The History of My Present Pond

After interviewing several pond builders, we selected Dave Smith of Serenity Ponds.  Dave, who is now retired, proposed a pond of about 6000 gallons with a three stage filter system.  A diagram of the pond is below.  In the pond itself are two drains and a skimmer located opposite the waterfall.  The actual waterfall is not shown but each upflow filter's output is a waterfall.  Each drain and skimmer has a separate pipe to the strainer manifold.  The manifold has a valve (not shown) from each drain and the skimmer so the relative flow of each drain or skimmer can be individually adjusted.  The strainer, which is marketed under the name 'Versitank,' which is manufactured by Serenity ponds, as well the upflow filters and 'Thoroclean' bubble bead filter used in the filter, catches all pebbles, algae clumps, and large objects and prevents them from being drawn into the pump.  The pump is a Sequence 1000 quarter horse pump whose output goes into a three cubic foot 'Thoroclean' bubble bead filter.  The filter has an attached air blower which allows it to be serviced quickly and easily.  The output of the bubble bead filter, which can be adjusted, goes to two upflow filters.  Each upflow filter has an aeration tower and has a built-in vortex chamber on its bottom to catch the undigested fish mulm.  The water flows up through the filter medium (initially gravel but now blue Japanese filter mat) and the water exits into a two step waterfall and back into the pond.

The diagram above does not show several features that were also installed by Serenity Ponds.  As noted above, the bead filter has a blower to aid in its black flushing.  The blower can also be connected to the upflow filters in order to force a large volume of air under the gravel bed which helps clean the gravel and breaks up any channeling of the gravel.  There is also a large UV light between the bead filter and the upflow filters.  The bead filter can be serviced in five minutes which is usually done once or twice a week.  The upflow filters need 30 minutes to flush and clean, and this needs to be done every six months. There is some plumbing on the upflow filters not shown in the diagram.  Finally, there is a float device that keeps the water level constant that was installed behind the waterfall.

Construction began late August 1997, and after a week of digging, the EPDM liner was set in the hole, and an interior concrete layer was added to cover and protect the liner.  The picture below shows the pond as it is being filled up for the first time.  Serenity Ponds has a proprietary product called 'line ups' which reinforce and stabilize the top foot of the pond.  The upflow filters are in the structure behind the waterfall.  The pump, valve manifold, and bead filter sit just behind the waterfall structure.  The rocks that face the waterfall were crafted on site by Serenity Ponds.  After being filled, the concrete was cured, then the pond emptied, rinsed, cleaned, and then refilled.

The two views below give detail and were taken just after water was added.  The left view was taken along the back edge of the pond shortly after the pump to the waterfall was started.  The picture on the right was taken across the pond looking from the 'viewing rock' diagonally across the pond to the water fall.  The only 'natural rocks' visible here are the three rocks at the base of the waterfall.  The water splashes and aerates on these rocks before flowing into the pond.  All the other rocks were 'cultured' on site.  The pictures below are courtesy of Dave Smith at Serenity Ponds.

After the concrete was cured, water was added and de-chlorinated.  At this point a small number of 'pond quality' fish were added.  It became clear that there was going to be a 'string algae' problem.  I had never encountered this problem before.  String algae requires sunlight and nutrients to flourish.  To reduce the sunlight, I decided to put up a 'cheap, quick, and dirty, overhead' made up of nursery shade cloth like the stuff you see at any garden-nursery center.  The poles visible in the picture below support the frame that stretches the shade cloth.  I went overboard and used 95% shade cloth, but I should have used 40% shade cloth. 

After the shade cloth went up, the algae problem was reduced but not eliminated.  Running the UV lights twenty four hours a day didn't help.  I eventually found a reference in the koivet site that said that a low salt concentration of the pond water was not harmful to koi and could be used to control algae.  One unappreciated advantage of the overhead shade structure is that it allows a person to appreciate the pond in the shade during the heat of a summer day.

The first year planting was just to get rid of the construction site look.  I love pansies so I planted them all over. 

The picture below gives an idea of the current planting but to get the full story you will have to go to the pondscaping section.  You can also see the upper 'twin falls' each of which are an outflow of an upflow filter.  The water splashes on rocks on the  middle level which aides aeration.  Then there is one lower fall into the pond.

Every koi pond site I have seen has the mandatory picture of the afternoon 'feeding' frenzy.'  Here is mine.

Since building the pond I have changed the filter medium from gravel to blue Japanese filter mat.  This had the effect of tripling the biological waste reduction area of each upflow filter and increasing the water retention time of the biological filters.  I have also added a high capacity venturi pump to aerate the pond.  These two changes have made the pond water crystal clear without the use of salt or the UV light.  I now have no algae problem.  As a result,  I no longer have to dose the pond with salt.  This last change allows me to use water from the pond to water the vegetable garden.  After all, you are supposed to do a 10% water change weekly.

In Summer 2002, I removed the tarp-type cover and replaced it with one made of a product called 'alumawood.'  Alumawood is basically thin-walled aluminum channels that are textured on the outside to look like wood, and then powder-coated.  The result is a structure that looks like wood, has no termite problem, and is cleaned by hosing it off when dirty.  The pictures below hint at the improvement.

The view below is as you come out of the great room of the house and turn towards the water fall.

The effect of the new cover makes one feel like you are in a giant outdoor room.  After the cover was completed, two raised beds were put in to frame the pond.  The top picture shows the bed opposite the the waterfall. It is planted with three different types of ceratozamias, which are cycads from Mexico and Central America.  After the two beds were done, the old flower bed under the great room window was covered with concrete to make an area where some patio furniture can be placed.  The pond and the new patio are on the east side of the house, so it gets afternoon sun.  The pond can be enjoyed anytime, even in the hot summer afternoons.

This is the other new raised bed.  Its plantings have not been done yet, but will include some hostas, a fuchsia, and one or two small shade-loving cycads.

Clearly a major improvement.  For some unknown reason, the water quality seems to have improved since the new patio cover was installed.  My speculation is that it has to do with the increased sunlight that shines on the pond.

I think the next project will be either a trickle filter or a koi-pital, a portable 500 gallon hospital-isolation pond.  The blue container is the present isolation pond turned upside down while it is not in use.  It is sadly inadequate.