There is a pond in there.......

[Ummagumma]

Hello everyone, I recently uncovered the forgotten remains of what once must have been a very nice pond. It was hidden under years of blackberry bushes and various undergrowth but as you can see from the pics it was a fairly good size pond at some point. Being very new to all of this I have a few questions that surely some veteran members of this group can answer to help me get things going;

• What are the two round holes for in each end of the pond? I assume maybe a pump or filter of some kind but there are no openings in either hole for plumbing or electricity, nor can I really find any evidence of either anywhere I can see without blindly digging around.....
• At the one end there appears to be a spout for a fountain, (I am guessing), but again, no evidence of plumbing or electrical to determine how things may have been set up.
• Obviously there is a lot of work to do to the cement bottom, any advice would be welcome as far as best way to repair/fill the cracks and ultimately seal the whole thing.

Any input or advice is welcome, I am anxious to get things underway!

 

[MitchM]

The best start would be to break up the concrete, clean out and reshape the hole for what you ultimately want.
What do you want for a pond (koi, goldfish, plants only) and what is your budget?
Also what is your location? That will help determine what you need to do if you want to keep your pond running during the winter.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

The two round holes on the pond's bottom at either end appear to be where fountain pedestals were located. Probably removed at some time in the distant past.
That is one massive crack in the concrete. Would not attempt to patch it. Recommend dropping in a quality liner. Any pond can be salvaged and refurbished providing one has the time and coins to do so.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the group! Meyer beat me to saying put in a liner..............

 

[MitchM]

How would you guys handle the rocks around the edge of the pond? They look cemented in place to me
If you remove the rocks, you'll be left with jagged edges.

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome! Where are you located?

What an awesome find, but you do have your work cut out for you as it looks to be in pretty bad shape. I wish I could be the one to advise you, but not my area of expertise. Most of us use EPDM rubber liners, and I personally would figure out a way to put one in rather than deal with concrete repairs (though repairs aren't impossible).

I'm guessing the holes are for bottom drains....? And you say, no obvious evidence for plumbing or electrical -- how far away from the pond are the nearest electric outlet / water faucet? You could work backwards from there and try to see where the equipment was kept.

Do you know how long the pond has been there? How big do you estimate it to be: length, width, depth?

Really cool discovery, and the beginning of a fun hobby for you!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

How would you guys handle the rocks around the edge of the pond? They look cemented in place to me
If you remove the rocks, you'll be left with jagged edges.

Liner can be secured just below the rocks using termination strips.

 

[sissy]

welcome and starting over like most say would be better .To seal cracks in concrete with big cracks like that would more than likely not last or hold water .Take it out and start over with a liner .If you try to fix it you may be putting money into a lost cause .Sad to say but win for you that you could make it your dream pond

 

[MitchM]

Liner can be secured just below the rocks using termination strips.

I'm not familiar with those. Concrete ponds are not used up here.
Thanks.

 

[Ummagumma]

Thank you all for the responses, this is already a big help. I am thinking that Meyer Jordan is right, the 2 holes were probably for fountain pedestals. You can still see the remainder of a concrete base from one of them in the lower section of the pond. I have to agree with all of you who suggested using a liner instead of patching the concrete. Would I remove the existing concrete or just install a liner over it?

As for the other questions; I live in Washington state, (just north of Tacoma), and haven't really considered what kind of fish we might stock the pond with. Certainly open to suggestions.

 

[Big Lou]

Before proceeding you should decide if the border stones will stay or go. That is your first major decision. I will be more than happy to provide guidance on prepping the concrete pond for laying down a liner. Sorry, I'm not familiar with the termination strips but Meyer or some other source can help with that step.

You uncovered a treasure sir. I really look forward to it's revival.
Lou

 

[snoozer]

I would break out the concrete and install a liner. The should be able to chip any concrete stuck to the rock off and if there is some you can't remove, that side goes down and nobody will know but you. Enjoy your new discovery.

 

[Mmathis]

I realize this is an old thread -- I just happened across it and remember when it was originally posted. If @Ummagumma is still out there, I would be interested in hearing how things turned out......