The basics and some of the common mistakes made building a garden and or koi pond

[brokensword]

ah, okay, I see; the 'norm' seems to be 6" higher than the pond, so I don't think such as underlayment would bother those numbers much, but if you're trying for exact, I get it now!

 

[GBBUDD]

out of curiosity, how would such affect say, a bog? I mean, if you put underlayment down, the total volume is less but underlayment is usually flattened by the water weight, so is it even appreciable? Same for waterfalls; I just don't see your angle. If I put underlayment under my falls, it hardly affects anything, let alone height. I must be missing your point...sorry.

When building such as a raised pond the folds of fabrics and liners and more fabrics i could see using up to 3" on one side alone if not careful with the placement. it's a bit over stated but i can see where depending on your design could take up space with folds and over laps

 

[Jhn]

I used a laser level on the height differential between my spillway and the walls of my bog before I put the liner or underlayment in. 2 inches seemed like plenty, but then after the underlayment and liner went in, it went down to like 1 inch in a few spots and water was backing up out of the bog just a bit until I widened the spillway.

You will need to keep an eye on your bog sides for water getting pushed over the sides as plants fill in, hopefully you left extra liner tucked in there. As was mentioned most shoot for around 6” of height between Return to pond and bog sides.

 

[GBBUDD]

Building Thought List

1. Check with your local code office for what they require some require little until you go over a certain size and depth.

2. Placement of the pond is critical to it's enjoyment. If it is to just be a reflecting pond and far away to give reflections from the water then that's fine. But for most garden ponds the closer it is to the actual living space /patio . The more enjoyment you and your friends and family will enjoy it.

3. Placing the pond in a depression in the yard makes for other challenges. This area is probably the wettest are of the yard and placing liner on these areas can create what we call a Hippo . This is when water or air gets under the liner and what looks like a hippos back coming up to the surface of the pond is the result. Can this be fixed or avoided yes but that's a more entailed topic .

4. Along with the low spot in the yard is when it rains. Run off from the yard can pickup fertilizers and introducing these to the pond is a guarantee of algae.

5. Is this going to be a pond ?

6. Is this going to be a disappearing waterfall

7. Will there be a stream

8. Is this to have fish ? or no fish ? building your pond to accommodate fish could save thousands down the road. building to an adequate depth now minimum in my honest opinion is 18", hotter climates should be 36" or more.

9. It is easier to keep water parameters stable in larger ponds. but on the reverse side if the pond should need to be treated for parasites it can get costly with a larger pond. Energy consumption can add up as well.

10. Will your pond have Bead filter, Sand filter, Skippy filter, Shower, Nexus, a dyi Sock micron filter, or a Bog filter I myself love the bog filter.

11. Will you have a skimmer, Intake bay, Negative edge,

12. Will there be a waterfall spillway . or will this be where your bog is.

13. .45 mil Epdm or Hdrpe are the most excepted liners . Or is your design to be concrete. You get what you pay for beware with substitutes

14. Will your pond have rock in it or will it be bald. Either way but more so without rock a Natural pond is very slick, as slick as ice with dress shoes on. Rock also boosts your Nitrifying bacteria surface load.

15. The average pond owner has three ponds in there life time each bigger then the last. If You build the pond is there room to expend your current plan to place the pond or is it better off shifted a little for that expansion down the road.

16. submersible or external pumps.

17. Water in motion what will happen when your power goes out for an hour ? Can your pond/ set up handle the water draining out from the stream or water fall ?
What happens after a day with no power? air will be need for the pond and the fish.

18. In the winter if you shut down will your pipes freeze ? how will you keep an opening in the ice for your fish so gases can escape. A pond breather/ heater? or an air stone? maybe even a cover or tent over the pond as some members do .

19. Is there to be a rain capture system to your pond.

20. More complex designs require possibly additional circulation

21. Will there be lights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxWa1w0iJbQ

 

[GBBUDD]

Digging the pond

When you begin digging your pond you want to keep a few things in mind.

What type of soil do you have is it competent, or is the soil loose? Can it be dug out and hold it's shape of a vertical wall?
is there small round rocks or is there sharp weak rocks that splinter.
Sandy soils can be a challenge if vertical walls are desired but it can be done. basicly by placing the fabric and liner and folding it back to where you can get to the soils and back filling . if the soils are even to weak for that then you may have to add your stone and back fill to that.
Round river rocks or rocks in general may require a heavy duty fabric in order to protect the liner and they should be removed or pushed into the soil. Or maybe the easiest answer is to add a couple inches of sand to where you have a smooth surface for the fabric to sit on.
By Fabric I am referring to NON woven needle punch landscape fabric . If you have a soil with lots of roots and rocks I recommend at least 8 oz fabric. Some people like to use old carpet . To me it is not worth the few hundred dollars to risk a pin in the carpet or a thumb tack or a shard of glass from a broken glass or plate. Roots should be cut back so they are not poking at the fabric

Going deep or wide with a pond will start to create issues with reach weather by hand or using equipment if building a larger pond or you have limited access you may want to only dig half of the pond or what ever you can reach and actually finish That area with the fabric, liner, fabric and stone to a particular point. then fold the liner back over the new build and start the next section.

The shelves of the pond Are easier to finish when you know how big the rocks for the walls will be and how tall. The shelves should be primarily level so that the rocks have a good flat area to sit on. Some times creating a shallow pocket or trench in the shelve before the fabric i installed can be used to help lock the bottom course of rocks in place by being in that little depression. I have used water fall foam to fill in between these vertical rock walls locking the rock in place and after a year and a half not one rock has moved or fallen. Mortar is a more final solution by far. placing gravel in these voids removes the issue of getting stuck . I have built stone walls in the past and staggering the joints is key to a more stable wall. just remember at some time someone will end up in the pond may it be to clean plant or chase a fish. So keep in mind if the rocks are not secure could they fall over and pin someone under water or can there hands or feet get stuck between the rocks again holding them under. If you have small rocks baseball size or hopefully larger you made need to have the wall pitched so the rocks lean toward the vertical wall and may even need to be twice as thick at the bottom and single stacked toward the top. Leaving these rocks a few inches above the shelf is ideal so your gravel can be held back and kept from making it's way to the bottom of the pond. The top shelf at the surface should be As @addy1 drew above with the shelf just below the water level so that the rocks look like they are coming up out of the water. This hides the liner and makes it look natural. making your shore line and the top shelf or even the lower shelves have jogs and height in step make the pond again look far more natural mother nature doesn't use a excavator to dig a pond she did it over years with erosion . never straight or all at the same level or size.

 

[Jhn]

In any type of fish/pond keeping the only things that happen fast are bad things, PATIENCE is your friend in developing a healthy mature pond/eco system and probably the most important part of keeping aquatic life.

 

[brokensword]

In any type of fish/pond keeping the only things that happen fast are bad things, PATIENCE is your friend in developing a healthy mature pond/eco system and probably the most important part of keeping aquatic life.

dammit, @Jhn ; not a single appreviation. I'm sorely disappointed...

 

[Jhn]

dammit, @Jhn ; not a single appreviation. I'm sorely disappointed...

Here ya go, P.a.t.I.e.n.c.e. Not really appreviating anything but it’s the thought that counts

 

[GBBUDD]

Not only that @brokensword but we both spent some time coming up with help lists for pond building and @Jhn just walks in with a couple sentences and says it all the holly grail to ponding" Patience "

 

[brokensword]

Here ya go, P.a.t.I.e.n.c.e. Not really appreviating anything but it’s the thought that counts

PATIENCE; perfectly attending time in efforts none can expect. There, fixed it fer ya!

 

[GBBUDD]

It was ment to make one go WHATTTTTTTTTTT HUH DID WHATTTT .. IT WORKED

 

[brokensword]

Not only that @brokensword but we both spent some time coming up with help lists for pond building and @Jhn just walks in with a couple sentences and says it all the holly grail to ponding" Patience "

ha, he jus THINKS he's so SMART, hey? We'll show 'em!

(can I put a smilie here, can I, can I? Oh, pretty please!???)

 

[brokensword]

It was ment to make one go WHATTTTTTTTTTT HUH DID WHATTTT .. IT WORKED

you know @GBBUDD , @Jhn ; you guys keep foolin' around and yer gonna make MOM @addy1 ) mad at us...

 

[GBBUDD]

ahh.... If I'm not getting a warning some where i'd be in heaven . then again i'd probably get them there too

 

[Jhn]

PATIENCE; perfectly attending time in efforts none can expect. There, fixed it fer ya!

Haha….You fixed that but not our appreviation misspelling or is that for the couple know as appreciation and abbreviation and I didn’t realize it until now