Pond Building Basics
Establish an overall plan for the area: location of pond,
walkways, creek bed, waterfalls, bar-be-cue, hammock(s), roses,
rock garden, etc. Realize that it can be done in stages - spread
over many years if necessary - but that it does need to be a
coordinated and inter-related plan.
Dig the
pond out: straight sides, flat bottom, approx. 20" deep, with
absolutely level edges. Raise the lower edges to the same height
as the higher areas around the pond using a thick smooth mud
mixture of clay. Trowel it absolutely level using a water level
(small diameter clear tubing with water in it) to get the edge
+/- 1/4" maximum deviation from true level.
Measure
for the liner by tying a string to a stick placed approx. 1-1/2
ft outside of the pond and draping the string over the edge,
across the bottom, up the other edge, and out 1-1/2 ft. Measure
the string. Measure the pond's longest dimension, and at right
angles to that. Remember that it is very hard to accurately
measure for a liner if the shape has a "peninsula" sticking into
it, or an hourglass shape.
Purchase quality pond liner (Permalon or fishsafe 45mil EPDM) of
the appropriate size and carefully and accurately position it in
the pond (see Installing a Pond Liner below). Write down the
reading of your water meter and start to fill (let sit for a day
to allow water to warm). Occasionally measure the
depth of the water and write it, and the water meter readings,
down for future use. Carefully get into the pond
barefoot(!) (if
you wear shoes, you may not notice the sharp rock that you just
stepped on and shoved through the liner.) Fold the liner as
needed on the sides (you can tape down the Permalon with the 5"
tape to make "invisible folds.")
Have
enough "thin" fieldstones to go around the pond twice, and
divide them into two equal piles: "larger" and "smaller." Place
the larger ones, touching each other, around the pond so that
they extend out over the water. Then place the smaller ones on
top of them covering the "cracks" and lining them up with the
outside edge of the first layer. Bring the liner up behind them,
and build a hard wall/dam 2/3rds the height of the fieldstones
with concrete or mud holding the liner against the fieldstones.
Cover the wall/dam with the liner and then cover them both with
a porous ground cover like pinestraw, river pebbles (not crushed
stone!), pine bark, etc., that starts level with the fieldstones
and tapers off away from the pond. You can now fill the pond to
above ground level and check the water meter for
your final reading. Install your pump, turn it on, and check the
pond level for a few days to verify that it does not leak.
Now,
add a quality water conditioner that eliminates chlorine and
adds the electrolytes that your fish will need. Add plants and
fish.
A
waterfall or creek bed can be added to the pond at any time. The
new liner overlaps the pond edge and is attached with the
appropriate "double-sticky" tape. Unlike the pond, where you can
easily get to any part of the liner should it be damaged and
need repair, waterfalls and creek beds are usually covered with
rocks and might have to be completely torn out to find any
mechanical leak. Therefore, it is best to protect the liner
under all of these rocks from any possible future damage with a
"bulletproof vest" of fiber-reinforced concrete. A 1/2" to 3/4"
thick layer spread on top of the liner and allowed to set up
hard with a rough top surface will protect the liner from you,
sharp rocks, kids, herons, etc.
Then
you can build on top of it using pigmented fiber-reinforced
concrete, approx. the color of the rocks used, to both hold the
rocks in place and to fill in the empty spaces under the rocks
to keep the water on top of them where it will be seen. Before
the concrete sets up, dump a bucket of assorted size river
pebbles on it and tamp them into the spaces between the rocks
with a wooden stick (metal will scratch the rocks.) Later, after
the concrete has set up, you can wash off the excess pebbles.
River
rocks look much more natural than fieldstones or quarried rocks.
You can age the rocks by brushing on a mixture made of
buttermilk and crumbled dry moss. The moss should grow fairly
quickly on the rocks above the water line. You can also plant
hunks of moss and plants in and around the rocks.
If you
use concrete, always use Fiber mesh fibers to reinforce it to
help prevent cracking.
Also,
always use a pH stabilizer (jungle Labs), especially with
concrete, in any new fish pond to minimize pH fluctuations that
can be deadly to your fish.
The
pump chosen needs to provide enough water to make the waterfall
look good to you (see Selecting
a Waterfall Pump System below). Fill a large container with a
measured amount of water and pour it - while timing. Calculate
the needed water in gallons/minute or gallons/hour. Measure the
vertical lift: from the top of the water in the pond to the top
of the waterfall = how much higher are you lifting the water
vertically. Select a pump (not aluminum) that will do what you
need. Use a larger hose/pipe than what you think you need:
I"= only 13 gpm max., 1-1/4"=23 gpm max., 1-1/2"=33gpm max.,
2"=50gpm max, and 3"=125gpm maximum. Too big is
wonderful, too small can be a disaster. Plug the pump into a
circuit that is protected by a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit
Interrupter) type circuit breaker (the type that has a "push to
test" button on it.)
If you
want a low maintenance, easy to care for, water garden: do not
get any koi! Goldfish, shubunkin, comets, black moors, etc., are
wonderful pets! Koi will eat your plants and you will have fish
that are too big in a pond of green water. A properly done pond
with water plants and not too many non-koi fish can be very
maintenance free with clean clear water and luscious flowers - a
pond to enjoy and show-off, without having to spend a lot of
time working on it (see The Basics of a Clear Pond).
If you
want the thrill of a high-tech hobby, with its challenges, then
a true koi pond may be the ideal backyard addition. It has to be
carefully planned with knowledge and forethought! There are many
rewards, but also many mistakes to avoid.
back to Essential
Water Gardening Tips
next page, Installing A
Pond Liner
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