[Zefrik]

To make a long story short I had a pond but I moved so my koi and goldfish had to move into a condo (no yard). The fish have been staying in a very crowded 140 gallon stock tank. But now that my mom is getting a house I can build this pond!

I am going to be taking my time with this pond. I will be digging by hand throughout the winter little bits at a time. I am wanting to go in and get the shaping perfect.

My main goal is to have a dual purpose, two section pond. One section for goldfish and some plants, and one larger deeper section for koi.

I have work and school that come first so this project will take a while.

 

[Zefrik]

Design Help Needed!!!

So first things first. I am wanting to build this pond the right way the first time. But I am also on a budget. So I am going to have to find a balance between the two.

First off I will most likely be using 45ml EPDM pond liner. I am going to use some parachute cord to get a very accurate measurements AFTER the hole has been dug. This will allow me not to worry about choosing a specific size liner and getting stuck with it.

For the water circulation and maintenance I am starting to lean towards a bottom drain. The 3in Tetra system/kit to be exact. But I am not 100% sure how to connect a pump up to these.

I am also thinking about a skimmer, but that is not as much of a priority because of the expense that one can cost. My thoughts are that I can get a net to put over the pond to avoid leaves in the fall, and we all know that everything is affected by gravity so what is at the surface will end up at the bottom, in which, the bottom drain has it covered.

Take a look at this (very crude) microsoft paint sketch I made and see if there is anything wrong.

 

[FIT BMX]

Your drawing looks good to me, and as fore pond plumbing I am not very good.
You may want to ask the guys at KoiPhin.com they know everything when it comes to ponds, and some of them even sell plumbing parts that are just for ponds!

Good luck, and keep us post with lots of pics!

 

[bigsink]

www.koiphen.com

 

[Diana]

I would plumb the skimmer so the discharge helps the stream look more impressive. Outlet at the top of the stream. You will need a baffle so the goldfish do not swim downstream. I could never keep Golds in my upper pond. Within a day or so they always found their way to the main pond.

The main filter and pump do not need to be located at the upper falls area. If you have another spot in the yard these can be remote, the same way swimming pool equipment is. Discharge would then be tucked into some sort of hill of rocks. Liner needs to go under this. The idea of remote equipment can offer several benefits:
No sound from the pump.
Access to electricity.
Easy to access the filter for cleaning. No need to camouflage it.
Easy access to the pump, it is not in a box.

Note that not all pumps are intended to be worked in such a way. You need one that will not burn out when it operates above the water line. If the remote location is roughly level with the pond that is best, if the location is slightly downhill then priming the pump is easy. If the location is too far downhill then you will lose too much pressure pumping the water back up hill.

Make sure to dig a big enough hole that when the power goes out the lower pond will hold all the water. A backflow device in the line may be needed to keep the water in the upper pond.

I would make a way to drain the upper pond separately, just in case you need to clean it without bothering the lower pond. I do not know if you want to plumb this in, or just plan on using a hose like a giant gravel vac.

 

[Zefrik]

www.koiphen.com

I had been there before but I completely forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[Aquatic Delight]

wondering how your project is going?

 

[Ace_Aquascapes]

What if the drain gets clogged, or the pipekeeping those pipes in reach probably outside or hidden in borders of the pond would be so easy, A drain right at the bottom would pull everything towards itself, incase the fishes breed, u'll be surprised to see them in the filter.

The 1.5 area of the pond would also be a good place for aquatic plants or lilies which is your preference, and the waterfall idea is great for oxygenating the pond water.

 

[Meganne]

I would add a simple empty out drain for the little top pond so it can be easily flush clean periodically