Hello everyone my Name is Landry and I just found this wonderful forum. I am looking for advice on my 3rd pond and waterfall attempt. About 25 years ago I decided I wanted a pond so I started learning watching videos and reading books. I finally had a pond with some goldfish my waterfall was terrible to say the least. Long story short If your going to build a pond spend the money and do it right the first time. Lesson learned I hope. I am now in the process of redesigning my pond and waterfall I just finished taking all the old stuff apart. I wish to have a koi pond this time with an under gravel filter and a skimmer and a biofalls. I have just been watching some inspiring videos and it reignited my passion. I have an idea of how I want my pond to look and I started doing some digging but I would like to see what you think about my shelf placement and skimmer placement. I also want to have some plants on the outside of the pond that are still in the liner with pond water about 2" gravel. I had a sandstone slab someone gave me that was my previous waterfall spillway but it was not natural looking so I am going to use it on the 5' deep side of the pond to walk out on and see my fish. I also would like to know what you would do on the waterfall side previous spillway height was about 18" from the top of the water I don't think I need it that high now. I will be pushing the waterfall back and I was thinking of having a big stone in the center and the water splitting around the stone the left side would be higher and fall forward the right side lower and going off to the right of the pond. I will probably remove the old stone structure that my sandstone is currently sitting on and place a few large boulders next to my pathway build the dirt back behind it and cut the pond and the waterfall into that area. I'm just not sure if I should have a shelf below the waterfall or a strait 5' wall. I know it's not easy to know without seeing it in person I'm saving my money and might hire a pro but if I can do as much of the work myself it will help with my budget. Thanks for your time I hope I made sense feel free to ask me anything and I will post updates as I go.
New Koi Pond Build apox 8'x12'
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Welcome to our forum!
Nice build design Make sure you make it big if you want to have koi, they need a lot of water and filtration. 1000 gallons for the first one.
I have shubunkins, as pretty as koi, imho, easier to care for and not as fussy.
Look into adding a bog for filtration, a lot of members here have converted to bog filtration, almost no work and perfect water. I have filtered with a bog for over 10 years now. The water is always perfect and crystal clear.
Nice build design Make sure you make it big if you want to have koi, they need a lot of water and filtration. 1000 gallons for the first one.
I have shubunkins, as pretty as koi, imho, easier to care for and not as fussy.
Look into adding a bog for filtration, a lot of members here have converted to bog filtration, almost no work and perfect water. I have filtered with a bog for over 10 years now. The water is always perfect and crystal clear.
j.w
I Love my Goldies
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My pond will be about 3500 gallons. I eventually hope to have about 7 to 10 Koi. I like that the Koi come to the top of the water and eat from peoples hands I don't know much about Shubunkins what I did see was the price lowest was $60 and on Koi lowest was $25 and up. Koi seem pretty fun and and lively how are your shubunikins.
7-10 koi are going to eventually push the limits of a normal filtration system on 3500 gallon pond. Also they will spawn and you will end up with more than you bargained for.
Would add a large bog as the filter for a pond your size with koi or just go bigger make it like 5-6000 gallons, and still do the bog.
It would be a gradual amount of fish I would only be able to afford a few to start with anyway. I will be having an under gravel filter I don't know if I have room for a large bog filter I do have a small space that will have 2" gravel with plants in it but that's not the same as a bog. I was hoping the under gravel filter would be a big help along with mechanical filter. I know the under gravel filter has mixed opinions with different people but I think it looks like a great system if done right.
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Can you describe an under gravel filter?
That terminology reminds me of the old under gravel filters I had many years ago in fish aquariums. It was a plastic plate with many slots in it and air was pumped under/through it.
Is your under gravel filter similar to that?
I have what many of us call a bog filter. Basically 2" PVC manifold pipes with many slits cut in them and those pipes are covered with pea gravel or small smooth river stone. Pond water is pumped through the manifold pipes, rises up through the gravel and returns to the pond. Plants are grown directly in the gravel to aid in the removal of excess nutrients. I was influenced by member addy1. She created a very extensive showcase on bog building.
That terminology reminds me of the old under gravel filters I had many years ago in fish aquariums. It was a plastic plate with many slots in it and air was pumped under/through it.
Is your under gravel filter similar to that?
I have what many of us call a bog filter. Basically 2" PVC manifold pipes with many slits cut in them and those pipes are covered with pea gravel or small smooth river stone. Pond water is pumped through the manifold pipes, rises up through the gravel and returns to the pond. Plants are grown directly in the gravel to aid in the removal of excess nutrients. I was influenced by member addy1. She created a very extensive showcase on bog building.
The design of a an under gravel grid system is specifically to keep the esthetic of the gravel but provide the best possible way of also removing suspended solids. The pond bottom is covered with a grid system 2" PVC with holes that pulls debris through the gravel and out of the pond. The gravel still gets used as a substrate for nitrifying bacteria with the added benefit of the removal of solids that would otherwise settle and turn into sludge. The added benefit to this design is the cost in savings by not having to do an annual cleanout.
In ponds those are called Suction grids.....a little different than an under gravel filter, but similar in some ways. Will definitely help with maintaining your water quality.
j.w
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My Shubbies as I call them only cost me less that $2 each on sale at Petsmart. All my fish, goldfish/Shubbie's would eat out of my hands if I tried. They are piggies for food!
In a bog set up you push the water through the stone
I appreciate the advice so far. Anyone have thoughts about building my waterfall. should I have a shelf on that side or just go strait down with my rock 5' the dirt above is a little lose but i was thinking if I lower the first fall and work my way up it would hold back my dirt on top. I'm just not sure if the pond wall would cave in.
There are many things i could say but i believe i have a better way as your build is similar to mine here's the blog
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/going-for-it-phase-one-12-000-gallon-pond.22563/
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/going-for-it-phase-one-12-000-gallon-pond.22563/
It's a long read but very helpful Thanks for telling me about It I was looking around the forum but I must of missed this.
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So if I'm understanding this correctly, the pipes covered with gravel are situated within the pond. The water gets pulled down through the gravel, then returns to the pond. What is the recommended depth of gravel?
It's kind of like having my (exterior) bog constructed under water, in the bottom of the pond, and the water flowing in the opposite direction (as mine does).
That's quite interesting.