Eric's Ponds 2004 - End in sight

End in sight - 2004

I've been experimenting with a homemade venturi jet in the bottom pond. If this works, it will add lots of oxygen. I planned on installing it when I upgrade my filter system.

The plan is to use a submersible pump in the bottom pond skimmer during the summer months to feed the venturi jet. The jet will discharge into the bottom pond at a depth of two feet.

April 1, 2004

In April, I finally got the top pond waterfall finished. I used up every rock that I had left.

This project was started over a year ago, I just couldn't decide how I wanted it to look. So, I finally just did it, not really having a plan at all. Sometimes that's the best way to go.

April 22, 2004

This place, not far from where we live, is where most of our rocks have come from. After using all of my rocks on the top pond waterfall, we had to make another 'rock trip'. Shannon would occasionally go with me on these rock trips. This one, we hoped would be our last for a long time.
	April 24, 2004

After the successful completion of the top pond waterfall, the only rock work left to do was the middle pond waterfall.

It's nothing really fancy, but it definitely looks better than that exposed liner.

April 24, 2004

My new filter system had been in the planning stages for a long time. The first thing I did was install 13 bulkheads in three 55 gallon drums. This is a process I am not very comfortable with, but it has got to be done. Building a filter system this complex, means having many potential places for acquiring a leak.
	April 29, 2004

	May 8, 2004 Here, most of the parts are laid out, ready for assembly. I knew from the beginning that this was going to be a difficult project just because of the lack of space I have for installing a filter system like this. Filter systems like this require large plumbing which takes up a lot of space.
	May 9, 2004 In May I began digging the holes for the drums to be placed in. This spot is basically surrounded by all the ponds, so the dirt had to be carried out in 5 gallon buckets. It was a very time consuming process.
	May 19, 2004 Here, the filter system is fully assembled and operating. More information about the filter is on the filter system page.
	I built eight removable panels in the deck floor to give access to the various parts of the filter system.

	Finally finished the deck. In September, I installed an underwater camera in the bottom pond. We can now view the fish "live" from any or all televisions in the house! Yep, this has definitely gone too far. In November, I started broadcasting the underwater camera over the internet.
August 10, 2004		September 2004