# Concrete Pond



## bmt123 (Apr 1, 2013)

I would like to build a small pond or pool for my two box turtles. I read that you can make one out of concrete and it seemed pretty easy. My concern is how would I go about cleaning it.


----------



## Yvonne G (Apr 1, 2013)

I scooped out an indentation in the dirt about the size I wanted, then mixed up some Redi-Mix and poured it into the indentation. Then I spread it all around with my hand to cover the whole spot and patted it down to make sure there were no holes. After it cured, I put water in it, and let it sit for about an hour, then I scooped out all the water and repeated. I had heard that cement/concrete might leech out some poisons, that's why I did this.

So now I have a nice little cement pool for my box turtles. And once a day, in the morning, I take the hose out there and scoop out the water with my hand and re-fill the pool. I suppose you could use a bowl to scoop it out, or the broom, but my hand works just as well.


----------



## mike taylor (Apr 1, 2013)

I seen on a post maybe a month ago someone built a cement pond and put 1.1/2 pipe in the middle with a tub stopper and it would drain in the ground like a septic system.


----------



## Jacqui (Apr 1, 2013)

Question.... if you have the hose already out there, why are you hand scooping it out? Why not just use the water pressure from the hose to clean it out?


----------



## wellington (Apr 1, 2013)

mike taylor said:


> I seen on a post maybe a month ago someone built a cement pond and put 1.1/2 pipe in the middle with a tub stopper and it would drain in the ground like a septic system.



I made my leopards little cement pond the same way emysemys did hers. I also inserted a sink drain that had a pop up stopper. I buried a 2inch round , not sure how long PVC pipe that the drain fit in, info the middle of the pond. It drains slow, because I forgot to put in a air tubing, but it does drain.


----------



## mike taylor (Apr 1, 2013)

*Re: RE: Concrete Pond*



wellington said:


> mike taylor said:
> 
> 
> > I seen on a post maybe a month ago someone built a cement pond and put 1.1/2 pipe in the middle with a tub stopper and it would drain in the ground like a septic system.
> ...



Maybe it was you that posted it then. If you drill holes down the side of the pipe and put gravel around the pipe when you back fill it will drain faster. I don't know if you would have to install a vent pipe but I don't think it would hurt.


----------



## Yvonne G (Apr 1, 2013)

Jacqui said:


> Question.... if you have the hose already out there, why are you hand scooping it out? Why not just use the water pressure from the hose to clean it out?



It takes too much water. The little pond is about 6" deep at the middle and there's too much water in it for the hose water to push economically.


----------



## wellington (Apr 1, 2013)

mike taylor said:


> wellington said:
> 
> 
> > mike taylor said:
> ...



No it wasn't me. If I posted about mine, it would have been last year or earlier. I can't get the pipe out to do anything about it. It never entered my mind, of course until I had it done. I will be moving it or enlarging it probably next year of so, then I will be fixing it. If I remember this time


----------



## Yvonne G (Apr 1, 2013)

I had a large plastic circle thingey (the bottom 8" off a circular dumpster) with a PVC drain hole in it. I thought it would make a good waterer for the Aldabran tortoises. So I took the post hole digger and dug a hole as deep as the digger would go...it's about 2' deep. Then I added some rocks from the pile of road base. I dug out a round so the dumpster could fit flush with the ground and positioned it so the pvc was over the hole. When I want to drain the waterer, I just unscrew the plug and the water drains out. Only problem is the plastic is warped the the drain is not at the low part of the round.

I went out and took some pictures of it just now, but evidently my camera's battery is low because the pictures wouldn't transfer to my computer. I'll post them after I charge the camera.

Ok, here we go...I still have to scoop some water left at the bottom with a small bucket:






The rain made a bit of a puddle, and any puddle in the aldabran pen turns into a mud wallow:











The hole under the drain, filled with rocks works pretty well.


----------



## mike taylor (Apr 1, 2013)

Yep,thats how it goes sometimes.you always find a better way when everything is already finished .


----------



## Tropical Torts (Apr 1, 2013)

I have used them and they work well for me. I did pretty much what wellington did. However, at the center of the pond I dug down about 3 1/2 ft and put rocks at the bottom of the hole and then put a bucket upside down in the hole. At the top of the bucket I cut a hole slightly smaller than circumference of the pipe. I then forced the pipe into that hole in the inverted bucket. I then adjusted the pipe so that it was level with the impression of the pool and covered the rest of the bucket hole with dirt. Finally, adjust the dirt to make sure it is in the shape you want.

After all of that is finished, just put the cement in place the way you want it and wait! Make sure that the drain is at the lowest part of the pool for easy draining. To clean just use a high pressure nozzle on your hose and spray it out and into the drain.


----------



## bmt123 (Apr 2, 2013)

What kind of concrete do you guys use and where do you get it.


So I got started and dug out the pond and put in a hole for the seepage my question is it is all clay and I am afraid the water won't soak into it


----------



## mike taylor (Apr 2, 2013)

Your going to have to get a post hole digger and dig down two or more feet.Then put some gravel in the bottom about six inches or so. Then put the pipe in the hole and back fill with more gravel.Then use a 80 lbs bag of ready mix you get from Home Depot and form the shape you want make sure the deep end is the end with the drain.


----------



## bmt123 (Apr 2, 2013)

Thanks the hole is about two feet deep should I still go deeper.


----------



## bmt123 (Apr 3, 2013)

I just finished laying the concrete and I am now waiting for it to dry but here is what it looks like wet


----------



## AustinASU (Apr 3, 2013)

Best thing to do is make the shape in the ground with mesh metal wire, then pour your concrete. Smooth it out as much as possible and let it dry for three days. Take it out and rinse it off with a water house until all the dirts off. To insure you have zero toxins leaking into the water supply, what I would do is lightly paint the entire thing with an acrylic paint (any natural color) after the thing is completely dry. Then for the final task, you want to brush on a cast acrylic onto the entire surface....Let this dry for 24hrs plus and rinse off with water....now you have an easy clean waterbowl that wont break in a freeze and toxins will not leak into the water as cast acrylic will make the concrete inert.


----------



## bmt123 (Apr 3, 2013)

Okay I will do that


----------

