Hey Folks
Looks like I’m actually gonna build a stream on this layout: v4.0=
Maybe about 8’ long and 1’ of fall over all. Thinking a really narrow fall at the head down to a little reservoir at the ‘bottom’
y’all built one?
http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/18147/n-b-r-r-v4-0/view/page/1
follow the pink line for proposed stream:
narrow falls:
little reservoir
or something along those lines…
I’ll take any links to DIY’s and Videos you may have bookmarked.
Thanks!!!
Can’t offer any help but following closely. If I ever were to add a water feature it would be without a pond.
We have a stream with a small pond at the bottom. Used rubber roofing material, or Earl May sells some pond liner. We stop it in the winter.
I don’t know much about pond-less features, since I have a pond.
But the gist of a pond-less feature is the the hidden reservoir holds enough water to operate the feature and a little bit more, to account for losses from evaporation and splashes. The reservoir is hidden under a cover, or filled with river rocks, so that the water is hidden before it is recycled back into the feature.
For my pond and marsh I used traditional pond liner material. The thick black rubber stuff. If you are doing a pond-less feature, then you will not have to be concerned about your liner leaching fish killing chemicals into the water. So you could use rubber roofing membrane as your liner. The liner should be wide enough to make the stream bead, and a bit more, so that water doesn’t find its way out of the system. Water will wick up through dirt, so the edging of your water feature should be rock. Since you wont have fish, and if you wont be having any water plants, a bit of chlorine bleach added to the water from time to time will kill off the algae and other stuff growing in the water.
Beyond that, I don’t really know too much more about pond-less features.
Cale,
That’s a way to save on the dirt you were running out of. Make holes, fill them with rock and water.
Cale, I did some research on it but decided not to do it, what happens is you bury the plastic barrel, put a 5 gallon bucket in the bigger can with holes drilled all over it, put your pump in the 5 gallon bucket then fill the bigger barrel with bigger rocks on bottom then pea gravel to the top, its a pondless river/waterfall, the water disappears into the barrel with the gravel, saves water because less evaporation and keeps it cleaner because of filtered through the rocks, then run your hose back up to wherever your starting from, it is easier than building pond.
Tom h
thanks guys! I did order the Waterfall Box as linked above.
8" spillway for a nice narrow stream/river
I’ll snag a few 5gal buckets and lids (Tom h) I found a few DIY mags with the how-to’s from 2005/2006 saved describing the build process as you mentioned. There is a local pond builder nearby and I have some roofing friends-either may have some liner laying around.
Hard to describe the feeling of Everyone in the house (7) being excited about a “Dad Project”… I will get some better photos of the proposed area up later today.
Thanks (and keep 'em coming)
Cale
Cale
Timing is every thing!
I have the pond in and was wondering a bout a stream…
Please post lots of pics as you go so I can us your mentod!
Sean
P.S. The layout is coming along real nice!
5gal bucket cut down a little and inside a milk crate. Pump in bottom-test fit
had to go back and buy another piece of rubber…$150.OUCH
First spill of the falls
Looking up at weir
overhead of reservoir
Big Boys helping flatten it out…now I need some more rocks!
some progress shots
Looking good Cal.
if those pics look like I took them at night…I did…how’s this?
I’m not getting the ‘flow’ I had hoped for. I have a larger pump en route, due Monday…updates as we progress
What size pump did you install Cale? (and what MFG?)
I found with my Koi pond that some manufactures highly exaggerate the GPH flow, I have had the best luck using pumps from PondMaster. They seem to provide the best flow and have lasted the longest from what I have used.
Just replaced my 2400gph pump this summer, lasted 6-years… which is 4-years better then the pumps from Laguna lasted.
I have a Pondmaster 350GPH and will give the Hydrafarm 550 shot…
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JPIQ1Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I still don’t think that is big enough and probably will not be much of a improvement over what you have currently.
Did the waterfall box have a GPH flow rating on it?
What is the height elevation from the basin to the waterfall box?
Here is the spec. from a pondmaster Mag Drive 700 pump:
700 gph pump w/18’ cord. 60 watts; 1.3 amps. 460 gph @ 3’, 390 gph @5’, shut off 11.6’. Powerful ceramic magnetic impeller is the only moving part which makes these pumps extremely energy efficient. Pumps can be used inline or submerged
If the head height (elevation from basin to waterfall box) is 3’ the 700gph pump is only 460gph, and 390gph at 5’.
argh…I can still cancel! The box is a 1000 model and I’m assuming it 1000ghp capable. I have about 36"+ between the 2. (thanks!)
Fear not, I cant count how many pumps I have purchased before I found what I really needed!
