New pond construction

[Nova]

Okay, it is getting close to starting our koi new pond. The dimensions will be approximately 8.5' w x 13' l x 4' d with a waterfall. The picture shows the slope of the ground. We want build a curved wall that would be about 2.5' above the ground for the down slope side. What would be the best way to build the wall? I want to use rock we found on our lot for the whole thing but will most likely us cider block help shape the waterfall. Trying to decide to use external or submersible pump. Will have a bottom drain and still trying to figure out filtering. There will be no shelves because of the menagerie of fish loving animals in the area. I may have floating plant baskets but they don't protect the plants from my fish. My koi have figured out how to jump in, eat the plant roots, then jump back out. Please, all suggestions are welcome. Our house will be completed in the middle of September and the septic guys will be there in the next couple weeks or so. We want them to dig the bulk of the pond seeing how the ground is nothing but pit gravel.

 

[Lisak1]

Exciting! New ponds are so fun!

I'll leave the construction advice to people who are way smarter than me in that area - I'll just "ooh" and "aah" at your pictures!

 

[Nova]

LOL I will post what I can. My current pond were easy, flat ground. I am guessing it will be about 3500-3700 gallons and will be my first bottom drain. I know there has been debate but should the pump be able to turn the water over in an hour. So a 3700 gph pump, keeping in mind flow loss due to pipe length and elevation. If I use an external pump could I add more filter material to the skimmer to fill up the space left for pumps?

 

[sissy]

first since you say you are putting in a septic tank then watch when they dig to see how hard the soil is and how well it drains .I wish i had been here when they did my septic tank but I was still back in NJ .I would have known how hard the soil was and i would have paid them an extra bit to dig the pond for me .I already knew the plans for the front porch .No matter what is on top there seems to be something under a few feet that will cause problems .I found rock hard shale

 

[mgmine]

I would put a skimmer in and put the pump in the skimmer.The skimmer can act as a mechanical filter, UV light holder and a place to hide your pump .I wouldn't bother with a bottom drain it's just another thing to leak. There will be a lot of pressure on the wall so besides the cinder block I would back it up with plenty of dirt fill excavate a few feet into the ground and add rebar. I would actually forget the block and just use fill and make a nice slope.

 

[Nova]

Sissy, I know the ground is VERY hard to dig. We watched them take to top of the hill off and dig the footer. They complained how hard it was. It is pretty much rock and sand and we told the contractor we would pay extra to have them dig it otherwise we would not be having a pond.

Mgmine, I like the convenience of a submersible pump in that I don't have to run piping up under my deck to hide the pump and they are cheaper. But my power cord to the pump would be about 15 ft long to the closest plug for a submersible. With the pond being 4 feet deep I am considering a bottom drain to help keep it cleaner. The other option is to vacuum the pond out 2-3 times a year.

 

[sissy]

I don't have a bottom drain and it is easy to net the bottom with a pool net and my pond is just over 4 ft deep and is 5000 gallons .I also do not have a skimmer .i have 2 laguna pumps because of energy savings

 

[Nova]

We are going to add a skimmer because we live in the middle of 5 wooded acres and the amount of falling leaves would make it worth it.

 

[Nova]

Sissy, want kind of Laguna pumps do you have?

 

[sissy]

I was lucky i did not really need a skimmer .I have 2 filters one on each end of the pond and 2 pumps .

 

[Mmathis]

Every situation is different, and this is purely personal preference, but if I were in your shoes, I would go with the BD and skimmer. You have the chance now to do it..... With what it sounds like you are dealing with regarding your soil, you may never have the chance again. I don't have either and my pond gets along fine, but I only have gold fish. And I hardly ever read about anyone having leaks with BD's or skimmers. My next pond will have both, but I'll also have it professionally done -- Hubby & I did our current pond (just a hole in the ground with an EPDM liner), and I wouldn't trust our abilities (or lack, thereof....) to install either a BD or a skimmer, LOL.

 

[sissy]

I have the laguna 2400 gph and the 2900 gph .Afraid i lost my pics of them when my other puter died before I had a chance to transfer all my pics to the hard drive .Idid do a test on them and posted it on here .They have a sweet spot and were supposed to use 100 watts but one uses 80 watts and other uses 75 watts

 

[Nova]

I plan on having a skimmer but not sure where to drain the BD. We went to the house today while it was raining to make sure nothing leaked. They finished the siding today so I walked down the hill to see the back. Then saw a surprise when I turned around. Check out the photo.

 

[Mmathis]

@Nova Since I don't have one, not very knowledgable, but I think (and correct me, guys, if I'm off base....) with a BD, you have an external pump. Water from the BD is continuously run through the filtration system, going to something like a settling tank, and on to various other contraptions like sieves & bio-filters, etc. So, when you say, "don't know where to drain the BD," wondering if we're on the same page about what a BD does. Correct me if I'm misunderstanding....

 

[addy1]

I didn't do a bottom drain, just net the bottom in the spring and fall. Pond around 8-9k gallons, deepest 5 feet or so, external pump, just goldfish. One external pump. skimmer, no uv.