Discuss – Provide adequate shade by having 60 to 70% of the pond’s surface area covered with floating plants or other types of shade.
Installing a garden pond is no longer a distant dream but an easy goal. Concrete ponds have been replaced with artificial, preformed and flexible Pond Liners which make the task of installing a pond easier and cheaper.
When building on a budget, one can settle for a small water garden that holds less than 1,500 gallons of water or is less than 10″ X 13″ X 19″ deep. You may choose a preformed pond that is rigid or a liner which is flexible. You can install a basic 10X16ft pond with a good-quality liner for less than $1,000.
The first alternative is preformed ponds, which are available in different shapes and sizes and cost a fraction of concrete ponds. Using these materials, the amateur gardener can install a pond in less than a day and have it stocked with fish, plants and fountain by the next day.
The simplest pond is the aboveground preformed pond. A bottomless box can be placed above a flat surface, and a cushion material can be placed at the bottom. The Pond Liner can be laid around the bottom and spread around the pond surface, after which it can be filled with water. Later, any excess liner can be trimmed off.
Discuss – The poor Koi keeper is left wondering what happened. He then proceeds the way of many before him, with a shovel, lots of sand and a determination to fill in what was once a treasured feature of his garden, his Koi pond.
The second type is the in-ground pond. Most people choose the flexibility of a liner because they can build of any shape, size and depth. First, a plastic hose can be used to indicate the shape of the pond on the ground, after which you can start digging. Once the pond is excavated, the Pond Liner can be placed inside and fixed with stones and bricks. Care should be taken to protect the liner from sunlight.
Flexible rubber liners have the same lifetime as preformed fiberglass, but cost half as much. The standard 45 mm EPDM-2 is a popular choice, as it is durable and flexible. Rubber is also superior to other flexible liners like PVC. PVC becomes stiff in cold weather. Rubber decays more slowly than PVC when exposed to sunlight.
Pond Liners provides detailed information about pond liners, garden pond liners, preformed pond liners, rubber pond liners and more. Pond Liners is the sister site of Natural Waterfalls.
Filed under Koi Pond Building, Koi Pond Do It Yourself by on Oct 29th, 2008. Comment. 
Discuss – Make sure that when constructing a natural pond, that you dig deep enough, so that the pond does not freeze over during winter. Also, consider what types of aquatic life you want to include in the pond before digging.
Ponds need Pond Liners like a building needs a foundation. Among all the materials used for Pond Liners, plastic is the most versatile. It comes in two forms- pre-formed and flexible.
Preformed or rigid plastic liners are strong and long-lasting. They are made of polythene and other recycled plastic material. They do not develop leaks. They are more cost-effective than concrete. An average gardener can set up a small pond within one day using this liner.
Some of these models are fitted above the ground and some below the ground. Rocks and stones may be placed around it to give a natural look. The liners may be both UV- as well as frost-resistant. But they may be difficult to fit because of their different shapes and sizes.
Among the preformed models, the plastic liners may be cheaper than fiberglass, but do not offer support for free-standing use of the pond in a raised water garden. It is difficult to build around a plastic pond and support it evenly. When support is not uniform there is a danger that the plastic liner will crack.
Discuss – Building a fish pond entails more work than just digging a hole in the ground, and filling it with water. The first thing individuals have to do is use a plastic lining to separate the ground from what to become the fish pond.
Flexible Pond Liners are also available, like PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) and HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene).These liners are not as flexible as rubber. Plastic liners are often used on large holding ponds when economy is a bigger concern than flexibility.
Large ponds require a Pond Liner that is safe for fish and aquatic plant life, inexpensive, easy to install and durable. Polyethylene fits the bill. Medium-density Polyethylene contains up to 5 percent carbon black, which makes it highly UV stable and suited to outdoor life. Twenty and 30 mm polyethylene can be custom-made according to your specifications.
Build An Easy Koi Fish Pond. Easy To Build Backyard Koi Fish Pond With Full Illustrations, eBook(R) & Bonus.
PVC, or Polyvinyl Chloride, has excellent chemical compatibility and puncture resistance, lending itself to membrane liner applications. Some PVC liners contain UV stabilizers which protect them from breaking down when exposed to sunlight. PVC is not a crystalline membrane liner material, so it can elongate in all directions. It is the most cost-effective buried membrane and it has the longest successful use of liner material.
Another plastic is Polypropylene. It has special properties, like outstanding dimension stability, low coefficient of expansion and contraction, wide temperature seaming range, good chemical resistance and no stress cracking.
Plastic has its plusses and minuses, and the choice depends on the individual’s requirements.
Discuss – Individuals should make sure that they do not make their fish pond too small. This is a mistake that a lot of beginners make.
Pond Liners provides detailed information about pond liners, garden pond liners, preformed pond liners, rubber pond liners and more. Pond Liners is the sister site of Natural Waterfalls.
Filed under Koi Pond Building by on Oct 20th, 2008. Comment.
Discuss – When used to reduce stress in separate treatment tanks or during fish transportation, use 4 tablespoons full (95.2g) of Pond Salt for each 10 gallons (37.
Building a garden pond is not just a matter of digging a hole, lining it with plastic and filling it with water. There are other considerations such as whether it should contain fish or just plants; how big or small it should be; its shape, and so on. Be prepared to dig a decent hole and spend many hours complaining about your aching back … but you’ll be very pleased with the results and you can happily stand around, beer in hand, praising your efforts after the fact. For those who have done it, building a garden pond can be a very satisfying project indeed.
Step 1 – Decide on where to build your pond.
Naturally, level ground would be best or else you’ll spend far more time and effort doing the levelling yourself. Building a garden pond under a tree is unwise as the roots will continue to grow and could encroach upon the pond’s territory in the future. The shade of the tree will also mean a lack of sunlight, which is essential to your pond’s survival. Since you will need electricity for the pump, proximity to an outlet is important.
Step 2 – Prefabricated or do-it-yourself liner?
Prefabs are the more expensive option but you pay for ease of installation, durability and low maintenance. Liners are available in different price ranges and generally speaking, the more you pay, the longer your liner will last.
Discuss – However, if you still do want to keep potted plants in your KOI pond, we recommend wrapping netting over the tops of the pots, to keep the fish from digging in the pots. Another thing you can do is to top the pots with 1′ of pea gravel, and then larger river stones or similar over that.
Step 3 – Installation
For a prefab pond, tip it upside down on the area you’ve reserved, mark it out with 6 to 8 inches extra around the outside and start digging. If using liners, measure your outline keeping in mind the size of the liner you will be using. Building a garden pond that will last for years means that all debris should be removed from the cavity to avoid punctures to the bottom of the pond. Once the hole is the required depth and size, add the prefab or lay the lining. Fill to about one quarter capacity with water so that the weight will keep the pond in place as you refill the gaps with soil.
Step 4 – Decoration
You can now add plants, rocks, bark and stone around the ‘banks’ of the pond for a more natural appearance. If you intend to add fish, plants that overhang into the water will be useful as shade and hiding spots.
Step 5 – Add aquatic plants
If you’re building a garden pond that doesn’t have a pump, you should aim for plenty of plant life to keep algae growth under control.
Discuss – This is because you are going to need to take the time to care for koi much like you need to take the time to care for pets. You want to be sure that your koi pond is a very healthy environment so that your Japanese carp will flourish.
Step 6 – Install a pump and filter
There are dozens of models on the market and your retailer will be able to help you decide which size is best for your pond. Read the instructions and follow carefully, but it’s generally a simple task to place the pump in the water and connect the hose to it. The filter needs to be positioned in front of the pump to encourage water through the filter first. Building a garden pond and outfitting it should take little more than a weekend, which is one of the things that makes it so rewarding.
Visit onlineTips.org, where you can read more about pond aerators and ultraviolet pond filters.
Filed under Koi Pond Building by on Sep 5th, 2008. Comment.