Construction: Initially, the site of the pond was a planter constructed of two by fours and drywall. So, to begin transforming it into a pond, 3" blocks were added to the inside of the planter area. The floor was then raised 6" by pouring a layer of concrete on the bottom. A bottom drain, which runs to the pump, was installed, and a return was added near the top of pond. Two underwater lights sit on the bottom on top of brass fixtures. The entire inside surface was then coated with Marcite which, after it dried, was sealed with waterproof paint. The drywall was removed in sections and slate was cemented to the outer sides. Slate was then added to the top of the pond. At first we constructed the waterfall by cementing pieces of Featherlite together. Unfortunately, the leaks were endless. Instead, prefab rock was used. The prefab looks good but the flexibility of the Featherlite is gone. But the leaks stopped.

Filtration: A Little Giant 3MDQX-SC pump, connected to an Ocean Clear 319 Mechanical Biological and Carbon Filter, is used to filter the pond. After the water leaves the filter, the flow is split in two. One hose leads to the waterfall, the flow of which can be adjusted so water loss, due to splashing, can be prevented. The other hose sends clean water into the pond through the return. Lava rock is on the bottom to help with the filtration. The filter needs to be rinsed off every four weeks. I also change the carbon core at that time.

Fish: It goes without saying that my pond is overstocked. First, the feeder goldfish originally added to test the pond grew to approximately 8" to 9". They were recently relocated to a neighbor's pond to eliminate some of the overcrowding. Those itsy bitsy cute little Koi have grown to over 12". The Butterfly Koi need plenty of room to express themselves with their long flowing tails. In all, I would say there may be eighteen Koi in total all different colors and sizes. The fish seem to be very healthy and quite active. So I believe the pond is doing well since the best test would be seeing your fish enjoying their environment.