Building the walls of a Koi pond.

A Guide to Modern Koi Pond Construction

Building up the walls

Now that the base is completed and had time to rest the next step will to be to start building the walls.
The most popular method in this section is to use dense concrete blocks 18 x 9 x 4 ins and lay them on their side so that the wall is 9 ins wide. This gives a good thick wall and is fairly easy for an amateur to lay.
18 x 9 x 9 ins hollow concrete blocks can be used and form a very solid wall, but they are extremely heavy and so difficult to lay as they are not easy to put into place when laid on the mortar.
The usual mix for the mortar is 3 parts sand to one part cement. The final finish of the mortar should not be completely smooth with the wall as the roughness will help to key in the render coat.

This pond is being built using 18" x 9" x 4" blocks, and is the method favoured by most koi-keepers at the present time.
The blocks are laid on their side so that they are 9" wide and 4" high.

[Hollow concrete blocks]

This photo shows the 18" x 9" x 9" hollow concrete blocks being used for a pond system. These are not necessary, but some koi-keepers prefer to use them. Besides being very heavy to lift into place they are very difficult to adjust into position. The hollow area is then filled with concrete so that the blocks are bonded together.
If you are using these blocks either for the bottom two rows or all of the walls then you can insert vertical reinforcing bars as shown in the last photo of putting in the concrete base

[Using half blocks]

Many people have curved walls to an informal pond, and this photo shows how the blocks have been split in two so that they can be used in a curved wall.

Sometimes it is required to have sharp corners and then common concrete bricks which are the same size as normal house bricks can be used by lying them out as shown in this sketch.

When the walls are complete then the space behind the walls should be back-filled. Ordinary soil, especially if it is heavy clay should not be used. The best material for back-filling is chippings or stone dust.

The next thing to consider is items to include in the walls.
Check out Questions & Answers for Walls for ponds and filters

This page updated November 2004

This website started with a booklet which I made up originally for the help of those members of the BKKS - South Wales Section who were intending to start building a koi pond, and as the website has expanded more information and articles from other people have been included. This is for general guidance only, and we do not take any responsibility for problems that might occur by following these ideas. It is important that you check out everything in your area, and check on local laws and rules that may apply.

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A Guide to Modern Koi Pond Construction Building up the walls
Now that the base is completed and had time to rest the next step will to be to start building the walls. The most popular method in this section is to use dense concrete blocks 18 x 9 x 4 ins and lay them on their side so that the wall is 9 ins wide. This gives a good thick wall and is fairly easy for an amateur to lay. 18 x 9 x 9 ins hollow concrete blocks can be used and form a very solid wall, but they are extremely heavy and so difficult to lay as they are not easy to put into place when laid on the mortar. The usual mix for the mortar is 3 parts sand to one part cement. The final finish of the mortar should not be completely smooth with the wall as the roughness will help to key in the render coat.
	This pond is being built using 18" x 9" x 4" blocks, and is the method favoured by most koi-keepers at the present time. The blocks are laid on their side so that they are 9" wide and 4" high.
	This photo shows the 18" x 9" x 9" hollow concrete blocks being used for a pond system. These are not necessary, but some koi-keepers prefer to use them. Besides being very heavy to lift into place they are very difficult to adjust into position. The hollow area is then filled with concrete so that the blocks are bonded together. If you are using these blocks either for the bottom two rows or all of the walls then you can insert vertical reinforcing bars as shown in the last photo of putting in the concrete base
	Many people have curved walls to an informal pond, and this photo shows how the blocks have been split in two so that they can be used in a curved wall.
	Sometimes it is required to have sharp corners and then common concrete bricks which are the same size as normal house bricks can be used by lying them out as shown in this sketch.
When the walls are complete then the space behind the walls should be back-filled. Ordinary soil, especially if it is heavy clay should not be used. The best material for back-filling is chippings or stone dust.
The next thing to consider is items to include in the walls. Check out Questions & Answers for Walls for ponds and filters
This page updated November 2004
This website started with a booklet which I made up originally for the help of those members of the BKKS - South Wales Section who were intending to start building a koi pond, and as the website has expanded more information and articles from other people have been included. This is for general guidance only, and we do not take any responsibility for problems that might occur by following these ideas. It is important that you check out everything in your area, and check on local laws and rules that may apply.
Home - Pond descriptions - Pond heating - Pond construction - Koi health - Projects - Products - Photos from Japan - South Wales section - Letters - Links - Guest-book - Statistics - New - Forum
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