Construction of a larger pond

[ShawnLimy]

I think I would have to agree with Meyer above. Going deeper also means you will have harder time seeing to the bottom, as less light gets that deep. I'd say go 4' deep, and spread out your pond. More surface area is what you need for oxygen, too, right? If it's deep, you will have to have oxygen being pushed in year round. A shallower pond will do fine with fountains, waterfalls, and so forth moving the water surface. Also, you mentioned 5,000 gallons, but the dimensions you gave would be much larger if it was 7' deep, wouldn't it? I just did 21'x8'x7' deep and came up with almost 9,000 gallons! And, that's not considering 11' wide on the other end, so it would be likely over 11,000 gallons total. Maybe once you figure how many gallons you really want/need, you will feel better about not going so deep.

I should have explained that picture a little better, i could have made it more clear if i knew how to use paint shop or something like that.
The pond in that picture is around 1200 gallon, i want to increase the size with a new 5000 gallon.
Those measurements are the space that i have to put a pond in, not the actual size i want to do.

Thanks for everyones help so far.

 

[ShawnLimy]

My friend up the road has a koi pond 8ft deep but she has a really large surface area. She has bottom drains and some kind of a canal filter system w/brushes and all the bells and whistles.
That slider door goes right out to the pond and yes she has jumped right into the pond from there for a swim in the past. She can feed them right from there also.

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I would love to see a finished picture of this pond.

 

[j.w]

Of those two pix I posted @ShawnLimy they were cleaning it out for some reason and the #2 picture is finished but here is another one. I don't have pix of the canal filter system tho. She is gonna add a stream eventually and a spot for her turtles.
Here is another shot of it from outside. She's made some changes around the edges since this photo. She know has plants growing all around the edges. And the gray tub is gone.

 

[27goldfish]

Mine is 3 1/2 at its deepest. It is roughly 10 ft long and 8 ft wide. I keep the pumps going year round to help with icing. If, I understood correctly, yours is partially above ground. I would try to keep it around 4 ft deep. I say 4 because you will end up with a lot of above ground ice which is going to really cool the water. I have at least, 9 koi and around 20 goldfish in mine. I believe it's around 1500 gallons, though my math may be off. Overbuild on your filter system and you will be fine. I have a box style pre-filter on one pump. I have another pump that goes to a pf1. Then I have a Tetra "trash pump" going to a 55 gallon barrel that I built. Inside of it, I have.... 40 lbs of lava rock. Around 40 scotchpads (blue non soaped), then 5 bags of King sized quilt batting. The 55 gallon filter gets unhooked in the winter. It will also clear my pond up in around 3 days. That is clear to here I can see the bottom of the 3 1/2 ft deep section. Also, in every filter I have some of this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/TEN-10-ROLL...119?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4855b2040f for added measure as it preforms very well.

 

[CountryEscape]

Holy cow! Did you say she actually jumps into the pond from that sliding door? Sorry, but that's just a little strange to me. LOL Can she get out of the pond and go into the house through the same door, or get out on a different end? I'm trying to figure this one out. Very different for sure! Whatever floats your boat ...

 

[sissy]

I would go for as worry free a pond as possible .My pond is partially above ground but surrounding the outside above ground is that pink foam stuff in some areas .I have my filters inside liners so if the leak it all goes right back into the pond .A barrel is Ok but when it clogs and leaks ,well lets say the outcome can be scarey .But if you check it often and now how it works you would be Ok .I just prefer worry free after a couple of years ago having my pond almost empty and it was snowing out and could and fighting hose to get water back in and being scared I was going to loose my fish was enough for me .I decided then to put all my filters inside liners that could run back into the pond

 

[CountryEscape]

No wonder you were so great talking me through my near disaster a couple of years ago, Sissy! I was soooo thankful for the advise to put pump on top of something, not on the bottom of the pond, as my water line broke (outside the liner area) and emptied my pond on a mid-January day, and I had a pump sucking air, and only 14-16" of water in the deep part! All my koi were in that area, and didn't lose one, thanks to your calm advise. Now all my water lines are over the liner, and if they ever break again, hopefully all the water will drain right back into the ponds.

 

[sissy]

yep CE been there done that and never ever going to do that again .I took every precaution I could after that .Stock tanks up higher than the pond with liners and block work around them and hoses inside the pond going up the waterfall and then I tied all my pumps to metal pipe going across my pond .If I want the pumps out I just pull the pipe towards me .Now I learned from this past winter to never trust the weatherman and now I look at my heat pump thermostat because the weather station for that I can see from my house so I know it is accurate

 

[j.w]

Holy cow! Did you say she actually jumps into the pond from that sliding door? Sorry, but that's just a little strange to me. LOL Can she get out of the pond and go into the house through the same door, or get out on a different end? I'm trying to figure this one out. Very different for sure! Whatever floats your boat ...

Yep she jumps right in from those sliders and swims around and gets out somewhere on the side. Never saw her do it and I am not doing it.

 

[tbendl]

Boy I gotta be honest, I wouldn't dig that close to my home foundation and fill it with water. It just seems to be a disaster waiting to happen...lol

 

[j.w]

And it goes a ways under her house too. The koi like it under there cuz she has a heated floor in that sun room so they all go hang out to keep warm. I have no idea what it will do in the long run.

 

[tbendl]

Under?? A whole bunch of nope's. We had a pond awhile back that was spring fed and started eroding toward the house. It was scary, I hope she knows what she's doing or had it constructed that way specifically for water.

 

[j.w]

Yep under. I have no idea T if it will be safe that way or not. I wouldn't do it tho.

 

[tbendl]

Me either.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

And it goes a ways under her house too. The koi like it under there cuz she has a heated floor in that sun room so they all go hang out to keep warm. I have no idea what it will do in the long run.

YIKES!