BUILDING A MORE REALISTIC BANK

A neighboring farmer with a rocky hillside gladly gave us permission to gather as many rocks as we wanted. We loaded several fifteen gallon cans of rock similar in appearance to those we had used for the base of our waterfall. Each rock was between two and four inches in diameter. We also collected a few cans of crushed rock ranging in size from fines to half an inch across.

Back home, I sifted the small rocks first through half-inch, then through quarter-inch galvanized hardware wire. I washed the rocks carefully to remove any dirt or debris that might keep the rocks from bonding to cement.

To do what we did, mark the water line of the full pond with a white crayon, drain the pond, and allow it to dry. Brush Patio Bond Concrete Glue around the pond from its top edge to three inches below the water line. Prepare mortar mix and add a dash of black pigment to darken the color. Work a 1 1/2 inch thick mixture of mortar over the glue and set the rocks into it. It is easiest if one person sets the larger rocks and another follows with the smaller screened rocks wherever necessary. That way you can fill all the cracks so no mortar is visible. We added the ring of rocks and gravel to the entire circumference of the pond.

ADDING A SECOND WATERFALL

We also decided to add a small upper pond and waterfall behind the viaduct we had cemented into our pond. The water spilling into the deeper pool in that area would enhance the sound of our waterfall and a second stream of water would add to the overall visual effect.

I bought a two inch slip-by thread coupling and a two inch threaded plug. I hand tightened the plug into the coupling and glued on a piece of pipe. It became the new drain pipe so we could empty the upper pond into the lower one. The length of the pipe must be the same thickness as the dam you build for it. The pipe goes through the dam and the coupling projects from the back into the upper pond.

Spray a flat black paint, such as Rust-Oleum or Krylon, on both the cut face of the pipe and the first two inches of its interior. That will obscure the drain pipe when you install it on the bottom of the dam. Lay a two inch thick pad of mortar mix for the base of the dam, place the drain pipe across its center with the plug on the back side of the dam, and build the dam to whatever height you want minus the thickness of the lip rock. It should be level with the last course of rock. Then choose lip rocks with flat sides from the same batch of stone. The lip of the new waterfall must be absolutely level. I added mortar mix between them to keep the lip perfectly flat. This waterfall will work better if you allow it to spill over rather than try to make it project water.

The assembly should dry overnight. Then sweep the pond to remove all loose rock and debris. Finally, turn on the water, watch your waterfalls come to life, and fill the pond.

MAINTENANCE

Our pond loses about two inches of water each day because of evaporation and animals drinking from it. We could fill it every day with a hose but, instead, we installed an automatic filling device. Here is how to do it:

1. Install a 1/2-inch gate valve as close as possible to the water source. It will regulate the water flow into the pond. It also serves as a safety valve should it ever be necessary to shut down the line.

2. Install pipe from the valve to an area next to the pond where you install the filler.

3A. Glue a piece of pipe from the filler pipe, over the edge of the pond, to a point three inches less than where you want to install the ball valve. (The ball valve lets in the water.) The pipe must be level.

3B. Glue a 90-degree elbow onto the filler pipe, facing straight down to the water.

3C. Measure the distance from the bottom of the pond to the bottom of the elbow on the filler pipe. Cut two pieces of pipe that long plus one inch. Glue a 90-degree elbow onto one end of each pipe. Cut another piece of pipe three inches long and glue it into the elbows. Both pipes should be parallel and the assembly should resemble the letter "U".

3D. Put the bottom of the "U" on the bottom of the pond so the top of one pipe is next to the elbow on the fill pipe. Mark that leg. You will eventually cut off the excess and glue it into the elbow.

3E. Put the "U" back on the bottom of the pond and mark the water line on the other leg. Measure 2 1/2 inches below the water line and cut off the excess, as in Figure 2.

4A. Buy a brass toilet tank ballcock valve, as short a threaded rod as possible, and a black plastic float. (Never use a copper float if you plan to put fish in the pond; it will poison them.) Also, buy a 1/2-inch male adapter.

4B. Put the male adapter into the bottom of the ballcock. Remember to use pipe joint compound.

4C. Put the brass rod into the ballcock and tighten it with a wrench. Put the float onto the rod.

4D. Glue the ballcock onto the short leg of the "U".

5. Glue the entire fixture into the elbow on the filler line. You may now turn the fixture in any direction. I kept mine close to and parallel to the edge of the pond because it is less conspicuous there.

6. Adjust the ballcock so the waterline falls just below the overflow. You may fine tune the ballcock by bending the rod between the it and the ball float.

OPERATING A FILTERING SYSTEM

Each filtering system is different, but all are pretty simple. The following instructions are typical:

Turn on the pump after filling the pond with fresh, clean water. Look at the pressure gauge on the filter. The pressure usually should be only a few pounds. Slowly pour into the skimmer as much diatomaceous earth as your system requires. It will eventually reach the filter and put a thin coating on the filter pads. They will, in turn, filter out very fine particles of debris.

After running the filter with the diatomaceous earth, you may notice a slight increase in pressure. The new reading represents your baseline pressure. When the pressure increases ten pounds over that baseline pressure, you should remove and clean the filter. Back flushing may help clean the filter, but the best way is to remove it and hose it down. Remember to add diatomaceous earth anytime you back flush or clean your filter. Also, run your waterfall at least one hour every day.