Outdoor above ground pond

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C

Capo

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 31, 2005
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Adelaide, Australia
Hello!
Im really looking forward to these holidays (1 week, im in Aus ;) ). Thats because im going to build myself an outdoor pond!!! :D

The reason it is above ground is because we are renting the house, so i dont want to dig a HUGE hole in the ground. The idea i have is a tank which is 8'x4'x4'.
It is going to be surrounded in dirt though anyway so i was going to build it out of 2"x4"s as the frames, and have 1/2" plywood or some other cheap wood as the inside. I dont want it too big either, so i think the size i have chosen is a good compromise.

I was going to get a big pond pump (from e-bay :headbang2 ) and use the 2 bucket idea from Guppy, and maybe put some chicken mesh over the edges so my fish dont get eaten. I am not 100% sure on the fish to get though....because i live in South Australia which is fairly cold in winter but hot in summer. I was thinking about a RTC??? or Murray Cod, because i dont have much variety here. And also, because pond insulation is so expensive, could i just line the tank with styrofoam first instead? or will that make it worse lol.

OK thats about it, not too many questions but i'd love it if anyone commented!!!

and also.....is pond liner ALWAYS so expensive?!?! it will cost me around $300 i think :WHOA:
 
I was looking at some of the sources of pond liners in Australia and you have several but nobody seems to post prices.
One thing you might do is a search locally for dam liners as they tend to be cheaper.
For pond liners in the US a 15'x 20' liner in butyl or poly or epdm should run $75-$100 us DOLLARS PLUS SHIPPING AND ABOUT $20 CHEAPER for pvc, sorry about the caps, accidently hit caplock. Pvc is uv sensitive and won't last as long unless protected from the sun.
I am not sure you will want your pond sticking up 4' as it will be hard to view, a compromise is to dig down 6" or more while leveling the sit and using the dirt as backfill to raise the ground level around the pond, I like 24"-30" as a maximum hieght because you can still veiw the fish and use the edges of the pond as a seat. I would also go with at least 5/8" plywood, the standard exterior grade construction or siding ply would work. You will need 3 sheets.
If you use 2x4s as framing put them no more than 18" apart center to center, a trick I use to tie the corners together and simplify measurements is too frame right to the edges them bolt the completed walls to 4x4 posts at the corners. If I can get the scanner working I will post a diagram. Set your stude edge on and you can use them to support the cap boards that you can sit on and that protect the upper edges of the liner.
I have insulated pond between the studs before using those cheap 1 1/2" thick styrofoam panels woodglued into place them sheathed the outside with cheap paneling or thin plywood then varathaned it to give it some weather resitance. That way the styrofoam is between the pond and the outside layer, you could put some under the floor as well but I never did. Use bolts or large screws, not nails if you want it to last.
Your pond (filled to within six inche of the top) will hold almost 850 gallons, full to the brim it is about 950g. Your simplest way of rigging the filtration and circulation system is to put a 1000-1300gph pump in each corner and have the intake pulled through a 20-32g rubbermaid tub with holes at one end and that 1/3 of the tub filled with sponges seperated from the other end by a glued in panel of eggcrate diffuser, the other end contains bioballs or lava rock and the intake tube for your pump. The outflow from the pump can be a spray bar from a lawn sprinkler tucked up under the edge of the cap rail.
Dothe same thing at the other end. This will give you a minimal filtration system while processing the water about 2 1/2 times an hour. You can double your filter volume by using 2 tubs at each end of the pond and just having the pumps intake lines split at a t- junction before entering the filter boxes. The 2 pumps will cost you only slightly more than a single one that is twice as strong, and they will provide redunancy in case of a pump failing, as well as making simpler connection to the filter boxes. The spray bars will give some areation and provide surface movement for gas exchange and together the system provides a good up and down circulation as well.
As you can guess the pond wont support the high fish densities a lot of tank keepers like but few ponds will unless you start getting into commercial production ponds.
I reccomend using 2x8s laid wide side parralel to the ground as cap rails, they will rest on top of the studs, tieing them together, providing an adequet seat, and making a lip that partially hides the spray bars as well as discouraging fish that like to slither up the sides and out of the tank.
4' of depth is enough to lessen losses to most predators, most herons and such hunt in water less than 30". To lessen summer algea blooms and keep of flying pests like pelicans you can put a canopy of garden shade mesh above your pond.
4'x4'x8' is still to small for RTCs, why not a couple types of your great native like a couple grunters aussie bass, and eel tailed cats, or forktail cats they get good sized but not so big as to overwhelm you. You can also use the tops of the tubs to put potted water plants on.
Good luck,
Guppy

PS, the whole set up here in Oregon would run $400-500 complete.
 
OK thanks Guppy, Awesome!
Yeah if you could scan a copy of some drawings that would be great.
Also, with the frames, how would i go at building them? would i build 2 8'x4' sides and then just screw and glue some 4' pieces to it to create the ends?, hang on a minute, i'll draw my interpretation and post it up!
 
OK i've decided that i will dig the pond in 2', that will make it much more stable.
And another thing, how do rocks and drift wood do on pond liner? because i will need some cover for my fish as they love snags!
 
Can't get the damn scanner to work, pond liners can tear, lay 2-3" of smooth gravel on the bottom and gently add your rocks driftwood snags can be set into a basin of concrete and cured a couple of weeks in several changes of water, the basin will protect your liner and the concrete will hold things in place.
 
Oh cool, so concreteing hey?
What is better? concrete or using the gravel idea (the logs and roots will already be waterlogged since i am taking them from a river:P)
Ahhh! its all coming together now! sooo excited!
 
haha, ive been looking at those ones on ebay too!
lol, 2500gph/8500lph for a little over $100AUD!!! sounds good haha! oh well, i get paid lots next week! $$$ so i can get to building ASAP!
 
I use a layer of rounded gravel but for a couple of snaggly pieces of driftwood I concreted them into shallow basins and settled the basins into the gravel, The owner had 10-15 kg. carp that liked to root around and I was afraid of punctures in the liner.
 
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