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Hometalk is where people share and help with everything home & garden

24
Karen W
Karen W Murfreesboro, TN on Apr 26, 2012
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Koi Pond

My husband, sad over the recent passing of his beloved 13 year old Basset Hound, Molly, decided to build a koi pond in her memory. He'd never built a pond before. We did some research and decided to use landscape timbers. We bought a pond liner first and then built the outer dimensions to coincide with the liner dimensions. He used carpet reminents to line the bottom of the pond and then bought an in-expensive roll of attic insulation and lined the inner edges. Then he added the liner. He used an extra row of landscape timbers on top to help anchor down the stapled liner on top. We added water, a fountain bubbler and a "spitter." Here is the end result. I think he did a great job! We still plan to add pond plants, koi, stain the wood and add plantings around it.
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  • Karen W Murfreesboro, TN
    Susan, we are actually going to have a plaque engraved for it! Michelle, checking the local craigs list, we found a local person who sells pond plants and koi fish pretty cheap! We are looking into it this weekend! Thank you, everyone, for your compliments! I will pass them on to my husband!
    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 1
  • Sharon L Horsham, PA
    Beautiful! She would of been proud!!!!
    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 1
  • Roxy D Gainesville, GA
    Sweet!!!
    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 1
  • Tonja P Rochester, NY
    it's beautiful, and sorry for your loss. We know how it feels. I can just look in aww, my husband isn't very handy, but he can cook! Good luck with it!
    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 1
  • Frank L Westerville, OH
    Give your fish a place to hide from predators and you won't have to replace them so often. Maybe some lengths of perforated drain pipe laid in the bottom with rocks on top.
    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 1
  • Christine B Beaumont, TX
    I did this exact same pond about 3 years ago. We love it!
    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 1
  • Tammy K Fellows, CA
    I just want to say...Beautiful! I do not know if you plan to heat your pond or not, I do not heat mine, but remember as the weather turns cooler, do not feed the fish! My Husband recently fed mine & they all died! They do not digest food when the water is below a certain temp. I just don't feed mine in the fall & winter. They kinda hibernate. Good Luck!
    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 1
  • Terri J York, PA
    What a great way to honor Molly's memory. A great job.
    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 1
  • Marg C Middletown, NY
    I don't know about your area but will it freeze over the winter? If so the koi will die. If you dug a hole deep enough for them to retreat to over the winter under the ice, then they will survive. Also, is it a good idea to stain the wood? Couldn't it be harmfull to the fish? And yes, cut down on feeding when the weather is bitter cold.
    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 0
  • Karen W Murfreesboro, TN
    Margery, Tennessee's winters are very mild. But, what I didn't show was before the pond was built, we had a smaller, deeper pond form in the ground. We removed that but kept the deep hole,which we lined with carpet. The fish have a nice deep part of the pond to retreat to, should it get really cold. Also, we lined the pool liner underneath with attic insulation to insulate the pond for the fish. The staining of the landscape timbers will not hurt the fish. The liner is between them ...»
    (and the insulation), so there is no fear of hurting the fish. We definately will remember to cut down on feeding the fish in the winter. You are the 3rd person that said that! :)

    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 1
  • Marg C Middletown, NY
    I'm so glad you kept the deep part...it's important even if you don't have sever winters :)

    Great idea putting the fountain in the middle...it will keep the water aerated. You do need to put some vegetation in there soon to give the fish the beneficial bacteria they will need to keep the water clean and free of algae.

    great job!

    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 0
  • Connie E Peoria, IL
    My ex and I made one like this except we used landscapeing brick. Then I made a flower bed in front of it. We had koi, goldfish, and cat fish in ours. (not counting our frogs and a million tad poles). Ours was about 2 feet deep and we rarely lost any fish because of raccoons or the cold winters that we have. We put cattails and lily pads in ours and they came back every year. I enjoy watching the fish and even love hearing the frogs in the evening. I call them my little angels ...»
    because if someone was close to the house they would be quiet. They were just like a watch dog, you always knew someone was close

    .

    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 1
  • Debi M Washington, NC
    What a sweet memorial for his dog. He must be a good man
    on Apr 27, 2012 · Like 0
  • Melinda M
    Great job! It looks beautiful!!
    on Apr 28, 2012 · Like 0
  • Renee T Humboldt, TN
    awesome memorial for her. i know how hard it is lettting go
    on Apr 28, 2012 · Like 0
  • Rose S Marietta, GA
    I lost my best buddy two days before his 19th birthday. In people years that would have been 133, so I can commiserate with your husband, but I am not that handy. Now put some Koi and plants in it and enjoy if from here on out. By the way, beware of the Heron. Once one has your pond in their GPS, they'll come and have lunch daily. But you'll need the fish to keep the mosquito larva at bay.
    on Apr 28, 2012 · Like 0
  • April Lawrenceville, GA
    Aww... What a sweet tribute to her.
    on Apr 28, 2012 · Like 0
  • George W Smithfield, NC
    U will get lots of peace and love out of a koi pond I have 3 big one
    on Apr 29, 2012 · Like 1
  • Amanda M Bethlehem, GA
    I love the simplicity of this pond.
    on Apr 29, 2012 · Like 0
  • Georgia R Star City, AR
    This is nice. I like what he did and it looks simple enough i could do this.
    on May 03, 2012 · Like 0
  • Eastern Digital Resources Powder Springs, GA
    I put in a dozen gold fish in my pond at first figuring I'd probably kill a passle of them before I got it right. Two seasons later I still have just gold fish. Started with a dozen and not have about 30 - some about 8 inches long. Mine have survived two winters just fine. The recommendation is to have the pond a minimum of 18 inches deep in this area. I've got various marsh grasses in the shallow end and water hyacinths in the deep end, so the fish have plenty of places to hang out.. ...»
    This time of the year they're getting fat on tadpoles. - Love it.

    on May 03, 2012 · Like 3
  • Martha B Madison, TN
    To Vickie S. in Camino, CA

    Place some pond netting over your pond year round. It's nearly invisible unless you are close to the pond. Weight down the edges every foot or two and be sure the net does not lie on top of the water. We placed netting over our pond the day we received fish; never had a problem. The netting also helps keep out the larger leaves.

    on May 03, 2012 · Like 1
  • David Rundle Tacoma, WA
    love it! love it!
    on Aug 19, 2012 · Like 0
  • I Love Ponds.com Cherry Valley, MA
    Thats really cool! I'm sorry about your loss. I'm not sure what your winters are like there but if it gets real cold id be worried about that freezing solid (which would kill the fish) you might want to bring the fish indoors during the winter months. if the pond was underground you would be ok because a two foot deep pond with only get a maximum of 8 inches thick of ice because the ground temperature radiates through water faster than soil preventing it from freezing solid in even the ...»
    coldest months. but just like if you left a bucket of water outside yours will freeze solid because its not insulated.

    on Aug 27, 2012 · Like 0
  • Karen W Murfreesboro, TN
    Our pond IS 2 feet deep and 3 feet in the center. We had one of those underground small pond forms installed before he built this. When we put the new pond in, we put the liner down in the old area, after removing the form, and let that be the "deep" end for the fish in the winter. Winters in TN are pretty mild. Even in a bad winter, we may have snow on the ground one day and then it melts the next.

    on Aug 27, 2012 · Like 1

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