on the wall. This is just temporary.


Looks kind of goofy.


The fountain works.  The battery powered the pump for quite some time. It was still going when I left last night and had been pumping for about two hours.

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## The_Dude

BH,
Looks great! Any excessive spraying from the fountain as you where concerned about this before?

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## buad hai

As I suspected, the solar panel is dead. Even in full sun like this, zero output:






> Any excessive spraying from the fountain as you where concerned about this before?


No, it's just right. A little splash on the surrounding rocks and plants, but that's what I was aiming for.

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## Butterfly

Made in China, what did you expect ?

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## Jet Gorgon

> The fountain works. The battery powered the pump for quite some time. It was still going when I left last night and had been pumping for about two hours.


 
Cool, BH! I think the water flow would be a better conversation piece if it was coming out of the chang's winkie, but just MHO. Hope you can replace the solar panel, but maybe it just needs to energise for a few days, like new rechargable batteries.

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## Thetyim

What do the instructions say.

Don't you have to leave it set up with the pump off for a couple of days


How many minutes a day are you expecting to run the pump ?
Have you done the calculation.

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## Butterfly

> but maybe it just needs to energise for a few days, like new rechargable batteries.


good point, it might as well take 2 or 3 days of sunlight to recharge the battery

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## buad hai

The battery came pre-charged. It ran the pump by itself for two hours. The instructions say you can connect the panel directly to the pump, bypassing the battery. (In fact, they sell kits without batteries.) But, there is no electrical output from the panel. I measured with a meter. Zero. I connected the pump directly to the panel, per the instructions. Nothing. The panel is dead.

The idea is that the pump runs off the panel all day while the battery is also trickle charging. When the sun goes down the battery powers the pump for a couple of hours into the evening.

If you want to run the pump off battery for longer in the evening, then you turn the pump off (switch on battery) and let the panel just charge the battery all day. Then you get several extra hours off the battery at night.

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## Jet Gorgon

^ oh...can you exchange it? Or is it off to the other guy in Korat?

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## buad hai

^I'm sure I'll have to send it back and they'll send another one. One year guarantee on the pump, three years on the panel.

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## a. boozer

> ^I'm sure I'll have to send it back and they'll send another one. One year guarantee on the pump, three years on the panel.


Cost of postage to send back, plus you are likely to have to pay duty on the replacement panel, it's amazing how costs mount up!

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## Jet Gorgon

I'll get one of my angels to courier it over.

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## Thetyim

> The idea is that the pump runs off the panel all day


That surprises me. The panel looks too small.
What is the output ?

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## buad hai

It's an 8 watt panel.

But, get this: The company asked me to photograph the panel in detail so they could try and figure out what's wrong. I go over there and the pump is running away!

So, I remove the battery from the loop and connect the pump directly to the panel. Nothing. I measure the output of the panel with a meter. Nothing. Put the battery back in the loop and everything works fine. This in spite of the fact that the battery was fully drained over night.

Anyone know why the pump won't work directly from the panel (as pictured in the instructions they sent) but has to have the battery in the loop?

Puzzled.

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## a. boozer

> Puzzled.



BH. Get that Jao Dtee in position and tham boon, sounds like you have a phee!

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## Thetyim

> Nothing. I measure the output of the panel with a meter.


What are you measuring 
Amps or volts ?

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## buad hai

Volts.

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## DrAndy

> It's an 8 watt panel.
> 
> But, get this: The company asked me to photograph the panel in detail so they could try and figure out what's wrong. I go over there and the pump is running away!
> 
> So, I remove the battery from the loop and connect the pump directly to the panel. Nothing. I measure the output of the panel with a meter. Nothing. Put the battery back in the loop and everything works fine. This in spite of the fact that the battery was fully drained over night.
> 
> *Anyone know why* the pump won't work directly from the panel (as pictured in the instructions they sent) but has to have the battery in the loop?
> 
> Puzzled.


try the company

take all the pics of the connections etc and see what they say

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## buad hai

> take all the pics of the connections etc and see what they say


Done. Awaiting reply....

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## Butterfly

> Anyone know why the pump won't work directly from the panel (as pictured in the instructions they sent) but has to have the battery in the loop?


could it be that the circuit is only there to recharge the battery ? could be a power drain issue, the solar panel doesn't have the drain power but the battery does, the panel is only there to recharge the battery, not to source the pump

Also, you might be measuring the wrong parameter from the Solar panel

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## DrAndy

like he said, they sell the pump without the battery, so the solar panel should work by itself

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## Butterfly

^ different pump maybe and different kit,

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## buad hai

Here's the kit with battery that I got:

With Battery

Here's the one without:

Without Battery

The one without battery uses a slightly bigger, but almost identical pump. They use identical 8 watt panels. I can't see why the one I bought won't work without the battery since the same solar panel can drive the slightly larger pump.

Here's the link for the pumps:

BLP750

BLP750A

My guess is that the kit without battery uses the large pump because the solar panel can drive a larger pump if it is not also charging a battery.

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## Marmite the Dog

> Originally Posted by buad hai
> 
> Anyone know why the pump won't work directly from the panel (as pictured in the instructions they sent) but has to have the battery in the loop?
> 
> 
> could it be that the circuit is only there to recharge the battery ? could be a power drain issue, the solar panel doesn't have the drain power but the battery does, the panel is only there to recharge the battery, not to source the pump
> 
> Also, you might be measuring the wrong parameter from the Solar panel


I presume Frog physics is different to that of the civilised world?

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## Butterfly

> the civilised world?


surely you don't mean England ?

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## Jet Gorgon

I don't get it. I thought the solar panel powers the battery -- it's not like it's plugged in to an outlet, right? 
Oh well, I like the website desciption:
* The built-in rechargeable battery rock make it so *cute* for cloudy & night use.
There you go, BH. At least it's cute.

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## buad hai

Here's the clear concise response from the company:




> The output from solar panel matches the input of the battery rock. The output from the battery rock matches the input of solar pump. However the output from solar panel doesn't match the required input of the solar pump very well.
> 
> Therefore, the solar pump can be driven by the solar panel via battery rock. If you connect the solar panel to the solar pump without the battery rock, the pump can run at lunch time sometimes, but usually doesn't run.


I mean the panel's output is 20 volts DC at 400 mA. The pump's power requirement is 12-24 volts DC. How do those not "match"?

Oh, well....

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## NickA

^Their explanation is what I would have thought at first, but looking at the website, the solar panel that sells without the battery has exactly the same output. The only thing I can think is that one is supplied with some sort of transformer.

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## buad hai

> The only thing I can think is that one is supplied with some sort of transformer.


Maybe so. I guess we'll never know. Both the pump and the battery come with the same exact low voltage DC connector that you find in low voltage power supplies and cell phone (Nokia) chargers.

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## NickA

^I can see a new craze, people walking round with solar hats to recharge their phones :Smile:

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## Jet Gorgon

^ new biz opportunity, and easier than the Indian blokes peddling a stationery bike to power their laptops.

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## The_Dude

Guy's this setup has a very simple explaination. It uses FM.  :Smile:

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## buad hai

I had been planning to put a small bridge over the stream here:



I wanted to use old, used wood. But the shops that sell it are a ways away and I'd need to borrow a pickup truck. So, I've been putting it off.

Yesterday morning I noticed this big pile of used wood in an empty lot in the moo baan just a few meters from my house:


I figure this stuff is perfect for my small bridge. I'd planned to "borrow" some this evening but went over there this morning to have a look. As I'm measuring the stuff the project foreman comes over and asks me what I'm going to make. I tell him I'm building a wooden bridge. Of course, I pronounced this wrong the first six times, so it took a while to get my point across. (I said "Sapphan Mai" when I should have said "Sapphan Mai". Silly me.) When he finally understood he just said, "Dii, dii, dii."


So, I just hauled off a bunch and stacked it in the carport to dry. Should make a very nice bridge indeed.

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## Butterfly

> Therefore, the solar pump can be driven by the solar panel via battery rock. If you connect the solar panel to the solar pump without the battery rock, the pump can run at lunch time sometimes, but usually doesn't run.


told you so, different kit




> I had been planning to put a small bridge over the stream here:


don't start ruining our pond, will you ?  :Razz:

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## buad hai

> told you so, different kit


Yep, you did. Any idea of the difference?

You don't like the bridge idea? I think it will look cool....

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## Butterfly

^ probably a small transformer somewhere, I wouldn't trust anything written on a Chinese website, the info is probably bogus, some clumsy copy/paste from other documentation

well, I can't see with all that wood where the bridge is going to be without looking oversized.

Make sure it's a removable bridge  :Smile:

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## buad hai

The bridge will be about a meter long and 60 cm wide. I took a little extra wood, just in case....

Something like this:



BTW, transformers don't work with DC....

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## Butterfly

^ it doesn't look too bad on that pic, but you have a small hill, not flat




> BTW, transformers don't work with DC....


not a voltage transformer but probably some electronics or power drain enhancer or some obscure little component. Who knows. Anyway, does it work now ? it's pumping, right ? at least that's the good news.

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## buad hai

> it's pumping, right ? at least that's the good news.


Yeah, I'd like to solve the puzzle, though.

I'll build the bridge and do a temporary install and see how folks like it.

Would it look better flat than arched?




> but you have a small hill, not flat


It's an illusion. The two square stepping stones are actually on the same level.

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## ThisOldHouse

I like the arched bridge option BH... more aesthetically pleasing.




> If you connect the solar panel to the solar pump without the battery rock, the pump can run at lunch time sometimes, but usually doesn't run.


Talk about being _out to lunch! _ Because the sun is at it's zenith at lunchtime, and therefore produces the most power at this time?  
=TOH=

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## buad hai

^You know, the first time I read that I thought it said "*launch* time" and I'm scratching my head. When I realized it was "*lunch* time" it started to make sense.....

I'm sure you're right. The panel alone doesn't produce enough power to start the pump motor. Maybe they use a capacitor or something on the "no battery" model to kick start the pump and then the nominal power output of the panel is enough to keep the pump going.

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## buad hai

If I'm going to build the arched bridge I'm going to need a power saw to do the cutting. (I'm too old and feeble to cut 4X4's with a hand saw.) Any recommendations as to brand and model and best place to buy?

My last power saw was a Sears Craftsman; still going strong after 25+ years. But, it was 110 volt so it's still on Saipan.

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## Jet Gorgon

Arched.

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## bkkmadness

I agree with Butterfly, think the bridge is out of place there, oversized and not needed.

But if I went for one I would go for an arch. :Smile:

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## dirtydog

Take the wood down a carpenter shop and give them 100baht to cut it for you, the solar panel would be a trickle charge so extremely low power?

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## buad hai

^Good idea. Have the wood cut. Thanks.

You're right on the solar panel. 8 watts, so just a trickle charge.

One day I'll turn the pump off and let the battery get fully charged over a couple of sunny days and see how many hours it lasts.

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## The_Dude

> If I'm going to build the arched bridge I'm going to need a power saw to do the cutting. (I'm too old and feeble to cut 4X4's with a hand saw.) Any recommendations as to brand and model and best place to buy?
> 
> My last power saw was a Sears Craftsman; still going strong after 25+ years. But, it was 110 volt so it's still on Saipan.


I think my son had one of those saws when he was little to play shop with. :Smile:  Kidding!


* Milwaukee 6394-21
*Dewalt Dw369Csk 
* Porter Cable 324MAG
 In that order, these are all 7 1/4" circular saws that will last a long time.

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## buad hai

> In that order, these are all 7 1/4" circular saws that will last a long time.


Keep in mind that I'm 58 so won't be needing for that long....

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## The_Dude

Yeah right! You'll be around for along time. If you use a power tool that is cheapo piece of crap! Then you can can say-
 "Keep in mind that I'm 58 so won't be needing for that long...."  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## lom

Buy a Dewalt or a Bosch. Homepro's got them.

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## a. boozer

BH. I think that you are in danger of making the project look too fussy with the addition of a bridge. But if you must go down that route, I would definitely go for an arched one looks wise, but for safety, if you intend to use it a flat one would be a better bet, as damp wood at at any angle, even the horizontal can be treacherous.

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## The_Dude

BH,
Do know if the soil in the Korat area is good for wine grapes? What is the ph level, calcium and potash as well? I checked my land and will require alot of gypsum and other nutriants.  I heard that some people are starting vinyards in this region. Just wondering if the whole area lacks of the same nutrients.

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## buad hai

My pond in Saipan had a bridge and it was a great source of pleasure. I'd sit out there at the end of the day with a cold beer and just watch the fish and listen to the sound of the water. So, yes, there will be a pond.

My old pond:



An overhead view:



*Back to the present:*

Unfortunately, I have insufficient funds to buy even a cheap power saw. I seem to have a lot of time so I did the job by hand:




Four cuts. Two hours.


These are the main supports.


This is just a mock up. Nothing is fastened. I think it's too wide. Luckily, it's easier to make it narrower than it would be to make it wider.










I think the approach stepping stone will have to be doubled, as shown above, up to make stepping up to the bridge easier.

Anyone else think it's too wide? What's shown above is 60 cm. I think 50 or even 45 would be OK.

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## Butterfly

It's too big, told you  :Smile: 

It's covering the whole stream, so what's the point of having a stream ?

REMOVE IMMEDIATELY !!!

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## Propagator

Personally I think that it is to big, and draws the eye straight to it and not to the pond or the fountain. Photo No 5 appears to put this in perspective and makes it look as you now have 2 ponds, and no stream.

oops Butterfly beat me to it

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## a. boozer

BH. In my humblest of opinions, it looks wrong! If you insist with proceeding with this, then what about taking it down to a width that matches your paving blocks?

After all that sawing, how are the blisters on your hand?

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## buad hai

> After all that sawing, how are the blisters on your hand?


No blisters. I wore cotton gloves....

Too big, eh? I agree. We're both determine to have a bridge, though. I'll see what Ms. B has to say.

Thanks for the opinions, though.

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## Butterfly

make it a miniature bridge, could be nice like in a Japanese garden

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## buad hai



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## buad hai

> o know if the soil in the Korat area is good for wine grapes?


I don't see any growing around here and I haven't tested the soil at my place. It's all fill brought in from all over, so there's no telling what's really in it. So far, though, my garden is doing well.

They do grow wine grapes about 100K south of here up in Wang Nam Kaeo. But, that's in the mountains and at a much higher elevation.

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## El Gibbon

> 


BH
Do like the idea of the bridge, but keeping it in proportion with the other elements of the design is key.

From my perspective it is way to large and detracts from the overall view, it is the dominant feature of the project. I thought the key element was to be the pond/stream combo.

It also overpowers the "old" wall effect and the icon sitting on top of it.

If the bridge is to stay it could be much smaller or at least appear to be more 'delicate' in nature.

Maybe done in bamboo style with lots of open space. The 2X4 effect is just too strong.

Just one opinion.

E. G.

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## The_Dude

BH,
 Thanks for the info. And , as for the pond great work. But the bridge does look a bit oversized. You have alot of things going on- too busy. IMHO - Perhaps maybe use the bridge on another area of the garden.

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## Jet Gorgon

I humbly agree with the no bridge voters. But, you're looking dam fine for 58, BH.

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## buad hai

Thanks for all the input. Ms. B loves the bridge so in it will go. I poured the footings this morning.

I think it will look fine once It's surrounded by plants.

The idea of a garden like this is that there is no main feature. As the garden grows everything gets hidden and overgrown. The only way you'll see some things is by moving around and peering behind stuff. The most expensive small plant I've bought is an Osaka bird's nest fern. I planted it right behind the old wall. The only way to see it is to walk around the end of the stream and look behind the wall.

Maybe it will work, maybe not....

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## buad hai

> This is probably a silly question... but how are you going to stop overflow?


Turns out you were right. I installed an overflow drain today. Photos tomorrow.

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## buad hai

I started putting the bridge together yesterday afternoon:


The boards tacked on to the bottom are just a temporary jig to keep the main supports parallel.


Started in the middle and worked out to preserve a bit of symmetry.


This is the hardest wood I have ever worked with. I only had 28 nails to drive. I drilled a pilot hole for each one. Even then I bent a dozen nails and had one drill bit simply disintegrate when I removed it from the hole. Amazing.

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## buad hai

> Originally Posted by AntRobertson
> 
> This is probably a silly question... but how are you going to stop overflow?
> 
> 
> Turns out you were right. I installed an overflow drain today. Photos tomorrow.

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## Butterfly

> Ms. B loves the bridge


what does she know ? it's our pond, tell her to get with the program  :Smile: 

You are the man in the house, aren't you ?  :Razz:

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## buad hai

> You are the man in the house, aren't you ?


The man, yeah. The boss? Uh, er, well....

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## NickA

I don't know if it's hard wood or crappy nails (or me being useless), but I've given up on nailing things and use a drill and screws instead.

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## Mid

err , about the size of the overflow pipe .........................

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## buad hai

> err , about the size of the overflow pipe ...


It doesn't have to be fast. Just slowly keep the water level below the grass line if there's a heavy rain or if the float valve gets stuck.

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## buad hai



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## Mid

> It doesn't have to be fast. Just slowly keep the water level below the grass line if there's a heavy rain or if the float valve gets stuck.


bridge looks great , now 

bet the pipes too small ..............................

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## El Gibbon

> 


The staining of the wood helped A LOT. Now not so conspicuous in the overall scheme. Nice job.

Bet Ms. is pleased..

E. G.

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## Butterfly

yes, the color is helping a lot, looking much better

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## Marmite the Dog

What about a handrail?  :Smile:

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## jizzybloke

It the bridge fixed somehow? Someone on your moo ban is a bit light fingered at night you know!

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## attaboy

> Originally Posted by buad hai
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Could move it closer to where the stream falls into the pond.

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## Texpat

A "Bridge freezes before road surfaces" sign.

Is it too narrow for my wheelchair?

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## kingwilly

how do i fix this green mold that keeps coming back? snails?

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## buad hai

> The staining of the wood helped A LOT.


It's actually not stained. I just sanded off the old paint and stain and then put on several layers of oil followed by many coats of wax. 

I'm afraid now that it looks too much like furniture. Ms. B took her shoes off before crossing it the first time. She's very pleased with it, though. I predict all that shine and gloss will wear off quickly.




> bet the pipes too small ...


My last pond used 1/2" CPVC for an overflow and that has an even smaller ID than the PVC I used here. Next rain will tell. Remember that there's no runoff into the pond. It only would overflow during a heavy rain (or valve failure) so the outflow doesn't have to be very high.




> It the bridge fixed somehow?


Not really. It sits on pins in the concrete footing. However, it weighs a ton. Not sure how much of a deterrent that would be.




> Could move it closer to where the stream falls into the pond.


Little late for that now, but it probably would look better there.

Based on some of the comments above I plan to widen the bridge to 2 meters to permit wheelchair access, add a non-skid finish and put stainless steel handrails on both sides with appropriate "at your own risk" signage...

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## kingwilly

^ and dont forget to add a toll gate to it!

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## buad hai

> how do i fix this green mold that keeps coming back? snails?


The green is probably algae. If you have fish in the pond they produce nitrogen. Algae consume nitrogen. Put lots of other plants in the pond. They will consume the nitrogen before the algae get a chance. Also, you need plants that cover the surface of the water and prevent sunlight from penetrating the water. The algae need sunlight. Blocking it will keep the algae down.

If all that doesn't work, you can try a filter. The filter in my pond is the long deep stream that is full of small river pebbles.

The snails are OK. They eat algae. If they get to be too much, just hand pick them.

What's the black arch in front of the pond?

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## kingwilly

cheers, 

as for the black arch? god knows!

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## buad hai

> as for the black arch? god knows!


Perhaps the pond was built for trained porpoises?

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## kingwilly

^ I dunno abt that, but i'm certain it was built by only half trained monkeys!

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## buad hai

I finally got the stepping stones properly set and a few ferns in to hold the soil until we buy plants for the bare areas.

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## buad hai

I finally finished with the construction part of the pond by installing this float valve:



Granted, it's ugly, but it's the least obtrusive one I could find here. I know valves are available that work under water via water pressure rather than a float, but not in Korat. 

This one was even worse when I bought it. The float was bright red!

Thus ends the pond construction saga. Further photos will be posted in the gardening section.

Thanks to all for your contributions, suggestions and comments.

BH

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## kingwilly

thanks for an awesome thread ! mate. very inspiring !

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## jizzybloke

Well done and thanks form me too!  :Smile:

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## bkkmadness

> Originally Posted by Mid
> 
> err , about the size of the overflow pipe ...
> 
> 
> It doesn't have to be fast. Just slowly keep the water level below the grass line if there's a heavy rain or if the float valve gets stuck.


The colour of the bridge definitely helps.  I have noticed something else that makes it look a little out of place.  It's the way it sits, look at the ends of the bridge where the planks stop and you just see the supports.  I'm sure if you added a few more planks of wood, so they go right down to the grass and you couldn't see the 'underside' of the bridge at the ends it would fit in a lot 'smoother' with the surroundings.  Almost as if it's coming straight out of the grass.

It'd would give it a bit more length as well, which reduces the width to the eye wouldn't it?

Poorly explained I know but do you follow my meaning Buadhai?  Thoughts?

ps. I'd hate it if someone said that to me after I was finished with the job, but I know you like to keep busy!  :Smile:

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## bkkmadness

> how do i fix this green mold that keeps coming back? snails?


Buadhai's advice on plants will definitely help, they will consume any nitrates in the water and starve out the algae.  Snails will eat it too but are not as efficient as good algae eating fish.

The following fish are all algae eaters and readily available in Thailand.  Though not sure where you live KW.



^ Plecostomus are very good algae eaters but can get quite big 12-18 inches.



^ Chinese sucking loach.  Anything like this will be useful to eat algae in the pond, throw a few of them in there.

^


^ Siamese algae eater, easily found in most fish shops in Thailand.



^ Butterfly sucking fish.  Very attractive fish, but they stay small and have a small appetite so you would need a lot of them to do the job.



^ Basically if you walk into a fish shop and see any tanks full of fish stuck on the side of the glass like this, they will feed on algae in your pond.  There's a few different types of algae you may get and certain fish are better as clearing certain types than others, so a variety of species of algae eating fish is a good idea.  The snails will come to your pond naturally anyway.

It is worth noting that these fish can only eat algae that is growing on surfaces in your pond, if you get a green water problem then you need to use plants to combat it.

Alongside the fish recommended as Buadhai said, add plants to the pond anyway, helps keep the balance in there and provides natural cover for the fish.

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## buad hai

> Poorly explained I know but do you follow my meaning Buadhai? Thoughts?


We went back and forth on the issue and decided we like the look of the supports better than we liked the look of the surface going down to the grass. There will be plants all around so eventually the supporting structure of the bridge will be hidden. I know it's hard to imagine that now, but the visual floor of the garden is just starting out and will end up several inches higher than it is now. 

Patience is the key.

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## bkkmadness

^ I just want to see you working BuadHai.  If I suggest an Eiffel Tower replica made from matchsticks will you go for it?

Agreed when the plants sit round it's going to fit in very nicely, I keep forgetting you are going to put them there.

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## bkkmadness

This would great in your garden Buadhai, looking forward to the new thread. :Smile:

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## buad hai

You'll have to come up for a few beers some time. You do drink, don't you?

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## bkkmadness

^ Only in times of weakness, which is now in fact. :Smile: 

Thanks for the offer Buadhai, I am hopefully taking a nice long trip out of Bangkok early next year and may very well head N East because I haven't visited that side of the country much. I'll be backpacking would you believe.

But I'm bringing no matchsticks!

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## Jet Gorgon

Thanks for the mini-series on pond making, BH. Excellent, and a fine reference for future fun park-building enthusiasts.

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## buad hai

Based on some comments here I decided to test my little overflow drain. I put a half inch garden hose into the pond and turned it on full blast. No matter how long I left it on the level of the water never went above the top of the outlet pipe.

Over the last 12 hours it got a better test: torrential rain showers beginning about 6 PM last night and ending about 6 AM this morning. The flooding was so severe that I had to abandon my morning run. So, I detoured to the pond instead. Sure enough, the pond water level was right at the bottom of the overflow pipe.

It works!

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## a. boozer

> Based on some comments here I decided to test my little overflow drain. I put a half inch garden hose into the pond and turned it on full blast. No matter how long I left it on the level of the water never went above the top of the outlet pipe.
> 
> Over the last 12 hours it got a better test: torrential rain showers beginning about 6 PM last night and ending about 6 AM this morning. The flooding was so severe that I had to abandon my morning run. So, I detoured to the pond instead. Sure enough, the pond water level was right at the bottom of the overflow pipe.
> 
> It works!


BH. Just a thought, have you put a filter over the mouth of the outlet pipe? It might prevent snails and other creatures getting wedged down the pipe.

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## buad hai

> Just a thought, have you put a filter over the mouth of the outlet pipe?


Good idea. I was thinking of a bit of nylon stocking or window netting held on with a hose clamp.

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## attaboy

> Originally Posted by a. boozer
> 
>  Just a thought, have you put a filter over the mouth of the outlet pipe?
> 
> 
> Good idea. I was thinking of a bit of nylon stocking or window netting held on with a hose clamp.




Something like a hair curler capped on the end would provide you with more surface area for water to enter the drain system. You could cover it entirely in window mesh or just the end which ever works best,  Less likely to become clogged with litter than a 1/2 inch end pipe covered in window mesh.  Or you could attach a 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch coupler on the end then cover it with window mesh.  Thus giving you more surface area for water to enter the drain system.


How long is the electrical cord on the pump?  How did you reach the electrical outlet and if using an extension cord how did you protect (from moisture) the connection of the pump cord to the extension cord?

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## buad hai

^That hair curler idea is a great idea. I was thinking of drilling holes in some PVC, but the hair curler is a ready made solution. Thanks!




> How long is the electrical cord on the pump? How did you reach the electrical outlet and if using an extension cord how did you protect (from moisture) the connection of the pump cord to the extension cord?


It's a low voltage DC pump fired by a battery and solar panel. If I go to an AC pump I'll build a little shelter for the electrical connection. I did this for my last pond....

Mike's Tropical Pond Page

Pond Construction

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## attaboy

Depending on the size of the curler you can attach it by using a pvc slip/slip reducing adapter. 


1/2 inch on one end to slip onto the the 1\2" drain and say 1 inch on the other end to fit the curler. If the curler is loose wrap some tape around the end of the curler and wedge it into the slip adapter. If the hardware store doesn't have adpaters which size up and down on the ends then a reducing bushing might work. Good idea to take the curler to the hardware store to size things before buying.

You can cut slats into a piece of pvc if you have acces to some sort of table or miter saw. Not likely, I understand, but I put it out there for general information. 


I forgot about the solar panel saga. Hope it works. There's nothing like tapping into the sun.

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## buad hai

> I forgot about the solar panel saga. Hope it works.


It's a bit of so-so. It works. If it's sunny all day the pump continues on for an hour or two after dusk (from the battery). If you let the battery run down completely, the pump doesn't start up until there have been a few hours of daylight.

Since we are usually in the garden for coffee in the morning and happy hour in the evening I'm going to need to remember to turn the pump off during the day so the battery will get charged up.

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## corvettelover

> Originally Posted by attaboy
> 
> I forgot about the solar panel saga. Hope it works.
> 
> 
> It's a bit of so-so. It works. If it's sunny all day the pump continues on for an hour or two after dusk (from the battery). If you let the battery run down completely, the pump doesn't start up until there have been a few hours of daylight.
> 
> Since we are usually in the garden for coffee in the morning and happy hour in the evening I'm going to need to remember to turn the pump off during the day so the battery will get charged up.


An inline  timer switch should do the job powered by a 9 volt battery switches the pump off/on  24 hour clock at certain times of the day. 
neat thread interesting to see how it turns out after it has all settled in

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## buad hai

The solar panel has a new, more permanent location:

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## hillbilly

While I am a fan and supporter of solar energy, I wish there was a better way of hiding the solar panel. I have been told that spray painting the solar panel to make a smiley face is not a good idea.  :Smile: 

Any ideas?

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## buad hai

It would probably be less obtrusive if it were up on the roof. But then you've got meters and meters of cable to hide with concomitant voltage drop.

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## sunderlandstephen

use excavated soil to build a ryhl

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## Jet Gorgon

> While I am a fan and supporter of solar energy, I wish there was a better way of hiding the solar panel. I have been told that spray painting the solar panel to make a smiley face is not a good idea. 
> 
> Any ideas?


There's alot of room for some potted plants around the base at BH's. Gues you'd have to ensure they don't grow and block out the panel's light source. Or put a wooden fence around the bottom area?

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## buad hai

The solar panel isn't so visible from our side of the fence now that the plumeria and palms have grown up a bit. Still ugly from the street side, though.









Overall, I'm pleased at the way the pond turned out. The water is always nice and clear, the fish seem content and we get some lovely lilies now and then.

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## baldrick

> But, there is no electrical output from the panel. I measured with a meter. Zero





> Yeah, I'd like to solve the puzzle, though.


maybe the digital meter does not give enough load - you might have needed to put a 12volt 10 watt car light bulb in circuit and measure across it - or use an analog meter

nice pond mate

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## racefan

Does anybody know of a pond specialist business in or near Khon Kaen.

I have just finished constructing (that is the guys who built my house have), what has turned out to be a very large concrete pond and waterfall in my garden and want to buy a combined UV and gravel/bio filter to run in conjunction with the powerful pump I intend to buy.

I know they can be bought in Pattaya where I am heading next week but I was hoping to get it installed before I leave.

I will be posting a thread about the pond plus all the recent additions to my teak house but probably not until the new year as I am about to do a bit of long overdue travelling around the north of Thailand.

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## DrAndy

are you going to buy Koi or Carp?

don't flounce, serious business, fish

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