Hi guys and gals, im Josh from Yuba City, California. I just started construction of my first pond. a little background first;
My pond is a recycled swimming pool. Its roughly 20 feet in diameter, but i am not digging a perfect cricle so it comes out to some odd dimension. Its going to be about 6 feet deep at the lowest point in order to eat up some extra liner and provide shelter for the animals. I am definitely doing a koi pond.I will have a 12 inch fish tunnel. It will be in ground, and it will be bordered by arizona flagstone. I dont know what kind of plant life yet, i havnt even started researching that yet i have no idea what is safe and i feel a little overwhelmed trying to asorb all this right now lol! I am going to have a 10x10 cement slab off one of the edges that will give it a "floating" or overhanging look. A gazebo will be placed on that slab. Off one corner of that, i will have a 20x20 cement slab, for an outdoor patio with furniture and fireplace etc. BBq pit. The flagstone will come off the pond and continue to border these slabs, and branch off and head back to my house as a walkway (Future project potential- fill the space created here between my house and this walkway with an additional pond creating a "floating" walkway). But for now, i just started digging the initial shape.
So, as far as securing my flagstone border. I am planning on making an extra wide plant shelf, and using the back edge of the shelf to hold center blocks. These blocks with provide the support for the flagstone. My question is, if i place center blocks on the liner, inside the pond, and run the liner behind the blocks and under the flagstone, will it be safe to mortar the flagstone onto the center blocks? Is the mortar toxic at all? Will this set up be fish safe? I dont see any problems but ive also never done anything with mortar. Please let me know, this is my only question as of now. My only other option is a cement colar and i really dont want to do that. But i want to be able to walk up to the edge and even sit on it without worrying about knocking a stone off or breaking it. This will be a semi-permanent pond meaning if i had to, id like to be able to remove it fairly easily.
One more question, is it safe to mow over flagstone if i dig it into the ground a little?
Oh also, are koi safe with any type of turtle? red eared slider or soft shell?
My pond is a recycled swimming pool. Its roughly 20 feet in diameter, but i am not digging a perfect cricle so it comes out to some odd dimension. Its going to be about 6 feet deep at the lowest point in order to eat up some extra liner and provide shelter for the animals. I am definitely doing a koi pond.I will have a 12 inch fish tunnel. It will be in ground, and it will be bordered by arizona flagstone. I dont know what kind of plant life yet, i havnt even started researching that yet i have no idea what is safe and i feel a little overwhelmed trying to asorb all this right now lol! I am going to have a 10x10 cement slab off one of the edges that will give it a "floating" or overhanging look. A gazebo will be placed on that slab. Off one corner of that, i will have a 20x20 cement slab, for an outdoor patio with furniture and fireplace etc. BBq pit. The flagstone will come off the pond and continue to border these slabs, and branch off and head back to my house as a walkway (Future project potential- fill the space created here between my house and this walkway with an additional pond creating a "floating" walkway). But for now, i just started digging the initial shape.
So, as far as securing my flagstone border. I am planning on making an extra wide plant shelf, and using the back edge of the shelf to hold center blocks. These blocks with provide the support for the flagstone. My question is, if i place center blocks on the liner, inside the pond, and run the liner behind the blocks and under the flagstone, will it be safe to mortar the flagstone onto the center blocks? Is the mortar toxic at all? Will this set up be fish safe? I dont see any problems but ive also never done anything with mortar. Please let me know, this is my only question as of now. My only other option is a cement colar and i really dont want to do that. But i want to be able to walk up to the edge and even sit on it without worrying about knocking a stone off or breaking it. This will be a semi-permanent pond meaning if i had to, id like to be able to remove it fairly easily.
One more question, is it safe to mow over flagstone if i dig it into the ground a little?
Oh also, are koi safe with any type of turtle? red eared slider or soft shell?
