I too made a gradual slope at one end of my pond. I didn't like it. It was too slippery and wouldn't even allow for plants. They kept sliding off. I re-dug that area (as much as my remaining liner would allow) and it's now a lot less of a slope but still I'm not happy with it. If finances allowed, I would pull the liner, re-dig so it was all one depth and drop in a new liner. Bottom line.....no more slopes for me.
What size/type skippy to use in my pond?
- Thread starter y2kdejesus
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No problem ctrgojo, the pond is not filled with water yet. The hard clay soil here in phoenix made it much harder to dig than I expected. Plus I dug it all by myself and by hand. Took alot of sweat and plenty of hydrating. I could still go with even 2' throughout the entire pond. Now you guys have me thinking....should I even it out or leave it like it is.
I am no expert but I would have to say no slopes. I am always trying to retrieve plants and rocks that have slid down to the bottom, it is a pain. As far as depth goes, I wish mine weren't so deep when it is time to clean but wish it was deeper when the egret comes around looking to eat my fish 
I read in a lot of places that if you keep koi you should have at least 3-4 feet in depth and deeper is better (not sure what you intend to keep in your pond). That said, most koi ponds I have seen have been rather shallow. Anyone have any info on this matter?
I read in a lot of places that if you keep koi you should have at least 3-4 feet in depth and deeper is better (not sure what you intend to keep in your pond). That said, most koi ponds I have seen have been rather shallow. Anyone have any info on this matter?
Most ponds I have seen are shallow on one end and deep at the other. That said, it is difficult to do this without slopes. I am very careful when entering or leaving my pond, the biggest risk is just then.
It is best to have a helper in case you fall and hit your head. You can drown in your own pond. :bye2: The deeper it is, the greater this risk.
For every pro you can find a con, you just have to sort out what is best for you. The fish will be happy no matter the depth as long as the water quality is maintained. :fish2:
It is best to have a helper in case you fall and hit your head. You can drown in your own pond. :bye2: The deeper it is, the greater this risk.
For every pro you can find a con, you just have to sort out what is best for you. The fish will be happy no matter the depth as long as the water quality is maintained. :fish2:
jenn, I am still in the pre liner stage right now so I can always change my mind if I really want to. I think I will keep it like it is for now. I will find a way to anchor bottom plant stands somehow. I did the slope thing in order to facilitate the cleaning/circulation of water. Not sure yet what I want to put in it yet but when I get there I will send you guys pics. I am confident that the fish will like it whatever depth it is. Thanks
I used to get all hung up on pots with water plants. Then when I discovered that I could not protect my pond with netting nightly with them in place, I made some changes in my plant requirements.
Tall plants are in the dirt outside the pond, the rest are either anchored with rocks, float or are in pots at the very bottom with water lillies.
I'm in the process of loading a You Tube Video, when I get a chance, I'll add it someplace on this Forum. You will see how I did mine in this video. Everyone that comes here is amazed at my pond and the surrounding vegetation.
So don't get too hung up on the shelves and pots, you might find they are not needed to get a really nice effect.
Tall plants are in the dirt outside the pond, the rest are either anchored with rocks, float or are in pots at the very bottom with water lillies.
I'm in the process of loading a You Tube Video, when I get a chance, I'll add it someplace on this Forum. You will see how I did mine in this video. Everyone that comes here is amazed at my pond and the surrounding vegetation.
So don't get too hung up on the shelves and pots, you might find they are not needed to get a really nice effect.
Your pond is just a bit smaller then mine and i'm estimated at 2200 gallons, according to pond calculators. Don't forget that your head doesn't start from where your pump sits on the bottom, it starts at the water surface. You will be aproximately 15' from your waterfall so right off the bat your at 1 1/2 ft head. I'd say a 55gal skippy will get you started with the small fish load, especially when they are small. you can always add another which i'm in the process of doing.
Oldhead, I was thinking that I should be at about 2000 gal on the pond. I might be cutting it close with a 55 gal so I decided I will go with a tuff stuff 85 gal oval tank. That should work for me I hope. The nice thing about the tank is that it already comes with a drain plug built in. I will be getting it this weekend at a local store here so I dont have to mess with shipping and waiting. I plan on 3-6 small fancy goldfish at first and then maybe move on to bigger things like koi later on. We'll see how it goes first....Any suggestions on pump size considering a 3'-4' high waterfall and everything else you already know. Thanks!