A koi pond can be above ground, but it is not recommended. Complete the look with water . Again, you can use many things to retain the earth, this example shows how using pressure treated lumber is quick, simple, and cost effective. Here, the classic brick construction is chosen then a wide rectangular glass is attached to its center front that directly faces the patio. You can see the extra clear view of the pond while enjoying the summer air in your backyard. Instead, I added plenty of plants, ledges, and overhangs to my pond. Koi ponds can also be used as a source of water for plants, and they can be used to attract fish, which can be sold at a later time. Follow our detailed guide to building your above-ground koi pond to avoid making costly mistakes and installing unnecessary equipment or features. Then, you need to fill the hole with dirt and water. I just wanted to comment that for clarification, this would not work as a Koi pond. In this case, the finished pond will be 6 x 12 so the excavation is 8 x 14. Like most koi pond owners, I did deal with predators. Everyone knows that the origin of Koi is from China, and designing your Koi pond with the countryas characteristic look is a great idea. You can also add plants, rocks, ornaments, and waterfalls to your pond to create a more aesthetically pleasing environment. This can happen when the pond is covered with a layer of ice. The following section may contain affiliate links. Goldfish thrived in this pond in the same way they would have in a traditional garden pond. Successful maintenance of a koi pond requires that you provide your koi fish with the correct water quality and environment to suit their optimal health and growth. The twigs are chosen to cover the pond construction which surely looks amazingly natural. Set the 4 x 4 posts in the holes and fill with concrete just like setting fence posts. If you just want to add a small glass to provide a small see-through accent, this koi dome is a great choice. This post contains affiliate links. At this time, lay the aeration tubing along side the 4" bottom drain pipe. Using this method, you can help your backyard garden pond become a part of your vegetable garden. They're fun and easy to operate too! Maintaining an above ground pond in the winter can be a challenge. (Recommended for you:A13+ Most Unique and Impressive Pond Fountain Ideas). Here, we have some inspiring above ground koi pond with window ideas that look so mesmerizing to bring your backyard to a whole new level. In this case, much of the excavated soil will be re-used to hide the pond skimmer, pre-filter, control valve, aeration, and UV system from view Excavated soil is also used to create a raised flower bed at one end of the pond. This one is a a?reala see-through koi pond with the full glass sides as its construction. (You do want to be careful to be sure and purchase true watercress, though, not upland watercress which has a very different growing pattern and wont thrive in a water feature) Once you have shoots of watercress, you can easily root the shoots in your water feature by securing the shoots to a stable area so they wont be caught in your fountain or filter. In this case, we are using plastic Trex deck boards. The pond is built in a particular area with the pergola to shade it. For koi pond ideas, there are many ways to build koi ponds. Thank you! If this article saved you time or money, please consider donating $1 to help me cover the cost of hosting this website OR If you appreciate this information and want to throw a Thanks! my way by buying me a coffee I would Of Course appreciate it! We're also using egg rock and pea gravel. A pond this size will allow ten koi fish to mature to their full size. That would not be a good thing. Step 1: Koi Pond Information KOI PONDS I just want to touch on some of the basics of koi and building a pond. Grade the soil upward and outward from the drain to all sides of the pond. When the dust finally settled in late summer, I wanted to get my hands dirty and create something peaceful in my garden space- so I built this above-ground koi pond! The function of a filter is to clean the water of debris, algae, and fish excrement. Thanks to the shelter of aquatic plants and reservoirs, about 6 of those tiny goldfish flourished in the pond and outlived the ducks! Lay down the first layer of timber and secure them with timber nails. Above ground ponds are more likely to leak, and the liner will not last as long as it would in a ground-level pond. The average estimated cost to build a Koi pond is about $6,000 to $25,000 but the cost can be different depending on the different factors. You can see that the pond is made in traditional brick construction that looks vintagely wonderful. Diy above ground pond ideas. Laying out your pond on the ground will help you visualize the end result of your pond and make any changes before you start the building process. Soon, youll find it difficult to remove the watercress from the hardware cloth! This photo shows why the excavation is one foot larger in all directions than the finished pond. Extend the flexible PVC pipe around the pond box/retaining wall to where the Hydro-UV Clarifier will be installed. . Check out my article on adding a drain: How to Decrystallize Honey Permanently with Simple Chemistry, Posted on Published: August 12, 2014- Last updated: February 1, 2023, DIY Rose Trellis: How I made a Rustic Oversized Garden Trellis for $5, How to Build a DIY Sawhorse Table for $25. While the air and water are still warm, get into the pond and remove all of the season's sludge and debris. This koi ponds walls are constructed with treated 2x6 boards screwed to treated 4x4 posts. Hawk-Hill.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. Measure end to end and side to side to find the center. No one else is saying that! Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Start your garden pond design process by identifying the site where you want your pond to be. Once you are happy with the final layout, it is time to prepare your foundation. The pond is also built quite tall to make an outstanding focal point in the backyard. Additionally, factors like the location, soil quality, and pond design can increase or decrease the cost of a koi pond. Though the pond looks old, the color makes it seem more modern. Using shims, I was able to create my pond on rocky, uneven ground. Place the preformed pond into its eventual position, marking the ground around it with spray paint or other markers. Again, the plastic is still on the bottom drain. It is very important to ensure that the water is safe for your koi. The overflow design also allows a full view of the fish. An above-ground koi pond with a frameless glass design creates the "overflow" appearance, adding an element of spaciousness. Attach the auto fill valve kit water supply pipe to the barb fitting outside the pond skimmer. The glass is installed on its front face of the pond, creating an a?open gatea impression gorgeously. It comes in 2'x4' and 4'x8' sheets. You will watch the koi through the merged glass that comes out of the pond. To create a circular water movement flow install the main water return in the opposite corner of the same end of the pond as the pond skimmer near the middle depth of the pond. Koi, like all fish, need to acclimatize to new water. Continue filling. This above ground koi pond with window idea looks quite distinctive with its half round design. The cheapest and easiest would be to construct the walls out of lumber. Place a layer of soil over the concrete in the post holes to prevent any sharp or abrasive edges from causing harm to the pond liner. Thanks to the depth at the deep end, even a little crust of ice didnt kill these hardy fish. Build up the waterfall and fill in the area around the pond with rocks to make it look more natural and hide the liners. Compact the soil 5X more than you think you need to! When filled with water, the water pressure will flatten out most of the small wrinkles for you. Start out by creating a rough drawing of the pond and where you want the filtration system to be located. Here, the color is used for the pond construction and the pergola. Install the UV return line in on the opposite end of the same side as the pond skimmer. Dig each post hole 18 down by 12 wide from the bottom of the pond excavation. How cheap can you build a small koi pond. a hole large enough for the bottom drain at the center of the pond. 15 Most Clever Rock Fountain Ideas for Your Backyard. Connect the pipe coming from the flow control valve to the external pump inlet, Connect the pump outlet to the filter inlet, Connect the filter outlet to the pond return, Connect a pipe to the "Waste" port of the filter valve to divert backwash water to a desired location, Connect the auto fill valve kit pipe to the water source, The bottom drain pipe to the pre-filter inlet, The outlet of the pre-filter to the one side of the flow control valve, The main outlet of the pond skimmer to the other side of the flow control valve, The outlet of the flow control valve to the pump, An overflow pipe to the remaining outlet port of the pond skimmer, Attach metal lath to the koi pond box where you want to add the cultured stone, Apply a layer of mortar the back of the cultured stone (make sure the mortar is not runny or the stones will slide around), Press the cultured stone onto the metal lath with some pressure so that the mortar squishes into the lath - hold it there for 30 seconds or so until stable, Cut pieces where necessary with a rented brick saw, Apply a seal coat to the cultured stone when finished, Plant perennial flowers, shrubs, and a tree - add annual flowers for seasonal color. The statues then enhance the look of the pond beautifully and strengthen its Chinese style. Extend the UV return pipe through the hole cut in the pond box/retaining wall. This is ordinary styrofoam insulation sheets you can find at any home improvement warehouse store. This is a very beautiful design for you who look for a koi pond with shade. Koi prefer a pond with a depth of at least 12 feet, but 18 feet is ideal. DIY how to build an above ground koi pond. Continue until you reach your desired height. I also live on the flood plane and there is flooding in my area. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. I did not install a net, as many garden pond owners do. If you enjoyed this post you may also enjoy reading / perusing / devouring one or all of these articles as well! The pond looks absolutely mesmerizing with its clever combination. Comfortable home ,enjoy fruit trees and koi pond with water lillies from the covered back porch, above ground pool for the children, storage shed,double car parking,walk in closet/ mini office space,all new tile new flooring( all carpet removed),all new Windows / frames,new fridge,new . Shallow koi ponds can be created by building a pond that is only a few inches deep. Finally, if youd like to continue to learn about interesting DIY options as well as how YOU can tackle creative new projects consider checking out the latest and most popular articles listed on the Hawk-Hill Home Page. Start by painting your koi pond design drawing on the ground in actual size. The minimum size of the koi pond should be 6ft 8ft 8ft. The sound of water adds to the tranquility of the pond and, more importantly, adds oxygen to the water. Free shipping for many products! Use the excavator to do the heavy digging. If you don't you'll have settling areas later on the will be a costly repair. Initially I built this pond for the ducks I was raising at the time. At this point you can either continue working on the equipment plumbing - but we recommend preparing the pond box for underlayment and liner so you can start filling the pond. The huge water plants are 0panted in the pond yet in the separate area. Do you see why we recommend a plastic bag over the bottom drain at this stage of building a koi pond? This will give fish a much better shot at surviving in an above ground garden pond over winter. Pre-drill holes in the furring strips and place over the top of the first 26, sandwiching the liner between board and furring strip. Truly loved your idea and I also liked all the tiny details. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. This koi pond has a small size and semi-circle shape. STAY CLOSE while the water fills and help manipulate the liner to help it sink evenly and neatly to the bottom. A good foundation will ensure that your pond lasts for years to come. How do you make an above-ground koi pond? You can see the HydroClean pond skimmer hole cut through the wood. You can copy to remodel or build your own pond in your backyard. Now that all the pipes are laid in the open areas outside the pond box you can backfill the work area outside the pond box/retaining walls. Attach the 2x6x12 boards to each side, and cut a 2x6x12 in half to make 2x6x6 boards for each end. ), Push the liner and collar back over the pipe until the end of the pipe squeezes through the hole in the liner, Youll see how the liner makes its own water tight gasket around the pipe, Then tighten the stainless steel nut on the stainless steel clamp to secure it in place, Use a razor knife to cut an "X" in the center of the bottom drain opening - in the middle of the drain opening and only as wide as your hand, Lift the points of the "X" toremove the plastic bag that is covering thedrain basin and place the gasketed mounting plate on the liner over the drain basin, Lift as section of the "X" in the liner to visually line up the screw holes of the gasket plate and the drain basin, Using an awl poke down through two of the mounting plate screws holes directly into the screws holes of the bottom drain itself, Remove the mounting plate - inside the "X" - apply a generous amount of silicone on the upper perimeter of the drain basin - including the screw holes, Place the gasket plate back on the liner in line with the holes you use a couple Phillips screwdrivers to hold it in place while you pokes holes through the remaining screw holes, Using the inside rim of the mounting plate as your guide - cut out the liner from inside the drain basin - smooth out any protruding silicone. This is essential as the water will way down the pond liner and secure it to the interior walls. The water source just so happens to be near where we're installing the HydroBead Vortex HBV-21 filter. I really wanted it in front but there are two huge maple trees there and there was just no way I could ever deal with all the leaves they would drop in my pond. The liner protects the pond from puncture and erosion. 3- Waterfall Koi Pond. Just make sure there are no sharp rocks or roots sticking up! It also requires fewer tools, and expertise. For this pond, we're using large flagstones, filling in and supporting them with smaller beach pebbles. Use a level to measure the flatness of your foundation. You can see that the color of the pergola really matches well with the greeneries around the pond area. A koi is an ornamental fish that originated in Japan. Next, youll need to find something to use as a pond liner. Flexible PVC pipe makes this much easier than cutting and glue a bunch of rigid PVC pipe and fittings. Readers, do you have any favorite topics / posts? They are mesmerizing and can be tamed to eat from your hand. The construction is actually quite simple yet very beautiful. However, on the whole, a koi pond can be built for a fraction of the cost of a traditional swimming pool. Placing a straight board or timber piece on the ground will give you the most accurate reading. Use the stainless steel screws to attach the styrofoam to the pond box. The sleepers are fixed together with timber-lock screws (Included). It is worth spending a bit more to buy a thick, high-quality liner that will not tear or leak. Koi are a large carp fish that need a bare minimum of 3' deep water. Connect the UV pump outlet port of the Piper pond skimmer to the inlet of the first UV. It provides fresh greens for for salads, sandwiches, and snacks while offering effective and chemical-free water filtering for your backyard pond. Install all of the necessary equipment such as a filtration system and an aerator to keep the koi happy and healthy. As long as the top of the wood frame is adjusted to be level, the water level will be even and adapt around/over natural landscape. WE SAVE YOU MONEY over the life over your pond or pondless waterfall! To grow watercress in your gardens water feature, you can buy starts at the grocery store or farmers market.