The making of Quacker Shack.- Bio-Filter is unplanted and the pond is drained. /sigh - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by 70%cocoa 

All the pics are great - really makes your plans clear.
Is the black balloon thing on the bottom of the pond in one pic a pump? I might put the pump on a platform (eg a big upturned plant pot with a cement paver on top to hold it down) so it doesn't just draw up sludge from the bottom. I might also use a sump pump designed for dirty water rather than a pond pump (if you haven't bought the pump already). A sump pump is tough and can handle mucky water better than a pond pump.
Plans for the duck hut look great. They only need something very simple. Just monitor how hot the metal roof gets in summer. If it it radiating too much heat downwards into the hut then you can put a layer of timber under the metal to insulate it a bit.
How high is your fence and are you going to make a digging barrier at the bottom to keep predators away?

It is a pond pump. On the duckponics thread someone had posted about a Laguna pump they had that does handle debri without breaking so I'm going to buying one of those. Haven't bought it yet.

I'm going to be putting small wooden teepees around the pond so in the summer the ducks can safely sleep outside. The barn has the same assembly and roof and stays fairly decent. It does have a lot larder space and ventilation. I might have to think about doing the entire front and back as a vent with shutable doors during the winter. That is something I can change later fairly easily if I decide.

Our fences are 5' high livestock fence. We have nothing to prevent digging in on either the chicken run or the dog run and aren't planning on it on the duck run. We have predators but as of yet the dogs have caught and killed all the ones who have been brave enough to venture forth.

Need to slow down my typing. Too quick to be accurate and I'm button pressing happy so I never proof read. :P

Progress made today:

Brought out the big guns. It's digging time!

Uh Oh. The husband. He's muttering something about me not knowing what I'm doing and being banned because of the tree I killed. It was an ACCIDENT!

Husband taking off with tractor. Mad that I didn't check tire pressure. *Shrugs*

Quick reminder why I cannot kill my husband.

Inspirational moment.

Sign painted.

Now must continue to tell myself, "the goverment knows you have him. The government knows you have him." Son is having the WORST DAY EVER. I can't take much screaming. GAH!

much more screaming***

So I went to the local creek today. I found all the additional plants I want for my bio filter. I am now setting up a time with my mother for us to go stealth in and dig them up. Husband insists he won't help as someone needs to be able to bail me out of jail. The lack of faith!

I commandeered the tractor tonight with my son in tow. Got a good foot down before I realized he was asleep and couldn't take the weight on my arm anymore. It's nefariously hard to operate a tractor with one arm. My husband has been inside blaring his music and trying to forget that I was out there with his beloved tractor. I think tomorrow will be supply purchasing time.

Oh. Still haven't "saved" (my husband calls it stealing) the pond plants I wanted from the local creek. Someone is always there and I really don't want to test my saved theory on law enforcement. I do consider myself to be saving them. It's been so hot the creek is drying up. I think by August they'll be dead.

So the pond is dug. The supplies purchased and I type this covered in cement dust.

1/2 way dug

Too deep for the tractor to dig any further.

Preparing for cement.

My lovely husband making my life easier.