My new fish dams

**Rigger** · 19-10-2006, 08:27 AM

heres my new fish dams which we had built on the 8 rai I bought last month it took them about 4 days to dig out the dams and cost 40K bht. I only put in 5000 fish to start 2000 pladok 2000 planin and 1000 platarping. The fish were cheap at 1/2 or 1 or 2 bht per fish. We could have fitted 50,000 fish in the dams. But seeing as I really just want a place to go fishing I think that will do. They are building a bit of shade at the moment before they start on the day house.
We have the wood from for the day house already as they cut down two big trees and sawed them into planks

As we need someone to stay there at night as they will raid the dams with nets at night. Wifes uncle will stay out there as soon as we build the small house.
We have planted mangos and bannana and some other stuff around the dam for some shade should make for a nice spot for a couple of beers in a few months

**Eliminator** · 19-10-2006, 08:30 AM

Looks great Rigger and just gives me another reason to visit. It'll be awhile though for those fish to grow.

**Rigger** · 19-10-2006, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by Eliminator

Looks great Rigger and just gives me another reason to visit. It'll be awhile though for those fish to grow

The planin take 3 months to grow to a good size if you feed them plenty of food not sure about the other fish. I will casting the first rod in for a bit of fun aroud new year

**RandomChances** · 19-10-2006, 08:44 AM

Why did you do two ? It will probaly take them a while to "self seal" so unless to have a water supply they might well dry out in the hot season, you will always loose a lot through evapotation anyway.

Originally Posted by Rigger

t took them about 4 days to dig out the dams and cost 40K bht

Did you keep the earth then ? Ours was dug for free and we gave them the earth...pretty comman around here

**Rigger** · 19-10-2006, 09:00 AM

The dams were meant to be 2 1/2 meters deep but they hit sandstone and slate I think so ended up only 2 meters in places. Yes we kept all the dirt and they did some clearing for us. At the bottom of the land is a water catchment so we plain to keep topping up the dam for as long as possible. The other dams in the area get low but have never seen any run completly dry

**Thetyim** · 19-10-2006, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by Rigger

The planin take 3 months to grow to a good size

Keep us posted about how quick they grow.
I have some PlaNin and they are not big enough yet after 5 months

**RandomChances** · 19-10-2006, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Originally Posted by Rigger

The planin take 3 months to grow to a good size

Keep us posted about how quick they grow.
I have some PlaNin and they are not big enough yet after 5 months

A lot will depend on how you feed them and the stocking rates. With Riggers and the low stocking rates he should get good growth (depending on the ammount of feed). 3 months is still probaly a bit optamistic though.

Check what type of Pla Nin you have TT, one grows to Pla Taptin size the other only gets to about 6-8 inches long when fully grown.

I keep Pla Nin and Pla Dook in the same pond as they eat different things, the Pla Nin are veggies and will eat any allgi (SP ?) and the pla dook will eat virtyally anything (insects ect) so the two go well together. The Pla Dook do not eat the Pla Nin no matter what any of the Thais tell you.

If you can get a few loads of cow shit it good to chuck into the pond to get the eco-system off to a good start

**MeMock** · 19-10-2006, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by Rigger

I only put in 5000 fish to start 2000 pladok 2000 planin and 1000 platarping seeing as I really just want a place to go fishing I think that will do.

**klongmaster** · 19-10-2006, 10:48 AM

Why don't they line the dams here in Thailand...would stop the water leeching out but wouldn't stop the evaporation of course...

Thailand makes excellent PVC liners which can be welded in place..I have some great pics of this at home...will try to find them and post later...

**Thetyim** · 19-10-2006, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by RandomChances

Check what type of Pla Nin you have TT, one grows to Pla Taptin size the other only gets to about 6-8 inches long when fully grown.

Thanks, I didn't know there were two types.
I must have the smaller type because they grow like mad to begin with and then seem to stop at 6 inches.

**Thaicoon** · 19-10-2006, 11:38 AM

Bret,
I have 4 lakes, the biggest about 3 Rai, You mention poaching, throw some Bamboo around the edges, that will help to stop the Thais netting, i have had this problem, me the same i just use mine for fishing and also a good water supply for the rice, i have not stocked it much yet, but there are some big fish in them, and breed every year. good luck, may see you next month if you are not in Oman.

**buadhai** · 19-10-2006, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by klongmaster

Thailand makes excellent PVC liners which can be welded in place..I have some great pics of this at home...will try to find them and post later...

Where do they sell the liner?

**RandomChances** · 19-10-2006, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by klongmaster

Why don't they line the dams here in Thailand...would stop the water leeching out but wouldn't stop the evaporation of course...

Some places do use them, it just comes down to cost. On a small pond it's no problem, but if you are doing a couple of rai, it can get a bit pricy. Most will pretty much seal themslefs after a few years. You cna lose a couple of cm a day through evaporation though which is the big problem.

Originally Posted by klongmaster

Thailand makes excellent PVC liners which can be welded in place

Gas or electric arc

**Eliminator** · 19-10-2006, 03:13 PM

check this out RC: how to weld pvc: Web Search Results from Answers.com

**hillbilly** · 19-10-2006, 03:54 PM

This is the the kind of thread that I truly enjoy! A bit of Thai smarts and a bit of falang smarts. Good luck Rigger and please keep us updated on how your ponds are coming along.

BTW, what do you plan on using for bait when fishing in you pond?

**DrAndy** · 19-10-2006, 05:40 PM

I have just been up to our new bit of land, with a couple of fishing ponds

the water is continually replenished by a canal, so keeps everything fresh and nice

the fish seem to get big very quickly, the neighbour says that the pond can be emptied three times a year to get the fish to sell

at the moment, the rice fields around are all flooded, so the pond is high. The neighbour says also that fish swim from the river, into the rice fields then into the pond, essentially upstream, to lay eggs

so it never needs to be stocked, like perpetual motion

**hillbilly** · 19-10-2006, 07:01 PM

More pics guys, more pics!

**klongmaster** · 19-10-2006, 09:24 PM

Most of my experience has been with geomembrane liners which we installed for the forestry dept in NZ...small ponds for firefighting...about the size of your fishing ponds...

we used electric welders powered by a small generator...doesn't need much grunt...just enough to melt the membrane together...like any weld it becomes the strongest part...

kinda like the piccies show

this guys on his knees but ours had a handle like below

it moves quite quickly and you've gotta hold it straight
it's melting the membrane wherever it goes...

we always found it best to have someone in front holding the sheets taut...

made for nice straight welds...

**klongmaster** · 19-10-2006, 09:33 PM

end result...not one of my jobs...just plucked from the net to show you the idea...

the top needs to be anchored...usually folded under a layer of boulders or a nib wall...but anything heavy will do...

**attaboy** · 20-10-2006, 02:01 AM

people use bentonite clay to seal ponds but sounds as though nature has got it handled on its own.

**Mr Earl** · 20-10-2006, 05:39 AM

Eliminator how are you going to keep the snakehead/shadow fish out?

My pal in CM has a nice pond which he just stocked. Somehow a snakehead fish got in and had a feast.

**Eliminator** · 20-10-2006, 07:06 AM

I don't have any ponds as of yet but this is an informative thread.

**Rigger** · 20-10-2006, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by Eliminator

how are you going to keep the snakehead/shadow fish out

??????

**Rigger** · 20-10-2006, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by hillbilly

BTW, what do you plan on using for bait when fishing in you pond?

I normaly fish with the bread you buy from the fish shop with a bit of fish oil mixed or fish food pellets soaked in fish oil then moulded around the hooks or little live shrimp. I prefur using the little half spring things with 4 hooks at the top and one at the bottom. I am not a very good at fishing last time I went I ended up at knock shop but still got me rod in

**Eliminator** · 20-10-2006, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by Rigger

Originally Posted by Eliminator

how are you going to keep the snakehead/shadow fish out

??????

That was Mr Earl that posted that, I wouldn't have a clue what he's on about.

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