Kai Pond

Speaking of Koi ponds... I came across this inspirational img.  Grooving on the hardwood floor/seating, the unexpected rock ground cover, the framed moss box, the pots standing in the water, and the bar counter potential of the fountain. In short, pretty much all of it except the gauche back lit fountain and the shallow splash tray's limitations on wildlife.

MacGyver built this awesome adaptation earlier this year. This rocks because it is right outside the bedroom and cool night air combined with the sound of water is a really relaxing way to crash. Plus it keeps Kai out of the herb-filled window boxes which she'd root around in for garlic.

1. Acquire pond frame
2. Frame with pine wood [redwood if directly exposed to weather -M.G.] (cut to approximately right length at Home Depot) stained in cherry and sealed.
3. Acquire water pump, ensconce in filter bag, run tubing between plastic pond frame and wooden frame. Cap with a nondescript plastic planter container that will elevate your plant pot and create a fish lair. You may need to cut an access slit down the side and expect it to bow a bit.
4. Repurpose bamboo retaining fence into spigot using drill (expect lots of testing in a partially filled pond). Stain in cherry. Run tubing through. Wrap unsightly joints with stained rope.
5. Fill bottom and sides with sand (hopefully washed). Epic points for runestones.
6. Fill side pockets with ground cover (we started with baby tears, but they dried out too much, so now we use succulents).
7. Fully fill and de-chlorinate when satisfied with water visibility
7. Install plants. Horsetail in water, iris-lily-baby tears combo in the planter, tiny palm and bromeliad in planters off to the side.
8. Add wildlife. 3 koi (diamond scales, one of them butterfly), 1 albino catfish, a dozen golden minnows "mosquito fish", 6 golden snails. Attempted a Pleco as supplemental algae eater, but he died quickly.
9. Maintenance. Feed fish 2x daily (summer). Catfish got supplemental dog treats (Zuke's PB) when the minnows started to, ahem, "thin out." Top off the planters with pond "tea" daily using the watering can. Top off the pond itself weekly using a 5 gallon bucket of de-chlorinated temperature acclimated water. Clean entire thing by pump draining and scrubbing the sides with an algae sponge while the wildlife waits in another bucket (only necessary when parents come to visit).