Koi pond! Really confused.

[poconojoe]

I assume your liner isn't big enough for him to just dig the shelves, which would basically enlarge your pond slightly. Or maybe you just don't have the room in your yard.
You won't need much extra, only the width of the shelf. You can have him just do one side or just one or both ends.

Bottom line, shelves are not required. As you said, they are for sitting your plants on.

There are other ways of growing plants.
There are floating planters.
You can grow plants like Creeping Jenny or Parrot's Feather in the ground and can have them spill over into the water.

There are many floating plants too, they just float around.

 

[sissy]

I don't have a bog and only have two stock tank filters and my pond is clear and in full sun most of the day . only thing i use is lava rock and reusable furnace filters and koi clay and yes lots and lots of areartion . no plants in the pond but a couple in the filters and the waterfall pond

 

[JesseMoreira06]

So final mesurements are actually

14 feet long × 8.5 feet wide x 5 feet deep.

 

[JesseMoreira06]

Would not recomend this company.

 

[JesseMoreira06]

Anything I can do to make the walls of the pond smoother? It is basically clay.

 

[combatwombat]

Might be good news that you have heavy clay soil. 5’ wall might hold up over time. I’d never get away with that with my sandy loam, even filled with water.

Don’t think it’s critical that the walls are smooth as long as they’re free from sharp objects like stones and roots. What’s your liner material?

 

[JesseMoreira06]

Might be good news that you have heavy clay soil. 5’ wall might hold up over time. I’d never get away with that with my sandy loam, even filled with water.

Don’t think it’s critical that the walls are smooth as long as they’re free from sharp objects like stones and roots. What’s your liner material?

thats good at least, I am putting underlayment , I forgot how strong but it was the steongets the hardware store had , it is construction grade and was not cheap ( also garantie for life "wtv that means")

and epdm 45 mil

 

[SarahT]

thats good at least, I am putting underlayment , I forgot how strong but it was the steongets the hardware store had , it is construction grade and was not cheap ( also garantie for life "wtv that means")

and epdm 45 mil

Is your EPDM larger than the hole enough that you can use a shovel to dig some shelves? It looks as if the ends on the short sides have a start for some shelves. You're doing fine on this!

 

[JesseMoreira06]

Is your EPDM larger than the hole enough that you can use a shovel to dig some shelves? It looks as if the ends on the short sides have a start for some shelves. You're doing fine on this!

I sure do hope so , my liner is 25 feet by 30 feet. So you mean by enlarging the actual pond? I was sorta trying to avoid doing so.

I think Ive decided not to do shelves since the wife does not want the pond any larger then what it already is (she was kind of shocked) Oh well...

 

[SarahT]

I sure do hope so , my liner is 25 feet by 30 feet. So you mean by enlarging the actual pond? I was sorta trying to avoid doing so.

I think Ive decided not to do shelves since the wife does not want the pond any larger then what it already is (she was kind of shocked) Oh well...

OK, then not BIG bigger. It looks as if you could dig a shelf on the far end or far sides, where the "dig line" is, or the place that makes it not a round hole. Or, fill some of the hole a few feet up, packing it with some mighty whacks of the shovel (ugh, and not the easiest to actually accomplish).
It will come together just fine.

 

[poconojoe]

I sure do hope so , my liner is 25 feet by 30 feet. So you mean by enlarging the actual pond? I was sorta trying to avoid doing so.

I think Ive decided not to do shelves since the wife does not want the pond any larger then what it already is (she was kind of shocked) Oh well...

I think you are overthinking this.
Adding some shelves would be no big deal.

The pond size will only increase by the width of the shelf. So, if you dig a 10 inch wide shelf into what you already have, your pond will only widen 10 inches. No one will know the difference. Of course you'll need enough liner to do this. But, again, only 10 inches.

You don't need shelves all around the pond. Just do one side if you like.

Or don't do any shelves, that's your choice.

I'll note:
I have added shelves after the fact. After the pond was full of water.
I pulled back the liner and added soil, building a shelf.

Oh, and never, ever cut any "excess" liner after building your pond. Roll it, fold it, cover it with soil or rocks, but never cut it. You never know when you might need a little more or if things settle you can run short.

 

[poconojoe]

And while were talking shelves...
If you want a natural edge around your pond without any ugly liner showing between the water surface and the ground, here's what you do....
Create a very shallow shelf around the whole pond.
After the liner is in place, lay large stones on that shallow shelf. The stones should be partially submerged. Then stack stones on top of those, stepping back away from the water. Keep stacking stones stepping away from the pond. You will have a more natural looking edge without any ugly liner showing.

 

[JesseMoreira06]

That is a good point, I can just do a shelve on one side if I really do want potted plants.

So if I am understanding correctly , I should relax just a little! My next step should be what exactly? Any need for fine gravel or sand for the bottom underneath the liner to make the pond 100% level?

 

[JesseMoreira06]

And while were talking shelves...
If you want a natural edge around your pond without any ugly liner showing between the water surface and the ground, here's what you do....
Create a very shallow shelf around the whole pond.
After the liner is in place, lay large stones on that shallow shelf. The stones should be partially submerged. Then stack stones on top of those, stepping back away from the water. Keep stacking stones stepping away from the pond. You will have a more natural looking edge without any ugly liner showing.

Shallow shelve? as in the shelve is the same height as the water basically?

 

[poconojoe]

Shallow shelve? as in the shelve is the same height as the water basically?

Just slightly under the water surface. Just deep enough so that you can place large stones on it which will be partially submerged. The liner will be hidden under the large stones at the transition from water up to the ground.
@addy1 has a drawing she posts. I'll see if I can find it and link it.