Details - enlarging a pond

[cdub1955]

I have a 12 x 7 foot pond, that is two years old. I want to make it larger, and am considering a project where I would dig out the area next to the pond, the bring down teh area between the pond to 'join' two liners. So here is my plan...I want to about double the size of the pond, so the other area would be abou the same size, 12 x 7, but maybe a bit deeper (3 feet, and less terraced sides. So some details about the current pond.

12 x 7 feet, about 2 feet deep, with a waterfall, and a skimmer, running about 3000 gals per hour to the falls.

My plan.

1. Dig out the new pond, about 1 foot from the top corner of the old pond.
2. Drain the exising pond down enought so I can break down the 'bridge' of land between the two ponds (maybe a foot or so).
3. Place the liner in the new pond and use a piece of linger to join the two ponds.
4. I may need to add some sort of pump in the skimmer to run some water to a water feature (small water fall) in the other pond area...so there is some movement through the two areas...have not worked that through yet...

does this plan sound like it will work? I so much would like to read a detail description of someone else extending their pond in some fashion to get some ideas etc.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[DrCase]

hey chris welcome to the forum.....pics. would help,,,if i get what your saying,you want to build a new pond next to the old....and tape the liners together.....im not big on tape......i would make my top pond higher,and run my excess liner over and into my old pond...the liner can make a spill way or water fall into lower pond...????? what kind of liner are you working with.

 

[kirscp]

If I were to join two liners, I would overlap by 6 inches. Do it right the first time, sure don't want a leak!

 

[ElijahTurtle]

You could build a PVC bridge. For some more info on one google "Fish Bridge" & you will find basic designs, your application would just be on a larger scale.
Here's a quick MSPaint drawing I made of the basic idea. One is a top view. You should get sufficent flow with several 3" pvc Bridges.

 

[DrDave]

Will the 2 ponds be at different elevations?

 

[cdub1955]

not really, I can keep them at the same elevation...

 

[DrCase]

the higher elevation, will help you a lot...let it spill in to your,now called lower pond

 

[DrDave]

DrCase makes a good point. having one higher ensures that one pond will always be full if the lower pond has the pumps. I have one pump running a waterfall and another feeding water to the top pond for circulation. 4200GPH returns to the lower pond. The fish love it and it really helps keep it clean since anything in solution eventually goes into the bio filter and gravity traps it in the bottom.

 

[cdub1955]

in this type of scenario, are the fish able to 'travel' to and from the two ponds?

 

[DrDave]

No, and in my case that is the way I wanted it. Large adult Koi in the bottom and smaller ones in the top. This also let me have plants in the top pond that the adults would have destroyed. Think about it, two ponds, one filtration system.