Hi Kev, just a suggestion for the bin lid. Stone coloured masonry paint mixed with sand will give it a stone effect to help it blend in. After a while, moss will grow on it due to the texture and increased surface area of the sand.
Been watching a ton of pond videos as I prepare to do my own for the first time. I’m fairly handy, and I’ve wanted a pond for years. Everyone uses the unnecessary expensive equipment. Been binge watching your videos. Thanks so much for the excellent content!
Kev - When you say take the pump volume and divide by 60 to get the void space... are you talking about the volume needed in just the green bin that you used, or for the entire area inside the intake bay?
Hello, I'm doing a wildlife pond in Alberta, Canada and love your intake bay and all of your videos so far. Since the main purpose of my pond is to attract wildlife, particularly frogs, I was wondering if you have any ideas for keeping the tadpoles and smaller critters out of the pump. I've heard of people putting them in pond plant baskets and other home made ideas but I've also heard that can reduce the flow. Any other ideas?
Why not use an intake bay. The water will pass through rock and pebble to get to the pump. Most tadpoles won’t make that journey. If the pond is small you can use the plant basket and a coarse sponge over the top.
@@Ozponds Thank you for the response, I watched the intake bay video again and It does seem to be deep enough that tadpoles wouldn't be sucked into the flow way down there, especially with the layered sizes of rock . Do I understand that the intake bay gathers the floating debris to be removed manually? Most skimmers pull the floating items into the filter to be removed mechanically and that's very dangerous for pond critters apparently. Do you find that floating plants also end up in there or do they find corners in the main pond and stay put?
Hi Kev, thanks for the informative video. I was hoping you might give an update on your experience with the intake bay, now that it has been in operation for awhile and how the experience compares to using a skimmer? I am thinking of switching from a skimmer, which I have had for 10 years, to an intake bay but am cautious, lest I just exchange one set of problems for another. Do you have much debris sinking down to the surface of the gravel or among the gravel at the bottom of the bay? Problems with pump intakes clogging on stuff that might get below the stone? Void clogging with sediment? If so, how hard has any cleanup been? Any other unique issues to be concerned about? Thanks in advance and keep up the good videos! Brad
I love my intake bays. This was the last video I talked about the two. Maintaining a backyard garden pond under trees th-cam.com/video/kxA4qWRVCc8/w-d-xo.html. I stuck my pond vac down the barrel vaults on the intake bay on the dream pond during my summer, very little debris down there. That was the only look I had at those pumps in about 18months of operation. I’m sure I did a video on that but I can’t remember which one it is. It’s gotta be one of the dream pond update vids. Now in saying all that I also have an aquascape pond kit pond. Im incredibly lazy and I don’t regularly empty my skimmer net, I only really clean out the sponges every 6 months. So clearly I don’t have a lot of issues with debris to do a decent comparison.
@@Ozponds Thanks for the reply. I too have an Aquascape skimmer but I have a lot of debris and probably too much pump. I rarely fill a basket but stuff gets pulled in and sucked against the basket surface, eventually blocking waterflow enough to starve the pumps. I doubt that would happen much in an intake bay but I am just concerned that some of the stuff that makes it into my skimmer is already waterlogged and barely floating, and if that gets pulled down between the rocks that it might be a chore to clear out from the stones or the AquaBlox below. I'm probably going to make the switch to an intake bay. Just trying to explore the potential pitfalls first. :-)
Hi Kev Like your content and advice. I am making one now and can't see any reason against submerging the bin slightly to hide it. Am I not seeing something here? Thanks
I did that in my dream pond. One day I needed access to the pumps, it was winter. I didn’t enjoy it. Now I just recommend keeping the access hatch above water level. Otherwise you need to fumble around in freezing water or drain quite a lot of water.
I'm thinking about building a pond (about 20000 liters later this year and getting two pumps, one that is 12000 liters per hour that runs continuously (house current) and a second that runs 8000 liters per hour for a stream during the day and powered by a solar panel. Can I hook a 24 volt solar panel to a Jebao 24 v pump directly or do I need something between them? Thanks for all your great videos.
Hi Kev, great work as usual. I was wondering if you have any experience keeping smaller fish (like white clouds, medakas etc.) with goldfish? Do they get along fine?
Hello Kev, you say the void space needs to contain at least one minute worth of water. Does the void space include or exclude the water space in the wheelie bin? Cheers Paul.
Hi, like ur videos ! I’m new to making a pond. We did ares clay and used ( damit ) to block all the leaks. It’s a big 👍 we got the water to stay in a the pond. Sorry reason for me commenting. I’m gonna be using a 55 gallon tote as my pond liner. Then using a another tote for the pomp. I was gonna use milk crates in the tote then rock on top, then put pea stone on top that to make my intake bay. I’m hoping this will work. If u could get get to me on this idea before I start putting it together.
I’m not sure. It’s not really something I’ve tried myself so I don’t want to give poor advice. But I wouldn’t use pea gravel, something bigger around 20mm.
Hey, I watched your video multiple times and have 2 questions. 1. What do you exactly mean by void space? So as long there is x amount of liters filling up the void space will there be enough water to pump inside the bin? 2. Why are there 2 pipes in the bin? Thanks a lot for the help.
The void space is just an area that is free of rock and pebble, just water. This ensures that the pumps always have plenty of water to draw from. There’s 2 pipes in the bin because I have 2 pumps on this pond. One feeds the bog filter and one feeds the headwaters of the stream.
Yo Kev. My pond is more or less done and I'm just planning the bog filter build now. Regarding flow rates for pumps, would my best bet be to time how long it takes to fill the bog, to get the appropriate flow rate? IIRC you say it should take about 12 mins or so to pass through the bog.. so I just time how long it takes to fill the bog (raised bed) to calibrate right? Thanks for all of your vids, they've been super helpful.
@@Ozponds Cheers mate. I'm planning on doing something that should be a new one on you.. a few meters away from my pond is my underground greenhouse. I'm going to put a heat exchanger in the greenhouse and another one inside the bog filter. The idea being to help cool the greenhouse in summer but to also heat the pond a little in winter, which may prevent freezing... Will see how it goes!
Do you need to pay attention to design or placement to prevent a siphon if the power goes out? If so, what considerations need to be made? Just that the intake is lower in elevation than the output?
Hey Kev! Do you use real wood logs? Do you find they cause tannic water?? (Discoloration or bleach of the logs causing water to change color, darkening) I love the real logs, but worry about deterioration of them!
I do but not heaps of them. I actually don’t mind the tannins but the few logs I have haven’t added any. The courtyard pond can get a bit tanninie (is that a word?) in winter because I’m too lazy to remove all the leaves the maples dump in.
Bog is a low volt 4500 per hour pump. Stream is powered by a 15000 variable speed low volt pump. But I have it dialled right back. Probably producing 6000 litres per hour.
It's been a year since this video was made and it's still helping people.
That’s cool 👍
Hi Kev, just a suggestion for the bin lid. Stone coloured masonry paint mixed with sand will give it a stone effect to help it blend in. After a while, moss will grow on it due to the texture and increased surface area of the sand.
Nice. I might give that a go. Thanks Paul 👍
Good to see how it's progressed it will another great looking pond and watercourse once it's all settled and matured just like your others
Very much enjoy watching your videos. Thanks for all the research you do and sharing with everyone.
Thanks Rick. I’m glad you enjoy them.
I want an intake bay so I can have a bridge. I love that bridge you've made.
I like it too but I’m building a proper boardwalk this is currently just a temporary crossing.
Nice work, thanks Kev. I'm just giving some thought to an intake bay so your timing with this couldn't be better!
Excellent 👍
Nice job Kev, I wish I had you're talents :)
You are very kind. I don’t feel especially talented.
Thank you! Great ideas and info as always.
Thanks Dave 👍
Freaking love your channel!
That makes me happy 😊👍
Been watching a ton of pond videos as I prepare to do my own for the first time. I’m fairly handy, and I’ve wanted a pond for years. Everyone uses the unnecessary expensive equipment. Been binge watching your videos. Thanks so much for the excellent content!
@@mkb18577 it’s crazy how expensive some of the stuff is. You’ll create something awesome for a fraction of the price 👍
Fantastic Kev! This really helps. Once I’ve got mine done will show you. Still a few months for monsoon to get over then will start it.
Awesome 👍
Kev - When you say take the pump volume and divide by 60 to get the void space... are you talking about the volume needed in just the green bin that you used, or for the entire area inside the intake bay?
To create my void space I used the bin and the half pipe. Together they gave me the 1 minute worth of “void”. Hope that helps.
Is the half pipe outside the bin?
Hello, I'm doing a wildlife pond in Alberta, Canada and love your intake bay and all of your videos so far. Since the main purpose of my pond is to attract wildlife, particularly frogs, I was wondering if you have any ideas for keeping the tadpoles and smaller critters out of the pump. I've heard of people putting them in pond plant baskets and other home made ideas but I've also heard that can reduce the flow. Any other ideas?
Why not use an intake bay. The water will pass through rock and pebble to get to the pump. Most tadpoles won’t make that journey. If the pond is small you can use the plant basket and a coarse sponge over the top.
@@Ozponds Thank you for the response, I watched the intake bay video again and It does seem to be deep enough that tadpoles wouldn't be sucked into the flow way down there, especially with the layered sizes of rock . Do I understand that the intake bay gathers the floating debris to be removed manually? Most skimmers pull the floating items into the filter to be removed mechanically and that's very dangerous for pond critters apparently. Do you find that floating plants also end up in there or do they find corners in the main pond and stay put?
@@AspenRealEstateServices floating plants can get pulled over to the intake bay.
Great info kev!
Thanks 😊
Hi Kev, thanks for the informative video. I was hoping you might give an update on your experience with the intake bay, now that it has been in operation for awhile and how the experience compares to using a skimmer? I am thinking of switching from a skimmer, which I have had for 10 years, to an intake bay but am cautious, lest I just exchange one set of problems for another. Do you have much debris sinking down to the surface of the gravel or among the gravel at the bottom of the bay? Problems with pump intakes clogging on stuff that might get below the stone? Void clogging with sediment? If so, how hard has any cleanup been? Any other unique issues to be concerned about? Thanks in advance and keep up the good videos!
Brad
I love my intake bays. This was the last video I talked about the two. Maintaining a backyard garden pond under trees
th-cam.com/video/kxA4qWRVCc8/w-d-xo.html. I stuck my pond vac down the barrel vaults on the intake bay on the dream pond during my summer, very little debris down there. That was the only look I had at those pumps in about 18months of operation. I’m sure I did a video on that but I can’t remember which one it is. It’s gotta be one of the dream pond update vids. Now in saying all that I also have an aquascape pond kit pond. Im incredibly lazy and I don’t regularly empty my skimmer net, I only really clean out the sponges every 6 months. So clearly I don’t have a lot of issues with debris to do a decent comparison.
@@Ozponds Thanks for the reply. I too have an Aquascape skimmer but I have a lot of debris and probably too much pump. I rarely fill a basket but stuff gets pulled in and sucked against the basket surface, eventually blocking waterflow enough to starve the pumps. I doubt that would happen much in an intake bay but I am just concerned that some of the stuff that makes it into my skimmer is already waterlogged and barely floating, and if that gets pulled down between the rocks that it might be a chore to clear out from the stones or the AquaBlox below. I'm probably going to make the switch to an intake bay. Just trying to explore the potential pitfalls first. :-)
Hi Kev
Like your content and advice.
I am making one now and can't see any reason against submerging the bin slightly to hide it.
Am I not seeing something here?
Thanks
I did that in my dream pond. One day I needed access to the pumps, it was winter. I didn’t enjoy it. Now I just recommend keeping the access hatch above water level. Otherwise you need to fumble around in freezing water or drain quite a lot of water.
Gotcha.
Thanks
I'm thinking about building a pond (about 20000 liters later this year and getting two pumps, one that is 12000 liters per hour that runs continuously (house current) and a second that runs 8000 liters per hour for a stream during the day and powered by a solar panel. Can I hook a 24 volt solar panel to a Jebao 24 v pump directly or do I need something between them? Thanks for all your great videos.
I’d love to know the answer myself. I want to create a vanishing stream and run it off a solar panel. If you find the answer please let me know 👍
Hi Kev, great work as usual. I was wondering if you have any experience keeping smaller fish (like white clouds, medakas etc.) with goldfish? Do they get along fine?
I tried keeping medaka with goldfish that didn’t work.
Hello Kev, you say the void space needs to contain at least one minute worth of water. Does the void space include or exclude the water space in the wheelie bin? Cheers Paul.
I include it.
@@Ozponds thanks. Your videos are amazing!!!
Very cool
Thanks so much 🍻
Hi, like ur videos ! I’m new to making a pond. We did ares clay and used ( damit ) to block all the leaks. It’s a big 👍 we got the water to stay in a the pond. Sorry reason for me commenting. I’m gonna be using a 55 gallon tote as my pond liner. Then using a another tote for the pomp. I was gonna use milk crates in the tote then rock on top, then put pea stone on top that to make my intake bay. I’m hoping this will work. If u could get get to me on this idea before I start putting it together.
I’m not sure. It’s not really something I’ve tried myself so I don’t want to give poor advice. But I wouldn’t use pea gravel, something bigger around 20mm.
Gravel of approx 9mm is working perfectly for me Kev
Hey, I watched your video multiple times and have 2 questions.
1. What do you exactly mean by void space? So as long there is x amount of liters filling up the void space will there be enough water to pump inside the bin?
2. Why are there 2 pipes in the bin?
Thanks a lot for the help.
The void space is just an area that is free of rock and pebble, just water. This ensures that the pumps always have plenty of water to draw from. There’s 2 pipes in the bin because I have 2 pumps on this pond. One feeds the bog filter and one feeds the headwaters of the stream.
@@Ozponds Thank you!
Yo Kev. My pond is more or less done and I'm just planning the bog filter build now. Regarding flow rates for pumps, would my best bet be to time how long it takes to fill the bog, to get the appropriate flow rate? IIRC you say it should take about 12 mins or so to pass through the bog.. so I just time how long it takes to fill the bog (raised bed) to calibrate right? Thanks for all of your vids, they've been super helpful.
That’s how I’ve done it in the past. Now I just use the bog volume when empty and times by 6. 1000L bog equals 6000L per hour pump.
@@Ozponds Cheers mate. I'm planning on doing something that should be a new one on you.. a few meters away from my pond is my underground greenhouse. I'm going to put a heat exchanger in the greenhouse and another one inside the bog filter. The idea being to help cool the greenhouse in summer but to also heat the pond a little in winter, which may prevent freezing... Will see how it goes!
Sounds awesome 👍
Where did you get the flexible pvc pipe. Or what brand is it. Thanks
I can’t remember exactly. I think it was the hose factory.
Hi Kev
Do you need to clean the intake bay out in the same way you clean the bog filter out? I assume very rarely if so
Thanks
I don’t expect to need to do it. But yes if flow became restricted it would be cleaned in exactly the same way 👍
Do you need to pay attention to design or placement to prevent a siphon if the power goes out? If so, what considerations need to be made?
Just that the intake is lower in elevation than the output?
Yes. You’ll see in the vid before this the breather pipe I use to stop the siphon 👍
Hey Kev! Do you use real wood logs? Do you find they cause tannic water?? (Discoloration or bleach of the logs causing water to change color, darkening) I love the real logs, but worry about deterioration of them!
I do but not heaps of them. I actually don’t mind the tannins but the few logs I have haven’t added any. The courtyard pond can get a bit tanninie (is that a word?) in winter because I’m too lazy to remove all the leaves the maples dump in.
How did you connect the liner of the intake bay to the pond liner or is it all one liner. Thanks in advance.
All one piece.
What is the reason for having 1 minute of water available?
Just stops the pumps starving of water
Hey Ozzy
What kinda of pumps are you using and flow rate
Bog is a low volt 4500 per hour pump. Stream is powered by a 15000 variable speed low volt pump. But I have it dialled right back. Probably producing 6000 litres per hour.
I’m turning my pool into a pond and I’m new to this looking for some good insight thank you
After a while you will be getting tired of hearing "g'day my name is Kev...." on each and every video. Have to unsubscribe. Sorry.
😂 see ya!
Do you cut the bottom off the wheelie bin vault or can you put a container with its bottom in place?
The bottom was intact.