If you could do it all over again...

[jasert39]

what would you have done differently.

Lets say you made the biggest pond you could (I know everyone would say..."make it bigger") are there any lessons you learned that us "pond rookies" could use to that you would like to share? 

PS I am getting ready to break ground on my new pond this week!!!! Can't wait!   

[Reedman]

Put in a bottom drain!

[Jerry]

me too!  Yes like you said make it HUGE!

[Esther]

Think about where your source of water and electricity is and where you'll want to place your plugs for all the stuff around your pond. Put in more than you think you'd need. Don't forget the GFI. Also, you may be using water more than you imagine so if you can run a line over to it, do it. Check out the locations of your underground stuff coming onto your property----gas line/electricity/sprinkling system. Call your township office and find out the law before you start digging. Note where the nearest trees are. You will find that every leaf within a mile tends to blow into your pond on a windy day. I swear mine come from another state even. Make sure you have gathered all your items and equipment before you get started. We forgot about the underlayment and at the last minute had to scrounge for old blankets and carpet. Remember that after you have cut away the excess lining, that's it, it won't stretch. If you can turn the excess under, it can be pulled out later and you can change things a bit. Oh and rocks, you'll need to raid your neighbor's yards for every rock you can lay your hands on. Or at least most of us have used a lot of rocks around our pond. Line your car trunk with a sheet of rubber roofing and carry a shovel at all times. You never know when you'll see something along the road you can take home for your project. Be sure to keep on the good side of your family, neighbors and friends up until after the pond is dug. Mention your project at the last minute and give out the invitations to lunch that day, so people won't have conveniently left town. Understand that if you are DIYing this pond, that it'll probably take longer, cost more, be more complicated, make you tear out your hair, have your wife swearing at you, have things go wrong, keep you awake at night, turn you into a raving lunatic, take more work and love the results, more than you would ever have thought.
When you are deciding the size/depth, think about whether you want plant shelves, or do you want the sides straight down. Some have problems with herons or predators using the plant shelves to get at their fish or make a mess with the pots. But if you want plants inside the pond with straight sides, you'll either have to float them or use plant stands. Then with the stands, it's a pain to scoop the bottom for crud. Negatives and positives for both. Also, if you plan on getting in your pond don't forget to install some steps and a bit of rail or post to grab to steady yourself getting in and out on that slippery surface. Think about the depth. Will you be gettting in the pond to prune and clean up dead lily pads and blossoms. Do you want to bend over and be able to pick something up off the bottom? When you're choosing the size, measure your net handle and make sure you can reach to the surface center and bottom center with it. At least I use mine that way a lot.

By the way, my pond is rather small 10 x 13 x 24"-30" deep and I don 't have a bottom drain and am happy without it but because my pond is small, I can easily care for it and scoop the bottom totally from the sides. And as it was all DIY, and we are getting old, we knew that some day we'd be tearing it out maybe to put the house for sale. So we didn't want to spend a slew and then have to tear it out. But I can certainly see that a larger pond would benefit from the bottom drain and all the nine yards. I do have a 100 gallon Skippy biofilter, and a skimmer/pump tank made from a laundry tub.

Check out the DIY and other sub forums here to learn more stuff.

[Pondering]

I wouldn't have been talked into going from a 4200 to a 5500 gph pump.  :'(  Other than that, i'm really happy with our pond... the 2 years of research really paid off.    The guy tried to talk us into putting the pond at the far end of our yard but we said   no way, we want it close to the house.  So as they say location, location, location, i'm glad we stood our ground on that one.

The only other thing i would have changed was to make the patio next to the pond bigger, it comfortably fits 4 people.  But now we have more friends over since getting the pond.  

I know how you feel, it's very exciting!    How big are you thinking of making yours?

[miguynmkoi]

The whole shebang....bottom drain, skimmer, accessible spot/hub for the multi bio filter/polisher, smaller water bill, tall waterfall, extra cash, proper plumbing....dear me, I could go on.  But what I got now is enough for me. 

[Kittyzee]

Just my opinion, but I don't understand the need for a huge pond.  Unless that's what you really want.  I've never wanted mine bigger, and am content with the size of mine.  It IS smart to plan, plan, and then plan.  Especially for the electric stuff and making it accessible to take care of in the cleaning, maintenance area.  I don't have a bottom drain or elaborate skippys and such.  I do have a bio-filter that I start up in the spring that helps keep my water clear and healthy for my fish.  IMO it should be enjoyable and not a part to full time job.  Mine has plants and fish and I have learned from this site in particular how to take care of all of those things to the best of my ability.  I totally enjoy my fish and plants but don't feel the need to multiply that by going larger.   

[landey1230]

I've rebuilt my pond 3 times do to different things I've wanted.  If you're planning on having water plants, shelves are ideal.  Bigger is better, but make sure you have proper filtration.  Depth is also important for koi.  Waterfall, oh boy, those are a pain.  You can lose lots of water if the waterfall is not done right. 

[Sunbeam56]

I've lost count. I have built something like 21 ponds. Haven't built the perfect pond yet. i guess I'm a slow learner. 

Depends on what you want. I eschew rocks on the bottom - but they look pretty in a small pond that you can clean every year.
If you want fish, a bottom drain is essential. But if you have any plants in the pond - the drain will end up fouled with leaves and you will turn off the pumps and use a vaccum to clean the drain. So its of limited use.
With fish, your filters should be twice the size of your pond - really REALLY.
Pump size hasn't ever been an issue with me - but aeration is. If you have a big waterfall, a big pump helps with the aeration. Some fish keepers turn over the water once every couple of hours - but I don't like that much volume. Turns the pond into a whirlpool. I think the fish like place water, well aerated.

One of the prettiest ponds I have seen is the lotus pond that Joyce posts. I love the way the edge of the lawn goes right to the water. Most of my ponds either have had a rock edge or get terribly overgrown.

If you want a plant pond - don't bother with a plastic or EPDM liner. Just go with clay.

[Jerry]

LuAnn, you are surrounded by creeks and lakes.  this place is desert. that's why I'd like a huge natural (looking) pond. Fish, frogs, turtles and birds!

[jasert39]

Thanks for all of the replies! 

[Johns]

Well, here goes:

The perfect pond plumbing system would include:

1.  A bottom drain.  But NOT for feeding the biofilter. This is because biofilters are best fed
clean water not loaded with lots of organic solids that will clog and render them inoperative.
Bottom drains are perfect for draining bottom mulm to waste.  This is much easier if you have a
topography that would allow this to be done by gravity flow, but a standpipe and refuse handling
pump will suffice.  Generally a weekly five minute open bottom drain will keep bottom mulm to
a minimum.  Of course the pond would have to slope toward the bottom drain(s) to be effective.

2. A skimmer.  This is important in the spring, summer, and fall to keep the water surface clear
of pollen, tree seeds and other flotsam that blows into the pond.  The skimmer should be
equipped with a pre-strainer to keep trash out of the biofilter.

3.  A side drain.  The side drain, equipped with a strainer to keep out fish and trash is the best
source for most of the water going to the biofilter, since it will be the cleanest source in the
pond.  Side drains should be situated about one half the pond depth. In climates where the
surface freezes, skimmers become ice jammed, and if you keep your filter system running year
round as I do*, the side drain keeps the water flowing without disturbing or super cooling the
bottom water where the fish are likely to congregate.

*Yes, I know all the jabber about biofilters not being operative in cold temperatures. But by
running the system 24/7/365 there is no guesswork about when to turn off or when to start up,
which if miscalculated, can be hard on the livestock.  Also, by keeping the pumps running, I
don't have to drain everything or worry about frozen pipes, at least in my climate.  You DO have
to engineer your return so that an ice dam will not result in a partially empty pond. (Remember,
by NOT using the bottom drain to feed the filter system, you will never completely empty the
pond.)  Note: For those using submerged pumps in their ponds: Place your pump at one half the
depth of the pond and you will also avoid the "empty pond syndrome".


4.  Adequete pipe size.  Be sure to provide pipes large enough to provide the flow you require. 
if you need help figuring pipe sizes, see my webpapge at

http://www.gardenendeavors.com/rack/pool10.html

If you only want to determine pipe size requirements for a given flow, simply enter pool
dimensions in the calculator that will produce a flow close to what you want.  At the bottom of
the page is a link to my head loss calculator, which will help you select a pump with sufficient
head for your pond.

Most of my ideas about how to accomplish creating a pond are at my page

http://www.gardenendeavors.com/rack/web2.html


By the way, Esther's comments above are very good.  pay close attention to them.


Regarding "always build the biggest pond you can":  I have always given that advice, because
just about everyone I have ever known that built a pond has said they wish they had made it
larger.  This is because they want more fish and more plants and just the enjoyment of a larger
pond.  But, there is something to be said for starting small.  Ponding is a learning activity. 
Progressing from a smll pond to an intermediate one then to more ponds or a bigger pond will
provide opportunities to enjoy the experience of discovery and learning for oneself what you
like and dislike about various ideas you have tried.  In the long run, it might be better to make
small mistakes than one big one.

[Derrick]

don't be drunk when you on the spur of the moment decide you want a pond and know the "perfect" spot for it and get it half dug before you sober up....just trust me on this one....

[Johns]

Good one, Derrick!   

[marla]

definately deeper, not the whole thing but some of it at least 4' deep, wintering in zone 4 is hard on the fish with under 3'.  Yes maybe a bottom drain and always bigger!!!!