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HOW TO BUILD A
WATER GARDEN OR
FISH POND

Ponds are a great addition to homes, however they

do require some careful considerations to avoid
making any critical mistakes. Before beginning, the
first step to consider is to decide what type of pond
you want to build. You should consider what type of
aquatic life you want in the pond. Is it going to be a
home for goldfish or koi? Or is your main concern
for the aquatic plants? Perhaps you only want the
pond for the sound of a waterfall. Each type of water
feature will need to be planned for its specific
features. Keep in mind that the most common
mistake water gardeners say they made when
building their first pond was making it too small. A
small pond limits the number of fish and plants you
can add.

1. CHOOSE POND TYPE

KOI POND

A koi pond is different from a water garden because

koi limits 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.

WATER GARDEN

A water garden typically contains both goldfish and

a variety of aquatic plants. Water gardens in
moderate climates usually need for an area of the
pond to be at least 2 feet deep. Colder climates
require a depth to provide at least 12" to 16" of
water below the freeze zone.

Read more on Koi Ponds vs Water Gardens

DISAPPEARING FOUNTAIN OR

WATERFALL

Also called pond-less waterfalls or fountains, these

features do not have an open body of water, the
water disappears below the surface.These are
detailed on a separate page.

2. CHOOSE A LOCATION
Most ponds will be enjoyed more if they are installed
close to the home. Select an area where you can
see the pond year round. Take note of where your
outdoor time is spent. If you have a typical sitting
area on a deck or patio then positioning the pond
where it can be seen from this vantage point will
increase your enjoyment.

Ponds are great at attracting wildlife including birds

and butterflies. Frogs or toads are also expected to
join the pond environment. Breeding season for
these amphibian friends can be noisy, so placing the
pond outside a bedroom window can be a mistake.

Position the pond where runoff from rain will not flow
into the pond. This may carry fertilizers, chemicals,
and organic debris into the pond. It may be
necessary to alter the terrain to accommodate this.
Related to this, a low lying area may seem like a
natural location for the pond, but the heavy ground
water in this area can pose problems for our lined
ponds.

Avoid placing a pond too close to trees. Falling

leaves and other debris will need to be removed
from the pond. You will want to place your pond
where it will receive at least 5 to 6 hours of direct
sun if you want to grow water lilies and many other
aquatic plants. Shade is fine for fish-only ponds.

3. DECIDE ON POND SIZE

The best way to figure out your ideal pond size is to
use a rope or water hose and lay out the shape on
the ground. This helps visualize the pond in your
landscape. A pond for goldfish or water lilies need
be only about 2 feet deep for zones 5 or greater.
Ponds built in colder areas may need more depth to
keep the pond from freezing solid. Ponds built for
koi should be 3 feet or deeper to allow these larger
fish enough space.

The biggest mistake that most people make is

building the pond or water garden too small. A larger
pond is more stable and easier to maintain. Keep in
mind that a finished pond or water garden will
usually be about 30% smaller than you visualize it.
Planning the largest pond that your available space
and budget will allow will increase the enjoyment
potential of the water feature.

4. SELECT COMPONENTS
The next step is to determine and purchase the
equipment needed to create the pond you have
planned. This is a step that can make or break the
long-term success you have in pond-keeping so
take your time and make sure you do this right.

Your main components will be the liner, pump,

skimmer, filter, waterfall, ultraviolet light, and
plumbing. See our overview of Pond
Components for more details.

Our staff is here to assist with this as well. Whether

you want us to suggest components for you or just
make sure you are on the right track, reach out to
our team for guidance.

5. DIGGING THE POND

Once you've determined the type of pond you want
to build, location, size, shape, and components, it's
time to build! Below details some important points
when building the pond.

Whether you dig the whole pond with a shovel or

use heavy equipment depends on the pond size,
your soil structure, your abilities, and your personal
preferences. Even if using an excavator to do most
of the digging, be prepared for some shaping with a
shovel.

DIG TO THE DESIRED SHAPE

If keeping plants, dig a shelf around the perimeter of

the pond about one foot deep and one or more feet
wide. Most ponds will have about ⅓ of the area for
the deep zone, ⅓ for a mid-level zone, and ⅓ for the
shallow area and plant shelf. The layout of where
the deep zone is in relation to the waterfall will
depend on exactly what other equipment is being
used. Example, when using a skimmer as the only
intake you will want the skimmer in a shallow area
and the waterfall falling into the deep zone. But if
the intake is from a pump in the pond or through a
bottom drain then this should be in the deep zone
and opposite the waterfall.

6. INSTALL POND FILTERS &

SKIMMERS
Position any external pond filters and/or pond
skimmers and level these in their proper location.
Pond skimmers should be buried to the proper level
beside the pond. A trench should be dug for the
plumbing from the pond to the waterfall or external
pond filter. If a pond skimmer is being used, dig a
trench to the external pond pump and from the
pump to the external pond filter or waterfall. If you
are using a submersible pump in the pond skimmer
then the trench will be from the skimmer to the
external pond filter or waterfall.

7. INSTALL POND
UNDERLAYMENT
Line the pond or water garden excavation with pond
underlayment. This can be cut with scissors or a
utility knife. You may want to tape any small pieces
together to keep them from moving when the pond
liner is placed. To properly protect the pond liner,
you will want underlayment under all portions of
where the liner will be placed.

8. RUBBER POND LINER

Place the Rubber Pond Liner into the excavation
and unfold. Position the liner evenly in the pond. Try
to minimize folds and wrinkles but some will be
necessary. After the water is added many folds
should flatten out. Do not trim what seems to be
excess liner until the pond is full of water as this
may pull more liner into the hole.

9. EXCAVATE WATERFALLS
AND STREAMS
At this step, the pond waterfalls and streams can be
excavated now. An external pond filter or waterfall
tank can be positioned to create the first waterfall.
This can be placed to spill directly into the pond in
which case the pond liner is held against the pond
filter until you are able to stack stone from the pond
shelf up against the pond filter to create a waterfall.

If a small pool or stream is desired then excavate

this several inches deep and to the desired size and
shape. Position the underlayment and pond liner
allowing extra material to overlap several inches into
the pond. Plumbing from the pump can be brought
over into the stream or pool or again if using an
external pond filter this will be the start of the
waterfall. Streams should be dug wider than the
finished size to make room for stone that will be
placed into the stream for the edging. Stone can be
secured to the liner with mortar orexpandable
waterfall foam. This will hold back the water allowing
it to spill over the stone creating the waterfall.

To avoid having a stream that looks like a ditch, this

area can be excavated as a series of wide stairs.
Line the area with pond liner and use strategically
placed rocks to shape the stream and falls.

10. CONNECT THE POND

LINER TO THE SKIMMER
Connect the pond liner to the skimmer, if one is
being used, following the manufacturers directions.
Place the pipe or tubing in place leaving a few
inches extra to make your connections later.

11. PLACE THE POND EDGING

Place the stone or other coping around the edge of
the pond or water garden. Arrange the coping stone
around the edge of the pond and fold the pond liner
up behind the stone to slightly above the water level.
It is usually not necessary to mortar the stone into
place if it is of sufficient size to be stable.

If using small stone or if people will be walking

around the edge then mortaring the stone for
stability may be required. Back fill with soil to hold
the pond liner against the stone. Fill the pond with
water to within a few inches from the top and then
make corrections if necessary to ensure that the
pond is level. As the pond is filling remove wrinkles
and make folds as necessary.

MAKING THE POND MORE NATURAL-

LOOKING

For most installations, having a necklace of stone

around the pond or water garden does not create a
natural appearance. If your goal is to make your
pond blend into the landscape in a natural setting
then you will want to consider other methods of
edging the pond. Besides the traditional method of
edging with a thin stone on the edge overlapping the
pond you can also use one or more layers of stone
built up from the shelf. This provides a more natural
appearance and will allow the water to fluctuate
without seeing the liner. You can also create a
cobblestone beach edging by placing a large stone
at the inside of a large shallow shelf and filling the
area with gravel and cobbles. You can naturalize
this area by planting shallow water plants. This will
create a more natural edge with plants partly in and
partly out of the water. You can plant bare root
plants directly into the gravel or place the plant with
some soil still attached into the gravel. This will help
the plant to establish quicker.

11. FINAL STEPS

START UP THE PUMP

Connect all plumbing and turn on the pump. Run
the pump for a period of time to ensure no leaks
seem to be present.

ADD A DECHLORINATOR

Add a dechlorinator to the pond to remove any

chlorine or chloramines before adding fish.

Select and Add Aquatic Plants

Add aquatic plants as soon as possible after

constructing the pond or water garden. Many
aquatic plants are great at using up the nutrients
that would otherwise feed the algae. Some of the
most effective plants include Anacharis, Water
Hyacinth, Parrot's Feather, and Bacopa. Water lilies
and other plants with surface leaves can be added
to provide shade to approximately 66% of the
surface area if in full sun. If less than full sun then
less coverage is acceptable.

Jumpstart the Filtration and Ecosystem

Begin regular use of a packaged bacteria to seed

the pond filter and help maintain a clean and healthy
pond. Ideally, fish should be added a few at a time
over several weeks to allow the bacteria to establish
in your water garden.

STILL HAVE
QUESTIONS?
Click here to connect with one of
our pond experts now.

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SHOWROOM LOCATION
The Water Garden LLC, DBA AquaNooga
2314 Bliss Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37406

[email protected]
(423) 870-2838 (Phone)
(423) 777-0873 (Text Only)

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