Hello, I’m Jon. I recently became a GPPS member after completing my pond. Jeff and Wendy’s February pond party was our first pond meeting. Anyone can see the camaraderie among the pond party people of which I’m glad to be a part of. I wanted to tell you about the pond my kids and I have been working on for seven years.

             We started work on our pond in December of 1999. Before construction I read several books which all seemed to say, “Make it big”. I took this advice and my friends and family thought I was crazy. At work they accused me of digging a bomb shelter. Some jokingly thought it to be a grave.

             Many of the books suggested figuring a budget and completing the work accordingly. I took a different approach. Since I had more time than money I let time work for me. Progress went only as fast as money would allow. This is why it took 7 years.

I spent months of weekends and 2 discs (L4, L5) making the perfect hole. It was so much fun some of my friends even joined in. The digging was fun because it was cheap and it didn’t require too much thought. Well, maybe I should’ve thought a little more because I did cut the phone line. It wouldn’t have been so bad except that I had located it before severing it.

When I started the kids were 9 and 12. Being a single parent they were forced to spend their time with me digging and building. I see now how not only was a pond built but they also built their own memories. I remember my youth playing in a clubhouse. Justin and Vicky will remember theirs playing in a hole.

             One of the greatest joys of the pond has been to see their interest explode as the pond is completed. Vicky is actively interested in planting. I catch her sitting out on the deck eyeballing the fish and waterfall.

             The total volume of the pond is 3200 gallons. The main part is the lowest and is made of poured concrete and cement block. The upper pond was made using a 40 mil liner. The upper pond cascades down to the lower main pond.

             Water goes to a 500 gallon settling tank via a bottom drain and skimmer. The pump grabs the water from the middle of the tank and runs it through a UV clarifier to a 300 gallon bio-filter. This filter is of an up-flow design with an aeration tower. The water then proceeds down flagstone, river rock, quartz and granite to the smaller pond. The smaller pond dumps into the main pond on a large flagstone slide.

             Two years ago I became impatient with all construction and no fish so I made a little pond which now serves as a quarantine pond. In this pond, we’ve been raising about 10 koi. They survived a little neglect during hunting seasons but they managed to make it this far.

             They were released into their little ocean about 3 weeks ago. Unfortunately, two of the fish began isolating themselves and tucking in their fins. I liken this as to a discontented child who storms away with folded arms. I couldn’t see if the fish had grumpy faces though because they were on the bottom. One of these even started loosing scales. They were quarantined and salted. They responded well to the salt and have improved dramatically.

             I don’t think it helped that there has been ammonia in the water. From what I read it takes 4-6 weeks for the nitrifying bacteria to kick in. It has been almost 4 weeks now and I’m finally seeing it decrease. It has been steadily holding at .25 ppm, but today it measured at about .20 ppm.

             Now is the enjoying time. Now, the falling water hypnotizes me as the smooth sailing fish glide me to sleep. I cannot ever remember falling asleep sitting in a chair in the backyard before. The peaceful sound of water even drowns out much of the thumping car stereos.

I’m very thankful to God for giving us the pleasure of his creation and the ability to copy in my backyard a very small example of what He has done in countless places effortlessly. All credit for anything good about our pond goes to Him.

Jon Romberg

Please submit anything to be published in the newsletter to nnmagee@qwest.net by the 22nd of the month   Be sure to include GPPS in the subject line.