Pond/bore

[macb]

At the back of the wifes mamas farm we have a pond/bore, I am wondering if it is a viable adventure to drain out the water make the pond/bore deeper and tidy it up with a view to putting young fish in and the selling side as extra income for the wife and family plus give them something to do.

Making it deeper will keep it in line with the water table to maintain the level during the dry season.

What do you think, need some pointers if its viable idea or not

Edited November 15, 2006 by macb

[chownah]

It sounds good so long as you can be sure where the water table is in the dryest part of the dry season. If you tap into a vein of sand holding water and think that it is the water table and you are wrong then the sand vein might allow all of your water to drain away. There was a farmer who talked about having a pond dug in Isaan and how the guy who did the digging dug some test holes first and evaluated the dirt so as not to dig through the impervious layer and into a pervious layer which would drain the pond....if my memory serves me correctly it was a poster named mixedbreed who posted that information...you might want to go search for it.

Chownah

[macb]

It sounds good so long as you can be sure where the water table is in the dryest part of the dry season. If you tap into a vein of sand holding water and think that it is the water table and you are wrong then the sand vein might allow all of your water to drain away. There was a farmer who talked about having a pond dug in Isaan and how the guy who did the digging dug some test holes first and evaluated the dirt so as not to dig through the impervious layer and into a pervious layer which would drain the pond....if my memory serves me correctly it was a poster named mixedbreed who posted that information...you might want to go search for it.

Chownah

Thanks for that, will do some more research and look for that Topic on here.

[chownah]

I found the post:

Its by a member named mixedbreed who doesn't post very often.

"............

A couple of years ago we had a “pond”, actually almost 6 rai, dug in, 3 meter deep for 1 ½ rai and the remainder 2 meter. The first wet season filled it to capacity, but dry season had it loose approx half its volume. The dry windy days, one could almost stand and watch the level drop. All this time it was still above the surrounding water table level. This year we built the wall up half a meter to bring it into align with the way the surrounding hills drain into it. Last season it had almost overflowed. This wet season it is again filled to it’s new capacity, which is now well above the surrounding water table level and seems to be holding well. The contractor who did the work had assured us it may take several seasons for the bottom to fully seal. The soil was sandy / clay and gave way to a more solid clay as he got deeper. He kept digging test holes in the bottom as the “pond” grew and what he saw in the test hole determined the different depths. There are 2 other (smaller) ponds on the farm that are approx 10 years old and I am told they sealed up after 3 years. Probably we are lucky, with the soil around here being more conducive to building ponds. .............."

He posted this almost exactly two years ago....if you could contact him you might get an update on how his pond is doing.

Chownah

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Don't forget about security.

We put some fish in my sister-in-law's pond - more for enjoyment than anything else. After a couple of days someone had cam down and took out the 15 big fish!

[macb]

I found the post:

Its by a member named mixedbreed who doesn't post very often.

"............

A couple of years ago we had a “pond”, actually almost 6 rai, dug in, 3 meter deep for 1 ½ rai and the remainder 2 meter. The first wet season filled it to capacity, but dry season had it loose approx half its volume. The dry windy days, one could almost stand and watch the level drop. All this time it was still above the surrounding water table level. This year we built the wall up half a meter to bring it into align with the way the surrounding hills drain into it. Last season it had almost overflowed. This wet season it is again filled to it’s new capacity, which is now well above the surrounding water table level and seems to be holding well. The contractor who did the work had assured us it may take several seasons for the bottom to fully seal. The soil was sandy / clay and gave way to a more solid clay as he got deeper. He kept digging test holes in the bottom as the “pond” grew and what he saw in the test hole determined the different depths. There are 2 other (smaller) ponds on the farm that are approx 10 years old and I am told they sealed up after 3 years. Probably we are lucky, with the soil around here being more conducive to building ponds. .............."

He posted this almost exactly two years ago....if you could contact him you might get an update on how his pond is doing.

Chownah

Thanks for that I found him in the members list and sent email but I see he only did 4 posts since 2004, so I dont raise my hopes for a reply. but many thanks for finding the original topic

[thedi]

I have two ponds and plan to dig a third in the next dry season.

The first is outside in the rice fields, 3 meters deep and a bit more than 1/2 rai in size. There is always water in there, but it is a bit salty. Fish is a problem: without feeding them they will have just big heads but no meat. 3m deep is to much to rise fish. It is difficult to catch them. When I wait until the water level is down in the dry season, the fish will be stolen: there is nobody watching them in the dry season. It would have been better to make two or three smaller ponds, so I could pump water from one into the others. As it is, I just use it for irrigation and let the fish to whomever wants them (boys looking after buffalo and cows in the dry season).

The second pond is in my garden. Because it is fenced and right by the house there is no problem with thiefs. It is about 2.5m deep and a bit more than 1 rai. Still to deep for fishing effectively with a net. Always more than 1m water in there.

More a hobby this one. There was never any profit in it for me. The fish food costs more than I can sell fish. But this is also because most of the time when we catch fish, we and all the family eat free - and each time when we catch fish, I am surprised how much family we have

I will convert this one soon to a pond for swimming in the hot season: only small fish and more water plants so the water will be more clear.

The next I plan will be only 2m deep with two or three basins, so I can concentrate the water in one of them in the dry season. Fenced is a must because of buffalo and cows: they would trample down the ponds borders. Thiefs should be no problem because it will be visible from the house - otherwise I may have a dog there 24 hours a day.

You should look at fish farms, if you want to do any profit with a fish pond.

I live in Isarn and there are a lot of ponds here. Many of them are pumped dry to catch the fish, but all others have water all year round. This may be different in other parts of Thailand.

Regards

Thedi [email protected]

[macb]

I have two ponds and plan to dig a third in the next dry season.

The first is outside in the rice fields, 3 meters deep and a bit more than 1/2 rai in size. There is always water in there, but it is a bit salty. Fish is a problem: without feeding them they will have just big heads but no meat. 3m deep is to much to rise fish. It is difficult to catch them. When I wait until the water level is down in the dry season, the fish will be stolen: there is nobody watching them in the dry season. It would have been better to make two or three smaller ponds, so I could pump water from one into the others. As it is, I just use it for irrigation and let the fish to whomever wants them (boys looking after buffalo and cows in the dry season).

The second pond is in my garden. Because it is fenced and right by the house there is no problem with thiefs. It is about 2.5m deep and a bit more than 1 rai. Still to deep for fishing effectively with a net. Always more than 1m water in there.

More a hobby this one. There was never any profit in it for me. The fish food costs more than I can sell fish. But this is also because most of the time when we catch fish, we and all the family eat free - and each time when we catch fish, I am surprised how much family we have

I will convert this one soon to a pond for swimming in the hot season: only small fish and more water plants so the water will be more clear.

The next I plan will be only 2m deep with two or three basins, so I can concentrate the water in one of them in the dry season. Fenced is a must because of buffalo and cows: they would trample down the ponds borders. Thiefs should be no problem because it will be visible from the house - otherwise I may have a dog there 24 hours a day.

You should look at fish farms, if you want to do any profit with a fish pond.

I live in Isarn and there are a lot of ponds here. Many of them are pumped dry to catch the fish, but all others have water all year round. This may be different in other parts of Thailand.

Regards

Thedi [email protected]

Thanks for the input, the in laws normally drain there at the end of the dry season and have a good feed, I dont thinlk it looks like a money spinning venture, maybe I think about another enterprise, we alrady got 13 Rai of our own so the rice option is up and flowing, hopw to but more land as time goes on

[Thaicoon]

I have two ponds and plan to dig a third in the next dry season.

The first is outside in the rice fields, 3 meters deep and a bit more than 1/2 rai in size. There is always water in there, but it is a bit salty. Fish is a problem: without feeding them they will have just big heads but no meat. 3m deep is to much to rise fish. It is difficult to catch them. When I wait until the water level is down in the dry season, the fish will be stolen: there is nobody watching them in the dry season. It would have been better to make two or three smaller ponds, so I could pump water from one into the others. As it is, I just use it for irrigation and let the fish to whomever wants them (boys looking after buffalo and cows in the dry season).

The second pond is in my garden. Because it is fenced and right by the house there is no problem with thiefs. It is about 2.5m deep and a bit more than 1 rai. Still to deep for fishing effectively with a net. Always more than 1m water in there.

More a hobby this one. There was never any profit in it for me. The fish food costs more than I can sell fish. But this is also because most of the time when we catch fish, we and all the family eat free - and each time when we catch fish, I am surprised how much family we have

I will convert this one soon to a pond for swimming in the hot season: only small fish and more water plants so the water will be more clear.

The next I plan will be only 2m deep with two or three basins, so I can concentrate the water in one of them in the dry season. Fenced is a must because of buffalo and cows: they would trample down the ponds borders. Thiefs should be no problem because it will be visible from the house - otherwise I may have a dog there 24 hours a day.

You should look at fish farms, if you want to do any profit with a fish pond.

I live in Isarn and there are a lot of ponds here. Many of them are pumped dry to catch the fish, but all others have water all year round. This may be different in other parts of Thailand.

Regards

Thedi [email protected]

Thanks for the input, the in laws normally drain there at the end of the dry season and have a good feed, I dont thinlk it looks like a money spinning venture, maybe I think about another enterprise, we alrady got 13 Rai of our own so the rice option is up and flowing, hopw to but more land as time goes on

Mac,

Go and have a look at my 3 ponds, the biggest i have is about 2 rai, in the rainy season, it overflows, and then goes back to the water table, but is still about 2 metres deep, when full it is about 6 metres, this is where i go fishing with a chiller box and sip song chaings, not fallen in yet, also the other one never raises much and never looses water, this is on a solid rock bottom, this is opposite the embassy, the other one is in ban kok broch, this one we dug out as a water supply for our rice, this gos down to the water table, if digging one out, make sure you go about 2 metres below the table. you are most welome to go and have a look at mine.

[macb]

I have two ponds and plan to dig a third in the next dry season.

The first is outside in the rice fields, 3 meters deep and a bit more than 1/2 rai in size. There is always water in there, but it is a bit salty. Fish is a problem: without feeding them they will have just big heads but no meat. 3m deep is to much to rise fish. It is difficult to catch them. When I wait until the water level is down in the dry season, the fish will be stolen: there is nobody watching them in the dry season. It would have been better to make two or three smaller ponds, so I could pump water from one into the others. As it is, I just use it for irrigation and let the fish to whomever wants them (boys looking after buffalo and cows in the dry season).

The second pond is in my garden. Because it is fenced and right by the house there is no problem with thiefs. It is about 2.5m deep and a bit more than 1 rai. Still to deep for fishing effectively with a net. Always more than 1m water in there.

More a hobby this one. There was never any profit in it for me. The fish food costs more than I can sell fish. But this is also because most of the time when we catch fish, we and all the family eat free - and each time when we catch fish, I am surprised how much family we have

I will convert this one soon to a pond for swimming in the hot season: only small fish and more water plants so the water will be more clear.

The next I plan will be only 2m deep with two or three basins, so I can concentrate the water in one of them in the dry season. Fenced is a must because of buffalo and cows: they would trample down the ponds borders. Thiefs should be no problem because it will be visible from the house - otherwise I may have a dog there 24 hours a day.

You should look at fish farms, if you want to do any profit with a fish pond.

I live in Isarn and there are a lot of ponds here. Many of them are pumped dry to catch the fish, but all others have water all year round. This may be different in other parts of Thailand.

Regards

Thedi [email protected]

Thanks for the input, the in laws normally drain there at the end of the dry season and have a good feed, I dont thinlk it looks like a money spinning venture, maybe I think about another enterprise, we alrady got 13 Rai of our own so the rice option is up and flowing, hopw to but more land as time goes on

Mac,

Go and have a look at my 3 ponds, the biggest i have is about 2 rai, in the rainy season, it overflows, and then goes back to the water table, but is still about 2 metres deep, when full it is about 6 metres, this is where i go fishing with a chiller box and sip song chaings, not fallen in yet, also the other one never raises much and never looses water, this is on a solid rock bottom, this is opposite the embassy, the other one is in ban kok broch, this one we dug out as a water supply for our rice, this gos down to the water table, if digging one out, make sure you go about 2 metres below the table. you are most welome to go and have a look at mine.

THanks For that busy with harvest at moment but will run that way when I get a minute from the farming scene