Aquatic Ponds

Building a backyard pond can be stressful to any homeowner. In this article, we will walk you through the steps in building your very own oasis.

When you first begin building your pond, the first consideration will be location. To get the most out of your pond, choose an area that is relatively flat. This can make excavating the land much easier. After the location is determined, you will be ready to lay out the perimeter of the backyard pond. The perimeter can be laid out with a rope or even rocks. Once the perimeter is set, digging can begin. On average, you will want to dig down a minimum of 24 inches. This will give your goldfish and koi enough room to swim around. When digging the area, take into consideration where you will place your pump. Place the pump close to an electrical source. When all holes are dug, fill the area with sand. Using a rake helps smooth out the sand.

You are now ready to install the pond underlayment. Usually underlay comes in five or fifteen feet in width. You will need to overlap it about an inch. Any excess can be cut with a pair of scissors. Laying the liner is the next step in the building process. The liner should fit snugly into the hole. To achieve this, get inside the pond and fold any edges of the liner to conform to the outline of the hole. Make sure to take off your shoes to avoid rips and tears.

Once the liner is in place, you will begin to lay rocks inside the liner gently if that is what you would like. Some pond owners just want the pond liner with no rocks inside the pond. If you decide to use rocks fieldstone works best for backyard ponds. Begin stacking the rocks at the bottom of the pond. Set the rocks at different depths to give a more natural appearance. When using a submersible on the bottom you may consider covering the pond tubing with rocks. This will help keep the tubing firmly in place and keep the tubing out of site. After the rocks and tubing have been set, it is time to connect the pump. The pump should sit on a flat surface whenever possible. You are now ready to fill your pond. You may wish to fill the pond a couple of times to remove any extra sediment that may be on the rocks.