- Joined
- Jan 3, 2021
- Messages
- 57
- Reaction score
- 11
- Location
- Northern California
- Hardiness Zone
- 9b
- Country
Hello to the forum from an absolute novice. I'm delighted to have found this site - it's apparent that there's a lot of knowledge here. I'm in the process of digging out my pond. I've watched some videos to get tips and read some blogs, but have some questions that are specific to my set-up. I've heard horror stories of pond fails that result from inexperience, so I'd value any advice that you all who have been through this can provide. Also, If there's a particular construction thread here that is a must-read for a newbie, please point me in its direction.
So here's a summary of my plan and objectives:
* Pond will be horseshoe-shaped with a small waterfall. Middle part of the horseshoe is 24' long and will be spanned by a prefab metal bridge which I already own. One end of the horseshoe has the waterfall and is approximately 10'x8'. So far I've dug around 2 - 2 1/2' deep and don't plan to go any deeper. The other end of the horseshoe is 16' long and tapers in the form of a stream to the end. The water will come from the berm's peak at about 3' high, drop once, and then drop again from about 2' into the pond.
* It'll have two ledges. I've formed the first ledge, which is around 6-10" down, and I've started on the second ledge.
* Soil is fully clay. Grade is an extremely minor slant. To be honest, I didn't do any more technical slope analysis.
* Main purpose will be for ambiance. There's a patio area off to the side for viewing, and I plan to put a bench in the center of the horseshoe.
* I like the look of koi, but after a lot of thought, I don't think they'll work for my needs (primarily due to the cleaning, daily feeding, and predator protection requirements).
* I plan to optimize the opportunity to incorporate water plants that work in my hardiness zone (9b).
So here are the immediate questions that I could use help with:
1. As I said I kind of ignored the minor slope (stressing "minor"). Is eyeballing it okay to determine it won't be an issue, or is there a specific step I should take?
2. I'd like the circulation system to be basic - a skimmer on one end and the falls on the other. But I've seen references to things like bogs and bottom drains that I don't really understand or know if I'll need. Does basic work for my purposes?
3. As mentioned, I've ruled out koi. But are there other fish that can thrive in 2', are low maintenance, won't eat whatever plants I incorporate, and won't make the water murky? As far as predators, we're not in a high predator area. Luckily I haven't seen raccoons here. There are herons. I don't want to have to add any mesh over the top so the fish would be on their own.
4. As I'm pretty close to done with the digging, I think I need to work on the berm and start building the path of the water as it comes down - but I feel stuck on this. Are there any good threads that give tips on how to best construct this?
5. Lastly, please let me know if there's anything with the design or shape that you'd suggest I adjust, for example the tapering to the skimmer at the end? After I post this, I'll login with my phone and put a couple pictures up.
So here's a summary of my plan and objectives:
* Pond will be horseshoe-shaped with a small waterfall. Middle part of the horseshoe is 24' long and will be spanned by a prefab metal bridge which I already own. One end of the horseshoe has the waterfall and is approximately 10'x8'. So far I've dug around 2 - 2 1/2' deep and don't plan to go any deeper. The other end of the horseshoe is 16' long and tapers in the form of a stream to the end. The water will come from the berm's peak at about 3' high, drop once, and then drop again from about 2' into the pond.
* It'll have two ledges. I've formed the first ledge, which is around 6-10" down, and I've started on the second ledge.
* Soil is fully clay. Grade is an extremely minor slant. To be honest, I didn't do any more technical slope analysis.
* Main purpose will be for ambiance. There's a patio area off to the side for viewing, and I plan to put a bench in the center of the horseshoe.
* I like the look of koi, but after a lot of thought, I don't think they'll work for my needs (primarily due to the cleaning, daily feeding, and predator protection requirements).
* I plan to optimize the opportunity to incorporate water plants that work in my hardiness zone (9b).
So here are the immediate questions that I could use help with:
1. As I said I kind of ignored the minor slope (stressing "minor"). Is eyeballing it okay to determine it won't be an issue, or is there a specific step I should take?
2. I'd like the circulation system to be basic - a skimmer on one end and the falls on the other. But I've seen references to things like bogs and bottom drains that I don't really understand or know if I'll need. Does basic work for my purposes?
3. As mentioned, I've ruled out koi. But are there other fish that can thrive in 2', are low maintenance, won't eat whatever plants I incorporate, and won't make the water murky? As far as predators, we're not in a high predator area. Luckily I haven't seen raccoons here. There are herons. I don't want to have to add any mesh over the top so the fish would be on their own.
4. As I'm pretty close to done with the digging, I think I need to work on the berm and start building the path of the water as it comes down - but I feel stuck on this. Are there any good threads that give tips on how to best construct this?
5. Lastly, please let me know if there's anything with the design or shape that you'd suggest I adjust, for example the tapering to the skimmer at the end? After I post this, I'll login with my phone and put a couple pictures up.