Koi Pond Project
We were looking to design a larger fishpond near our breezeway / patio area, but one of the challenges would be the hill. We wanted to go from 150 gallons (6'long x 2'wide x 2'deep) to a larger pond around 4,000 gallons (about 15'long x 8'wide x 4'to5'deep), so we could winter over our Koi fish in Central New York. It takes about 3 feet of water to winter over fish in this area. The surface needs to be kept partially open in the winter when ice forms.
Before:
You can see our previous rocky waterfall and 150 gallon pond on the left. We've used this pond for the last 5-6 years, but it is too shallow to winter over fish. It was quite stressful on both the fish and owner to make the move outside and back inside for each summer.
After:
The actual construction of the pond took about 6 weeks using 2 to 3 people at 2-3 hours most evenings each week. Finishing details of brickwork and landscaping took an additional 2-3 weeks. In retrospect, it would have taken less time and effort to create a rectangular shape using concrete blocks, poured concrete, or plywood sides. However, we wanted an oval shape and we were very pleased with the results, even though it took more planning and work. It's still a work in progress, so check back for an update in the future.
Model Pond:
We modeled our pond after this 5 foot deep Koi Pond at the Auburn Fish Emporium. The water was so crystal clear that we could watch their Koi swim all the way to the bottom. They used a 3/4hp pool pump with a 100 pound sand filter. They substituted 100 pounds of aquarium gravel for the sand, so the filter wouldn't clog as quickly.
How we built our pond:
We would like to give special thanks to Mike Dannon for all of the extra expertise and use of equipment.
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