We plan to place river rocks around it and add a water cascade. Then we will go to the river and get some lily pads, water hyacinths and other water plants to place in the pond for free.
One thing I already learned the hard way is that you must put rocks or logs in the pond to help critters exit the pond. It rained the other day and I found two dead frogs in the rainwater in the bottom of the pool. I felt like a killer.
My Eco-Friendly Fantasy PondWe plan to use solar power to power the circulating pump. Finding the pump and solar components of our pond system was easy. Now, we are researching pool filters to keep the water clear and healthy for fish and plants. We have not found many options for filtering ponds except by chemicals. Now I know why some ponds are colored surreal turquoise--it is from the fungicide!
I visited the ECOsmarte website to see if they offered a system for ponds. The website had been updated since I had visited. I clicked the link for ponds and the first thing I read was:
With the Ecosmarte Pond System you will have a clear, clean, and eco-friendly pond. It eliminates algae, microorganisms, and bacteria, keeping your fish and plant life healthy, without using any chemicals
ECOsmarte Pond System
Close-up of Ionizer
The backwash discharge from a pond using the ECOSmarte pond system is safe for use on lawns and in gardens since it does not contain salt or sodium. Backwash from pools treated with salt water generators can kill plant life, sterilize soil and prevent plant growth.
Close-up of IonizerIt will take a few minutes each week to maintain the water quality in the pond. The system eliminates scaling on the surface of the pond liner and equipment caused by hard water. ECOsmarte pond systems may be installed in 30 minutes or less and they are energy efficient, costing about $2 per month to operate. I will talk to the ECOsmarte people about using solar power for their system.
This natural pond system protects the safety of all critters and humans. Neither will be exposed to toxic chemicals like those in chlorine generators. Chlorine is dangerous to handle and the fumes from chlorine may cause breathing problems for people with asthma or allergies. The same thing may be said of salt chlorinators, which produce chlorine from salt, using lots of energy in the process.
The best thing about ECOsmarte is that the donate 5 percent of their profits to environmental charities.
Tags:
22 comments:
looks nice -- good job!
Several years ago, I saw an article about a pond that was a small eco system and was self regulating. Wish I could remember the mag. Might need a larger body of water than you will have, but was really interesting to me.
Sorry about your frogs...sigh...I haven't seen a frog in years. When I was a kid they were everywhere. At www.vaboomer.com I posted recently about a rare giant Vietnamese turtle that was thought to be extinct. Given the vanishing nature of frogs world wide, I was delighted to hear that you have some!
I love your blog, very informative on saving & protecting our mother nature, I've been looking forward for this kind of theme:)
btw, do you have any automatic button to share on facebook, so I can automatically share it in my profile, I love to spread this blog, it's very important & educational tool for everyone...
Thanks!
this is great and just want I needed! we bought our house six years ago it had a great pond - but the old owners disassembled it, what a disappointemnet when we moved it to find it gone, and we never knew what to do to rebuild it. thanks so much for the info :)
Good luck with the new pond! Nothing like a water feature.
Nothing like a garden pond. Sorry about the frogs, we live and learn as we go. Also watch out for spaniel dogs as my neighbours used to love to flop into my pond and scare the fish to death LOL.
I have a huge pond in my backyard that we built from scratch. We don't use any chemicals. You can see pics of it on my blog. http://mychicthings.blogspot.com
We have 2 filtering systems with 2 waterfalls, koi fish, and plants. Right now we are fighting the ever present green string algae.
@roberto-Thank you!
@virginia-I have frogs living in all my plant beds around the home. I see them when I water and at night. I saw that same article. They used plants to filter the water.
@felinesopher-I do not have a button, but I will make one if you tell me what size you want.
@lady rose-There is something about water that calls to all of us. I hope this pond will become a center of peace in our neighborhood.
@nanjo-Appreciate it.
@jackie-I had not thought of dogs. I was thinking I needed to put a fence up to keep kids out. It is not deep, but you can drown in 2 feet of water.
@chicgirl-I'll be by to check out your pond. Thanks for visiting.
This would be a great school wide science project. It would be a good way to teach about habitats and would show students the value of hard work :o) Great post!
You mentioned wou're planning to use solar power to power the pump. Is that possible? Will it generate enough power to run the pump? Will you use a battery to keep the charge for night time usage?
Hey.. It shouldn't be a fantasy. You can try to work it out =) Or maybe someone who reads it can help you to your master plan. =D Next you should do is your own Hybrid powered vehicle. ^^
Pond is just something to be pondering about. What a nice pond. I wish I had a pond that have a Loch Ness monster.
How did you dig the hole for the pond? You did it all by hand and all by yourselves??
WOW, that is so awesome. I've made small ponds before with eheim pumps and such but that just seems so much more complicated and advanced.
Sorry about your frogs. I haven't seen a frog in years. When I was a kid they were everywhere. At www.vaboomer.com I posted recently about a rare giant Vietnamese turtle that was thought to be extinct. Given the vanishing nature of frogs world wide.
Splendid!I've made small ponds before with eheim pumps and such but that just seems so much more complicated but advanced n sorry about the frogs..
Ponds is very beautiful and the idea of making an eco friendly pond is great. I really appreciate the effort that you are keeping care of water and surroundings.
Hey, that's pretty cool. I've had indoor ponds (aquariums actually) for years, but have lately been thinking about an outdoor pond. It never occurred to me to use solar panels for power. How green! I use solar panels on my sailboat, and like enviro friendly touch of them. Will you keep your pond open all season long? Just wondering how well the solar panels will work in the winter months.
That is an awesome pond. Nice to see that you can have a pond in which you don't have to add harmful chemicals just to keep it clean.
We have a pond in our backyard that we struggle to keep clean. Thanks so much for sharing your story, it will really help our family keep our pond green and clean!
Aw wow, Id always love a pond in my back garden. It must have been hard to keep everything eco friendly. Its wonderful that your taking that extra step so that your getting everything eco friendly.
Natural products are the future! I wish more people would realize this.. Thanks for sharing this, keep it up!
Post a Comment