DIY Backyard Garden Pond

The pond build is finally here! I've been talking about this for months and thought that it would have been done about a month ago, but the whole thing is just so time consuming, especially with the weather we've been having. Like I said in the video, this has been going on since October of 2018 and was just a concept long before that. The whole reason that I even built this is for my goldfish, so stocking in non-negotiable... other than more goldfish lol (4 won't be enough).
This is only the first part of a few video series and I hope it gives you a good idea as to what's possible outside the realm of naturalistic ponds. Obviously that's what we all want, but sometimes it's just not feasible because of cost. Even though it's not the same type of thing, these kind of ponds can still be beautiful in their own sort of way. Plus you can create a good home for your beloved fish, which is often what it's all about.
There's so much more I could say, but the video should be able to do most of the talking. If you have any specific questions or want to see something else in the next installment, please let me know down in the comments. This one took forever, so I really hope you enjoy it.
Also a huge thanks for Oase for supplying the pumps! It was a huge burden off of me and was really appreciated. I'm using the Waterfall Pump 1650 for the skimmer and will be using AquaMax Eco Premium 3000 for the rest. I'll talk more about those in the next video and put some links below.
store.oase-usa...
If you have any comments, suggestions or questions, leave them down in the comments! Also for additional content like this, photos of my terrariums, projects sneak peeks and more, follow me on Instagram @SerpaDesign. / serpadesign
#diypond #gardenpond #serpadesign

[@SerpaDesign]

The pond is finally here! I'm so excited to finally get this out there. I really hope you all enjoy it. Let me know what you thought thus far and if there's anything you want to see in the next installments.

[@Nobody-11B]

Wow talk about timing! I just started planning my pond today. Fantastic as always.

[@fariskalliyath7351]

♥♥

[@essawesa]

Were you going to make a little door/top for the diy filter system?

[@daichi_tetsurou07]

Are you thinking of painting the wood parts of the pond with home improvement spray paint?

[@Deathbows2me]

If you need more help with bio filtering look at duckweed... BUT be careful as it spreads quick and can destroy ponds. Its pretty much Chaetomorpha for fresh water. A quick & "easy" way to remove bio mass without removing bacteria. Good for compost and chickens :P

[@teacheramanda3945]

I appreciate that you didn’t say “let’s build a starter pond” and then bring in a group of guys and machinery. Most videos do.

[@OceanMenace]

This is so true

[@diyurbanfarm2442]

I agree

[@pixieluvv]

i personally don't ind it when they do that either

[@Hekksksks]

@@pixieluvv ind? Do you mean mind or?

[@leetlebob8203]

@@Hekksksks hilarious

[@gennavandella]

why so many dislikes :( he did all this by himself, showed us step by step and the end results is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING :)

[@fabioricardo2680]

the result is meh and the amount of tools americans use is enough to dislike

[@paullessard]

Actually the results aren't that great and his work is sloppy.

[@zabzion1]

Believe me he will keep perfecting as he does with all his stuff . But keep in mind this is his first but I bet it won't be his last

[@lauradennis5802]

Fabio Ricardo can we see a picture of yours?

[@S730SD]

Probably from wannabes with no life of their own. Silly geese!

[@reidallreid]

Channels like this are incredibly underrated and deserve a lot more attention

[@Anikethgalla]

True

[@quyenhuynh4344]

¥34

[@Stadt101]

lol he has almost 5 million views thats pretty good.

[@DrenchedCanadian]

It's nice that he has 1.25 mil subs now days.

[@charlie_moorcroft]

Yes!

[@misogood3741]

I love the fact that u show every step even when you make a mistake or something doesnt go as planned..people are saying its sloppy work but reality is nothing can be done perfectly and whats more important than things being done perfectly is learning from The experience, and by not leaving out these steps you allow yourself and everyone else that views this to learn and that in my opinion is the best part!

[@Calaitibear]

This looks absolutely exhausting, but also so satisfying once you get to see the finished product. I love it!

[@switchbranch8411]

You must be pretty damn lazy If a small hole is exhausting to you

[@stagqueen907]

@@switchbranch8411 this is a lot of work to do by yourself lol

[@truckeater5137]

@@switchbranch8411 this would be a lot just for shovel

[@veramae4098]

Yes, I'm going to do one someday. Just, y'know, when it doesn't require any work.

[@Nathan-wn5mc]

Young man, you did an incredible job here. What's even more impressive is that you did it all by yourself. It looks amazing. I've seen quite a few DIY ponds and this is probably one of the best. Anyone who disliked this video was jealous and lazy.

[@Cheesefish]

I can tell ur a boomer

[@Nathan-wn5mc]

@@Cheesefish I got your boomer.

[@Connjur]

Agreed!

[@christianxiong3947]

I like how at 2:30-2:40 you emphasize your rushing by actually explaining and showing quick scenes of building your pond to further emphasize your rush amazing job as always and when life buts you its ok just dont stop your builds and projects whether it be terraruim related or life related its good you came back to finish this build

[@truckeater5137]

1st comment

[@ThePigeonParadox]

Finally, an actual diy video that explains the process in step by step fashion. Bloody thank you!

[@edwinvargas2770]

Update... decided to build my own pond and Now I have a 4 feet deep hole and an angry wife.

[@andreaberryman5354]

🤣

[@lias5188]

Your grave I guess

[@user-ob8ju4me6t]

Its been a year. Need an update. Silence is a little unnerving lol

[@Hekksksks]

@@user-ob8ju4me6t his wife probably killed em

[@Wouldyoujust_]

@@user-ob8ju4me6t He's sleeping with the fish... in the pond he tried to build. They're all dead now.

[@georgeinadriver4191]

I'm impressed, you've added some beauty and nature to your yard as well as bringing Tranquility right to your door steps. You did an amazing job. Thanks for sharing your tutorial. 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

[@marshaeddy5143]

I actually like that he rushed initially, and ended up with a mess that he had to dismantle and restart. That was a good lesson to us - before we build - on what NOT to do. The job is such an enormous amount of work that doing it correctly on the first try would be important to me! The end result is a beautiful pond, which I'm sure he and his family will enjoy for years.

[@JordanBeagle]

This is seriously impressive, looks like you are leveling up in build size here, good for trying something out of your comfort zone!

[@simonnguyen5797]

Nice. Keeping it real. This is how these projects progress for most of us diy'ers who don't have a 5 person crew, limited resources and time.

[@smilesdawolf7168]

Tanner, you are living the life! Your creativity and love of nature shines with each and every project you build.

[@Tailss1]

21:57 That is the cleanest backyard pond I have ever seen.

[@aurangazebalamgir6080]

Cause it's not in SubContinent In Subcontinent it is Crime to Take Care of Nature

[@jackd5181]

Aurangazeb Alamgir tf u talking about

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

New ponds always look clean, give it a few months :D

[@ellesreptiles]

I've been waiting for this video! So excited when I got the notification. 😁

[@sunwinggaming]

As a studying ecologist I absolutely love your videos, it truly shows the just pure fun and joy you can get out of nature. Amazing job man! I look forward to seeing the next installment

[@Ryanhaugland]

Can I just tell you? You are so awesome and talented. Meeting you in person is in my lifetime bucketlist

[@spencerstlaske8268]

How can so many people dislike this?!?!!! This is hands down the best diy pond ever! Ive built 2 ponds now and they are not easy, especially the diy filters and digging. Keep up the great videos and builds!

[@darkfortunes8015]

This is amazing how you didn’t give up and improved when needed

[@TheosAmarto]

This looks awesome! I like the man-made look, its original since everyone does natural ponds. Keep up the great work man!

[@cc9079]

I agree! It brings more character seeing as all of the work done was a one-man job

[@loavesfishes6268]

The most professional diy pond I’ve ever seen!

[@SerpaDesign]

I doubt it's actually true though, but thanks!

[@loavesfishes6268]

SerpaDesign maybe my experience is very limited, lol, but it’s true. 🙂

[@JohnT2088]

Loaves & Fishes looks really good but he wasted a lot of time doing unnecessary stuff that could be much simpler and faster. He probably know once he finish the project that he wasted so much time. But they its DIY and at the end of the day it looks good.

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

@@SerpaDesign I used to be one of the people called in to fix DIY projects. Please trust me, you were way more honest and did a better job than you give yourself credit for. I look forward to finding your other video on the pond, and the water rerouting solution. Once I find it, I can let you know if there's anything you might want to consider fixing before it becomes a problem. Overall, great first pond! Only 4 things I didn't see you do (might be addressed in your other video) that I like to include in pond builds to ensure a long life for the pond and a long life for local wildlife. For a first/second try? This is excellent.

[@fatemahaji8702]

“my wife” ..... here i was thinking he’s a 16 yr old 😭

[@GrassCloud]

me too

[@GrassCloud]

fatema haji : i think so too

[@jennjenn8540]

Yeah I thought for sure ot was his parents house.

[@soppingwetburgers6493]

*myyyaaa wifffeee*

[@PeterTran1997]

me too

[@crimsonminerva]

U did a terrific job, well done. Thanx 4 sharing with all of us.

[@scotth9881]

The pond turned out really nice. I have to say this is one of the best, most informative pond videos I have watched. I look forward to part 2.

[@stijnvannoort8401]

This will go viral, straight to the feed of any gardener ever. Great video as always Tanner!

[@ArenDsiire]

Absolutely fabulous! A backyard pond is one of the first things on my list if I ever manage to get a home of my own.

[@MaryPinkHair]

Very amazing and nice to see the kind of system needed to keep the water clean and healthy.

[@adab2it]

I can’t believe you did that with no help. A lot of work and it’s looks beautiful.

[@avante-gardegeckos1233]

I’m blown away by how beautiful this is. The pond, the footage, the editing, everything. I’ll build a pond at my house just to use this as a reference!!! THANK YOU!

[@minicat3640]

This is so impressive! If I ever want a pond I'll have to pay someone else to do it, I wouldn't make it through this much work without getting sloppy or giving up!

[@shiroineko13]

Watch a bunch of videos. Then read up on stuff. You will slowly get the hang of it. Everybody starts from nothing.

[@francescomalguzzi2123]

Amazing job! That's so soothing to watch, and it really shows the effort you put in the construction!

[@TheSeptemberRose]

Wow! It's really interesting to go back and watch these old videos to see how far you've come! We all have to start SOMEwhere and making mistakes is how most of us learn best! Your skills were better than the average person back then, but now (4 years later) they're exceptional!

[@kosys5338]

Hey you did it all on your own and by hand to boot. I think it looks and sounds awesome, you did a great job. Thanx for sharing.

[@MsOceanRiver]

Beautiful, Tanner. That was a lot of hard work but so worth the effort. Love your choice of flowering perennials too. Gotta keep those pollinators happy.

[@SerpaDesign]

Yes of course! I have to get more as well.

[@bobphillips3888]

That is a crazy amount of work but well worth it. Great job it looks amazing.

[@JooBrothers]

I glad you still had faith in the pond! Even though things were tough, you never gave up!

[@vickyhorton9083]

As we know most people have no manners! Thank you so much for sharing your ideas and how it worked out! You have given me some great ideas!

[@kingdingaling2469]

I like your style. Leaving the pond for 5mo before finishing is right up my ally.

[@michaelbur8776]

Just a tip. The coarse foam should be the first thing the water hits. It will collect the large particles and your poly fill will polish better and last longer. It looks like the water is flowing onto the poly fill first. Looks great!

[@franciscogamboa1686]

This is one of the most beautiful ponds I've ever seen

[@Heyitsdash]

A little hard work god a LONG way! You did a wonderful job 🤩🤩🤩

[@mizuno137]

Very nice DIY, main thing is as long you’re enjoying and the soothing of the water essence.

[@me_oh_Mi]

OH WOW! what a brilliant way to add plants to the pond without using up space in the pond (where fish can't swim past) and most importantly keeping the fish from eating away at the plants. I also love the waterfall, now I have some idea on how to make one, thanks! awesome and very beautiful pond, you made everything look so easy, mine is already dug but I'll see what I can use from your video.

[@acerockollaa]

From one DIYer to another, I just want to say nice job and way to persevere through that 2 hour drilling process.

[@nyko911]

“I can explain it much better though with some origami...”

[@justurrandomguy]

I died. Love the explanation

[@rwolff01]

nyko911 😂😂👌🏼

[@lukethomas9235]

Yea

[@amandaloriananimals9065]

Glad I'm not the only one that found that absolutely comical! But still a great visual helper. Loved it! Need more videos Tanner! I'm starting to get serpa withdraw buddy!

[@oggopia]

Paused the video to make the same comment, but you beat me to it by nine months :P

[@sinisternightmare]

[2:20] If I saw my neighbor digging a hole with that shape in his backyard, I'd be a little worried.

[@Mouthboxhere]

Salem Saberhagen 😂😂😂😂

[@saturnxst4rs]

Haha are you talking about a body bury

[@shiroineko13]

@@saturnxst4rs Nah, man. He's digging a hole for his treasure.

[@kira7853]

Lol

[@FuzzyCaller]

@@shiroineko13 a bloody treasure

[@sporelore]

I can't believe how pretty his backyard is! Backed up right at a natural area - the dream!

[@PattyCunninghamPA]

Wow! What a gigantic project, Tanner! Beautifully done!

[@adriandoan5371]

I like that you used the paper to explain how you folded the liner. brilliant

[@umutk.6392]

If it leaks you can use some flex tape!

[@jimmybrown5062]

*leaks, leeks are a vegetable

[@umutk.6392]

@@jimmybrown5062 yea thank you, i fixed it :)

[@NAMEERKLIFTS]

Umut K. IT EVEN WORKS IN WATER

[@bigman1954]

Now that's a lot of damage!!!!!

[@V8.77]

I SAWED THIS POND IN HALF

[@jimmygimbal]

Dang.. such skills. Came out so beautiful. Congratulations on everything. EVERYTHING. Haha

[@dn2817]

I built a 5’ deep, 6000 koi pond. 4” PVC, vortex Centrifugal force pre filter, 300 gallon bio filter. upper water fall was veggie filter. I had 2 1/3 horse power in line pumps. Kind of like your pond but I used concrete on all the walls of the hole to avoid erosion or collapse. I used a floating swimming pool cover as my underlayment and then a pond liner. My koi fish went from 4” to 18-25” & the water was clear. Came out nice. They make threaded bulkheads for ponds you can use rather than those connectors & pond liner technique you used. Looks good, man

Personally for those who have NEVER had or cared for a pond, this one is great. It is large enough to stock it with some nice plants and fish but is small enough to deal with problems when they arise usually related to water quality. This will be a great learning tool without overwhelming it's owner unlike a large dream pond that could become very frustrating to maintain causing them to abandon it.

[@hayleydennis8040]

Absolutely amazing. Congratulations on your effort and patience in getting this completed. Looks beautiful.

[@cyn379]

What. A. Project. Omg especially by yourself 😩 it sounds so nice and it’s so cute

[@Morhua1]

Very impressive work, looks good in its place. The fish are gonna love it. Curious to see how your garden transforms.

[@chester122149]

I just came across your video...I am amazed at how it turned out. IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! You did such a great job of explaining everything, also. I just can't believe it's so stunning! I'll bet your wife is VERY PLEASED! I just love the sound of running water....thank you so very much for sharing it all with us!

[@queentina47able]

Some people are negative for no reason he did an amazing job and all by himself BRAVO!!!!!

[@AngelTheKitsune]

I nearly cried when I saw the notification!! The pond looks so wonderful, I'm always impressed with your DIY work!

[@SerpaDesign]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@brandasar7913]

I applaud your hard work and effort. Looks amazing. You inspire me to build one as well.

[@liveoaksmokin]

Great job!!! Next step is to go buy a few piranhas for pond security.

[@misconceptions5613]

Until they get taken off by herons, bc they skool up

[@willowthewisp.]

Pond bouncers lol

[@martqbd]

@@misconceptions5613 I worked with an old lady that would sit by her pond with a 357 waiting for birds.

[@aurangazebalamgir6080]

@SanderGaming Ymg Make Sure Those Pacus Ain't from Papua Guniea

[@mevvg7919]

😂😂😂

[@mansing]

I just hope all the plastic materials would be easily replaced once they start deteriorating. All that hard work for this beauty!! ❤️

[@RexDogDelivers]

I Really appreciate this video. If we are going to get a 30 day lock down we plan to put in a Koi Pond. lol I was like Yea Hole in ground, cover with something to keep water in said hole, Add a Harbor Freight pump to move water, throw in fish (and prime) and done. This reminded me we as fish keepers can make amazing ponds that can be perfect eco systems. I will get more ideas and from there get this project started. Thank You again for a great video.

[@lippled]

This is so amazing! I would love to do this when I get my own house and garden

[@liamwilson3142]

When your using a hole saw on something like 4x4’s it helps to drill some holes in the diameter of the circle to have a place for saw dust to escape, it helps prevent overheating and stops the bit from choking up.

[@lifeofky4037]

Your hard work is appreciated! You deliver awesome informative content. I genuinely appreciate you putting the work in to provide us with great unique content. Kudos!!

[@shaggydog563]

Bro I got worn out just watching you build it!! 😀 I hope your wife loves it. I think it's awesome. Anyone would love to have such beauty in their own yard. Thanks for sharing.

[@adarshguptak]

You do badly need that pond!😊

[@aliciaonline4415]

Definitely one of my favorite videos from you!! 25/10

[@sand0p0sse]

Dude, that is freaking awesome. Can't wait to see the end result with the fish in it.

[@mikepeterson2008]

Pro tip: When cutting into thin plastic bins with a hole saw- put your drill in reverse to drill the hole. It reduces friction and gives you a less % chance of cracking your tub.

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

Thank you for the tip! My drilling has always been into much denser materials, and I would not have known that.

[@peabee3451]

This is genius. Gonna try this next time I'm drilling 👍

[@jonathanpeterson1984]

That was definitely DIY. One of the most ponds I’ve ever seen.

[@ponygin]

i love the straight to the point video. none of the ums and ahhs or irrelevant info. great job!!!

[@Iam_Dunn]

Stunning! Yup, crapload of work, but the payoff is sooooooo sweet! It’s going to bring a lifetime of joy and beauty! :)

[@wanderingangelstudio1359]

Beautiful job! So labor intensive but worth every bit of effort. Bravo!

[@TheTammyable]

You are awesome. Your pond is awesome and as a mother w 3 sons I can say it would be a dream come true if my sons did something LIKe that!! It looks beautiful and I’m proud of and for you. The house builds the man and you are already ahead of the game doing that pond! Twice!! Stay Joyful.

[@richardbatty4938]

You are a hard worker and have much patience...some brilliant ideas. Well done

[@IO-zz2xy]

I think this a a great way to learn the basics of pond building. Great vid and thanks for posting. Regards from South Africa

[@shadows7936]

I'm planning on building a pond aswell, this video was inspiring edit : can't wait to see the fish inside the pond

[@_Leila_Morey_Acting]

Why?

[@cylefrench9541]

Your the man beautiful pond I can’t wait till spring to dig mine

[@demimoorestapeworm1416]

That pond looks so good bro! Congrats! You have totally inspired me to build my own pond again!

[@simpontheting9212]

Good job my friend, your work paid off nicely. ☺☺☺

[@Jesse-ey5xd]

I watched your video last spring and built a 200gal pond over the summer. Thanks for the inspiration Tanner!

[@backcountrysurvivalists]

“I also filled the pond with river stones, but I have no idea where that footage went.”

[@myzeal4889]

🚬🍁 😂😂😂😂

[@DogeKingChris]

NOBODY UNDERSTANDS EMOJI'S

[@yaboy5654]

DogeKingChris or how to use apostrophes

[@aurangazebalamgir6080]

@@myzeal4889 They Want to Canada???

[@janus9148]

@@yaboy5654 lmao

[@toddbigeasy]

I would like a quick explanation in a future video of water flow throughout, pond,pumps,skimmers, bio filters and back again, and explain what each inner compartment does and how it all works together. thank you!

[@justinbiggins3444]

Let's start with the pond itself. The first compartment that he builds is the mechanical skimmer which he's placed about 4 inches from the water table to the wood trim. Once the water gets to a level where the pipe is, it'll naturally flow into the container. Later in the video, he's cut 3 or 4 filters on his table saw that act as a barrier to the pump so that any leaves, branches, etc will get stuck within those porous layers without stopping the flow of water. The debris free water is then pumped from the osae pump to the waterfall bucket, or the one that's shaped like an L as clean water to help create more water faster, this creating a larger waterfall. There's an additional pump that's located directly in the pond that goes from the pond to the filtration system, or those two blue buckets with holes in them. These act as another layer of filtration, this time a lot more fine. That water is then dispersed through the holes and into the biological container which is the red lava rock surrounding the blue buckets. This is where all the healthy water cleaning bacteria and algae live. Later in the video, he connects that container (the one with the red rocks) to the water flow container (the one that does not have a cover and looks like an L) so that once the red Rock container reaches a certain height it overflows into waterfall container, doubling down on the waterfall production. Clean water is pumped into the pond via the waterfall, and the whole cycle is renewed

[@cshaw918]

Dude...so much respect. Good job. I definitely want to do something like this

[@aeonyx_cinereus]

i'm so inspired! bought a house with my wife a couple years ago and there's a flat spot on the property that would be perfect for something like this!

[@jonsdons9316]

Idk why but landscaping and ponds videos are weirdly satisfying

[@irishbrigade]

When you throw your level only to walk around clueless for 30 minutes trying to find it a couple minutes later .

[@benny_lemon5123]

I don't appreciate you talking about me like that 😅

[@CaseyCorbett]

Hey, can you provide a list of the supplies for this project? I love it so much, I really want to replicate it on my land! I appreciate how informative you are in all your projects, this one definitely is one of your best! Thank you for everything you do and how easy you make everything to understand! You rock Tanner!

[@Unknownuser-vq9ul]

It's been 2 years hows that pond going

[@Unknownuser-vq9ul]

@@hem138 he has none

[@hem138]

@@Unknownuser-vq9ul has none what?

[@Unknownuser-vq9ul]

@@hem138 no update vids

[@hem138]

@@Unknownuser-vq9ul bye troll

[@iamhoulypopy]

This was relaxing to watch idk why

[@FarrahBaker]

I really like your pond the way it is. Although natural looking ponds are nice, they are very common. good job.

[@christianirwin]

Dude, that was a TON of work! It looks great and you have the satisfaction of doing the work yourself.

[@frankmiller6266]

Makes me proud to see people my age doing this. MATH SETS YOU FREE!!:)

[@Luimovie]

This guy like bring Minecraft into reality.

[@Mandalor_the_Strange]

After readin' some comments, I'm glad i wasn't the ONLY one to think this was a 16 year old really at his parents house

[@CharlesNolanArt]

You are a talented young man. I bet you built that dang pond 1,000 times in your head haha Well done sir, Thanks for sharing.

[@Gauche69]

This week I made my first woodwork project. A box, it was rectangular, it ended up 4” bigger than it should. I was very proud of myself. Then this guys builds a pond....