Pond Skimmer , Fish , Pond Construction - Ask T.P.D. Show #1

[@marcusarroyojr9149]

Glad to see that you are providing this service now. I built my pond 4 years ago as a novice. Each year I modify it somewhat to improve its current filtration to keep up with the demand. I have used ALOT of you informative advice to achieve this. Thanks again!

[@ThePondDigger]

Marcus Arroyo Jr Thank you for the feedback!

[@jamesbyrnes9138]

Looking to redo my pond, approximately 1500 gal w/a 30 ft stream and waterfall.

[@ThePondDigger]

What is the next step?

[@jamesbyrnes9138]

@@ThePondDigger I think I’m going to start by removing the waterfall and bringing it closer to the pond by taking out the long stream. I seem to be losing water as it flows down due to foliage growth over the years. That’s the first step. Thanks for the reply. I’m going through your series to try and pick up tips to do it the right way.

[@traceysmyth7430]

Hi Paul I put a Savio skimmer in my pond. works great. It's a raised pond and the skimmer is external. In the winter I leave water in it and use a trough heater to keep it unfrozen. (Princess Auto carries them) In really cold weather like we are experiencing now my pond will almost freeze over, but I cover it with a pool solar cover to help retain heat. I also used 1 1/2 inch styrofoam insulation under the liner against the brick in the raised portion. I find that helps. I am a little worried with this temperature though. I am in Florida right now (it's cold here too) and I'm hoping the pond is okay after the crazy temperatures we have been experiencing.

[@brittpereira8554]

Eric when I was 12 years old I built a concrete pond with a water fall and really enjoyed it I had native fish in my pond and they were really fun to watch my pet bass behaved more like a dog than a fish it always was really glad to see me never the less I had a lot of fun with it. some how I came across you and really loved your videos. you gave me some really great ideals on how I will build my next pond 40 year later thank you.

[@ThePondDigger]

+Britt Pereira Thank you for your feedback! Enjoy! Let us know if there is anything we can do to serve you.

[@Crazycajun985]

I am looking and planning on building a koi pond so I am trying to learn much as I can to do it right the first time.

[@ThePondDigger]

***** Thank you for the feedback!

[@ThePondDigger]

[@mach1freaks]

This is going to be a killer series and I can't wait to see what's next!!!

[@ThePondDigger]

Michael Northway Love ya Northway!!! See you in a couple weeks at the water garden expo!

[@traceysmyth7430]

Hi Eric I think you're brilliant to do this series....watched every one of your pond building videos and think they're so well done! Wish I had your video when I built my pond a few years back....so, you asked why I would watch this...I have a 5000 gallon raised pond with 16 Koi and I am always interested in upgrading my filtration system. That's why I started watching your series in the first place. I'm building a new filtration system. I'm in Ontario, Canada....

[@ThePondDigger]

Tracey Smyth Thank you for your passion and thanks for watching!

[@paulcroteau6720]

Tracey - did you put a skimmer on your pond? Does your pond freeze over in the winter? I'm near Hamilton, ON - and I'm afraid a frozen pond will only split the plastic skimmer and pipes. I placed a Laguna 315 Watt ice heater in the present pond. So far it's kept it free of ice although tonight it's dropping to -25 C.

[@kpicker6117]

Just getting started! Love all the information you provide

[@ThePondDigger]

kpicker61 Welcome to the Channel!

[@marybethschilling9271]

I am planning to build a pond. Your videos are fantastic! I am learning so much. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@parillo12]

I saw your big beautiful pond digger truck going through the bad Lands around 7:30 pm today!!! super cool to see the legend in person!

[@parillo12]

accually you turn off before the badlands but it was still really cool to see your awsome truck! +theponddigger

[@ThePondDigger]

+Nick Parillo AWESOME!!!! I love my truck! I'm glad you recognized it when you saw it!!!

[@ThePondDigger]

+ThePondDigger Thank you for the support!!!!

[@dskoi7358]

I have a pond which I am currently modifying since I made several mistakes in the initial design. Love the instructional videos! In the future, I will be adding a new, much larger pond to my landscape as well.

[@jeffn7939]

I'm looking to build a pond with a suction grid system and I would like more info on this system. How do you go through the liner? Can it then go to a helix skimmer? Or does it need its own pump and filter? Or does it have to go to a settlement tank or sieve? Looking to get going on about a 8 x 12 pond with a waterfall.

[@ThePondDigger]

Hit us up at headquarters for detailed assistance! eric@theponddigger

[@lauriegasnick7925]

Hello, We have a 15 year old pond and need to make repairs to the liner in the waterfall/creek section, but don't know what the rubber liner was made out of back then and therefore what type of primer/activator and adhesive to use. Do you have an idea of what the liners were made of back then? thank you , Laurie

[@insaneinnixa]

I am looking for information for when I attempt to put a pond into my yard after my house is built. yours is not the only site I have watched the videos for however so far it does seem to be the best

[@ThePondDigger]

+Mark Patrick We are here to help! Let me know what we can do to help.

[@Hunting4ever]

Needing information on building a new pond before a pull the trigger and build one. That being said, I'm in the mountains of southwestern Virginia. I'm a DIY and I need to know what designs I need to implement successful winterizing of the pond? I'm going to do a bottom drain, skimmer, two returns and a waterfall in a 5000 gallon raceway shaped pond. Winterizing a system with all this features worries me because I don't want busted pipe etc every year.

[@ThePondDigger]

Roger Lee Yes winterizing is a very important!

[@Hunting4ever]

ThePondDigger So should I take any extra steps to prevent pipes, skimmer and waterfall etc from busting in the design?

[@hamiltonsbikelife9547]

Yes

[@downwindbowhunter]

I have been going through the frustrations of building a proper pond for years along with a pond gone wrong scenario. Mostly watch the videos for information but to also dream about having an actual pond that works someday. I think most people want to attempt a DIY project due to the cost of what a pond costs. Thanks for the great videos.

[@robertohzn6707]

Hi Eric and ThePndDigger staff, I live in Honduras and I have been following you for about a year...first of all, great videos and very educative - I have a small pond in my back yard, and I am always looking for ways of improving it, unfortunately, here in my country I don't find all the good staff that you guys have up there, but even though, I always pay attention to all the tricks and advises that you give...thanks and great show...keep it up

[@ThePondDigger]

Roberto Hernandez Thank you for the reply!

[@susantrott3338]

Question for you Pond Digger -- on a gravity fed settling tank, fed by 3" pipe, we have two 90 sweep elbows. The pipe became blocked and we opened up the accessible part just before the settling tank to clean it out. We cut the pipe and installed a Y so that we could use a plumbers snake. We got the pipe cleared fine, but now the gravity feed does not work. Can you help?

[@ThePondDigger]

Susan Trott Typically if we are installing a Y it will be up high in the set up. I suppose if the Y is deep it could have an effect on the flow rate. Without seeing it, I my mind is wandering and wondering............. Did you cap the Y or is it open ended?

[@susantrott3338]

ThePondDigger The Y is capped. The section of the pipe we cut into is 3 1/2 ft above the bottom of the pond. (6ft deep) We joined the Y into the pipe with flexible couplings. The sweep part of the Y has a vertical pipe of about 30" long to the surface and we have an end cap on the pipe. I would send you a diagram if I knew how :)

[@Divinewayz]

Awesome stuff man, I'm excited about re-building my koi pond that i did about 5 years ago! Loosing some water, but im sure its because I didnt pull the underlayment material high enough to match the liner. I learned a lot these last few days and i just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work! Much Love!

[@ThePondDigger]

YOu are very welcome!!!!

[@charolettwills9850]

How deep should my pond be in the Missouri so my fish will be ok through the winter? I want them to be ok and not freeze or die.

[@ThePondDigger]

Charolett Wills I would say a minimum of 3.5 to 4' would be a good place to be on depth.

[@truebuldog]

So are you saying you prefer a skimmer over a bottom drain?

[@mused1019]

Hi Eric. Love your work, and I have a pond idea and thought you might be able to tell me if it would work. After making a concrete collar (foundation) level around the perimeter, I thought I might raise a stone retaining wall, above my in-ground excavation, but keep the advantages of a lined pond by running the liner under the coping stone and back , behind the stone facing the pond, thereby hiding the liner behind , and up the middle (or close as I can to it) along the wall construction. This would mean that the liner is effectively still holding the water above and below the ground, and would be out of sight, (instead of going up the inside wall of stone , and retained by the capstones, spoiling the appearance. What do you think? Any suggestions? I am thinking excavating about three feet below ground and having the water go 18'' up a 2 foot wall. I imagine I would have to lay the liner in the pond, before the walls are built, fill it, to work out the liner's size and profile, then empty it, in order to work the liner up the wall. Working from the inside of the pond with liner would mean laying underlay on top of the liner to protect it . This more difficult approach seems to be unique, as I have not found any models on you tube, but if you know of any, could you point me to them? All the best, Greetings from Australia and thanks for the inspiration, Gary Gallagher

[@kendallwarth8717]

What type of cement/glue do i need to attach stepping stones over liner at outside edge of pond. Edge of pond liner sits over cinder blocks.

[@xxxthegamingunicornxxx2779]

Hello Eric, Great series i have a question for you. I am setting up my new pond and in the storm recently I had a lot of clay get dumped in the pond. I got the big clumps out but I am now left with just murky water. I am running a pump with a very fine filter on it for the past couple days but it doesnt seem to be getting any clearer.

[@terrystickels4132]

I am installing a pond and have a spillway from an upper pond to a lower pond. The spillway is about 40 inches across. This spillway in order to get a nice flow over it should it be level or pitched down ? My upper water fall determines the flow of water in and then subsequently out correct ? how deep should I plan on the water level to be going over the spillway or is this "chance"

[@BB-ib6rc]

i have a slight roof overhang over part of my koi pond where some water will drip directly into my pond, will this harm my koi? or should I just be safe and install a pc of gutter to avoid any roof contamination?

[@1Bibliotech]

Hi Eric, love the new feature, great idea! Thanks for being willing to share your knowledge and connections! I have a pond, that quite literally started as a bucket (a Mother's Day surprise from my then young kids). It has been an evolving DIY project that is now about 1000 gallons. Improvements are in the works with filtration and plumbing a focus. I'm close to maxed out on size since I'm in an urban garden and space is an issue, but part of the new addition will be a bog waterfall to allow some plants and wildlife that wouldn't survive the fish. Oh yeah, I have koi, I recently had to restock due to a vandal, and now have six little, but good quality fish (I know I'm pushing the fish limit!) Budget is limited, so I'm DIY including hand digging (I envy your soil, nearly all my edge rocking have come from the pond digging). I'm looking forward to what you post!

[@ThePondDigger]

Gretchen Schroeder I love how you got into the hobby and how you are continuing to follow your passion. Stay tuned for more.

[@JCJourney]

I have a 10' X 10' X 2.5' raised pond that I build using lumber. looking to upgrade and rebuild the filtration system soon. only have eight 9 inches baby koi in the pond now. I have an extra outlet from the filtration system which I connected to a garden hose to water my yard. when the water level drop, I will fill the pond back with fresh water. free water change. instead of using fresh water to water my yard, I use pond water. everyone should do this if they have a pond.

[@ThePondDigger]

I agree! It is a brilliant way to go!

[@CazeePonds]

I do the same with both my ponds and encourage my clients to do the same. Your plants will thank you for it.

[@chuckfriedrice]

What are your thoughts on the pool to pond conversions? Im trying my hand at it but i know my filter is not appriopriate. But not sure how to go about a system for an above ground pond/pool that 15'w x 4' h?

[@RiverBirzer]

i have 2 ponds ,and im building a 5000 gallon pond. So i like to hear ideas for those, i also appreciate the koi videos.

[@ThePondDigger]

River Birzer We love hearing how our videos are inspiring pond builds. That's why we do what we do! Thanks for watching!

[@RiverBirzer]

ThePondDigger Is there any disadvantage (other than liner cost) to me making my pond deeper than 4-5 feet? my pond is 12*14 feet and i dont have space to make the footprint any bigger. Im planning to go 9 feet deep for maximum water volume. BTW iv had serious algae issues in my other 2 ponds so im hoping the depth will help with that.

[@CazeePonds]

River Birzer 9'!!!! I'd love to see some pics and video on the finished pond. Thats going to be an amazing pond.

[@RiverBirzer]

Cazee Ponds Thanks! ill post it on my channel. i cant wait!

[@todddruien9236]

I don't have a pond. But I AM going to DIY one very soon. I'm looking for the cheapest way out but watched your 21 part series and love your work and style. I see a bunch of videos of diy skimmers or filters ranging from 5 gallon buckets, trash cans, to 3 large barrel systems. I would love to see someone with your knowledge and experience address how (if for some reason you had to for a contest) you would DIY the cheapest skimmer/filter/waterfall system (and it's drawbacks vs. professional) for (average?) 13x20 liner pond. I'm thinking I'll use second 5x10 liner for falls. Anyway that's what I'm here for and I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for all the info

[@ThePondDigger]

***** Good questions. Where are you located?

[@todddruien9236]

DFW, Texas. BTW I left this comment after watching your build videos and assumed you were using Helix just cause it was top of the line and when I saw this video thought maybe they even sponsored you or you had a contract. I didn't know you already had designed your own skimmer and filter and made the brand! Very impressive

[@georgemullen3795]

Hi Eric, I have been watching your video's these past few weeks as I've decided to build a pond and waterfall in my small front garden here in Hertfordshire U.K. I have a maximum area of 13ft. x 9ft that is surrounded on 3 sides by a copper beech hedge, the 4 side being the wall of the house.I would like a Koi pond but if that can't be done in such a small area goldfish would do. I would welcome your thoughts and any tips that you think might help. Kind Regards, George P.S. I think your work is top class and something to be proud of.

[@Tarenthilus]

Eric, To answer your question. I am a huge fan. My wife and I got hooked on fish from our oldest son. It started with a few aquariums, both fresh and salt water. One summer our son built a small pond in the yard. We decided to make it bigger. After a few years we gave the fish to a neighbor with a large natural pond and filled it in. After a year without a backyard water feature we decided that we missed it. My son and I constructed another modest pond. We learned a great deal through trial and error and I now plan on making some improvements to the pond based on the information in your videos. I have watched some of them several times and introduced my son to your channel as well. He and I have had multiple discussions on the pond and things we can do in the future. Thank you for facilitating a true father-son (and whole family) bonding experience!

[@ThePondDigger]

Tarenthilus OUTSTANDING!!! Great story! DId you watch our Frog Pond Series that my son helped me film? Family and Ponds go hand and hand.

[@Tarenthilus]

I haven't, but I soon will!

[@AlexandreSousaxplode14]

Hello my friends, I'm from Portugal and i really love youre videos. Im Portuguese and i have a small pond with near 4000 liters maybe and 1 meter high. I have a couple of kois with 40cm each and 8 litle kois with 8cm. I have a waterfall 1meter high and a laguna pump 500l/hour. I have 2 laguna oxigen bomb 2000l/hour. I dont have any skimmer and i have the water crystal clear but the botom is always dirt. Do you think the skimmer would help keeping the botom cleaner? Do you think also with this conditions i can have koi spawning in my pond? Sorry about the English. Best Regards, Alexandre

[@houstonsmoke4568]

I am starting a business with building ponds. I have all the resource and knowledge on building them, but charging price for the custoemr is the only thing we are confused with. Can you please let me know how to do so? thank you

[@sissymurphy9620]

Question on use of things like activated charcoal and barley ,do they really have a use or are they a waste of money .Also I know I bought laguna pumps because you spoke about there energy savings features .But is there pumps out there besides external that we on this coast (Meaning VA )do not have to bring in in the winter .I bought 2 laguna pumps a 2900 gph and a 2400 gph and the energy savings is amazing .The 2900 gph says 100 watts and it hit it's sweet spot at 85 watts as per watt tester .My pond is around 5 thousand gallons and 16 fish and will never use 1 pump again because years ago I had the only one I had go out on 100 degree plus days and being rural area they not easy to find .I also now have the laguna aerator.Are there actually any internal pumps that are even more energy efficient that actually have enough pumping power .I know a few here that have external pumps and they are a hassle if you have no place to protect them from cold

[@ThePondDigger]

Good Questions! One we have already covered in one of our shows and the other we will work on answering in the show!

[@IDragonTn1]

I have a 1,000+ gallon pond I built myself. I didn't look into building one just built it. I'm now in a group on fb an have learned alot. I want to go a lil bigger add bottom drain and skimmer to already working system. Guess I should say I need electric run from house to pond also. Right now I have an extention cord to a box beside pond that runs it. Is this a easy task? Also what the most cost effective way of doing all this right but lower end budget. However, don't want to be fixing it again later. Can I use a skimmer from a old pool we had or is it better to get new one?

[@ThePondDigger]

Thomasine Pursley Consult with an electrician on your electrical run from the house to the pond. An old pool skimmer isn't the best move. Look on craig's list for used pond equipment if you are on a tight budget. Look for a good skimmer, pump and possibly UV. Then you can build you're own bio filters out of 55 gallon drums. There's a lot of DIY videos.

[@IDragonTn1]

Oh I have a biological in waterfalls weir ordered n have other ordered coming by march. A pressurized system. Was running a biological that I built, ran great never a problem. Just was wondering about skimmer because have been seeing how important it is. Thanks : )

[@unsnogworthy]

Honestly, I don't have a pond. I would place myself in the education/inspiration category. I have built a pond for a friend and it was an amazing experience. If there was more of a market for it, I think I would start my own pond building business. I would like to build my own but I'm super excited for a mature water garden style koi pond.

[@ThePondDigger]

unsnogworthy Great to hear and I think you'll find one of our up coming episodes interesting where we talk about starting your own pond business!

[@tzkelley]

Any tips on finding a leak?

[@ThePondDigger]

tzkelley We have a trouble shooting leaks information page on our website. I would start there first. There is detailed content to help you.

[@sarirbolah]

Hi, I am from Mauritius, good weather condition to have a pond here. About half year ago, just happen to watch 'How to build a fish pond' while searching videos concerning building pond as I intended to build one myself for my newly acquired butterfly koi. Since then I kept watching your channel and when I have free time, just eager to see if you have upload one, especially the 'koi pond construction'. You have so much amazing videos uploaded here that it was in the beginning of the year that I watch the series 'Patio pond with bog filter' which have really inspired me to go with this idea as I don't have much time and space for a decent size pond for the time being. Also the idea of the patio pond is great as it can be dis-mental to be place else where if needed, which might be my case in about 1 to 2 years from now. Coincidently, my dad got an old bathtub from tyre repair shop and told me that I can use it for a pond, so since then I started my pond project. It should be operational in 2 weeks and I don't have much free time make it that quick. Oh, ya can I use rough gravel in place of the pebbles for the bog filter? Eager to finish the pond and have my butterfly koi swimming in there.

[@ThePondDigger]

sarir bolah Smooth gravel is so very important for long term success in the bog filter. Thank you for all your feedback. So glad we have provided you with inspiration. Old bathtub ponds can be really FUN but it's much to small for your koi. Good Luck to you on your new pond build.

[@sarirbolah]

ThePondDigger Ok Smooth gravel noted but will have them with sharp edge. for the bathtub I know that it small but want to restrict my budget for this project and then invest in a concrete one later that is in about two years. My koi length estimation: 1st is 10 cm and 2nd 17cm.

[@MrGulyo]

Hi there, I'm Tamas from Hungary. I got 20.000 liter koi pond and plannig to create a filter pond to it. What size is reasonable for my 20.000 l pond. Thank you!

[@DaveOonUTube]

Great video series, Eric. I enjoy them immensely. I have two ponds; an upper pond (1500 gallons) feeding a lower 25' round pond dedicated koi (7000 gallons). I have a Zakki Sieve, Aqua Ultima 10K filter, Laguna skimmer, and 120watts of UV. Great water quality down to 4'. One of the areas I've been involved in is designing water shows in the backyard pond. Multiple fountains with variable speed pumps, DMX controlled LED engines in the path lights to do chase scenes, intelligent lighting, all computer controlled and synced to music. Think Las Vegas and the Bellagio in miniature in your very own backyard (and then add in the multi-color lasers). You can imagine it's a whole a lot of fun around the family koi pond come the summer holidays here in Maryland. I was wondering if you've seen/met anybody in your SoCA area doing this kind of work for our fellow pond lovers?

[@dawn5624]

I recently turned my pool (which is about 32feet long and the with is between 9 and 13 feet with a 3feet to 6 feet depth) into a pond. I have very limited means and put my heart, soul , time and more money than I should have spent into Lilys, plants, splosh'd and zeolite (to plant in and as algae control). The local fish shop said I didn't need a pump (infact they talked to me as if I was stupid for wanting one) and said I shouldn't be worried about oxygen depletion unless I had hundreds of fish. I live in W. Australia and in the autumn we got some humid nights and I lost 20 big koi (my babies) due to oxygen deprivation. I bought the biggest pump I could afford and pumped as much water out of the bottom of the pond as possible. Then put a small waterfall on the pond. Now it is winter and I am losing more koi and goldfish in what is I suspect Ammonia poisoning (as I can't clean a pond of that size) and oxygen deprivation. If I get in and try to manually get the muck out will I stir it up and make things worse? Is there anything I can do on a limited budget? Please help! I no longer trust my local fish shop and my babies are dying. TIA

[@thelastsamurai5857]

Hello pond digger ,, l want to ask you about koi fish jump out of the water , I have 30 fishes , 8 is 40cm+ , and all the sizes , it's 1250 gallon and 4 systems of bio filters , and 1 filter is grow bed aquaponics , but my fish jump out I want to know if the fish are happy ?

[@jdong4123]

i happen to stumble on your videos when im watching youtube vids i really like what you do and ill definitely give a good thought on my own pond in the future seen how great your work is :D

[@ThePondDigger]

Joe Dong Awesome!

[@justinsh3039]

Concrete vs liner?

[@sbanks1491]

Do you have any recommendations of pond contractor in central Ohio?

[@wwOptimization]

Can I swim in my koi pond ? i've actually seen a lot of videos where people swim in their koi points... what i've noticed is that in most of those videos the koi pond is quite large, there's a lot of plants in the pond and there's a very small fish load. would love to get more information on that :)

[@ThePondDigger]

***** Great question.......

[@ericburchak3708]

Love this dude! Thanks for what you share bro

[@benholder6087]

Whens the rest of the koi pond ????

[@ThePondDigger]

ben holder Coming soon.....

[@Musabe009]

Hi Eric, I'm building a pond. I am at the stage of putting rocks in the pond. I am also a disabled vet with a few injuries, back and shoulder are two of the most limiting. My pond is 22 feet long by 15 ft wide and at its deepest 4 feet. I have a platform roughly 30 ft round above the pond with two smaller ponds. I have done all the digging by hand (pick and shovel) for the last couple of years, (off and on injuries). Now that I am at the rock stage I am at a stand still with some of the rock. I cant allocate money for equipment and am trying to find a way to do it. Do you know of any videos that show a more primitive way of pond construction at the rocking stage?

[@ThePondDigger]

Musabe009 You can certainly save a ton of time and energy by only using coping stone around the top of the pond and waterfall instead of rocking in all the walls in the pond.

[@erinberz817]

I'm a little late on this but hope it will help someone else. My ponds have never had rocks on the bottom or sides. This is due to the cost and maintenance. It is much easier to do fall and spring cleanup without a rock bottom. the liner gets a nice very short green algae (like moss) on it that makes it look more natural and the fish like to nibble on it. I hope this helps

[@stephanierogers2009]

I am looking to Fix my pond Three tier no filter other than the biofilter I built and all levels and like funnels no tiers not flat bottom. Bad, bad, bad design. ( it was here when we bought the place.

[@Shazvana]

Great video (as always, you know I am a avid viewer:) Thanks for the effort to do this style of video, it is going to help heaps of people. I don't use twitter etc but if I could ask.....I have a bog filter for my turtle pond, it has water iris planted in it and they were doing great for ages (nice and green leaves, flowering every season, growing nicely) then all of a sudden the nice green leaves started to turn yellowish and now look sick, have you any ideas why? I have tried to research why but can't seem to find any answers. Thanks for any advice:)

[@ThePondDigger]

Have you offered the plant any fertilization or transplanting for new and enriched soils?

[@Socalponds]

Great series Eric, I look forward to more videos. Thanks for doing this. Do you recommend we add salt to the pond? @asktheponddigger

[@carlluther2099]

Hi Can you help me get a helix pond skimmer shipped to South Africa. Carl

[@Aquatasy]

That was a fun change up from your regular videos. I enjoyed it. Sounds like ponds are not much different than aquariums when it comes to stocking. I get asked the same thing all the time about "How many fish can I put in my tank?" I give them the same answer as you: it depends on the filtration. It really does. So you'll travel, huh? Hot dog! Now all I need to do is win the lottery, buy the house next door, knock it down, and have you come build me a pond! LOL! In all seriousness though (and in answer to your question), I do not currently have a pond, but I'm thinking about adding one...a small one...if I can convince the wife.

[@ThePondDigger]

Thank you for the reply and the kind words! You will find in up and coming episodes I have a background in aquaria! I can't wait for you to win the lotto! I am working for a lotto winner currently! Life is good!

[@Aquatasy]

That's amazing! A lottery winner, huh? Cool. (By the way, I figured you had a history with fish tanks.)

[@ThePondDigger]

Aquatasy You figured right! Wait till you hear about how I explain building a DIY carbon filter for DIYer's from my aquarium days!

[@KrispyAquascape]

I live in North Carolina and I really want to get a 1000 gal plus pond one day when I'm able to buy me a house. My question is, what is a good heating system for this because it only gets warm like 2 months out of a whole year. Some year it even snows in the valley and every year it do snow in the mountains probably like a few hours away only so all that cold air is around year round. Thus freezing my 5 foot pool outside on a weekly basis on a 3-6 inch top layer. How much money will a heating system for a 1000+ gal cost per month for cold water fish such as koi and trout. Not just to keep the water from freezing but to keep the water at a decent temperature. Also if I wanted to make that 1000+ gal pond tropical, what is another efficient way to heat the water up to the 76's year round? How much will that heating system cost monthly?

[@traceysmyth7430]

Hi I have a raised pond in Ontario Canada....I use a titanium and Stainless steel heater....Eric probably carries it or can get it for you. It's made by Aqualogic in Britain. I hook it up in November and start running it in December or January, depending on how cold the weather gets. We've had a pretty cold month or so here, so it's been running since December. Once it's set, I keep it going until March when the water temperature starts to rise.

[@KrispyAquascape]

Tracey Smyth How much does it cost monthly to run 24/7?

[@ThePondDigger]

KrispyAquaProject I live is Sunny Southern California so it's tough for me to give advice on this topic. I know many extreme cold climate serious pond lovers bring their koi in for the winter or put up green houses over the pond. Heating a pond without an enclosure is not easy or affordable.

[@paulcroteau6720]

KrispyAquaProject 315 Watt Laguna ice heater costs us about $50.00 Canadian a month... 24/7. Place a timer on the heater to only run at night for 12 hours (8PM - 8AM) type thing.

[@KrispyAquascape]

and a single 315 watt laguna ice heater can support an 1000+ pond?

[@derekblackston4831]

Thse aren't questions that I have but possibly suggestions. I have been an avid watcher and fan of your videos for quite some time and have plans for a Koi pond in the near future. I plan to use salvaged limestone from our farm here, and have asked questions previously concerning the use of limestone and its effects on PH. Your reply was both speedy and in depth, thanks for that. Your video series are very informative and in depth. You seem to keep a very tight knit group of workers as well. I enjoy seeing that your employees are in multiple videos spanning several projects and many months. Says wonders for your company and the work you do in and of itself. Anyway, to my suggestions. I understand most of your clients are in more southern locations but here in Kansas we deal with a semi harsh winter. Could you do a video on properly preparing a pond for winter? An overview from what to do to plumbing, to fish health, to plant maintenance as well? I am very interested as well in the plants used in a water garden/pond. I plan on setting mine up as a natural looking pond with small waterfall, then exit through a narrow stream dissapearing into either a limestone "seep" or dissapearing stream planted as a bog filter. I would be very interested to see videos taken at the nursery that supplies your projects with plants. I would also be happy to see overviews of some of the more common plants (iris's, rushes, lillies, floating plants, ect). Things like where to plant, how to maintain, how to select a plant for the proper application and area. Videojs like what you do with the Koi themselves, maybe you could find someone as knowledgable and enthusiastic about plants as the Mystic Koi people. I would also love to see some return visits to installed ponds you have done series on. I have questions on that about how the frog pond did with its new inhabitants, how the plants filled out and naturalized. How the ponds look once the grass has grown back, or how does the big dissapearing waterfall look now that the are is cleaned up and everything has settled in and filled out. On the subject of return visits, I understand these videos are shot on site during construction and working around a no doubt busy schedule. However shots I have always longed to see are night shots to showcase the lighting systems you install. I also miss seeing the pond digger Fords and Billy Jean! Hope some of these have been good suggestions. Keep up the excelent work! I look forward to many more videos from you and your crew. On a final note. How do you pronounce the name of your video producer. I have always seen his name at the beggining of your videos and it bugs me I don't know a proper pronunciation. I work in a very multi cultured environment and always try to learn the proper pronunciation of my coworkers names. I have not ran across his name anywere though, and would enjoy knowing its proper pronunciation.

[@derekblackston4831]

Also, do you own Helix Life support systems? Its great to see someone back a product so whole heartedly. It's obvious you enjoy your job and that it is your true passion.

[@ThePondDigger]

Derek Blackston Derek! What a great comment. Thank you for your thoughtful input. You're really gonna love what we have in store for you this year! I don't want to put out any details but trust and believe you will be on the edge of your seat. The return visits to ponds is a tricky part of the filming project. We have some fun glamour videos planned for the How to Build A Koi Pond Project to satisfy everyone's desire to see the finished project. Would you believe we tore out both the Frog Pond and the How to build a Fish Pond features? We filmed them on my property on our outdoor "KZbin Filming Set"!Billy Jean is all grown up now and travels back and forth to work with my wife from Tuesday thru Saturday. They have Sundays and Mondays off. We are working on another 4 legged star for an upcoming series we have planned. You'll have to wait and see.I love seeing my 4x Ford in the videos!!!! Not always easy to do and we certainly don't want to overdue it. You will see more of it this year in a series we hope to release by April. On your final note - Dietmar Quirstorf my brilliant producer. Without his direction, attention to detail and passion for perfection the channel would be a train wreck. You pronounce his name - Deet-ma Kreesh-toff. 6'-4", 300 lb Bald German. He is both my bodyguard and Producer. Life is Good! Stay Tuned and thanks for watching!

[@ThePondDigger]

Derek Blackston Yes Helix is my baby! It was not my intention to manufacture pond equipment. It just happened.

[@sarahsparks1843]

Yes hello I recently got a baby Koi, and I don't know much about them breed wise, and I really would like your help, I put her in my 50 gallon tank with my Goldfish, they love each other a lot and get along well but recently my goldfish has gotten sick and I assume it's poor water quality but the water is clear as it always as been, I feed her maybe 3-5 pellets a day and sometimes my goldfish would eat them, I don't have money or space to have a whole pond and my tank is from a yard sale, I'm only 19 and I've had Fish for over 4 years and I know a good amount about them, could please tell me what I could to help prevent my goldfish from getting sick again? Because I don't want to separate them they're like best friends now, right now However I do have him in a small quarantine tank with a bit of aquarium salt till he gets better hopefully, thank you to take the time to read and hopefully answer

[@rolandoabadingo818]

how to make backyard prawn small ponds

[@istoppain62]

I love your style. Your videos look meditation mindfulness. Do you have recommendations for SE Texas. I want to convert my 22k gallon pool to koi pond. I like you and you seem very good. I want to have someone good #theponddigger

[@stephanierogers2009]

I live in central Oregon do you have anyone in my area?

[@skyedragon9458]

I am currently trying to build a pond and am looking for information, tips, tricks, and no-no's so that I don't kill my future fish and plants, and so that I can sit back and enjoy my little slice of heaven in a rather busy little town. I could say that this is my first pond, but that is not entirely true. When I was an early teen, I helped my father (who was a contractor) to build one for a client. That was so long ago, however, that I no longer feel confident that I could do it correctly without a little re-education. I've watched many "professional" videos in the past few weeks, but most seemed like they had no real idea about what they were doing, or the end result was hideous. I caught myself yelling at the computer when I would see people putting in aquatic plants that are known to take over the entire surface of a pond, or adding fish that would be highly aggressive towards their pond mates just because they were pretty. You and your company seem extremely responsible and capable, so I have stared basing my ideas and knowledge off of the things I have seen from your experiences. In short, I'm trying to become more knowledgeable, and you guys are great for exactly that!

[@ThePondDigger]

+Leslie Kite Fantastic! We are so honored to be your support system! Can you tell me the VERY FIRST Pond Digger video you watched?

[@skyedragon9458]

The first one was "how to build a fish pond #1". It sparked many ideas, and thus, interest to continue watching!

[@MikaAlfred]

Очень жаль, что у нас подобного не найдёшь сегодня! Ни описания ни книг! Подождём!

[@samanthavanwitzenburg5479]

I am new at your Channel

[@ThePondDigger]

Welcome to the show! 🙏

[@MadOnPiez]

I'm doing research prior to making mistakes. lol :)

[@ThePondDigger]

+MadOnPiez So smart! That's why we film what we do. Thanks for your support.

[@MadOnPiez]

Cheers mate.

[@jeffdavis249]

#Helixnationflorida

[@alexandercastro3391]

Yes Florida is Strong Davis!

[@ThePondDigger]

#helixnationflorida Florida is our strongest state by a landslide............... BOOM!

[@ThePondDigger]

Florida is our strongest state by a landslide............... BOOM!