Building a pond with a window

mdurkin

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Nov 11, 2003, 2:57:27 PM11/11/03

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Hi All,
I'm about to build a brick pond with a window and was hoping for some
advice. Here's what I'm planning at the moment:

Brick built (2 brick deep walls) pond about 2.5m x 1.5m, raised above
the ground by about 60cm, and sunk a further 40cm below the ground.
That will give me ~80 cu ft.

For the window, this will be on the short length wall and I planned to
build the outer wall with a suitably sized hole (40cm x 120cm), lintel
above. I planned to build the inner wall with a slightly larger hole so
that I can have a piece of glass cut that will significantly overlap
the outer hole. I'd then use window sealant to seal it in place.
I'd then concrete line the whole pond (except the window!) and treat
with concrete pond sealant.
Does anyone have any advice?
What thickness glass will I need?
Has anyone else build a pond with a window - will my suggestion work?
Will my pond be structurally sound with this large window?
etc etc

Hope to hear from people with more experience soon!
Thanks
Matthew
--
mdurkin
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Iain Miller

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Nov 11, 2003, 9:09:19 PM11/11/03

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"mdurkin" <mdurki...@news.gardenbanter.co.uk> wrote in message
news:cc970cc39349580a...@news.teranews.com...

> Hi All,
> I'm about to build a brick pond with a window and was hoping for some
> advice. Here's what I'm planning at the moment:
>
> Brick built (2 brick deep walls) pond about 2.5m x 1.5m, raised above
> the ground by about 60cm, and sunk a further 40cm below the ground.
> That will give me ~80 cu ft.
>
> For the window, this will be on the short length wall and I planned to
> build the outer wall with a suitably sized hole (40cm x 120cm), lintel
> above. I planned to build the inner wall with a slightly larger hole so
> that I can have a piece of glass cut that will significantly overlap
> the outer hole. I'd then use window sealant to seal it in place.
> I'd then concrete line the whole pond (except the window!) and treat
> with concrete pond sealant.
> Does anyone have any advice?
> What thickness glass will I need?
> Has anyone else build a pond with a window - will my suggestion work?
> Will my pond be structurally sound with this large window?
> etc etc
>
> Hope to hear from people with more experience soon!

No experience of doing this but a few things occured to me with what you are
suggesting

1) Have you considered using some kind of Acrylic rather than glass? It will
scratch easier if you are not careful but may be more manageable and I think
you can laminate it (i.e. use 2 or 3 layers bonded together) & is very
strong & flexible

2) If you build the window into the walls as you are suggesting then all the
load from the window will be on the outer single skin wall - I'd be more
inclined to bond the window over the hole on the inside of the inner wall.

3) I should have thought aquarium safe silicone would be a good bet for your
sealant

There was a website for details of a huge indoor aquarium that used an
acrylic window (2 layers of 1/2 inch thick bonded together If I remember
correctly) but the link seems to be dead. The window was 8'x4' so pretty
huge.

For what its worth, if you buy something like a 48x18x24" glass fish tank it
will be made of 10mm glass at least.

I

Snooze

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Nov 11, 2003, 10:31:07 PM11/11/03

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"mdurkin" <mdurki...@news.gardenbanter.co.uk> wrote in message
news:cc970cc39349580a...@news.teranews.com...

> Hi All,
> I'm about to build a brick pond with a window and was hoping for some
> advice. Here's what I'm planning at the moment:

<snip>

> For the window, this will be on the short length wall and I planned to
> build the outer wall with a suitably sized hole (40cm x 120cm), lintel
> above. I planned to build the inner wall with a slightly larger hole so
> that I can have a piece of glass cut that will significantly overlap
> the outer hole. I'd then use window sealant to seal it in place.

One thing to consider is the time investment you'll be forever committed to.
Glass windows in public aquariums look nice because they have people who
clean off all the algae growth off every day. At home you probably could get
away with once every few days or so. A window showing an up-close and
personal view of the pond scum probably won't be as nice as you planned.

Additionally consider the location of the hole. You said you plan to make
the brick wall 60cm high. Which is about 2ft, so the window would be
centered about 1ft off the ground. A bit low for an adult to enjoy, perhaps
children might.

Sameer

T

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Nov 12, 2003, 9:33:51 AM11/12/03

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"Snooze" <srmanek...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:%Phsb.33$AB2...@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com...

I can't imagine the disappointment if the window somehow had a blow out.. I
think I would cry watching all of my expesive fish shooting out getting cut
up heading for dry dock on my lawn...

Timmer...

Theo van Daele

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Nov 12, 2003, 11:00:58 AM11/12/03

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It is doable, see http://www.koi-tech.nl/phpBB2/album_pic.php?pic_id=600

I'll ask the owner what it takes & how he did it.

Theo

Snooze

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Nov 12, 2003, 1:40:36 PM11/12/03

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"T" <tor...@mindisblowen.ca> wrote in message
news:jxrsb.10380$6c3....@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...

>
> I can't imagine the disappointment if the window somehow had a blow out..
I
> think I would cry watching all of my expesive fish shooting out getting
cut
> up heading for dry dock on my lawn...

At 3ft, the pressure on the glass isn't that great. 1 cubic inch of water
weighs 0.0361274 pounds. Multiply that by 36, and you get 1.3 psi at 3ft.
Quarter inch glass could safely handle the pressure.

Not sure if it would handle accidentally being kicked, having a soccer ball
being kicked at it, etc etc. One of the biggest problems I see, is properly
sealing the transition from brick to window.

Sameer

Birgitte

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Nov 12, 2003, 1:45:21 PM11/12/03

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Ofcourse it's possible, see

http://www.edokoi.nl/images/profile/nl_shop2.jpg

indoor tingy

Birgitte

"mdurkin" <mdurki...@news.gardenbanter.co.uk> skrev i en
meddelelse
news:cc970cc39349580a...@news.teranews.com...

Axolotl

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Nov 12, 2003, 2:09:30 PM11/12/03

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I would not use glass. I would go for acrylic or polycarbonate. They both
have better impact resistance than glass, that way you are less likely to
have "blow out" and lose all you fish.

Acrylic has about 4 times the strength of glass. Polycarbonate is reputed to
be about 250 times.

If I were doing a window in a pond I would go for .25-inch material in
either case.

Only problem will be expense.

Gale Pearce

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Nov 12, 2003, 2:55:34 PM11/12/03

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Hi Matthew - you might want to go to the link below - it it to a glass block
walled fountain - might give you some ideas - it's pretty impressive

http://www.kissingfrogs.tv/

Gale :~)

keith nuttle

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Nov 12, 2003, 8:51:11 PM11/12/03

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I have thought that a pond with a window would be nice also. Maybe on
to a gazebo type enclosure.

The one I saw was in the Columbus Ohio zoo. I believe there is one also
at the Cincinnati Zoo.

On three sides these ponds look like one that you would find in a field.
The fourth side is a concrete wall with glass? that allows you to see
above water and below. The glass? is set into a square opening the
cement retaining wall.

I don't know much more as that is all you can see. You may wish to
contact one of these zoo to see if they will share the construction
techniques.

Rich Conley

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Nov 24, 2003, 4:38:18 PM11/24/03

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Fish tank manufacturers tend to go much thicker than this, simply because if
you went like this, even a car going by outside could blow the glass. 55 Gallon
tanks (21 inches high) use 3/8 to 1/2 inch glass. For 36 inches, I would go 3/4
to 1 inch glass.

The aquarium near me uses 2 inch acrylic for their 4 foot tall tanks.