Cant believe I want to do this, but the bug has bitten badly and when I'd built my pond I thought I had a nice size, but since finding this forum I realise I have a "splash" pond and so therefore want bigger.

Now where I currently built my pond I managed only a 4.2x1.6m pond thats 1.4m deep, I have been thinking now and have thought that around the corner from my pond I have another 5 meters to that wall and want to bring it out by about 2 meters which will effectivly move my pond size from 7500lts to about 24000lts.

Want to build the extension bit first, then break down the one side of my existing pond and join it all up..

Now my question is, is this safe to do, what should I bear in mind, just want to do this the safest way that will not create a future problem, was thinking if breaking down the one side, they chipping off all the plaster and then just replaster everything together. The only difference I want to do this time is build up the extension with bricks where I will then plaster over the entire pond.

Advice pls!!

Here's a pic of the area I want to do, pic is the only one I have and is about 6 years old......but should give you an idea of what I want to do.


Currently

My only fear is joining concrete floors..

Why not build the new pond separately ... then you have a QT Facility too.

No, I really want it to be one big pond that all my fish have a nice big swimming area.........if it can only be seperate then I would rather not build it at all

thanks for the replies btw

Cliff,

Colyn's idea is the best. To modify an existing pond always cause problems.

Trust me!

What if I dont break the entire wall down, and instead just break it half way down, sort of like a meter down and just have that part flow into the extension where the fish then have access to both ponds and where the exntension floor etc can be seperate from the current floor, then all I have to worry about is the wall under the join btween the 2 ponds????

I'm sure that would work......or not???

I would also do it separate but with a link between the two that can be shut off if and when needed for quarantine or a hospital facility. You can install two 110 mm pipes between the two. Most of the fish will be able to swim through. When you want to quarantine, you just put two 110 ends in the holes, and separate the two ponds within minutes. When you are finish with the quarantine procedure, you just take the ends out again.

mmmm, nice idea Paul, will maybe just break the wall down about 800mm and build plastic rails into the sides and build a custom door that can be glided into the rails to seperate the 2 ponds when QT is need and then remove the sliding door when I want both ponds accessible at the same time.....I'm pretty sure that by joining the 2 ponds this way and not trying to join floors and side walls up and by just joining a middle section up like this I should encounter problems, will sort of be just an underwater bridge area about 800mm below the water surface.

Sounds to me like killing 2 birds with 1 stone.

Oh.....and Pieter......Bobby......Marius.......and anyone else who has a big pond......I partly blame you for all of this change I want to initiate now!!

A sliding door would cost a lot of money and how will you prevent the water from coming through. Much easier to just make two 110 mm holes. The 110 mm end will be water tight. Also referred to as 110 mm socket plug:

QT aside, I would like to have the 2 ponds appear as 1 bigger pond.....wouldn't want a wall seperating the 2, so if I were to break down the wall abit and plaster this into the new extension do you foresee any structural difficulties that I would encounter??

Thanks Marius

That tree was remove 6 years ago.......the pic is very old but the only one I could find showing the area.

Luckily for me I have a 700lt pond which I could use as a QT facility already, so dont really have the need for a QT.

My wife told me on the weekend that she gets great satisfaction from seeing what joy my current pond gives me.........aint I a lucky guy!!!!

Cliff,

welcome to the “I Should have” gang.........................( That is “ I should have built a big pond from the start”)

My advice to new comers, if you want to build a 20 000lt pond, double up and build a 40 000lt pond. If you don’t use this formula, your pond will cost you much more pretty soon later.

You could always use the existing pond for smaller fish to grow-on in, and the new BIG pond for the big Koi.

In any case, if you like to deal with problems, by all means, extent your existing pond and become a member of the “ I should have listened.....................” crowd.