Pond building questions for buadhai

**ChiangMai noon** · 30-05-2008, 10:02 AM

The weather is rather clement up here today and I have the day off work so I have decided to embark on my pond building mission.

1st question.

How deep should I go?

**JoGeAr** · 30-05-2008, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

How deep should I go?

I'd say that all depends on what you plan on keeping in the pond.

Guppies - not deep, dolphins - deep !!

**ChiangMai noon** · 30-05-2008, 10:11 AM

ok, i have just googled it.

I want to build a koi pond, they recommend 1000 gallons of water and 4 or 5 feet in depth.

KOI POND
A koi pond is different from a water garden because koi limit the amount of plant life available to be grown. Simply put: koi eat some plants. A koi pond should also be larger because koi get quite large despite the size of the pond, it is recommended that a koi pond be no less than 1000 gallons in volume, the bigger the better. It also needs to have an area of the pond at least 3 feet deep, 4 - 5 may be better.

**Marmite the Dog** · 30-05-2008, 10:14 AM

Have you revisited BH's pond thread?

**ChiangMai noon** · 30-05-2008, 10:15 AM

^
do you have a link?

**Dalton** · 30-05-2008, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

I want to build a koi pond, they recommend 1000 gallons of water and 4 or 5 feet in depth.

If you build a Koi-pond, you'll need to have a bio-filter as well, and a small pump to circulate the water.

**buad hai** · 30-05-2008, 10:37 AM

First piece of advice:

Forget Koi, they are voracious eaters and poo producers. Poo means nitrogen which is why Dalton is right; with Koi you're going to need a powerful filter. And, with Koi, you can forget about pond plants as they'll eat them all unless you have a special area for plants to which the Koi are kept from swimming.

Consider stocking your pond with Comets instead. Comets are a type of goldfish that look like small Koi, grow to six or eight inches and do not ordinarily consume plants or produce huge amounts of nitrogen.

These are Comets:

As for depth, I'd make most of the pond about two feet deep. You can make one are a bit deeper for easier emptying of the pond in case you need to pump the water out. Along the edges you can make some foot depth shelves on which to put potted pond plants.

This page has numerous photos of my pond under construction:

Pond Construction Photos

**buad hai** · 30-05-2008, 10:42 AM

Pond building thread:

https://teakdoor.com/building-in-thai...ds-a-pond.html

**Marmite the Dog** · 30-05-2008, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

do you have a link?

Yes. ^

**ChiangMai noon** · 30-05-2008, 10:45 AM

^
thanks, just re read the first 10 pages.

is it necessary to use concrete for the skirt.

I'd rather not if I didn't have to.

**buad hai** · 30-05-2008, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

is it necessary to use concrete for the skirt.

It just adds stability to the edge. If you've got dry, hard soil, you can probably get away without it. But, if you've got the kind of pond where people will walk right up to the edge, it's probably best to build the concrete collar. Otherwise you can put rocks around the edge to keep people from standing there and causing collapse.

**ChiangMai noon** · 30-05-2008, 10:49 AM

We actually have plenty of sand and cement and my wife is quite adept at making concrete, so I'll follow your advice.

**buad hai** · 30-05-2008, 10:51 AM

^Don't forget to take lots of photos....

**kingwilly** · 30-05-2008, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

and my wife is quite adept at making concrete,

reds on the way

**ChiangMai noon** · 30-05-2008, 10:54 AM

we've just stared arguing about the bloody location.

i had a definite idea of where i wanted it, but that is very near our big bamboo cluster and I guess the thing will fill with leaves and debris in no time.

**ChiangMai noon** · 30-05-2008, 10:55 AM

I'm out of ammo with which to either green buad hai or red king willy.

would somebody mind doing it for me?

**buad hai** · 30-05-2008, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

i had a definite idea of where i wanted it, but that is very near our big bamboo cluster and I guess the thing will fill with leaves and debris in no time.

She's right there. I had a big bamboo clump next to my pond on Saipan and ended up taking the thing out because of all the debris in the pond....

**ChiangMai noon** · 30-05-2008, 11:08 AM

have chosen the location now.

i am about to mark the outline with a length of hose.

**ChiangMai noon** · 30-05-2008, 11:16 AM

just another quick question before I embark on this disaster.

how deep was your concrete collar?
i can't find any reference in your thread.

**Dalton** · 30-05-2008, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

would somebody mind doing it for me?

What's in it for me ??? I can do both

**ChiangMai noon** · 30-05-2008, 11:22 AM

^
green ok?

**Dalton** · 30-05-2008, 11:25 AM

^ can you be trusted ??

You can so I see..

It's done just like you wanted, Green to KW and red to BH...Right..

**buad hai** · 30-05-2008, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

how deep was your concrete collar?

It's about four inches thick. I put rebar in it, but you could probably leave that out if the concrete has plenty of gravel.

I'm gonna be offline for a while as I'm moving the computer to the new desk and I have to disconnect the router for a bit. Back by noon....

**NickA** · 30-05-2008, 12:00 PM

First things first, Noony, give the wife a spade and get her digging.

**buad hai** · 30-05-2008, 12:02 PM

I'm back. But, WTF, why do I have so many cables running all over the place?

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