Fish Pond

[Geewizz]

I've nearly finished this fish pond. There's still a few things to be done, like laying the lawn next to it, planting the borders and connecting up the permanent electrical supply. The fish are in and the water is flowing so it's time to share the photos.

A circular pond in 10 easy steps...

edit : Since when did the photos upload in the right order?
Answer: since the forum upgrade. You can now also place the pictures inline, I'll do a tutorial when I have time!

The corner of the garden as it looked before I set about it.

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Step 1 - Dig a big hole.

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Step 2 - Shore up the sides with some blocks.

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Step 4 - Line the pond with a geotextile underlay to protect the pond liner.

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Step 3 - a row of brick to set the final level and a concrete apron to support the stone edge.

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Step 5 - Lay the butyl liner and fold it carefully around the sides and the marginal planting shelves.

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Step 6 - Cut some stone to size and lay on mortar.

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Step 7 - Build a waterfall from rocks and a housing for the filter and electrics.

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Step 8 - Fill pond with water and add some fish.

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Step 9 (optional) - Entice a pigeon onto the water feature you made earlier.

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Step 10 - Kick back, relax and enjoy. (and if you get a chance, clean the mud off the stone slabs!)

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[thescruff]

Good one Phil

[wine~o]

Is this your pond or for a customer.

Nice waterfall, I was looking at the pre-formed jobbies for my pond, but the price!!!!

[Simon Site Manager]

Nice pond! How did you get the pigeon to pose like that?

S

[ultimatehandyman]

Nice work Phil

[Geewizz]

Is this your pond or for a customer.

It's for a client. It's part of a complete garden overhaul I'm carrying out for them which includes taking out the old pond, changing all the levels and putting in stone paving.

Nice waterfall, I was looking at the pre-formed jobbies for my pond, but the price!!!!

I've only ever used one preformed pond and it was a right pain in the butt to install. I prefer the freedom of butyl liners so that the shape and size isn't dictated before you even start to dig.

-- Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:32 pm --

Nice pond! How did you get the pigeon to pose like that?

The pigeons come down to drink from the waterfall. The first 3 times I tried to take its picture it bobbed its head down and all I got was its bum in the air.

[EJJ150847]

Looks very nice Geewiz.


John

[BONEStheBUILDER]

excellent , great to see it develop through the stages , well done

[royaloakcarpentry]

I quite like that and as I normally hate ponds and wouldn't want one near my house, I dare say that is a top compliment from me.

I do however like a nice lake or natural pond.

[sparkydude]

Just a couple of things, did you cement the rocks together with cement? if so have you sealed the cement with anything to stop it leaching into the pond water and killing the fish ??? and is all the water on the slabs below the waterfal just splashes or does it run onto them, as you will find after a very short time the level will drop and your client will need to keep topping it up if none of that water gets back to the pond.



Nick

[Geewizz]

Hi sparkydude,
You highlight some important pitfalls in your post. I've refurbished a few fish ponds in my time and seen some real howlers where mortar has been thrown on with gay abandon.
In the pond I have built, the rocks are mortared in strategic places on the rock formation and waterproofer has been used in the mortar where it will come into contact with the water. There will be a negligible contamination of the water so the fish are fine.
The slabs are laid to look like a continuous level circle. However, they are channelled in the area around the waterfall so that there is no significant loss of water. The pond was tested for losses before the waterfall was built and found to be dropping at an acceptable level due to evaporation. The small increase in water loss since the waterfall has been activated is attributable to evaporation from the larger surface area where the water sits on the stone paving below the waterfall and where it leaches into the rocks.
The actual water loss during this past week has been easy to check thanks to the hot, dry weather. The pond level dropped by 14mm in a week and then we had a 10 minute thunderstorm yesterday which raised the level by 22mm.

[sparkydude]

Good show , never doubted you for a minute was just making sure you had not made any of the usual classic pond building mistakes. Used to build ponds for relatives and friends with my mate when we were about 16, We built one for his nans retirement home and he did it for his duke of edinburgh award . We always use to use a product called G4 on any exposed mortar to seal it from leaching lime into the water. Nice fish by the way what are they ghost carp? I bet they cost a few quid didnt they.

Nick

[Geewizz]

The fish belong to the client and I just transferred them from the old pond before it was demolished. There are 4 big silvery ones and 9 goldfish. I can't tell one fish from another unless they're cooked in batter and served with chips.

[rotciv]

Nice work Phil , I like the rock waterfall.