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Now for Our Our Newest Water Feature Contest Winner!
Congratulations: Dean & Mary Jo Whitmore Of Florida
We live in South Florida and the climate here is suitable for year round pond enthusiasts.
The construction of the pond was created over a period of weekends and has allowed our creativity to flourish along with our koi! The area we've chosen for the pond was once the very same location of a four by twenty above ground pool. Our children had outgrown the use of the pool and the chlorine and pump usage was not being used prudently so we decided to turn our recreational area into one that was both beneficial to the eye and the environment. Our ingenuity was tweaked and a new family hobby in fish and water began!
 Pond is 10' x 10' oval shape. Method of securing the thick pond liner membrane overlapped on bags of concrete was pressure from shim boards under the deck. Four by four pressure treated posts were used for the decking. Flagstone glued to cement shower backer-board with exterior liquid nail. The trim comes easy after the basic construction. Gallons of water is approximately 1000 Gallons 3 to 4 feet deep with a plant shelf two feet down for entry and exit ease.
Plants don't survive very well even with roots covered in screened mesh in Chinese pots. It seems the Koi tug at every tasty morsel that they can get in or out of the water. We now have seventeen koi ( Japanese and hybrid varieties ) and a couple of large fan-tailed goldfish.
A sand filter was converted, larger intake holes, to a "Bio-Bead" (small plastic straws with ridges) filter. The water flows 24/7 with a high efficiency magnetic drive low wattage 1800 gpm submersible pump. An intake screen was devised and fabricated work without clogging for less than $30. Two check valves were used. One below the pump in the water above the screened intake, to make the water pump though the filter, the other after the UV sterilizer to keep water in the filter. The sterilizer is connected after the filter for high degree of thoroughness. The pool pump was left in place to backwash at high pressure once a month. The filter detoxifies better when forgotten as long as oxygenation takes place to work round the clock. For heavy fish loads (read overfed hungry as always) the pressure goes from 2 to about 4 or 5lbs. Then its time to backwash maybe twice a month.
The fountains run on a timer three times a day for two hours each cycle for decoration and to further polish the water though a swimming pool cartridge type filter rinsed with water as needed, 3 or 4 times a week, depending on usage.
Water testing is done weekly for the PH to keep it as stable as possible. It wants to be acidic or a drop in PH in our pond so we add small amount of baking soda at a time to sweeten up the water to a more neutral level. Then a buffer is added before a rain to maintain a 7.5 longer. Testing after a heavy rain is recommended.
A number of our fish are American grown from the finger sized babies that seemed so cute for $5. Japanese varieties cost about $10 when little, but are worth much more when larger. Don't buy too many as they will get as big as you let them, 5-10lbs. small ponds 40 to 50lbs. large ponds, and live for a very long time up to 200 years. Placo's are nice to have as bottom cleaners keep them in water above 60û. In winter bring them in or move them to a smaller tropical fish pond that's heated on a cool nights. No eggs survive long unless you have shallow area to allow them to grow. Then you need to separate from the fry from other fish until a little older. Plants: in landscaping of pond: Dwarf Papyrus (Egyptian plant), Dembrobium Orchid, Bromeliads, Desert Rose, Elephant Ear, Plumbago,
A Decorative lava rock fountain was created by my wife Mary Jo. She has an interest in bonsai and has seen little lava rocks used as small fountains for the sake of feng shui. She decided to use the same idea on a bigger scale and began carving a large lava bolder with rebar, hammer, chisel and a much worked dremel. The lava fountain took a bit of work to achieve the deepened crevices and creating the water flow, but the end result was certainly well worth the effort. I helped her finish the project while adapting the plumbing using plastic tubing and a constrictor valve to allow proper amount of water to create the falling water effect. Mary Jo then added her bonsai carvings, miniature oriental village and plants as finishing touches. The plant on top is called Snow on the Mountain and is kept trimmed. Believe me, the sound of moving water amid nature's finned creatures is very calming to the spirit.
* Tip: If you decide to make a lava fountain or planter for yourself please use safety goggles, gloves and long sleeved shirt and work in a well ventilated area as lava rock is volcanic rock that has cooled quickly and feels similar to fiberglass insulation when it has contact with skin/eyes. Here's a bit of trivia to add here, lava rock is porous; thus, the rock will float in water. When a pond is created I like to think of it as science in action and learning. Most of all we've gained great satisfaction, enjoyment from our menagerie of rocks, fish, plants, birds and butterflies
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