Hi,
I would like to make a pond from a old bath tub. Can anyone tell me how to plug the drain and the overflow drain?
Tia
Betty
Bath tub pond
Maybe rough up the surface around the drain above and below and clean the drain out thoroughly, then use an expoxy to put a patch of pond liner around the drainhole on the bottom of the tub. When that is set, fill the plug with silicone, let it set, then patch the top with another patch of epoxy and pond liner. You could use marine epoxy. Or I had good luck with this glue called 'great stuff', I think. I got it in a tube at Lowes and it seemed to work on everything. It's for putting two different kinds of surfaces together.
You could do the same kind of thing with the overflow drain.
Thanks Pixydish
I am not sure what the backside of a tub drain or overflow looks like but it would seem that you could get a cap or plug. I would ask at a plumbing fixture area of HD or Lowe's about a screw on cap that would fit, or that could be put on with sealant.
Why not just a cork plug for the bottom drain? I put one in my above ground pond last year (pounded it in with a rubber mallet and painted black) and it's never leaked a drop.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Betty
Did you ever find something that worked?
Betty, I am in the process of doing the same thing I have a very old tub that we used in the pasture for years to water the horses. I've just started sandblasting the outside and then I am going to paint it. I have some old copper pipe and a old fashion spigot. I'm going to plumb the tub so I can pump water thru the drain then up and out the spigot. Mine will sit on top of the ground not buried into it. I'm going to document it and then post the whole process when I have it finished. Here is a shot of what I'm starting with.
I never did anything with mine. I look forward to seeing how yours comes out.
Betty
Are you going to use the spigot like a fountain and keep it running to aerate the water? That would be neat looking.
Yes, If I attach the pipes from the drain up to the spigot I can run a circulating pump thru them and it will look like a running tub, at least that's the idea. Add a few fish and some plants and I hope it will be a fun water feature
A few years ago I turned an old claw foot tub into a water garden. Since it was iron & conducted heat so well the water got very warm. It was hard to keep goldfish alive in it but minnows did OK. At the dollar store I bought a tub drain stopper toplug up the drain. I looked through the discs of my pictures from back then & found this picture.
Loretta
Loretta, How very nice. Thanks for the tip on the Minnows, I knew that it might be too warm for the gold fish but hadn't thought of minnows. That really looks nice.
Thanks! The skeeters thought it was their personal nursery. Had to keep one of those skeeter killing donuts in it to keep to keep them out of it. It's has never been set up since we moved to this house. I was planning on doing it this spring & putting a lotus in it....but you know how that goes. lol Still may get to it.
Skeeters, That's what the fish are for, plus I plan on running a circulating pump which will move the water. I think that helps with the bugs, too. I know how those projects go. I have sooooo many sitting in the wings right now.
If you put just a regular plug in the bottom of your tub you can drain it in the winter so it won't freeze & break in the cold weather.
That is a great tub garden! It makes me want one! The regular stopper is a great idea. I would use aquarium sealant, 100% silicone, and secure the plug with that so it doesn't move around. You can easily pull it out for draining, but it will stay put until you need to move it. Great idea. Wish I'd thought of it! Hey, I have an old sink. Maybe I'll make something out of that. Now you've got my creative juices flowing!
DH made the comment, "Next thing I know there will be a toilet & a sink sitting out there by the tub." He sometimes does not get my artistic vision.
lol
Loretta
Yea Loretta, I had told a friend about my bathtub idea and several days later she was visiting and saw that we had put an old toilet out for the trash. She made some kind of comment about why don't you keep that then all you need is a sink. I don't think she got my vision either.
Pixie, I think your idea of the old sink would be fun I could see that set up and planted cute.
Pixy-You could make a bird bath out of your sink.
Yes, that's true. But I have a very large pond with a stream and the birds have ignored my birdbath ever since the stream came into being. They absolutely love it. In fact, I was considering planting the birdbath with succulents. It's not much use for anything else right now! LOL! Tonight I was spraying Messenger in the garden just by the stream and there was an Evening Grossbeak wallowing in the water very close to me.
But I like the idea of that bathtub with the water circulating through the spout. That would be very cute!
I love this idea of running the water up through the faucet! I love the photos...If anyone else makes one, please post the photos for all of us thinking of doing one of these. I may consider this myself if I can get an old claw foot tub at a reasonable cost since I do not have one currently. I put flowers into chair seats and plant my vegetables into old wash tubs, so this would fit in well into the concept of my gardens.
Thanks, Loretta, for the photo of your finished one and thanks to Hollyann$ for yours of the one in progress (you are fairly close to me in Lancaster area!)
Ratherbdigging, Are you going to the Mid-Atlantic Swap?
I will post pics when I finally get my project done. The shoulder surgery I had is slowing me down a little. I'm still on the sand blasting stage. Since I want to paint the outside of the tub, I need to scrape and sandblast first. Next decision is what color or design to paint the tub. I started out with the idea of painting it Fire Engine Red. Then thought about Cobalt Blue or a very bright Yellow. I know I don't want a scene on the tub but maybe a design of some type. Thanks for all the encouragement everyone. Holly
This message was edited May 14, 2007 7:47 AM
I had a old water trough that I turned into a water feature and it did just fine with fish. HOWEVER, I had it within a wall of plants within an arch of Sweet Autumn clematis, between all those it was pretty shady in that area. I started with gold fish until I got my confidence up and then branched out into koi.
I build a cedar platform and put a 1/2 wine barrel ontop of the platform.. I tipped the barrel to create a waterfall into the "pond" below. I encircled the trough with white lattice and added a few pot holders to the side.
When I sold that property and new owners did not want the water feature (they had VERY young kids), I moved it to a friends house. The above ground water feature was perfect for her. She could move her wheelchair over to the pond and get an upclose look at the fish. She positioned the water feature at the edge of her patio and partially screened the area with climbing vines. She has not had trouble with the fish last I knew.
Pat
Thanks Pat, I'm not sure the way my summer is going if I will actually get to the fish part this summer. The tub is up on blocks and I've done a little work with the sand blaster. Just trying it out. But one thing after another keeps getting in the way. DH wants me to wire brush it first then sand blast and of course he needs to get me the right brush to go on his drill. I really don't think the whole project will take very long if I can just get everything together and get it started. I will post on this thread when I do get it done.
I use a Pvc Pipe when i want to drain and clean i just pull it up and out its just even with the rim when the rain gets heavy it acts as a over flow drain paul