Water Feature / Wall Wall - Any ideas???

**Mickj** · 7th December 2007, 11:06 AM

A few years ago, I thought it was a good idea building a pond/water feature. I estimated about $400.
When it was finished it ended up costing over $7k.

I made mine from stone and then fiber-glassed the inside.
But as mentioned, its whats underground that counts.
Unless you want a breeding ground for mozzies, you have to do it right.
I have some Koi fish in mine. They're not there for looks, they're there to help keep the mozzie count down(works well).

Pumps/filters/UV sterilisers...its all needed.
Build yourself a little rock garden(cheaper running costs)

Good luck

Mick

**dazzler** · 7th December 2007, 11:21 AM

We rented a place in hobart that had a couple like in the photo. One had goldfish and waterplants and a bio filter (lots of plastic spiky balls) and seemed to be very well balanced. had frogses and midgeses and all kinds of creatures, even David Attenborough was seen stalking through the grass

The other had no plants or fish and was painted with a black tar stuff.

It did go green but I just drained it and wiped it with a cloth and refilled it.

BIL is a marine biologist (I think they were in vogue 15years ago

) and does ponds. He says the trick is plants and balls

**Eli** · 7th December 2007, 11:25 AM

DIY bio-filter
http://leisure.prior-it.co.uk/jims-p...biofilter.html

**Bleedin Thumb** · 7th December 2007, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by Fr_303

Similar to this but a stacked stone back and no second reseivor

As I said, you can do it on the cheap. But you posted this picture as an example of what you wanted to acheive.

Dazzler, youre right about the plants being a good way to keep the water clear. besides providing oxygen they also take up some nutrients. The biological filtration is done by microbes that cling to anything they can.

The greater the surface area the greater the biomass and hence biological filtering. More plants = more surface area etc.

However this is then a pond which needs relatively still conditions unlike a water-wall. You will then need fish to keep down the mossies so no chlorine - you will also need to keep an eye on nitrite levels and do water changes regularly.

I don't put fish in mine, the mossies do get a bit wild in early summer but once the frog numbers build up it keeps them down. Of course then you need lots of rocks and plants around as habitat.

I built my own water feature on the cheap I dug a hole and lined it with about $10 worth of plastic and maybe $200 worth of plants.

Good luck building something similar to the one in the photo cheaply.

**Fr_303** · 7th December 2007, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by mirz

i am sure you can do it without spending thousands of dollars, its just a matter of some research.

a backyard water wall is totaly different in $ terms from a commercial one accessible by general public.

Too right Mirz

**mcchaddy** · 7th December 2007, 01:58 PM

Fr 303,

This pool and Wall cost me $52,000 about 2 years ago. The excavation cost nearly 17,000 as it was all rock. The wall on the edge is made from old sandstone that came out of an old retaining walll around the property. It is feed from the pool pump and had 2 outlet holes. The actual feature wall took about half a day to put up.

**dazzler** · 7th December 2007, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by mcchaddy

Fr 303,

This pool and Wall cost me $52,000 about 2 years ago. The excavation cost nearly 17,000 as it was all rock. The wall on the edge is made from old sandstone that came out of an old retaining walll around the property. It is feed from the pool pump and had 2 outlet holes. The actual feature wall took about half a day to put up.

A few years back I built a house and struck some rock. The builder, a very religious fellow, arranged for a group from his congregation to come around and pray that there wouldnt be a lot.

Anyway, the end result was $18000 for it to be dug out, and I said to him "so much for divine intervention" to which he remarked "but how bad could it have been"

**Eli** · 7th December 2007, 07:37 PM

The Lord saved you thousands!

**Bleedin Thumb** · 7th December 2007, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by dazzler

A few years back I built a house and struck some rock. The builder, a very religious fellow, arranged for a group from his congregation to come around and pray that there wouldnt be a lot.

Anyway, the end result was $18000 for it to be dug out, and I said to him "so much for divine intervention" to which he remarked "but how bad could it have been"

It was probably just a small floater until He intervened.

Didn't you know ..................................God hates Home Builders!

**mirz** · 8th December 2007, 12:32 AM

checkout these one on eBay:

http://home.search.ebay.com.au/water...0QQsacatZ20716

they are not looking that bad mate.

**les88** · 8th December 2007, 06:14 AM

We have a wall that needs a water feature swmbo said....OK said I .
Thanks to you guys its not going to happen
les

**woodbe** · 8th December 2007, 07:57 AM

What effect do the water restrictions have on these things?

Where we are, just about every public water feature is switched off and dry...

woodbe.

**Bleedin Thumb** · 9th December 2007, 02:56 PM

Why? dont they reticulate the water?

**Fr_303** · 10th December 2007, 04:50 PM

Has any one actually had success with building one of these?

**zathras** · 10th December 2007, 06:12 PM

Strewth,

I just checked out those stainless walls on E-Bay, and I reckon at the next BBQ, you'd have the blokes lining up in quick order for relief after the first few cans of ale

Mind you the latest trend in that area is "desert cubes" or similar, no problems then with the water going green because there isn't any! It could go yellow though

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