I know I promised the pics of the build..but I can't find them..must be on a disc here somewhere..when I do find them, I'll post them.
Some history... I originally had a 12 x18 above ground pool. I'm too close to the water for an inground, so I decided to dig a 24" hole and set the pool into the ground and build a deck that was level with the top of the pool.
I drained the pool, kept the sand and folded up the liner and left the walls of the pool standing..and then I dug the hole..by hand (nobody was driving a Bobcat across MY lawn...) it took 3 weeks to dig and I hid the soil everywhere...under the other deck, raised some garden beds, and ultimately build a small hill in the corner of the yard behind the pool so it looked 'in-ground'. Got some friends together and moved the frame into the hole & set it back up, reconfigured the deck to surround it on 2 sides and poof..it was great!
A few years passed and all was good till nobody was using the pool any longer but every week I cleaned the darned thing...so it needed to go away but I was going to be left with a huge hole in the backyard. Brainstorm said..hey, make it a water garden. No fish.
Out came the pool parts and I had to come up with a plan for the pond. First obstacle was the 4 foot high wall of dirt (from that corner where I'd piled it behind the pool..), so I got creative and built a retaining wall to hold it up, had 3 yards of topsoil brought in and reshaped the former pool hole. I had huge rolls (4' x 20ft) rolls of cotton in my attic from back when I designed Christmas tree displays..the cotton was the 'snow' in my world then..and used that as the underlayment.
Next came the liner and the rocks for the edging. My filtration is a home made barrel filter that rocks. Nothing fancy, no bottom drain, just a waterfall to aerate the water and a heater & bubbler during the winter.
Damn I wish I could find those pics...
Anyway..it's been up for about 5 years and about 3 years ago I added 3 Koi and a Comet. Yup, that's it 4 fish. It's 32" deep in the middle and is somewhere in the neighborhood of 11' X 14'.
I originally had a bridge across it but found that the fish always hid under the bridge so I rarely saw them..so I pitched the bridge too...the decking that was around the pool has been moved twice (you'd see it if I had any stinking pics to attach..) and has finally come to rest on the other side of the yard as a patio.
In 2006 my fish spawned and I'm STILL giving away the babies..so far I've made it through the winter with about 50 extra fish in the pond..can you say overstocked?
So if any of you do have a pond or are planning one for this spring...ask me..they're free
Some pics..
This was shortly after the pond was first put in
Same view last year..I think
From a little further away..hey these are the only pics I can find...argh
From the other side of the yard
Howard (the duck) used to be the pool chlorinator. I glued a rock onto his butt and he floats around happily retired
Two of my original Koi..they're kind of big now. One day I'll tell you the story of the White one...
A view from the deck
Thanks for looking and I will keep looking for the pics from the build
Some history... I originally had a 12 x18 above ground pool. I'm too close to the water for an inground, so I decided to dig a 24" hole and set the pool into the ground and build a deck that was level with the top of the pool.
I drained the pool, kept the sand and folded up the liner and left the walls of the pool standing..and then I dug the hole..by hand (nobody was driving a Bobcat across MY lawn...) it took 3 weeks to dig and I hid the soil everywhere...under the other deck, raised some garden beds, and ultimately build a small hill in the corner of the yard behind the pool so it looked 'in-ground'. Got some friends together and moved the frame into the hole & set it back up, reconfigured the deck to surround it on 2 sides and poof..it was great!
A few years passed and all was good till nobody was using the pool any longer but every week I cleaned the darned thing...so it needed to go away but I was going to be left with a huge hole in the backyard. Brainstorm said..hey, make it a water garden. No fish.
Out came the pool parts and I had to come up with a plan for the pond. First obstacle was the 4 foot high wall of dirt (from that corner where I'd piled it behind the pool..), so I got creative and built a retaining wall to hold it up, had 3 yards of topsoil brought in and reshaped the former pool hole. I had huge rolls (4' x 20ft) rolls of cotton in my attic from back when I designed Christmas tree displays..the cotton was the 'snow' in my world then..and used that as the underlayment.
Next came the liner and the rocks for the edging. My filtration is a home made barrel filter that rocks. Nothing fancy, no bottom drain, just a waterfall to aerate the water and a heater & bubbler during the winter.
Damn I wish I could find those pics...
Anyway..it's been up for about 5 years and about 3 years ago I added 3 Koi and a Comet. Yup, that's it 4 fish. It's 32" deep in the middle and is somewhere in the neighborhood of 11' X 14'.
I originally had a bridge across it but found that the fish always hid under the bridge so I rarely saw them..so I pitched the bridge too...the decking that was around the pool has been moved twice (you'd see it if I had any stinking pics to attach..) and has finally come to rest on the other side of the yard as a patio.
In 2006 my fish spawned and I'm STILL giving away the babies..so far I've made it through the winter with about 50 extra fish in the pond..can you say overstocked?
So if any of you do have a pond or are planning one for this spring...ask me..they're free
Some pics..
This was shortly after the pond was first put in
Same view last year..I think
From a little further away..hey these are the only pics I can find...argh
From the other side of the yard
Howard (the duck) used to be the pool chlorinator. I glued a rock onto his butt and he floats around happily retired
Two of my original Koi..they're kind of big now. One day I'll tell you the story of the White one...
A view from the deck
Thanks for looking and I will keep looking for the pics from the build
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