Trying to educate myself on best pond setup has made me more confused

[Fruit loop]

I think you can get what you want with some tweaking of your parameters. Put 18" or so of ground/dirt between your house wall and the pond edge. Use a liner as it's easier and faster. If going 2' above, I'd aim for 2' below. Goldfish (shubunkins is one type) would be better for 1000 gallons. If you want koi, think 1000 gallons for the first one and 250-500 for each additional. I think you mentioned wanting natural plant filteration, so that's a good idea in the form of a bog filter (actually, upflow wetland filter). Do some searching here for both ideas and directions and see if it's something you want to employ. If you do, you won't be sorry; many of us are using this form of filtration and enjoy all the time we NEVER have to clean pads, etc!

If you want the slate look, make your 'above ground' portion from ground contact 6x6s and affix the tile to the face for effect. The liner would go in, up the wall, over, and can be fastened to the top of the wood box, where you'd then put more tile as coping or another form of edging.

Putting the pond near but not ON the wall also gives you planting area to naturalize your pond, too.


View attachment 144235

Thanks for these great suggestions. As I said to another helpful soul, I've looked into building a bog but don't have a lot room there where the pond is. So now I'm trying to figure out how I can convert the large built-in concrete flower bed across the driveway. It's getting complicated.

 

[Dimelius]

my mad idea...if photo is the right space

So when you open your door you ll see waterfall like main thing, waterlilies(1 or more) to cover surface and give nice effect and some plants in perimetral zone to give more natural effect....
BTW is just an example

 

[Fruit loop]

my mad idea...if photo is the right space

So when you open your door you ll see waterfall like main thing, waterlilies(1 or more) to cover surface and give nice effect and some plants in perimetral zone to give more natural effect....
BTW is just an example


View attachment 144306

Wow! That was fast! You've got skillz!! Ive read somewhere on this forum to go bigger if possible. I wished I could go bigger. I should add a picture of the flower bed across the driveway. But that would be crazy.

 

[Dimelius]

Wow! That was fast! You've got skillz!! Ive read somewhere on this forum to go bigger if possible. I wished I could go bigger. I should add a picture of the flower bed across the driveway. But that would be crazy.

Go bigger with the space that every1 got. A bit insane if you have a driveway between...for any kind maintenance or if(cross fingers) hot a leak...but anyway anything isnt impossible.

And important thing is what you want...if want just a relaxing and nice place this is enough...just dont be greed with fishes and you will not have problems.

As always, this is just my newbie idea.

 

[Dimelius]

my mad idea...if photo is the right space

So when you open your door you ll see waterfall like main thing, waterlilies(1 or more) to cover surface and give nice effect and some plants in perimetral zone to give more natural effect....
BTW is just an example


View attachment 144306

Missed that you need a wall in the upper part of the photo too, at the corner

 

[poconojoe]

Don't go with koi. You need a lot more space than you have and they require lots of filtration.
Get shubunkin. They have nice colors and beautiful flowing fins.
You can get common goldfish, but they multiply like crazy.
If I had to choose again, with what now know, I would keep the goldfish to maybe only a couple and have mostly shubunkin, no koi.
Koi are nice, but eat, poop and grow to extremes.

Do go with a bog filter.
Adding a bog filter was no doubt the best thing I have done for my pond (and me).

I tried a bunch of homemade and store bought filters/UV lights and it was all a waste of time, money, plus tons of work constantly cleaning them out.
The worse part was my water was solid green, even with two pressure filters and a UV light. That was due to overpopulation of fish.

The bog runs itself, there's no maintenance, no UV lights needed and my water is crystal clear even with way too many fish, including some koi around 30 inches....huge.

A bog can be very small or huge and made out of just about anything, as long as it holds water or it can have a liner in it to hold the water.
It's size depends on the surface area of your pond. The bog surface area should be at least 30% of the pond surface area.

A bog, when filled with plants, will look just like a garden. Pretty much hidden.

You came to the right place. There are many friendly members here with so much experience.
I suggest you keep reading throughout this forum for ideas. They are almost endless.

Any questions, just ask...

 

[Fruit loop]

Don't go with koi. You need a lot more space than you have and they require lots of filtration.
Get shubunkin. They have nice colors and beautiful flowing fins.
You can get common goldfish, but they multiply like crazy.
If I had to choose again, with what now know, I would keep the goldfish to maybe only a couple and have mostly shubunkin, no koi.
Koi are nice, but eat, poop and grow to extremes.

Do go with a bog filter.
Adding a bog filter was no doubt the best thing I have done for my pond (and me).

I tried a bunch of homemade and store bought filters/UV lights and it was all a waste of time, money, plus tons of work constantly cleaning them out.
The worse part was my water was solid green, even with two pressure filters and a UV light. That was due to overpopulation of fish.

The bog runs itself, there's no maintenance, no UV lights needed and my water is crystal clear even with way too many fish, including some koi around 30 inches....huge.

A bog can be very small or huge and made out of just about anything, as long as it holds water or it can have a liner in it to hold the water.
It's size depends on the surface area of your pond. The bog surface area should be at least 30% of the pond surface area.

A bog, when filled with plants, will look just like a garden. Pretty much hidden.

You came to the right place. There are many friendly members here with so much experience.
I suggest you keep reading throughout this forum for ideas. They are almost endless.

Any questions, just ask...

Thanks so much for your input! I've def. decided on no koi. I wished I had more space but it can't be helped.

 

[brokensword]

Wow! That was fast! You've got skillz!! Ive read somewhere on this forum to go bigger if possible. I wished I could go bigger. I should add a picture of the flower bed across the driveway. But that would be crazy.

couple ideas; you can get rid of the sidewalk I see going to the door (by that I mean move it to go AROUND your new pond) and tie it into the new pond landscape. Btw, you can usually just break and/or lift sidewalk sections--not as hard or as much work as you think. That's if you're DIYing this. Can get the same company that'll dig your pond to get rid of the concrete, too.

Also, you can run a pipe FROM your concrete planter (not in the pic, right?) that would be your bog outlet. Think of it as a stream back to the pond. Now, you'll also have a pipe coming FROM the pond via your pump. Getting rid of the sidewalk will allow you to dig the space between conc planter (your new bog; details to yet come) and the pond. Or, you can lay liner and actually make a stream from your bog box/conc planter. THEN you'd incorporate some sort of bridge or walkway OVER your stream that acts like your sidewalk did.

Now, this bog/conc box thingy; Unless you're tied to it, I'd not use it all and just build yourself a nice bog box from 4x4s or 6x6s (ground contact wood) and hdrpe iner. The wood is easier to work with and you can make it the appropriate size. I'm assuming this conc box of yours is probably too small for best results but if you think it's adequate, by all means use it. But you may find it leaks and you'll need a liner in there anyhow. A bogger should aim for 30% pond volume for best effect but any bog is better than almost any store-bought filter system.

That's how I'd approach it but I value a pond and bog more than an easy, straight shot from driveway to front door. I'd be looking at it as; 'how can I make the approach awesometacular?' (thank you Jeremy Jahns!). Walking over a stream and seeing the fish/plants, well, you may not actually GET any peeps coming to ring the bell as they'll ALL be standing around admiring your lil pond thingy instead!

 

[poconojoe]

Thanks so much for your input! I've def. decided on no koi. I wished I had more space but it can't be helped.

You should incorporate a bog, you won't regret it. By doing so, you will skip all the problems with commercial filters from the get-go, plus save a ton of money.

Some that have smaller ponds have used window box planters for the basis of their bog. If one won't do, use two. Or a stock tank can be used.

I dug mine half in the ground and piled rocks all around for the above ground part. Added a liner, pvc pipes with slits cut in them on the bottom and gravel covering the pipes. Water flows under, up through the gravel and back to the pond. My water looks like you can drink it.

 

[brokensword]

You should incorporate a bog, you won't regret it. By doing so, you will skip all the problems with commercial filters from the get-go, plus save a ton of money.

Some that have smaller ponds have used window box planters for the basis of their bog. If one won't do, use two. Or a stock tank can be used.

I dug mine half in the ground and piled rocks all around for the above ground part. Added a liner, pvc pipes with slits cut in them on the bottom and gravel covering the pipes. Water flows under, up through the gravel and back to the pond. My water looks like you can drink it.

Preach it, Prez!!!

 

[Fruit loop]

Thanks to everyone for their input! It's really been a big help. I've been thinking about where to put the bog.

The current space is really not that big for the pond and the bog, if I want a pond of any size and it gets NO light.

I've added more pics The retaining wall on the right. I'm thinking of using that wall as the back of the bog and boxing it in. Adding 3 more walls and then running my pipes from the bog to the pond by ripping out some of the asphalt between them. There might be a bit of a height difference between the 2 but maybe by a foot or 2, but I guess that wouldn't be a problem.
So my bog would be 2'x8' and my pond would be 4'x8'x5' deep.
Is that too big of a bog?

 

[combatwombat]

There might be a bit of a height difference between the 2 but maybe by a foot or 2, but I guess that wouldn't be a problem.

Confirmed. Height difference only adds to total dynamic head (need to know for pump selection) and size of waterfall back to pond.

Is that too big of a bog?

No such thing! You're at 50% by surface area, and that's a great ratio.

 

[Fruit loop]

Yay!! Thanks!!

 

[addy1]

You will love your bog! Mine is big also, I do almost nothing to my pond all summer and it does great.

 

[Fruit loop]

Guess what my husband built me over the weekend!!?? bbbbbog!!
See attached updated pics.

I've been doing more digging. It seems to be taking on the characteristics of an archeological dig.
We made the pond a little bigger than before, now its not quite 8'x5'x 4' deep.
We'd like to make it deeper but we bought a liner at Lowes that's 20'x13' .


Does anyone see anything obviously bad that we've done so far?

As far as the foundation, we are going to build a wall to separate that from the pond.
Call me crazy but I'm saving the rock to put in my bog.
Please excuse the construction mess!