skip to main content

Ponds & Aquatic Plants Koi Ponds Design Dilemma

Koi pond adjacent to foundation of house?

3 years ago

We are building a house atop a limestone ridge, so basically near-solid rock. We'd like to put a rectangular koi pond along the front of our house, inside a courtyard. The front wall of the house will be glass, so the koi pond will be in full view just outside the great room. i love photos I've seen of koi ponds like this, but am wondering if I can execute my evil plan of having the pond poured as an adjacent element of the foundation. We have had one other koi pond that was constructed by the pool company that was building our pool; they used the same structure and materials and it worked beautifully. Has anyone done a koi pond adjacent to their home? How did you construct it? I'm thinking we can save a lot of $$ by plumbing and pouring the pond along with the foundation, but am not sure the material will work correctly.

Featured Answer

PRO

HALLETT & Co.

3 years ago

Yes why not? Make sure a good crew does the layout (typical foundation guys may find this a bit fussy) and have a very good plan for waterproofing. I used barrier guard by GAF for one of my water features- worked great.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
I assume you mean something like this . I think since you have done it before this is doable . I love the idea for sure .
KDH Associates thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
Related Discussions
Floor construction of concret koi pond
Q
Comments (1)
Hello Kesini. Many ponds are easier to keep with a rubber roofing liner, specifically 45 mil epdm. This protects against leaks, and a cement pond can have difficulty staying at the correct pH for fish. Also, cement might be rough and fish could scratch themselves against it. I see many ponds with sand on the bottom so the liner lies on sand, and if you walk on it you do not tear the liner. It sounds like you have good experience with cement building -- you could build the sides using the rebar as you suggest, then pour sand in the bottom, lay the liner, then pour a nice cement border/surround on top to hide the liner edges, even make it look like natural stone.
...See More
Do Goldfish (Sarasa Comets) or Butterfly Koi eat Frog tadpoles?
Q
Comments (44)
Large bullfrogs are a tadpole for 2 years. If things ate them ther would be no frogs on earth. The way they have protection is their Tails. If I put 3 five gal buckets of bulfrog tadpoles in a take on my fish truck an a fish gets in there the fish will be dead in a few mins. This is because of the poison in the tadpoles tails getting into the water. So no fish will eat tadpoles. Now I have seen here Hybrid bluegills eat toad tadpoles. This is because a toad is a tadpole just a few weeks and does not have the 2 years tail protection like the big frogs need. I ahv raised fish 40 years now and hate having 50,000 frog tadpoles in apond with fish then drain it and have to SORT by hand 1-2-3-4-50,000 tadpoles from the fish. Bar graders do not work if the fish are the same size, you have be careful not to mix then in a small tank and kill fish. My fish farm is for sale now and hope i do not have sort tadpoles soon :( rest my life :( Type LIVE FISH OF INDIANA for photos --i dont think i still haev tadpole pictures there ?
...See More
want to build home made pond
Q
Comments (7)
Ok I mentioned it to my husband last night and he said, no, wouldn't work, there's no way to seal the seams. It's foundation wrapping, if that means anything to anyone. I've heard of people just using a tarp as a liner, so I guess I figured it couldn't be that hard, or that big of deal to seal it off. Evidently I'm wrong. Heck I'm tempted to just dig a hole in the clay, fill it w/ water and see what happens. I think it would take a while to dry up. LOL j/k I guess if we ever decide to do a pond, we'll do it the right way... thanks anyways!
...See More
fish size vs. pond size (and more)
Q
Comments (4)
I had the same situation where somebody actually gave me a small koi to put into my pond because they were leaving the area. I was shocked to see the fish was only about 6" at 2yrs of age (I've seen Koi growing to 18-20" in 2 years.) Since that time, the little koi has done remarkably well and has grown 12 inches in my pond. You might be right about stunting their growth for all the reasons you've already mentioned, but if you get them in the proper environment I agree with Tedd... your koi should grow.
...See More
PRO
Norwood Architects
3 years ago
It sounds like a lovely idea. I would be hesitant to have a body of water adjacent to a foundation wall. Waterproofing will have to be spot on and them some to prevent water intrusion.
KDH Associates thanked Norwood Architects
PRO
KDH Associates
Original Author
3 years ago
Patricia Colwell that is lovely! Ours is not as involved; just a rectangular pond along the front of the house:

Is waterproofing the main issue? My concern is that our last koi pond was put in by our pool company and this would be part of the foundation pour. Even though it is going on top of (and probably into) a limestone base, I'm worried about it developing cracks. Not sure whether our pool company used gunite instead of the kind of concrete used for foundations and whether it would matter.
jrb451
3 years ago
Is that dotted line the edge of your roof? Will water runoff into the pond?
KDH Associates thanked jrb451
PRO
KDH Associates
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
jrb451 yes on the roofline; we are putting gutters around the perimeter and are planning a French drain from the courtyard out and down the hill.

Related Stories

DESIGNER SHOWCASES Livable Luxury at the 2015 Pasadena Showcase House of Design

Southern California designers mostly forgo the glitz at this year’s show house — a Tudor-Craftsman mansion and carriage house

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Florida Carriage House Gains 900 Square Feet of Outdoor Living Space

By Annie Thornton

Rich materials and tropical plantings enhance this relaxing vacation getaway in downtown Key West

PATIO OF THE WEEK Koi Glide Around a Tranquil Garden's Moat

By Becky Harris

This idyllic retreat combines lush plantings, statues and moving water for a serene backyard scene

FUN HOUZZ Houzz Call: Tell Us About Your Dream House

By Vanessa Brunner

Let your home fantasy loose — the sky's the limit, and we want to hear all about it

PETS Houzz TV: Watch These Rescued Cats Make a House Their Playland

By Mitchell Parker

Spirals, catwalks, tunnels and platforms create a superhighway inside this home in Southern California

LIFE Oh Yeah, There’s a Snake in the House

By Becky Harris

A Houzz contributor lives through her worst nightmare and comes out the other side with lessons learned and new footwear

HOUZZ TV FAVORITES Houzz TV: See How Early Settlers Lived in This Restored Pilgrim House

Passionate restoration and preservation efforts give a 1665 home an honored place in the present

LIFE Houzz Call: Show Us the House You Grew Up In

By Becky Harris

Share a photo and story about your childhood home. Does it influence your design tastes today?

MY HOUZZ My Houzz: Modern Mountain House in a Utah Canyon

A Cor-Ten steel exterior and a wall of windows wrap around an architect couple’s new home in a forest setting

ARCHITECTURE How to Artfully Build a House on a Hillside

By Jen Dalley //

Let your site's slope inspire your home's design, rather than fight it

Sponsored

Peabody Landscape Group

8 Reviews

Franklin County's Reliable Landscape Design & Contracting

More Discussions

Leak in my small inground prefab watergarden...?

1

pothos with yellow leaves

7

Stock tank cracked, New tank has brass drain

1

Growing impatiens in water

1