Hi, im Damian,a local stone mason in Canningvale ,Perth with over 20 years experience. Adding a calming pond to your garden can bring peace, beauty & a touch of nature right to your doorstep.
Why a pond ?
A pond is more than just a water feature; its a living ,breathing eco system, trickling water, the sight of fish, and the lush greenery create a tranquil environment.
-Choosing the right location.
Ideally you want a spot that recieves a balance of sun & shade. Too much sunlight can lead to excessive algae growth, while too much shade can hinder plant growth.
-Choosing the construction materials, i normally use concrete, molded into shape, this allows for rocks to be cemented securely into place, rocks, plants, pavers or grass right up to the edge,
-Brick render & selant, Building a formal pond from bricks is easy. Start with a concrete base, work out the pipe placement, overflow into a soakwell if needed. After doing the brick work it then needs to be rendered so the water proofing can form a perfect seal. The sealant i used to use is now unavailable which is a pain. if you find a black bitchumen sealant, make sure its for potable water, meaning it wont kill the fish or plants, the plants can be poisionous if eaten like water cress.
-Pond liner, I have installed a few of these, you can double glue on site for big pieces, just add lots of rocks to hide the edge, i usually sit the rocks on river sand to protect the liner. Allways set up the levels with a laser when setting out. If using moss rocks try & use fewer bigger ones than lots of smaller ones. unless you want a drystone stack wall in the background. Ahh that word balance is needed in pond making for a natural feel.
-Filter & pump, the right filter & pump is the most important part of any pond, thats where you should spend the money, dont scrimp. As a general rule i try and make the filter double the size of the pump. So a 9000 lt per hour pump should be fitted with a 18000 lt filter. This allows the filter water microbes time to clean the water. ( a very short version of what happens). dont be alarmed of having some algae growth, its natural, its a balance of clean water & some algae on the sides that is just about spot on.
Adding plants and wildlife. Plants add a soft, natural feel, remove debris & trim over grown plants, Water plants give fish a place to lay eggs and help filter water,
Water lilies & iris are my favourite plants along with the small native fish which dont eat tadpoles. You will find that Koi are the dirtiest fish, thier waste promote so much algea & they eat our frog babies /tadpoles.
Lets create your backyard oasis. Contact Damian for a pond quote, but note
ponds are a lot of work, you can't just set and forget, so if checking the filter, pump for leaves blocking flow, topping up with water in summer is to hard then don't get a pond.
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