Sulcata pond

[samsmom]

i have a 6 year old, 40 lb sulcata who lives outside. He has a heated house, plenty of shade, digs a burrow every summer and has a soaking pond. The pond is approx 8x10 and about 8 inches at the deepest point. We have a pump, filter, waterfall and pond liner. Now for the problem! I can’t keep the pond clean! It stays full of dirt and poop! I scoop the poop out daily but the poop that disintegrates before I get it scooped out gets sucked into the filter and clogs it! I’m wondering if a cement pond would be easier to maintain? Maybe one not so big and no pump or anything, just fill wth water and dirty water could be sprayed out daily! I guess my question would be how thick should concrete be and would it require using rebar? Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Tom]

I don't have the construction know how to give you specifics on how to do it, but your idea for how to do it right on. EIther the way you are planing or a simple large diameter drain.

 

[samsmom]

I don't have the construction know how to give you specifics on how to do it, but your idea for how to do it right on. EIther the way you are planing or a simple large diameter drain.

Excuse my ignorance but how would a drain work? No, I know how a drain works but where would the water drain to?

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings.

It might help everyone if you can upload a picture of your current “pond” setup. It’s probably a lot easier to just create a shsllow pool of water that you spray out daily and fill up. I think u are making it much more complicated than it needs to be.

No rebar needed for a shallow, in-ground cement trough. In fact, you could probably just dig a depression and sink a cement mixing trough.

Heres something to give you an example....

 

[Tom]

Excuse my ignorance but how would a drain work? No, I know how a drain works but where would the water drain to?

End of the piping would have to be lower than the pond. Open the drain and water would run downhill and out the end of the drain pipe. Then rinse out the pond, close the drain, and refill.

 

[Hugo's Home]

This is what I did for mine about the same size and age. Hugo sometimes uses it.

I used three bags of cement. Shower drain, 2" pipe, elbow and a ball valve. Instead of rebar I used a piece of hog fence and lifted it after I poured the cement. It's maybe 3" thick, froze over last winter, and hasn't cracket yet 1 yr old. I just made sure to slope the drain down. I just open the ball valve, drain the water and scrub with a bbq brush spray all the junk out. I just wish I made it much larger and will have to redo it


Berm to hold the water for the tree.

Today almost one year later so much grass!

 

[Hugo's Home]

I thankfully have a slope for the drain but i still built the pond up higher about a foot and backfilled with woodchips so their could be a ramp and grass would grow around it last winter. I didn't re-seed it this spring though since the grass grows so fast and I have so many other things growing on. Lol

 

[Maro2Bear]

I thankfully have a slope for the drain but i still built the pond up higher about a foot and backfilled with woodchips so their could be a ramp and grass would grow around it last winter. I didn't re-seed it this spring though since the grass grows so fast and I have so many other things growing on. Lol

Nice job on the trough and drain. The garden has really grown in nicely.

 

[Yvonne G]

i have a 6 year old, 40 lb sulcata who lives outside. He has a heated house, plenty of shade, digs a burrow every summer and has a soaking pond. The pond is approx 8x10 and about 8 inches at the deepest point. We have a pump, filter, waterfall and pond liner. Now for the problem! I can’t keep the pond clean! It stays full of dirt and poop! I scoop the poop out daily but the poop that disintegrates before I get it scooped out gets sucked into the filter and clogs it! I’m wondering if a cement pond would be easier to maintain? Maybe one not so big and no pump or anything, just fill wth water and dirty water could be sprayed out daily! I guess my question would be how thick should concrete be and would it require using rebar? Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I don't have one that big, but the little one I made for my box turtles doesn't have rebar, just a depression in the dirt and lined with Redi-Mix. Then every morning I just sweep it out with the broom and add more water.

The one that used to be in this spot lasted 10 years before it started leaking and needed to be re-done:

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

I just have a low spot in the tortoise yard and I put the hose in it and turn it I'm to a mud hole a couple times a week they really seem to love the mud and flip it in the backs! Then I turn the hose off and it drys up and I don't have to deal with nasty water.
Works great for me not much of a pond though

 

[Maro2Bear]

I just have a low spot in the tortoise yard and I put the hose in it and turn it I'm to a mud hole a couple times a week they really seem to love the mud and flip it in the backs! Then I turn the hose off and it drys up and I don't have to deal with nasty water.
Works great for me not much of a pond though

But... it works!

 

[Len B]

Here's another idea, It's a 2x4 frame with pan liner used to hold water.This one measures 54 x 28 inches of pond area. I just dump it out to clean it.

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

Here's another idea, It's a 2x4 frame with pan liner used to hold water.This one measures 54 x 28 inches of pond area. I just dump it out to clean it.View attachment 243007

What kind of liner do you use?

 

[Len B]

What kind of liner do you use?

What kind of liner do you use?

It's Shower Pan Liner, 40 mil pvc sold by the linear foot at lowes, home depot and plumbing supply outlets, etc.

 

[samsmom]

Greetings.

It might help everyone if you can upload a picture of your current “pond” setup. It’s probably a lot easier to just create a shsllow pool of water that you spray out daily and fill up. I think u are making it much more complicated than it needs to be.

No rebar needed for a shallow, in-ground cement trough. In fact, you could probably just dig a depression and sink a cement mixing trough.

Heres something to give you an example....

View attachment 242799

That would be much too small but thanks for your input of shallow pool!

 

[samsmom]

End of the piping would have to be lower than the pond. Open the drain and water would run downhill and out the end of the drain pipe. Then rinse out the pond, close the drain, and refill.

Thanks

 

[samsmom]

This is what I did for mine about the same size and age. Hugo sometimes uses it.

I used three bags of cement. Shower drain, 2" pipe, elbow and a ball valve. Instead of rebar I used a piece of hog fence and lifted it after I poured the cement. It's maybe 3" thick, froze over last winter, and hasn't cracket yet 1 yr old. I just made sure to slope the drain down. I just open the ball valve, drain the water and scrub with a bbq brush spray all the junk out. I just wish I made it much larger and will have to redo it
View attachment 242817 View attachment 242818 View attachment 242819

Berm to hold the water for the tree.View attachment 242820

Today almost one year later so much grass!View attachment 242821

Great, thanks!

 

[samsmom]

I don't have one that big, but the little one I made for my box turtles doesn't have rebar, just a depression in the dirt and lined with Redi-Mix. Then every morning I just sweep it out with the broom and add more water.

The one that used to be in this spot lasted 10 years before it started leaking and needed to be re-done:

View attachment 242845

Thanks, I sure miss by little box turtles!

 

[samsmom]

I just have a low spot in the tortoise yard and I put the hose in it and turn it I'm to a mud hole a couple times a week they really seem to love the mud and flip it in the backs! Then I turn the hose off and it drys up and I don't have to deal with nasty water.
Works great for me not much of a pond though

Thanks

 

[samsmom]

Here's another idea, It's a 2x4 frame with pan liner used to hold water.This one measures 54 x 28 inches of pond area. I just dump it out to clean it.View attachment 243007

Don’t they tear holes in the liner?