Above-Ground Pond Plans...

[JosephandGabby]

I thought I was officially retired from the pond building business, but I guess not...

This summer I am planning to build a 3,000 gallon above-ground pond. This will be my fourth backyard pond and first above-ground. The dimensions of this pond will be 10' X 10' X 4' Deep. My initial plan is to use 2" X 12" X 10' lumber as the base foundation. I'm starting to wonder; however, whether or not this will be strong enough to handle all the water weight. I think it will be, but I'm not sure. Most of the above-ground ponds I've seen are built using old railroad ties or equivalent pieces of thick wood. The main purpose of this pond will be for use as as a grow-out pond for some of my larger koi and jumbo tosai. Filtration will be provided by a DIY 700-gallon filtration setup. I plan to use a single 7,000-gallon pump to power everything. Detailed plans are available in the Pond Contruction section of my website. All comments are welcome. After completing the basic foundation, I plan to install a 45mm EPDM liner and line the exterior with paneling. I will be painting it to match our home. The entire pond will be located on a cemented area under an existing gazebo to give it shade and prevent algae blooms. I will also be covering the top of the pond with netting to keep the koi from jumping out of their new home. I'm planning to start buying the necessary materials next weekend so let me know if you any problems with my design...

I'm still revising my plans, and will likely decide to locate the filtration chamber away from the pond so it'll be out of view. Anyone in the SoCal Inland Empire / High Desert area that wants to lend me a helping hand, feel free to shoot me an email....

Thanks!

Joseph

[jnorth]

Just 2x12s? Sounds like trouble to me.

[junglegeorge12]

Wodd and water don't dance well together. Wood is ok for deco. You would have to build a sturdy frame with treated wood and seal it all and it would wind up costing more than just using block and cement. 4" blocks and cement are cheap. You can cover them with paneling too.

[JosephandGabby]

I don't want to use bricks and cement because I'd like the entire pond to be "technically" removable. I've upgraded my plan to use 4X4s instead of 2X12s, but I'm not sure whether or not this will be strong enough either? I may have to bite the bullet and use railroad ties after all, which I personally can't stand...