Outdoor Design Considerations
If you are considering building
a large outdoor pond, don't attempt it unless you have room for the
landscaping, or it will just look out of place.
For the pond picture
below, I had quarter of a acre to play with.
The pond is 25,000
gallons, and has biotec 30 and biotec 10 filters, plus 110uv and 16000 and
12000 aquamax pumps.
The build sequence was
- Dig the pond out
- Then plant the vegetation, including the trees
- Then install the filters
- Then put the pond liner
- Lastly add the water and surrounds, including the bridge in that order
The pond pictured below is
38,000 gallons. It has 2 biotec 30 filters, 2 aquamax 30000 pumps, 2 110uvs and
an airblow 80 driving a large air block in the pond.
The pond is semi
natural which, as you can see with its position, any other would have looked
out of place.
The large gallonage enables the pond to support koi.
There's an anti heron electric fence around pond and decking well away
from waters edge. I had one acre to play with, and built it using the same
routine as the first pond on this page.
Photos of a well
lit wildlife pond and our largest pond to date - some 250,000 gallons. The
wooden pontoon is made of solid timber coated with plastic - it is not made of
decking.
A
formal garden pond
A formal garden pond - 1000 gallons. Contains goldfish, orfe, tench and
rudd. It's in keeping with a low maintance garden and lit up by surrounding
lights in the summer evenings.
A small 600gal goldfish pond with roll over net.
The net is put over the
pond at night as most heron attacks are in the early morning. Also the net can
be over pond when you are out or on holidays.
Stream Pond
.
This took some doing - my landscapers had
many sleepless nights trying to follow my designs. They had to put me right on
a few ideas I had!
The stream is 75 meters in 4 slight tiers, and the
pond 9000 gals total, with awood behind. The stream is cobbled to prevent birds
bathing (bringing in infections) but they can drink.
Filters 1 x Easy
Pod and a Biotec30 on the pond. A Biotec10 at the stream head. 1 x 55watt uv.
pump, 1 x Oase Profimax 20000 (1/3 to the stream, 2/3 to filters) and uv, and
an Oase12000 for Easy Pod with an Air Blow 40 for cleaning.
All the
waste goes to a wildlife garden, which the client built themselfs - some
distance from pond on my recommendation to keep frogs out of the main unit. I
have designed the stream with a good water flow but not enough to wash leaves
into the pond. There are leaf catchment baskets in the stream at intervals,
which can be easily cleaned. Plants are in a dyke area on the far side of pond
so as to give the impression they are growing in the pond. This was done so the
system could not accumulate silt.
When you are seated in the summer
house, plants do not obscure you view of the fish. A lily was placed in a
hanging basket and supported at ground level and a rubber covered steel pole
which is 15", extends over and into pond and the basket is supported on plastic
covered chains. This gives the impression it's growing from the bottom of the
pond -in fact its only 12" down under water.
The system houses 25 koi.
The whole system was built in the winter so there was no leaf fall whilst it
was being installed. Last year it had it's first autumn and the baskets worked
a treat. These were an idea from a client who had built a smaller version
himself - he also built me the summer house (cottage gardens) The client wanted
to plant up the surrounds themselves, which I always agree with, as they then
have some input.
Double Pond
A 10,000 gallon koi pond under construction
alongside a 4,000 gallon wildlife pond under construction.
The old liner is still in place. The new
wildlife pond will be half as big again which will take the rain overflow from
the koi pond and water changes outflow from the koi pond as the wildlife pond
can drain down to a dyke. The support pond is 1,000gals with goldfish from old
wildlife pond.
New wild life liner going inMyself
explaining a flange coupling
Thors
Koi my pond designers. Where the flange will fit for the overflow
Filling slowly allowing the liner to pull
itself in. 
Wild
pond now enlarged and fish back Ponds ready for flange coupling
Shallow Gravel Pond
These ponds are very ideal for a small garden but need
to be cleaned out every spring or they soon look a mess. They light up very
well and add the sound of running water to the small well planted garden.
