Build A Natural Pond

Water Features Explained

When it comes to transforming a backyard with a water garden or pond, one local expert would say there is a general rule of thumb: go big the first time.

On Saturday afternoon, April 23, at the Westhampton Free Library, Aquatic Habitats founder John Artarian—whose pond and water garden installation company is based in Westhampton Beach—whizzed through the basics for first-time and veteran pond owners alike, while tossing out pointers he’s picked up from his decade of experience in the industry.

“Ponds are basically trial and error,” Mr. Artarian said to the six audience members who had gathered for the intimate lecture on the rainy day before Easter. “You’ll find people who have a pond at their house, and just because their way of doing it works for them in their environment, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to work in yours because these gardens are really living, breathing and beautiful things.”

The first step toward building a pond or water garden is deciding what type will gel best with both the landscape and its caretakers, he said.

“Get an idea of what you really want,” Mr. Artarian emphasized,

“or else you’re going to redo it and redo it and redo it.”

Arguably, the most sophisticated—and maintenance-heavy—pond is one that is home to koi, Mr. Artarian said. Build as large a pond as possible, he said, because koi grow at a rapid pace. But no matter the size, the pond must be at least 4 feet deep and adequately filtered to foster a healthy habitat for the fish, which continue to grow as they age. Water chemical levels need to be checked weekly.

“If you have an ammonia spike or your chemicals are off, your koi are very susceptible to disease,” he said. “Basically, swimming in ammonia would kill anything, and it can happen very quickly in a koi pond.”

Planting in a koi pond with large fish is not the best idea, Mr. Artarian pointed out, because they will eat all of the vegetation.

“You really need to stay on top of koi, but the good side of them is that they’re absolutely stunning,” he said. “These fish become your pets, they know you by sight. They come up and look at you, they know when to be fed. They let you pet them after a while, they even eat out of your hand.”

According to Mr. Artarian, the next rung down of maintenance difficulty on the aquatic ladder are fish ponds, which also require filtration and regular chemical checks but they can be a foot shallower than a koi pond. Goldfish will happily intermingle with pond plants, which help neutralize the ammonia levels in the water and filter out fish waste while returning oxygen to the pond.

How to build a natural Pond | The Fishing Shoppe

The placement of any in-ground pond is essential. You will need to consider several factors into deciding where and what you and your family, friends and neighbors are going to actually see when the pond is completed.

You can build your pond, water feature, patio water garden, koi pond or whatever you like to call it, from a variety of materials, including hard plastic liners, rubber liners, rigid plastic or fiberglass liners or even from concrete. This article will tell you how it should be done using the plastic method.

A plastic liner can easily be purchased online or at your local nursery.  When purchasing your pond liner, be sure to read the fine print.  Basically, flexible liners are either rubber or plastic.  Rubber is more expensive but works much better and it does cost more.  The thickness should be about 40 milimeters or more and should work well with most average size ponds.

The pool itself should be placed on a low, level area, where it would naturally occur. A small slope is fine especially if you are going to have a waterfall in the garden pond. The water flow needs to look natural and flow down hill. You can leave the ground sloped or even enhance the slope where you intend to put the waterfall while easily leveling the pond area.

It is best to avoid placing the garden pond underneath trees or large shrubs as they will need more frequent cleaning of the pond.  Shade will generate more moss, and algae, which means less types of water plants and frequent cleaning. This should not impede your quest for a natural pond.  There are many low light water plants that can used.  Hiring a pond cleaner is also an option.

Don’t place your garden pond where you will receive runoff containing debris or water from roof tops, street, streams or any water that might be toxic. You will probably want to have plants and fish in the pond which are highly sensitive to foreign chemicals in the water. Even runoff which passes over cement can be highly toxic. Cement also contains lime which raises the pH level. Fish can tolerate a wide range of pH levels, but the constant changes will stress them out and could kill them.

It is important to note what your final view of the pond will look like. A pond visible from a large main window in the home can add considerable enjoyment of your home.  If placed in the front of an entry-way a pond can be quite a view for your visitors. 

Imagine coming home everyday and enjoying the koi fish and the soothing sound of water cascading downstream. A waterscape pond feature in your garden will turn your hard day at work into a tranquil environment.

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