KathyC

Moderator
Location
Barnum Island
Rating - 100%
200   0   0
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
IM000412.jpg


Same view last year..I think
towardpondfromrightside.jpg


From a little further away..hey these are the only pics I can find...argh
towardpondfromright.jpg


From the other side of the yard
newwaterfall-1.jpg


Howard (the duck) used to be the pool chlorinator. I glued a rock onto his butt and he floats around happily retired :)
howard-1.jpg


Two of my original Koi..they're kind of big now. One day I'll tell you the story of the White one...
IM000475.jpg


A view from the deck
Pond2July2006-1.jpg


Thanks for looking and I will keep looking for the pics from the build :)
 
Last edited:

Sean

Advanced Reefer
Location
Brooklyn
Rating - 100%
14   0   0
great job kathy

ponds are a lot of back breaking work. I can appreciate and I can see all the hard work you put into that
 

aaron23

!THE ULTIMATE REEFER!
Location
NY
Rating - 98.3%
234   4   0
WOW kathy holy BEGEEEEBUS,,, you did all of that yourself?!?!?!?!!? it looks so professionally done... WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it looks AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.

btw, how much was that rubber duck? i want one for my tub :lol2:
 
Rating - 99.1%
225   2   0
Very Pretty.

I used to dig the sand during rain and/or right after it finish raining


I will be restarting my pond-can I have some plants and may be some babies?

Do you think it's too early in the season to start a pond say this weekend? I will have other fish that I put them in the house in the winter.
 
Last edited:

JARRETT SHARK

Addicted to coral
Rating - 100%
84   0   0
Kathy Looks Good,i Have A 2000 Gal ,almost the same size but 4.5' deep and 11 x 15,will Pm You Pics Later,do You Have Anyone Who Sells Koi Cheap? Always Looking For 12" Or Bigger.how Big Are Yours,the Pics Look Big, I Know This Breeder Tony On L.i Who Sells Them At A Fair Price If Interested. Cant Wait Till My Water Temp Hits 50 So They Start To Come Out And Start Eating Like Pigs. LET ME KNOW IF GIVING ANY OF THOSE BABIES AWAY IN THE SPRING,I WILL TAKE SOME.
 
Last edited:

KathyC

Moderator
Location
Barnum Island
Rating - 100%
200   0   0
Thanks for the kind words :)

Wingo - sure you can start digging for a pond now, I don't think the ground really ever froze this winter (knock wood). I'd be more than happy to give you some babies for your pond. As far as plants..the water hyacinth dies each each and has to be replaced but I have cattails that I can divide :)

Jarrett - Sounds nice! Please do send the pics..or better yet post them in the Nudibar!! I couldn't get more depth since the water table is 33" down in my yard. Most of my babies are 6-8" and you're welcome to all that you want :)
 

jejton

Senior Member
Location
Suffolk
Rating - 100%
26   0   0
Beautiful garden. We're renting a house with a nice sized piece of property and will be here for another 3 years so been considering doing a smaller pond but then theres the baby and I'm neurotic with safety when it comes to babies. oh well when I buy a house one day.
 

adamrose

++ROCKFISH!++
Rating - 100%
11   0   0
oh man - i used to have such a beautiful koi pond when i lived in NJ (before my family sold that house). It was such a joy to watch and take care of. Unfortunately we had a lot of fish eaten by black bears.

We didn't have a fence like you ;).
 

masterswimmer

Old School Reefer
Vendor
Location
NY
Rating - 99.6%
448   2   0
Kathy, absolutely beautiful work, nothing less than I'd expect from you ;)

All that hosta is like a smorgasboard for the deer where I live. But with all the shade you've got there it's perfect, and looks very natural.



jejton said:
theres the baby and I'm neurotic with safety when it comes to babies.

I find it amazing the most local building codes require a 4' fence around a pool, but there is no zoning law that requires a fence around a pond :scratchch

swimmer
 

jejton

Senior Member
Location
Suffolk
Rating - 100%
26   0   0
Its probably because ponds are not nearly as common as pools and most of those in urban and suburban areas tend to be much smaller so there are probably few enough accidents involving them that they stay under the radar.
 

aaron23

!THE ULTIMATE REEFER!
Location
NY
Rating - 98.3%
234   4   0
gosh i cant stop staring, it looks BEAUTIFUL kathy, you have your very own jungle paradise :D I want one! with the pond too :)
 

Sponsor Reefs

We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.

Click here to sponsor $10:


Top