How to Install a Koi Fish Tunnel & set Rock as Walls in your Pond
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- How To stack rock in your Koi pond and install a koi fish tunnel from The Pond Digger Pond Design & Construction Team. Learn how to get the job done efficiently to save time and energy. How to move large rocks with ease. How to interlock the rock for stability and look appealing. How to install a koi fish tunnel in the pond to protect your koi from Predators.
Back in the day before we had the waterfall foam designed for pond builders we used Great Stuff from the bigbox hardware stores. It expands more than we would like and is an ugly yellow that is difficult to conceal. Google The Pond Digger to find our website and type in waterfall foam in the search bar of the upper right corner. It's affordable and easy to ship. The geotextile underlayment is a strong fabric that serves as a protective layer under the liner protecting from roots and sharp rocks.
@platinum243125 Yikes what a crazy temperature. I'm a California boy so I'm not the best person to ask about those kinds of temperatures. I can tell you that I have a few pond building buddies in Michigan and Minnesota that build ponds three foot deep with success in overwintering fish. Heating, deicers and aeration play a big role in keeping the pond stable over the long hard winter. I'll stick to Southern California..... Happy pondering!
Keep in mind koi get 24 to 30 inches in length. A conservative rule of thumb when raising koi is one fish per 250 gallons of water. Serious koi keepers will house one koi per 500 or even 1000 gallons of water! 450 gallons is a bit small for koi considering how big they grow. You could certainly raise baby koi for a year or so before needing a larger set up. Koi actually grow very quickly and can out grow your 450 gallons in only 12 months. Happy Pondering.
We don't have a bottom drain installation video on the board at this time. We do have a couple cool videos on the editing table. We will shoot a BD video at our soonest opportunity. The jobs we have on the board are often the focus of our videos as I'm sure you have figured out. At this time we have several Eco-System Ponds on the board that do not have bottom drains in the plans. Hang Tight.
Many contractors using concrete end up using liner below the pond as a water proofing. Concrete will not hold water unless you paint on a sealant or plaster on top of the concrete. The paint on sealant needs to be redone every few years. The advantage of using liner is you have a faster and less expensive installation.
Check out our How TO build a Waterfall Pt 2 to see footage of this pond complete. We use fabric onto of the liner under rock work when we are dealing with very large boulders. Typically if we are moving a rock with one or two men (with smooth rock) the extra geotextile fabric on top of the liner is not necessary.
The foam used for our pond construction is perfectly safe for dogs once the product has cured and is under water. We have a private brand that we are using in the landscape arenas. We do have foam available in our online store if you need. Help support our efforts to educate all ponderers. Check out our webstore and help us help you. Thanks!
@platinum243125 You can spend a ton of money building a pond or you can build a pond very economically. Many ways to get what you want. We just hosted a pond construction seminar at our facility and did a pond for under 1500.00 complete with a filter, skimmer, waterfall, circulation pump, plants, rock and fish!
@razza779 The koi love the fish tunnels! People think that the koi will always hide if they have a tunnel in the pond but you will find the koi will come to see you when you are next to the pond because you are the FOOD GOD to them. They will use the tunnel to hide from predators when you are not around! Every pond should have a koi cave or tunnel.
Yes by all means, Jump in and get wet! No suntan lotion or oils please.
If you have a quality rubber liner you should have no issues walking around in the pond even if you have gravel in the bottom of the pond.
Touching People's Lives With Water,
The Pond Digger
@minigunguy77 Game fish are fun in ponds! Build the pond as big and deep as possible. Trout will need COLD water so unless you can offer them water temps in the 50 degree range, stay away from putting trout in your pond. Good Luck!
Have you installed your pond yet? Cost would depend on the size pond and the life support system you choose. There are many different construction styles to choose from all with different cost considerations.
@nicholas22288
You really need to get your pond liner from a pond specialty store. We sell pond liner and ship all across the country if you can't find it locally. Call our headquarters if you need help. 800 522 5043
@sopradarnota We can teach you how to build your own pond economically! Visit our facility in Yucaipa, California if you are local, call our 800 number or hit up our website for assistance!
@vivathebart We use a silicone or polyurethane for sealing liner to skimmer and waterfall filter while we use the black waterfall foam to lock rock work when needed unless mortar is called for.
You should be able to find the foam if you look up Black Waterfall Foam. We have it listed in our online store so you should find dozens of places that offer it for sale
@XXXStraightEdgerXXX That is expanding Black Waterfall Foam. You should be able to find it at a Pond Specialty Store near you. Or you can find it in our online store.
@BerkeleyBuilt Yes you can use a five gallon bucket however the bucket is a bit flimsy so stacking larger boulders on and around the bucket is a challenge. Good Luck!
I built my own pond and loved figuring this out on my own. But I made a lot of mistakes along the way. Your videos are awesome and I am grateful for all the helpful tips and trade secrets you share. I have been inspired to re-do my pond and fix my DIY mistakes. I should have used underlayment and could have excavated better to take full advantage of using rock to line the inside of the pond. I understand the comments given about taking up too much space with the rock. I had the same concerns. BUT in hind site I would recommend digging a bigger hole, buying a larger liner, and buying the stone. It looks a 100 times better. take the extra time and spend the extra money you'll be glad you did. Your videos are among the best! Super grateful.
Jessica Bagge Thank you for the feedback! Glad to hear you are enlarging your pond!
Hey MortalBane you can see this pond completed in our video "How To Build A Waterfall" PT 2. Hit me up if you need a link to the video. Thanks for watching!
@jiggykgcltcs No the foam doesn't leach anything bad into the pond. After it cures it's as ALL good! We've been doing it for over a decade without a hitch.
@BerkeleyBuilt The Bucket is a bit risky as it is not very sturdy. If you stand on the side of a bucket is will collapse. That is my biggest concern for you.
Not sure what brand. My videographer's equipment. We have plans of shooting film over the next two weeks so hit me up again. I will ask on our next shoot.
We use 45 mil rubber liner. It's incredibly durable. 20 yr manufacture's warranty and a 50 yr life expectancy. Easy to patch and repair if needed.
@TheGreatBritishAlex The boulders & stone we typically use runs approximately 120.00 dollars per ton. This pond used at least 10 tons of boulders.
@frogmanar15 The 5 gallon bucket is not as strong as the culvert. We have tried the bucket route before and was not satisfied with it.
@HospitalWaste I definitely wouldn't use the steel culvert in the pond. You can use large flagstone to create Koi Caves or tunnels too.
I can't give you a scientific yes or no on the galvanized pipe but I wouldn't use it in my pond for a fish tunnel.
Hi Eric, if you dig out a section for a fish cave, why do you need that large pipe? Couldn't you just a put a piece of slate over the top and secure it with boulders?
No college here. Just the school of hard knocks. Show up with passion and you will find a path to succeed.
We are dealing with low pressure from the pumps we use for ponds. Sanding the pipe just isn't necessary.
@nicholas22288 There is always a difference in quality and price. Not sure of your angle.
We get the rock from our local rock quarry. Hit your local rock yard up for materials.
Yes safe for fish. We have used this foam for 15 years without incident.
@mewanb You're probably right but I can assure you it's not far off....
@yabbazabba1234 I hope he had good beer in the fridge for you! Serious!
The liner is very easy to patch so you would not need to replace the entire piece of liner. There is a procedure you need to follow to find the leak. Sounds like a great video!!
hi . i am wondering what would be a price to do such amazing pond?
Trust and believe. The weight of these rocks can be deceiving.
We don't put rock on the sides of every pond but most of our installations are rocked in. The Rocks on the side walls provide stability to the excavation. Our clients will either pull eggs from the pond if they are interested in raising fry or let the fry grow up in the pond between all the rocks. Both ways are fun. This pond is designed as an eco-system so it relies on plants and beneficial bacteria to keep the pond balanced.
We have everything you need and more available in our online store at competitive prices if you are in the United States. At this time we are not shipping out of the country. I do however have connections in Canada for pond construction products.
The foam applicator is used to direct water in a waterfall and often times we will use it while stacking vertical walls to secure the stonework. There is probably 8 to 10 grand in pond equipment and stone in this water feature. It's been a long time since we installed this one so I'm going off a memory...
The average out door water temperature will change with seasons. It will all depend on where you live.
In California my ponds hang in the mid 70's to low 80's in the summer. Spring and Fall we will have water temperatures of 55 to 65 and over the winter we may drop into the mid 40's to low 50's.
Below 40 degrees and Above 90 degrees koi are not real happy.
Hope that helps.
Touching People's Lives With Water,
The Pond Digger
We have a couple videos in editing right now. Realistically the next video should be up in the next 5 to 7 days.
The next video will likely be our How to Install Pond Lighting. Pond Construction Tips and Tricks.
This morning we started filming How To Build A Waterfall! I know you're waiting for that one! It's a challenging video to shoot because there is so much to explain and show. We can't shoot the second half yet as we are waiting for a concrete contractor in our way.
The Pond Digger
The liner we use for professional installation is currently running about a buck a square foot. We do have a great deal of people moving towards Aquaponics and use the pond liner as a resource to make tanks both in ground and above ground.
Thank you for the feedback.
Koi can be kept outdoors during the winter months. We have ponds in Big Bear California where we get plenty of snow! Our outdoor koi do just fine with provisions to protect the pond from freezing over on the top.
@Tetragagaca Ya this one cracks me up. We typically use UP as Three. The strongest guy on the team just starts with two and skips one. I have to constantly remind him that he is stronger and faster than all of us. One, two , UP!
I'm not sure I really understand your question. We are bringing an element of nature into the backyards of the people. Helping the world Reconnecting with nature is quite possibly the most rewarding job I can think of. It is a great pleasure for our organization to do this day after day.
Use use a geotextile underlayment under the liner for protection. Once you drop down the liner you stifle the roots from moving into the liner. It is very rare roots come thru the liner. Choose trees next to the pond wisely and you should be care free. NO weeping willows!
@WoosterLAXMom Thanks for the reply! Keeping your fish indoors over the winter so you can finish your pond is DEDICATION! Good for you. Post a video when you're done!
Thanks for the feedback.
The stone we are using in this pond is a standard GRANITE. Depending on where you purchase it you will pay anywhere from 75.00 dollars a ton to 150.00 dollars a ton. If you purchase the stone on a pallet it will usually run you on the higher end of the price range because the rock yard has more labor involved. If you can buy it in BULK you will pay on the lower end.
ROCK ON!
Touching Peoples Lives with Water!
The Pond Digger
@brenda4riley
We have an overlap from the waterfall to the pond liner. The overlap lets water come from the waterfalls and drop into the pond without leaking. The liner can be glued and seamed together for underwater splicing if needed. We have examples of HOW TO do this in our pond forum on our website if you want to see how.
We have used expanding foam in ponds for over 15 years without incident. After a few years the foam will loosen up a bit but can be touched up seasonally during spring pond care.
You are absolutely correct. I'll have to call this one Koi Cave since it dead ends. Tunnels are great. We are installing a couple tunnels on a large koi pond project we are installing this month in San Bernardino.
@100percentmidget our website is call theponddigger
From one pond builder to the other. I noticed you did not fill or did not mention you filled the pond before placing the rocks. A good practice is filling the pond with water, allowing the PVC liner to tuck into every corner. If you do not, what happens is when the water fills and tucks into the corners when fillled with the pressure of the water; the rocks that are held firm will keep the PVC from tucking into the cracks properly and will eventually tear large holes in the tarp.
We don't use PVC liners. We use 45 mil epdm rubber liner on 98% of our installations. It is not necessary to fill the pond with water before the rock work. But that is good advice for anyone using PVC liners. Thanks for the feedback.
Oh You are up to it. Not Tarp but Butyl is the way. I like Your suggestion to a T.
Thanks for the comment and the suggestion. We do have a few different aquatic plant videos planned for the future. We will likely not get to them till next spring as most of our aquatic plants are starting to slow down for the winter. We do have a brief glance at a small bog area we put on one of our recent ponds. Stay tuned.
The Pond Digger
The black cloth (underlayment) is a protective cloth. We use it under the fish tunnel because sometimes the edge of the tunnel puts pressure on the liner when we use large stones to create the cave. It's just a precautionary measure we like to take.
We also use the underlayment under large stones on top of the liner so we can slide the stone around without compromising the liner.
The Pond Digger
Thanks for the push Arteolike! Believe me we are pushing forward on video. We just finished moving my Videographer into his new home. We painted, roofed, waited for internet, carpet, fixed broken tiles, installed sky lights and more.
Good news is have been shooting video in between all these other tasks as time allotted. Editing is the hold up as my good friend prepares his studio. We should have more tips and tricks posted here in Sept.
Koi Pond Design Video Coming Soon!
The Pond Digger
@HospitalWaste Yes it's okay to use mortar instead of foam! Some people prefer plain liner and some prefer ornamental smooth gravel.
@platinum243125 This pond was over 20k to build.
@shootingbuddys Check out our How To Build A Waterfall Pt. 2 to see footage of this pond complete. Thanks for watching!
The stone and boulders we use come from our local rock quarry. This stone (in our area) is typically 65 dollars a ton up to 120 dollars a ton depending on where you buy it and how much you buy.
ROCK ON!
The Pond Digger
Arteolike you are officially our most frequent commenter on youtube and for that I thank you! You have further confirmed we are achieving our goal to educate, inform and inspire!
Rock On,
The Pond Digger
Thanks for the great comment. Yeah a deeper pond makes a world of difference in not only protection from predators but what a difference on the look and feel of the pond. Deep ponds rule!
The Pond Digger
Metal8Lover I'm sure you could get away with using a tarp for a liner but not for long term success.
Man cannot live on Beer and BBQ alone. :)
I have a pond in my yard that is protected from sun a good part of the day. That pond rarely gets 80 degrees.
Where do you live and what kind of fish do you plan on raising? Are you looking to raise trout?
PD
Yes we filled in the smaller voids between the granite boulders with smaller rock and cobble.
The Pond Digger
great idea with pvc tunnel/cave
@vitof250 Thanks for the compliment! Did you finish your pond yet? Let's see some video!!!
Looks like we've done our job with you. Inspiration! We are poised to help you at what ever level you need. Just say the word!
@Methos713 Thanks for all the stars and the sub! Did you finish your pond yet? Let's see some video!
I would agree. Glad to see you applying some of our tips to your pond's construction.
The Pond Digger
@MsOldguard When you finish up your pond send us some photos or better yet, video!
We do have a good time building. Building ponds is a very rewarding career!
Thanks for the feedback vitof250! We aim to educate, inform and inspire. I'm glad to hear you are ready to tackle the project yourself because of our videos. It means we are accomplishing our goal!
Stay tuned for more informative pond videos!
The Pond Digger
Great! Get down to it.
@chucky902 Yes indeed!
Everybody wants a pond, some people just don't know it yet! ;)
The Pond Digger
@92mx3
Thanks for chiming in and clarifying what happened with your account! Rock On!
Deeper is always better. You won't regret it!
The Pond Digger
I noticed there's no pond shelf to keep the perimeter rocks from falling in. I notice in some of your other videos you state its a must to have in order to help secure the perimeter of the pond and keep everything in place. I'm just curious if there's a special reason as to why this pond didn't have one?
We didn't have any heavy coping stones on the edge of the pond so it wasn't necessary. we used a thick patio select slate on a large portion of the pond. I visited this pond a couple weeks ago and I'm pleased to say the coping stones are still holding beautifully.
Thanks for the sub and the great feedback. We're here to educate, inform and INSPIRE!
Interesting. I'll have to look into that voice comparison. Thanks for the feedback!
Hey Gumper!
I love your passion. Don't stop!
The Pond Digger
Your welcome!
LOL! I would think its a little annoying from your stand point! Oh well so much i have learned! And you can bet you have achieved your goal to educate it's beyond that! Well i still dint restive my bacteria sample, so i am still anxiously waiting, i will most likely buy your brand for my regular maintenance for my 1,800 Gallon pond. Just one question, on your website it says a 16 oz . dry bacteria treats a 2,000 Gallon Pond for 12 Months? Is that when it applied weekly, like recommended?
This pond is 42" deep so we used quite a bit of foam to secure the vertical walls. We ended up using about15 cans of professional foam on this pond.
The Pond Digger
What about 2' ht walls on a small 3' wide goldfish waterfall pond? If big rocks are used, there won't be much pond left. Is that when it is better to make stepped walls?
No. We have used it for close to 20 years!!! No worries.
I am installing a pond too not too large but around 1,500 Gallons (15 Long 10 Wide 32" Deep) with a 19' Stream and 5' total waterfall drop i am almost finished (Just need to build the waterfall) I did it all UNDER $900.00 for $300.00 you can probably make a nice 7' x 7' pond but no skimmer is needed so something so small!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Great!
That's true i was planing to dig to 5.4 feet deep! But since i dug my entire pond by hand when i got to 32" there was clay as hard as cement i even tried a jack hammer like in your other video's you recommended it did NOTHING! Deeper is better but not nessisery!
On ponds gone wrong you mentioned the rocks were $50.00-$100.00 Per ton, Have they got more expensive? Other thing i wanted to mention, how long does the editing take? i have waited long for the other video's, or is their a-lot of work going on right now?
Thanks Marc for the tip for all the Austin Pond Builders!
@mewanb 8' Wide For bottom + 4' For one side + 4' for the other side + 2' overlap = 18' x 18' Approx
Liner is usually sold in 5' Increments, so a 20' x 20' and you can make the pond 10' x 10' & 4' Deep, why waste liner? =D
Ture! But just think of it maybe some one dint know how to build a pond and wanted to hire a pro, Now these videoed are so informative people feel like one them self's! Excellent, Excellent videos i must agree!
@Tqafg96 Depends of size, usually $2,500.00 & up! An "average" size pond (11' x 16' x 3' deep) would cost you around $6,500.00 - $7,500.00 with real good equipment and nice rocks.