The Liberal Gun Club Forum

Finished bustin my ass...Want to show it off!
I coated the inside with thinset over top of the concrete and waiting for it too cure for about 3 weeks before I add the fish. I added 8 gallons of vinigar to the water and left for a week, then drained. I filled it back up yesterday with water and set up the home made filter and pump which is the flower pot in the center. Anybody know how toxic thinset is for fish and plants? I've learned what I think I can on the net and wondering if there's any experts here before I add the fish.

That is sweet!!!


How many gallons?

I built a 'barrel pond' arrangement out of old whiskey barrels. It's above ground but holds about 100 gallons.

Puts the box I made out of landscape timbers for the swing to shame.

Nicely done, looks inviting!

I would have lost interest as I was unloading the truck. Nice work.

Awesome work.... but... where's fish? Didn't see them.

mvelimir wrote:Awesome work.... but... where's fish? Didn't see them.

They're piranha. Very small.

I would've probably lost interest too. Looks great!

mvelimir wrote:Awesome work.... but... where's fish? Didn't see them.

They are staying at a hotel downtown until their water warms up, spoiled bastards.

Sonofagun wrote:

Great Ctulhu!!!!

Xela

I froze my ass off trying to set up the filter/money plant/planter. Wife came up with the bright idea to put the fall in the middle of the pond, after of course I filled it with water. I used some wierd shaped cement blocks to elevate a bird bath, a total of 44" from bottom to top of water level. It's about 2' deeper than ground level in the bottom. I'm guessing 1,000 gal. Hell I don't know really, I just imagine how many 55 gallon drums I could fit in it. Thanks for the compliments. Still trying to figure out how long to cure before adding the fish. I know lime and other chems reduce oxygen levels and sufficate fish. I couldn't figure out how to use a liner and attatch it to the inside top of the walls. So I'm gambling...hoping to find a way around more work.

Paladin wrote:Puts the box I made out of landscape timbers for the swing to shame.

Wife wants me to build one of those too. As you can see in the background I just bolted it to the timbers under the deck. Maybe you could give me some advise on that??

Get a 4lb sledge and pre drill

Very nice work, diy the only way to go. Kudos to you sir.

Sonofagun wrote:Finished bustin my ass...Want to show it off!
I coated the inside with thinset over top of the concrete and waiting for it too cure for about 3 weeks before I add the fish. I added 8 gallons of vinigar to the water and left for a week, then drained. I filled it back up yesterday with water and set up the home made filter and pump which is the flower pot in the center. Anybody know how toxic thinset is for fish and plants? I've learned what I think I can on the net and wondering if there's any experts here before I add the fish.

Wow! That's really beautiful!

Go down to your local pet store and buy a dozen feeder fish. They will run you around 10 cents a piece. Throw them in there and wait a few days. If they live, great, if not, you are only out a buck twenty.

Nontoxic variants of thin-set should be okay:
http://www.ehow.com/info_7830083_type-u ... -pond.html

I'm pretty sure there are different kinds of thin-set so hazards will vary.

Quickset MSDS
http://www.super-tek.com/quiksetmsds.htm

Quickrete Product diff MSDS:
http://www.quikrete.com/PDFs/MSDS-E-Mor ... hinSet.pdf

Concrete reaches 80% strength in 7 days. It should be the advertised PSI at 28 days (assuming that you added the correct proportion of water and did everything perfect like a concrete manufacturer!). In all reality it rarely reaches the advertised PSI because people add too much water etc.. You did wet cure it after placement right? Usually after the initial hardening it is a good idea to spray it down and let it cure better. If you don't then it reduces strength. If it's hot and the concrete dries out without some sort of plastic cover then it could cause problems.

Concrete is created through a chemical reaction so it continue to harden. I think 28 days for sure is pretty safe.

Wow, thanks guys, good info. After pouring my footing I set 8x16 block as a parimeter. Then coated the inside with a 1" layer of morter and wire mesh to hold it in place. Then over top of the morter with two coats of thinset. I kept each layer wet for atleast a day each while hardening. Then after the last coat of thin set hardened and dried I filled it with water. It had a week of water and vinigar and then I drained than and re-filled with just water. Now I will wait another two weeks and again drain and re-fill. Then I'll get some guppies or something like Mark stated. Good idea! Thanks again for the help...!!

mark wrote:Go down to your local pet store and buy a dozen feeder fish. They will run you around 10 cents a piece. Throw them in there and wait a few days. If they live, great, if not, you are only out a buck twenty.

Then throw them on the ground to teach a christian lesson.

I used Vesabond thin-set. It's got silica in it which causes cancer to humans if dust is inhailed when mixing. I don't know how this is gonna work out for the fish. May have to get plastic ones, or call it a hot-tub.

I do a bit of ponding myself. Here is a great resource for you:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/ponds/

Here are some pictures of my pond/fish.

Before this springs 'enlargement'. It was about 450 gallons.



This is during the enlargement:



Finished Pond. Total gallonage is about 1800 gallons (give or take 100 gal). It's 14'x9'x2'(depth).



One of my frogs:

Most thinset is toxic to fish, you'll have to check the brand you used.

Your best best is hooking up with a freshwater fish forum.

mark wrote:Go down to your local pet store and buy a dozen feeder fish. They will run you around 10 cents a piece. Throw them in there and wait a few days. If they live, great, if not, you are only out a buck twenty.

Not recommended. Unethical, not humane and a good way to transfer disease. The best way is to cycle it with time, don't (and you can't) rush it. For aquariums...good things happen slowly. Bad things happen quickly.

Very nice

CMfromIL wrote:I do a bit of ponding myself. Here is a great resource for you:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/ponds/

Here are some pictures of my pond/fish.

Before this springs 'enlargement'. It was about 450 gallons.

This is during the enlargement:

Finished Pond. Total gallonage is about 1800 gallons (give or take 100 gal). It's 14'x9'x2'(depth).

One of my frogs:

That looks great. I love the frog.