Building of ponds

Link to guide how to build your own pond

Download your own pond volume calculator (rectangular and round ponds)

Build your pond through us, whether it is a lattice pond, concrete pond or Glass Fibre pond.  (Only Western Cape)

Lattice Ponds 

full house Special

R 6600.00, fully installed, boxed and enclosed with deck, 4000 liter per hour pump, 90 liter biofilter, 15 watt UV light, air compressor and air stones for biofilter,  50 mm bottom drain , skimmer box and water proof electrical box (at the pond) included.

We found that the most economical way to do a pond, is to convert a  lattice wall pool ( porta pool) which we sink into the ground halfway and box the area above the ground and add a deck overhanging all the sides,   put a bottom drain in the centre of the pond, link it to the bio filter from where you pump your water, add a small decking area to walk on or to sit at the pond, and it gives you a very professional look.

We use a 3.05 meter diameter x 76 cm deep lattice wall pool with an extremely durable vinyl plastic with a much longer life span than a liner pond (15 years plus) , and you will not even notice that it has been done with a lattice plastic pool, because it will be hidden away below the deck and behind the wooden box, and it will soon have a black natural look due to algae growth.

Photo of the pool used:

Volume: 5600 liters

Approximate dimensions with the wooden coping and decking area included: 3.8 meters x 3.8 meters.

Advantages:

• Extremely cost effective.
• Everything can be done within a day and you can add fish after a few days of water circulation.
• Because the plastic is not exposed to direct sunlight due to the box and deck, it will last for at least 15 years.
• Because the deck overhangs a bit, there will be a bit of shade for the fish, they will be more protected from predators and they will have an area to escape when stressed.
• It will have a natural look like a concrete or fiber glass pond within a few months  due to algae.
• It is halfway above the ground (38 cm) to prevent leaves and other debris from dirtying  the pond and it makes sense from a safety point of view to raise any pond a bit.
• It is halfway into the ground (38 cm) for extra strength and to enable you to view your fish easily over the edge.
• You will never have excessive algae growth because the algae does not flourish on plastic;
• If you move, you can take the whole system out and install it at your new location;
• You will not have problems with leaks as it do not have paint that deteriorates.

• This is big enough for 10 x 20 cm fish and 10 x 15 cm fish or 10 big ones and it will allow for further growth of the fish.
• You can raise your pond to the level of your current decking if applicable.
• You can add two systems together which equals 11 200 liters for only R 11 800.00, and it can either run together or separate (in the case of health problems). You can even add three together at R 18 400.00, equals 16 800 liters.

DIY - above lattice pool/pond alone without filtration and wooden box and extras: R 1500.00

Concrete Ponds

Designer pond (full house)

3 x 2.5 x 1.3 deep  (9500 litres)

Steel enforced concrete, build by our pond expert with 15 years experience

Bottom drain

Standard swimming pool skimmer box

Full filtration with .75 pump, 2 or 3 bag sand filter, UV light and Biofilter.

15% off any initial Koi bought from Koi Online

R 19 995.00

Glass Fiber Pond (shell  type) 

 R 19 950.00 (3 m x 2. m x .900 deep) (5400 litres) 2  Bag sand filter,  .45 Speck pump, skimmer box, bottom drain , Bio filter & UV light  included.

Glass Fibre Mould (DIY - mould only)

The cheapest glass fiber option is to dig the hole yourself and buy a fiber glass mould from us for R 13 500.00. You can install it yourself within one day and almost immediately put the fish in. You can either put the whole mould into the ground, or lift it with 500 mm. Just add your pump (R 1000), filter (R 500) and UV light (R 500) and there you go. It comes with a bottom drain and skimmer box.

Advantages:

1. Cheap
2. Last for 25 years  +
3. It looks neat
4. Smooth finish on the sides
5. Installation within one day
6. When you move, you can take it out and install it in your new house
7. No leak problems
8. No need to re-paint it from time to time
9. Easy to clean excessive algae on the sides and bottom (if needed) and less algae on the sides and bottom

Example of one of our raised versions in progress, with a filter build with concrete (optional):

Click on photo to enlarge

QUARANTINE / HOSPITAL PONDS

We have a quarantine/hospital  ponds in stock for as little as R 450.00 ( 1170 liters) which can be set up in 10 minutes and can be dismantled in 10 minutes and be placed in a small box and stored away after use.

We also have a full quarantine system with filter, air compressor, bio filter, pump, heater and net to cover the facility for as little as R 1400.00 (1170 liters as above). When you do not use it, you dismantle it in minutes, put it back into the plastic bio filter container and store it until you need it again.

Please send us an E Mail with your full requirements and we will furnish you with a proper written quote or copy and paste this following table to your E Mail and fill it in or fax it to 021-5722314

Position

The fish needs some protection against constant direct sunlight;

If the pond has no shading, the water will probably be too warm for the fish in typical South African conditions.

No shading causes excessive algae growth;

If you are going to have water plants, remember that the plants require at least five hours of direct sunlight;

If you do have water plants, the plants provide shade and no alternative shade is required;

Nearby trees provide excellent protection, but can also cause too many leaves in the pond which, if not cleared on a regular basis, cause bad bacteria growth and ultimately bad water conditions;

Care should be taken not to place a pond near any possible poisonous trees or scrubs. (Refer to the list of plants in annexure)

Depth and size

The golden rule is, the bigger the better. It is easier to maintain good water conditions in a big pond, temperature fluctuations are reduced and the fish will in general be healthier, happier and grow faster. The ideal is  2 fairly large Koi per 1000 litres of water.

The pond must be in proportion to your property;

In respect of depth, the deeper the pond, the better the fish can escape from extreme weather conditions. If it is extremely cold or extremely warm, the fish will go to the deep end;

You can see the Koi so much better in shallow ponds.

In my experience, a deep end of at least 1 metre and a shallow end of at least 500 cm works well for a typical home pond, however, the ideal depth for Koi is 1.5 / 2 metres.

With a smaller, deeper pond, you limit evaporation of water because you limit high temperature and surface area.

To calculate the water volume, you multiply the width, length and depth to get the total volume. A 4 m length x 2 m width x 1 m depth will contain 8000 litres if filled right to the top.

A pond always appears to be at least 20% smaller when it is filled, therefore, always go 20% bigger than what you planned for.

Water plants

Pros and cons ...

Water plants look lovely and create a tranquil environment and compliment your pond.

They are expensive. The current price of a normal fairly small water Lily is currently R 50.00.

They preclude you from using too much salt in the water. With plants, you are limited to 0.1% (1,35 kg / 1000 l) salt concentration although the ideal concentration for Koi is 0.2% (2.7 kg / 1000 l)

Because you are limited with your salt concentration, you might have more algae growth, but on the other hand, your plants may use all the nutrients and leave none for the algae to grow.

They preclude you from treating the pond properly with certain chemicals.

They give hiding space for the fish which gives them better protection against sunlight, birds and other elements;

The big Koi tends to eat the plants. It is therefore sometimes needed to protect the plants from access by the fish. The ideal is to place your plants in your bio filter.

Proper care has to be taken to ensure that the plant is not poisonous to the fish;

If there are too many plants, you might not see the fish.

They can easily overgrow the pond and require constant attention if not controlled properly.

They help to eliminate Ammonia, Nitrites and especially Nitrates.

They might create a breeding ground for bad bacteria (Aerosomonas and Pseudomonas)

At night time they use oxygen and therefore compete with the fish if there is limited oxygen in the water.

They compete with and therefore control excessive algae growth because they use the Nutrients and Nitrates in the water also required by algae.

During day time they create oxygen which is beneficial to the fish.

They can introduce fatal bacteria or parasites if proper treatment has not been taken. They should always be placed in quarantine before introduced to the pond. (Potassium or  Dipterex)

They provide spawning material in the spawning season. After spawning, the plants can be removed easily and placed in a spawning tank, thereby preventing the fish from eating the eggs.

How to calculate your pond volume:

Regular shape:

Length x Width x Average depth = Volume

Example: 3 meters x 2 meters x .90 meters (depth) = 5.4 cubic meters = 5400 liters