


Pond Construction From Start to Finish Mark Pond Area Excavate Pond Support side walls of the pond if necessary Lay Plumbing and bottom drain/s Support bottom of the pond if necessary Place Skimmer and Filter Hook up Skimmer and Filter Install UV light Install Underlayment and Liner Rock Pond edges Wash Stones Fill Pond with water Build Waterfall and/or Stream Install Tweak Waterfall, Filter Trim Liner Landscape around the pond Mulch and/or rock around the pond Clean Up
Pond Construction

PLANNING YOUR FIRST POND

By Burt Ballou
reprinted from 1996 AKCA Seminar Binder

So you have decided to build a koi pond. Before you get your shovel out, or if your pond is mor ambitious, a backhoe,please consider a few things first.

These "things" are location, size, construction material, style, shape, landscaping and, most importantly, your budget!

Let's consider each of these 'things' individually, beginning with the most important and controlling''thing'' your budget. After you have convinced your spouse to do without new clothes, eating out, remodeling your house, a new car. etc.. you can get serious about your budget. If you plan on building the pond and filter yourself, your bud- get could he as low as a few hundred dollars. The top limits are almost limitless! For exanple,a liner pond of 2500 gallons with filters, pump, waterfall and plumibing can be built for less than $1,000. So decide how much you want to spend on your pond, before you decide to dig up the petunias!

The next step is the site location.The pond should he near the house so that you can get the most enjoyment out of it and monitor it regularly, especially during severe weather extremes. It should not be placed in an area where runoff from your roof or groundwater can enter your pond!. In the planning stage, try to avoid placing it near trees as their root systems could damage the pond walls, plumbing or floor. Deciduious trees also drop a lot of leaves in your pond, which will create additionall work for you to maintain a clean, attractive and healthy environment for your koi.

Once your location is determined, it is time to consider the shape and style of your pond. These ''things'' blend together somewhat, but there are major decisions to be made about the style of a pond that you prerer in your setting. Would you like a formal pond to go with your formal planters, swimming pool, spa. etc., or would a more natural pond setting blend better with your existing landscape? This is entirely your call, but there are some issues that are important in making this important decision. A natural pond lends itself to almost any building materials, whereas a formal pond above ground, or partially above ground, creates some additional considerations as to the building materials and construction requirements.

Now, consider the shape and size of your pond. While keeping in mind your style, use an ordinary garden hose to lay out the shape and size of your proposed pond. Remember to lay the hose on the outside edge of the pond, not the inside edge. Your pond will have some kind of a border perhaps with rocks or other landscaping, and this all needs to he considered for its impact on your total landscaping plans and the other functions of your space. This site will prohably become a compromise with your entire familly which is why I recommend using lengths of garden hose to lay it out. Garden hose is very flexible!

After looking at the hose for a few days and checking out the shade patterns developed frotn the sun's course across the sky, you may have to go back to the site and reevaluate! Keep in mind that a pond that is going to get sun part of the day and shade part of the day is best situated so that it gets morning sun and afternoon shade. This sun/shade ratio is not a 'must' but it will definitely affect your landscaping.

Now that all these exciting fun decisions are made, we must consider the building materials used in constructing the pond. A liner pond is tile most reasonable material and there are liners availahie with life expectancies of 10 to 20 years. The duribility and strength varies greatly by manufacturer. This is a good place to recommend that you look up your local koi club and join with the others who have lots or expertice which you will need to help you along your path into this exciting hobby.

Other building materials to consider are concrete, concrete block and fiberglass. Each material has its advantages and its disadvantages. Concrete has long life, is more expensive than a liner, requires the use of reinforcing bars or some type or steel mesh, as well as the help of somebody with a basic working knowledge of how to use concrete. It also has to be poured all at one time. Concrete block has the advantage that it can be used above ground without any forms, lends itself well to formal ponds but doesn't work for natural ponds due to its straight edges. You can built with block at your leisure, stopping and starting any time you choose. Other disadvantages are that you must seal the entire inside of the pond with a plaster coat or other type of sealer such as Thoroseal or rubber sealer. Block does need steel reinforcing and it creates corners in the pond which can lead to 'dead water' unless the pond is equipped with properly located water jets.

Fiberglass ccn be done by a'hand lay-up' process using pieces of fiberglass roving, matting and a finish gel coat of resin. Some advantages are that you can stop and start this process at your leisure, except for the finish get coat. It lends itself well to in-ground and above ground or partial above ground applications. Fiberglass has a long life if properly done, is easy to repair, is non-porous so algae does not grow well (in it). It is inert, so that it will not affect your water chemistry and it can take any shape you choose. Another method of applying fiberglass is with the use of a 'chopper gun' process. This has to be done by a professional and is the most expensive of all building materials. However, it has a very

nice finish. The weather conditions in your location will also affect your choice of building materials as some are better or more suited to certain climates. Weather will also determine the mimimum depth of your pond. Minimum depth in temperate areas should be two feet, or preferably three. But in colder climates you may have to have a five or six foot depth to ensure that the pond doesn't freeze solid in the winter.

Plumbiug for all drains, pick ups. etc. should be at least two inches or bigger. Selecting a filter or ciombination of filters, pre-filters, setting tanks, sumps, jets, and waterfalls will all be discussed at a later date.

The correct size pump and type of pump are determined by the gallonage of your pond and the type of filtration system you choose. The types of filters to choose from include updraft and downdraft, inpond, crossflow, chemical and mechanical filters among others. But the most important filter is the biological filter. Another consideration is the filter media. Your choices here include crushed pea gravel, brushes, matting, coconut husk, bamboo hair curlers, bio balls, Silica sand, charcoal, zeolite and almost any object that will create a home for the friendly bacteria.

Pond Construction Pricing

Pond construction is a labor intensive job that requires a strong back and a thorough understanding of pond design. It is also a task where previous experience is essential. No two jobs are alike and each presents different challenges. Considerable thought has to be exercised in order to ensure the project is designed properly. We expect to spend at least 200 man hours building a complete 10 x 20 pond and the cost of such a project usually ranges between $15k - $20k The typical install goes as follows. A consultation is done to determine your goals. Ideas are exchanged and recommendations made. Once we have decided upon the general specs, an estimate can then be given. Note, we do not and cannot give quotes. The phrase I use is " I know enough to know I don't know" . The estimate is almost always within 10 % of the final bill. Once the price is agreed upon a start date is set. Before the actual construction begins, the first payment is required The team consists of between 1 - 4 men on site, the particular task of the day determining the number. Most ponds take at least a month to construct predicated on many factors. We do not rush and do not take jobs where the party wants us to. We work on our main construction project 2-3 days a week. The rest of the week is made up of consulting, minor servicing, emergency calls etc. From a workflow, work efficiency and timing standpoint this system works best in my experience. Some pacing is required, we cannot dig and do heavy rock work 10 hours a day, 3 days in a row and still be productive As the construction process continues, ongoing reports and discussions of options will take place. New ideas and improvements always present themselves once the creation begins to unfold We can also count on at least one glitch along the way. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned and everything has happened over the years from digging up huge rocks, flooding, product defects, supply delays - the list goes on. Additionally, we are not perfect despite our best efforts. Some adjustments will have to be made after the pond gets up and running for the first time. We need to observe the flow, check for and repair any leaks and optimize the setup. After things have been tweaked, the pond needs to mature which takes at least a year. During that time, you will learn the system and how to manage it properly You should understand that constructing a properly built pond is a real process. There is some growing pains involved so patience and persistence are required, from both parties. But, the effort is worth it and once everything is running smoothly, it's an amazing feeling of accomplishment A mature, properly functioning koi pond with complimentary landscaping and a good collection of koi takes years to achieve - not months. That is the reality of it. The other fact is that your pond will never really be complete. Most people will always tinker and make small improvements here and there. That is what the hobby is about.