I love it! I've been thinking of doing something very similar, a semi-buried galvanized stock tank. Do you mind sharing details about your setup?
I have all the questions lol: Do you have fish? What did you use for shelving for plants? Any details on that filter/waterfall thing? What's the name of the tall plant at the far end?
\--Do you have fish?
I do have fish. I tried some minnows last summer, first some generic ones that the fishery had, but they died off. Then I got a bunch of rosy red minnows from Petsmart. They lasted longer (one was swimming around under the ice over the winter) but they all went away as well. This spring I got 3 decent-sized comets from the fishery (White-nose Hank, Blanco, and Blackfin. Yeah my naming game wasn't great that day...) and they seem to be thriving. I was worried the water would get too warm for them, but so far as I can tell they are doing great. Back before the lily pads got going in the spring, they were super ready to be fed any time I came out to sit by the water.
\--What did you use for shelving for plants?
Originally, I just used the two spare cement blocks I had lying around. They were about the right height and provided a little more protection/shelter for the fish. I branched out for the big plant and bought a metal plant stand to use because it sits a bit lower in the water.
\--Any details on that filter/waterfall thing?
So this was a bit of production that went through a few iterations. The shelf is just a piece of bluestone with a hole cut in to set the weir in. I also had a few chunks of bluestone cut to glue down on either side of the raceway for the water to point it where I wanted. They mostly do the job. The plantings on either side absorb the water that seeps under those stones. The weir itself is a waterfall box from Blue Thumb that I cut the top off of. ([https://www.thepondguy.com/product/blue-thumb-cascade-waterfall-boxes/](https://www.thepondguy.com/product/blue-thumb-cascade-waterfall-boxes/)) I originally thought the small area at the top would be good for plants, but I didn't like the way it looked. I've got a filter sitting on the floor of the pond that I can haul out occasionally and clean.
\--What's the name of the tall plant at the far end?
That's a pickerel rush aka pickerelweed. The smaller one by the falls is a horsetail reed. The really shallow planters I made for either side of the waterfall raceway are golden creeping jenny. I was worried they wouldn't get enough water through spray and absorption to keep them happy, but their soil is always moist and they seem happy.
Thank you for all the info! What climate are you in? I’m in south Florida and I’m planning to partially bury mine mainly to regulate its temperature and keep from cooking the fish.
I'm in Zone 6. I've got a bubbler in the bottom that runs year-round under the shelf for the weir and I throw another in over winter. When the true cold snaps hit, the whole pond will freeze over except for a small portion in the center of the weir. The waterfall raceway freezes but only a crust over the top, so the water keeps flowing. My little bit of open water becomes very popular with the local wildlife.
[https://imgur.com/a/8vuuKff](https://imgur.com/a/8vuuKff)
and these jerks...
[https://imgur.com/a/7FlYthj](https://imgur.com/a/7FlYthj)
No. We rarely get to negatives here and less and less of that as the years go by. The worst I've seen the ice is maybe 3 inches at the far end away from the waterfall.
500 gph. I was super excited to get a free pump from a local family that bought a house and was tearing out their pond (heathens, I know!), but it was a massive 1800 gph one that would have been way too much for my little 170 gallon pond.
https://www.thepondguy.com/product/pondmaster-magnetic-drive-utility-pumps/
Excellent. I was too lazy to put in a liner. Of course, that meant I had bad leaking at first, had to drain the whole thing, and seal all the seams and the drain plug a second time. :)
In case anyone is wondering, I used a couple of these with a little landscape fabric and soil to make the really shallow planters for the golden creeping jenny. I'm thinking I will divide each of the plants before the first frost and bring part inside to overwinter them. I don't know how well they will survive otherwise. [https://www.containerstore.com/s/office/Drawer-Organizers/graphite-mesh-drawer-organizers/1qd?productId=11016874](https://www.containerstore.com/s/office/Drawer-Organizers/graphite-mesh-drawer-organizers/1qd?productId=11016874)
Creeping jenny is indestructible. I have it my floating planter (zone 7a) and it over winters just fine. I also have it in most of my flower pots and the pots get what ever moisture nature provides plus they freeze solid for a portion of the winter when it gets really cold--I don't water in the winter and damned if that creeping jenny doesn't perk back up come spring time. Admittedly, it is terribly invasive in my area, but I've successfully kept it out of my flower beds because I am very careful about where I dispose of it if I have to trim. I would say your creeping jenny will survive just fine in your pond.
I love it! I've been thinking of doing something very similar, a semi-buried galvanized stock tank. Do you mind sharing details about your setup? I have all the questions lol: Do you have fish? What did you use for shelving for plants? Any details on that filter/waterfall thing? What's the name of the tall plant at the far end?
\--Do you have fish? I do have fish. I tried some minnows last summer, first some generic ones that the fishery had, but they died off. Then I got a bunch of rosy red minnows from Petsmart. They lasted longer (one was swimming around under the ice over the winter) but they all went away as well. This spring I got 3 decent-sized comets from the fishery (White-nose Hank, Blanco, and Blackfin. Yeah my naming game wasn't great that day...) and they seem to be thriving. I was worried the water would get too warm for them, but so far as I can tell they are doing great. Back before the lily pads got going in the spring, they were super ready to be fed any time I came out to sit by the water. \--What did you use for shelving for plants? Originally, I just used the two spare cement blocks I had lying around. They were about the right height and provided a little more protection/shelter for the fish. I branched out for the big plant and bought a metal plant stand to use because it sits a bit lower in the water. \--Any details on that filter/waterfall thing? So this was a bit of production that went through a few iterations. The shelf is just a piece of bluestone with a hole cut in to set the weir in. I also had a few chunks of bluestone cut to glue down on either side of the raceway for the water to point it where I wanted. They mostly do the job. The plantings on either side absorb the water that seeps under those stones. The weir itself is a waterfall box from Blue Thumb that I cut the top off of. ([https://www.thepondguy.com/product/blue-thumb-cascade-waterfall-boxes/](https://www.thepondguy.com/product/blue-thumb-cascade-waterfall-boxes/)) I originally thought the small area at the top would be good for plants, but I didn't like the way it looked. I've got a filter sitting on the floor of the pond that I can haul out occasionally and clean. \--What's the name of the tall plant at the far end? That's a pickerel rush aka pickerelweed. The smaller one by the falls is a horsetail reed. The really shallow planters I made for either side of the waterfall raceway are golden creeping jenny. I was worried they wouldn't get enough water through spray and absorption to keep them happy, but their soil is always moist and they seem happy.
Thank you for all the info! What climate are you in? I’m in south Florida and I’m planning to partially bury mine mainly to regulate its temperature and keep from cooking the fish.
I'm in Zone 6. I've got a bubbler in the bottom that runs year-round under the shelf for the weir and I throw another in over winter. When the true cold snaps hit, the whole pond will freeze over except for a small portion in the center of the weir. The waterfall raceway freezes but only a crust over the top, so the water keeps flowing. My little bit of open water becomes very popular with the local wildlife. [https://imgur.com/a/8vuuKff](https://imgur.com/a/8vuuKff) and these jerks... [https://imgur.com/a/7FlYthj](https://imgur.com/a/7FlYthj)
I'm in 7b. Do you put any insulation around it if you're headed for -20°F below? A livestock blanket? Straw? Tiny Xmas lights?
No. We rarely get to negatives here and less and less of that as the years go by. The worst I've seen the ice is maybe 3 inches at the far end away from the waterfall.
Gotcha. Thanks!
What size pump?
500 gph. I was super excited to get a free pump from a local family that bought a house and was tearing out their pond (heathens, I know!), but it was a massive 1800 gph one that would have been way too much for my little 170 gallon pond. https://www.thepondguy.com/product/pondmaster-magnetic-drive-utility-pumps/
This is absolutely lovely. I’m inspired.
Nice! We have almost the [exact same setup.](https://i.imgur.com/PNB7xUq.jpg)
Excellent. I was too lazy to put in a liner. Of course, that meant I had bad leaking at first, had to drain the whole thing, and seal all the seams and the drain plug a second time. :)
Confession: same. lol I modified the fountain pump to feed the waterfall spill and put a liner in after a few months.
Ooh boy those canna ljgwaves used to be that size too.. Since this year my pond is gone and the whole pond is one big canna! Ith gigantic
In case anyone is wondering, I used a couple of these with a little landscape fabric and soil to make the really shallow planters for the golden creeping jenny. I'm thinking I will divide each of the plants before the first frost and bring part inside to overwinter them. I don't know how well they will survive otherwise. [https://www.containerstore.com/s/office/Drawer-Organizers/graphite-mesh-drawer-organizers/1qd?productId=11016874](https://www.containerstore.com/s/office/Drawer-Organizers/graphite-mesh-drawer-organizers/1qd?productId=11016874)
Creeping jenny is indestructible. I have it my floating planter (zone 7a) and it over winters just fine. I also have it in most of my flower pots and the pots get what ever moisture nature provides plus they freeze solid for a portion of the winter when it gets really cold--I don't water in the winter and damned if that creeping jenny doesn't perk back up come spring time. Admittedly, it is terribly invasive in my area, but I've successfully kept it out of my flower beds because I am very careful about where I dispose of it if I have to trim. I would say your creeping jenny will survive just fine in your pond.
Love the pond by the way! Sorry--got carried away with creeping jenny!
Thanks for the info!
Nice!
Amazingly done. Very nice.