Fancied a change so dug a pond.

Had a bit of a change around today. Was thinking last night about having a pond in the garden and this morning i started digging.

It went from this:


To this:


To this:


To this:



Still got the waterfall and all the rubble to sort out yet but not a bad days work. Its 8ft x 5ft x 3ft deep. Got a few koi ready to go in and im getting a few big ones off a relative.

 

Blimey! just "Blimey" :-) Good days work there me old cocker!

 

If you`re going for koi you`ll be needing a decent biofilter and pump.

 

Got a 3500lph pump for now (looking at a 7000lph) and im making a filter box to go with a UV light, no green water for me.
Getting some sleepers for round the edge of it. Not sure whether to raise the sides up by one sleeper and have another on top to keep it held in place. Got plenty of over lap with the liner.

 

Double the size, go on, you know you want too!

 

Got the sleepers delivered today, 8ft x 10" x 5". Brand new ones, untreated and delivered all for 70 quid.Took some cutting with the hand saw. Im supposed to be doing this on a budget so i didnt get enough to raise the level just now but im leaving the extra liner hidden so i can still raise the height of the sides later on. I just need to work out how to put a waterfall in at the far end now. Ive got plenty of clay to pack it out with and an ample supply of slate to make it look good and hide the liner.I might use some of my raised veg beds as a supporting wall, that way nothing can get washed into the pond. Any ideas on how best to make it?

 

Its looking good!

 

Wow that looks great!!!

 

I'm impressed with the work in such a short time!
It took me a week to dig out my koi pool and I lost 7lb doing it!

On the subject of waterfalls, I found it impossible to find one I liked (this mind, was 25 years ago) so I made my own out of York stone and concrete.






Time and the growth of the planting made it look more natural.





But to tell the truth I no longer use ours as the birds kept bathing in it. Because all their parasites and whatever, ended up in the pool!
I didn't think it was good for my koi.

 

well iff koi aren't native.

(define iff).

 

Cleared a lot of the mud away now and got a proper filter box with UV going on it to keep away the green water. Ive still got to decide what type of waterfall to put in but ive got plenty of clay/mud to make it up stored out of the way.Got a few fish off of a relative who's pond was a bit over stocked. Got a large goldfish, 1 medium koi, 2 large ghost koi and a massive koi plus my two smaller koi from my fish tank.

 

For information on ponds that have koi, please see THIS

Or for an easier to read version see HERE

 

Got started on the small waterfall today. Cleared the clay out from the wooden containers and made a small stream/waterfall to run off the filter box and my seperate pump that just moves the water round. Still need to sort out the electrics and some longer pipes for the pumps but shouldnt take too long to do. Going to plant up around the waterfall to make it look more natural. Going to put some stone in there and maybe even a bit of slate for where it overhangs the pond.The filter box will be disguised by a plant or two and will sit to the right of the stream.It has a drain pipe on the filter box and this will give easy access to it when i need to clean it out.