How to Install a Koi Fish Tunnel & set Rock as Walls in your Pond

[psychobunny32]

does the plastic ever need replacing?

[augustous09]

See his other video to see the fish in the tank....

[0569303573]

مشكوووور

[R31MONSHINOLA]

I just clicked on it because of the mexicans

[sopradarnota]

If i build my own fish pond with my father how much would i spend ??

We don't have that much money to hire somebody to do it.

[ThePondDigger]

@sopradarnota We can teach you how to build your own pond economically! Visit our facility in Yucaipa, California if you are local, call our 800 number or hit up our website for assistance!

[hearv888]

its cheaper if you use mexicans..

[XxTimmyj45xX]

@hearv888 lol i love it your so funny:) go back over the border...>_> damn beans

[platinum243125]

How expensive was this pond to build?

[ThePondDigger]

@platinum243125 This pond was over 20k to build.

[platinum243125]

@ThePondDigger 20K? It's actually less expensive than I thought it would be. How deep would it have to be so that it does not freeze top to bottom in -20f weather?

[ThePondDigger]

@platinum243125 Yikes what a crazy temperature. I'm a California boy so I'm not the best person to ask about those kinds of temperatures. I can tell you that I have a few pond building buddies in Michigan and Minnesota that build ponds three foot deep with success in overwintering fish. Heating, deicers and aeration play a big role in keeping the pond stable over the long hard winter. I'll stick to Southern California..... Happy pondering!

[platinum243125]

@ThePondDigger I'm actually asking the question because I'm thinking of moving out of the golden state. I want to move to colorado or british columbia and just need to know. thanks for the info!

[ThePondDigger]

@platinum243125 You can spend a ton of money building a pond or you can build a pond very economically. Many ways to get what you want. We just hosted a pond construction seminar at our facility and did a pond for under 1500.00 complete with a filter, skimmer, waterfall, circulation pump, plants, rock and fish!

[platinum243125]

@ThePondDigger Do you have any videos of it?

[MsOldguard]

Thanks you are life saver...now I can finish my small pond.

[ThePondDigger]

@MsOldguard When you finish up your pond send us some photos or better yet, video!

[100percentmidget]

What is your website called?????

[ThePondDigger]

@100percentmidget our website is call theponddigger

[angelamberblume89]

lol Eric the pond diggers cute lol

[shootingbuddys]

i wanna see this pond finished

[ThePondDigger]

@shootingbuddys Check out our How To Build A Waterfall Pt. 2 to see footage of this pond complete. Thanks for watching!

[TheGreatBritishAlex]

How much did all them rocks cost?

[ThePondDigger]

@TheGreatBritishAlex The boulders & stone we typically use runs approximately 120.00 dollars per ton. This pond used at least 10 tons of boulders.

[TheGreatBritishAlex]

@ThePondDigger wow that's does add up, but I was expecting something quite high. thnx for the reply.

[XXXStraightEdgerXXX]

What kind of foam is this?

[ThePondDigger]

@XXXStraightEdgerXXX That is expanding Black Waterfall Foam. You should be able to find it at a Pond Specialty Store near you. Or you can find it in our online store.

[chonesong]

Thank you. Awesome video. I wish I'd had you as my teacher for the 13+ years

I spent in school. Would've been a heck of a lot more useful and a heck of a

lot less boring. Best wishes in your projects.

[mrjkingz]

i wish i have a fish pond



[platinum243125]

How do you keep gravel from piercing the plastic?

[FlowingDepths]

Nice and informative :) you mentioned things I didn't even take time to think about! Thanks, def. wanna try this later! :D

[ilovepercabeth101]

meh and my freinds are going to build one very koo video im subscribing lol

[Tqafg96]

How much would it cost to have a pond suitable for fish including associated tools and filters professionally installed in a yard?

[Arteolike]

@Tqafg96 Depends of size, usually $2,500.00 & up! An "average" size pond (11' x 16' x 3' deep) would cost you around $6,500.00 - $7,500.00 with real good equipment and nice rocks.

[mewanb]

that is not a 200 pound rock!

[ThePondDigger]

@mewanb You're probably right but I can assure you it's not far off....

[mewanb]

@ThePondDigger oh i see now it is pretty heavy, i started my koi pond and the rocks are pretty heavy...if i have an 8x8 pond 4feet deep, how big should the liner be?

[Arteolike]

@mewanb 8' Wide For bottom + 4' For one side + 4' for the other side + 2' overlap = 18' x 18' Approx

Liner is usually sold in 5' Increments, so a 20' x 20' and you can make the pond 10' x 10' & 4' Deep, why waste liner? =D

[Kelsey778912233445]

does the foam hurt the fish as in it relesing chemicals into the water or somthing

[Arteolike]

@Kelsey778912233445 Is special pond safe foam, notice the black color? But most foams are safe for fish.

[ThePondDigger]

@jiggykgcltcs No the foam doesn't leach anything bad into the pond. After it cures it's as ALL good! We've been doing it for over a decade without a hitch.

[Tetragagaca]

"On three okay, One... Two... Up"

[ThePondDigger]

@Tetragagaca Ya this one cracks me up. We typically use UP as Three. The strongest guy on the team just starts with two and skips one. I have to constantly remind him that he is stronger and faster than all of us. One, two , UP!

[frogmanar15]

ya man great videos. the tube you put in so the fish can hide, can you use a 5gal bucket?

[ThePondDigger]

@frogmanar15 The 5 gallon bucket is not as strong as the culvert. We have tried the bucket route before and was not satisfied with it.

[HospitalWaste]

also where i am we use steel culverts would i be able to use one of them? it would be very nice if you had a video of one of your finished ponds with rocks because i would like to see a finished product

[ThePondDigger]

@HospitalWaste I definitely wouldn't use the steel culvert in the pond. You can use large flagstone to create Koi Caves or tunnels too.

[HospitalWaste]

is it ok to mortar the rock wall in place instead of foam? Would you use anything on the bottom of the pond or just leave it as liner??

[ThePondDigger]

@HospitalWaste Yes it's okay to use mortar instead of foam! Some people prefer plain liner and some prefer ornamental smooth gravel.

[chucky902]

thx for the info

[ThePondDigger]

@chucky902 Yes indeed!

[Moroboi]

great video. Very insightful.

[ThePondDigger]

@Moroboi Thank you for the feedback!

[yabbazabba1234]

Damn! Man you make it look easy!!! I tried to help my friend do his and i damn near broke my ass in half!!LOL ... ...I grabbed a beer from his fridge n' told him to lose my number!!! LMFAO! Peace.

[ThePondDigger]

@yabbazabba1234 I hope he had good beer in the fridge for you! Serious!

[vivathebart]

what type of sealant you use?

[ThePondDigger]

@vivathebart We use a silicone or polyurethane for sealing liner to skimmer and waterfall filter while we use the black waterfall foam to lock rock work when needed unless mortar is called for.

[BerkeleyBuilt]

couldn't i just use a $3 bucket as a tunnel?

[ThePondDigger]

@BerkeleyBuilt Yes you can use a five gallon bucket however the bucket is a bit flimsy so stacking larger boulders on and around the bucket is a challenge. Good Luck!

[ThePondDigger]

@BerkeleyBuilt The Bucket is a bit risky as it is not very sturdy. If you stand on the side of a bucket is will collapse. That is my biggest concern for you.

[BerkeleyBuilt]

@ThePondDigger it works fine. i even used a plastic basket and it holds the boulders nice and dandy. the coons tried to eat my second batch of koi, but failed. it was a most triumphant day for my cheap basket tunnel.

[nicholas22288]

where do u get that much liner from? i can only find like 20sqft at home depot....

[ThePondDigger]

@nicholas22288

You really need to get your pond liner from a pond specialty store. We sell pond liner and ship all across the country if you can't find it locally. Call our headquarters if you need help. 800 522 5043

[nicholas22288]

@ThePondDigger is there a difference in quality and price?

[ThePondDigger]

@nicholas22288 There is always a difference in quality and price. Not sure of your angle.

[brenda4riley]

i noticed you joined your liner, or you piece them together, how did you do it? will it not leak? i have problem with our joining as it leaked. please advise, thanks. your video is great, very informative.

[ThePondDigger]

@brenda4riley

We have an overlap from the waterfall to the pond liner. The overlap lets water come from the waterfalls and drop into the pond without leaking. The liner can be glued and seamed together for underwater splicing if needed. We have examples of HOW TO do this in our pond forum on our website if you want to see how.

[92mx3]

You are awesome, I found you just in time as I am building a 2000 gallon pond. :)

Thanks.

[ThePondDigger]

@92mx3

[razza779]

do koi like tunnels then?

[ThePondDigger]

@razza779 The koi love the fish tunnels! People think that the koi will always hide if they have a tunnel in the pond but you will find the koi will come to see you when you are next to the pond because you are the FOOD GOD to them. They will use the tunnel to hide from predators when you are not around! Every pond should have a koi cave or tunnel.

[WoosterLAXMom]

I am using the info I have learned watching your vids to enlarge my pretty good sized pond I built 4 years ago before I really knew much. My friends grandpa has several hundred acres of wooded land used mainly for hunting, and I am asking if I can go rock gathering. WIntering my fish indoors this year so I can work through winter and early spring to enlarge the pond. Our winters have been mostly mild lately so I think we can safely work and then come spring my fish will have a nice big home!

[ThePondDigger]

@WoosterLAXMom Thanks for the reply! Keeping your fish indoors over the winter so you can finish your pond is DEDICATION! Good for you. Post a video when you're done!

[RIDETHESNAIL]

i would of liked to see the finish product

[AmateurAdvantures]

how do you get the morture in the crack of the rocks

[ABCba5tard]

anyways y do u have black covers instead of just diging a hole then place rocks with foam??

[minigunguy77]

hey great job im lookin to set up my own pond but for bass and lake fish any tips u can give me or r u guys just koi?

[ThePondDigger]

@minigunguy77 Game fish are fun in ponds! Build the pond as big and deep as possible. Trout will need COLD water so unless you can offer them water temps in the 50 degree range, stay away from putting trout in your pond. Good Luck!

[swivelgate]

Nice job ,thanks for the video learned alot

[Arteolike]

i was watching this video again today, And i am wondering, What were you whispering to Jeff on 5:46

[Supercut9]

Hi, if i build a small Koi pond out of a plastic kiddie pool will it work because a lot of people have done that.Also how many Koi fish will i be able to keep in there..I will be digging a hole in the ground and placing the plastic pool in the hole and filling it up with water and then putting some Koi in there..Please help i am a begginer in building Koi ponds.

[ViolinistFTW]

Awesome, man. SERIOUSLY. Now I'll know what to keep my eye out for. :]

[Misfermmm]

i want to make this typs of fish tunnel,it is really good how many tun rocks are used for this work it is so good plan thank you so much

[50JumpChump]

When I win the lottery I'm gonna bring you guys to Virginia!!!

[DPUMA8]

Hahahaha!! I see the low cost and how to move large rocks with ease is to hire Mexicans

[triviumkid41]

have you guys thought about adding some jazzy outro music to you videos?

[MarkMayrProductions]

it seems like the water would de-grade that foam over time, does it?

[bolloMB]

is it just expandable foam your using? if so couldnt that pollute toxins into the water. just curious

[richfilmswales]

@bolloMB i was thinking that. must be rock hard a guess when you fill the pond.

[Methos713]

10+stars for badass awesomeness video on koi pond setup. I would never of thought of using foam to secure the rocks/boulders. Subscribing to your videos for tips on my future koi pond build.

[ThePondDigger]

Thanks for the sub and the great feedback. We're here to educate, inform and INSPIRE!

[ThePondDigger]

@Methos713 Thanks for all the stars and the sub! Did you finish your pond yet? Let's see some video!

[oasisspirit]

i would just hire u.

[ThePondDigger]

We're ready when you're ready! Let's Rock!

[oOoRandomnessoOo]

How much water do koi need? Is 450 gallons enough?

[ThePondDigger]

Keep in mind koi get 24 to 30 inches in length. A conservative rule of thumb when raising koi is one fish per 250 gallons of water. Serious koi keepers will house one koi per 500 or even 1000 gallons of water! 450 gallons is a bit small for koi considering how big they grow. You could certainly raise baby koi for a year or so before needing a larger set up. Koi actually grow very quickly and can out grow your 450 gallons in only 12 months. Happy Pondering.

[vitof250]

you should have your own show!! you give great tips.. very informative ... I'm gonna build my pond soon and i came across your videos and now im sure i can do it my self

[Arteolike]

Ture! But just think of it maybe some one dint know how to build a pond and wanted to hire a pro, Now these videoed are so informative people feel like one them self's! Excellent, Excellent videos i must agree!

[ThePondDigger]

Arteolike you are officially our most frequent commenter on youtube and for that I thank you! You have further confirmed we are achieving our goal to educate, inform and inspire!

Rock On,

The Pond Digger

[Arteolike]

LOL! I would think its a little annoying from your stand point! Oh well so much i have learned! And you can bet you have achieved your goal to educate it's beyond that! Well i still dint restive my bacteria sample, so i am still anxiously waiting, i will most likely buy your brand for my regular maintenance for my 1,800 Gallon pond. Just one question, on your website it says a 16 oz . dry bacteria treats a 2,000 Gallon Pond for 12 Months? Is that when it applied weekly, like recommended?

[ThePondDigger]

Thanks for the feedback vitof250! We aim to educate, inform and inspire. I'm glad to hear you are ready to tackle the project yourself because of our videos. It means we are accomplishing our goal!

Stay tuned for more informative pond videos!

The Pond Digger

[ThePondDigger]

Looking forward to seeing your pond on video.

[ThePondDigger]

@vitof250 Thanks for the compliment! Did you finish your pond yet? Let's see some video!!!

[azn115454]

where you get teh rocks

[ThePondDigger]

The stone and boulders we use come from our local rock quarry. This stone (in our area) is typically 65 dollars a ton up to 120 dollars a ton depending on where you buy it and how much you buy.

ROCK ON!

The Pond Digger

[Arteolike]

On ponds gone wrong you mentioned the rocks were $50.00-$100.00 Per ton, Have they got more expensive? Other thing i wanted to mention, how long does the editing take? i have waited long for the other video's, or is their a-lot of work going on right now?

[Arteolike]

Well.. I just love your video's and cant wait till the next one! You said a week it's been a month any good estimate when will the next one be uploaded?

[ThePondDigger]

Thanks for the push Arteolike! Believe me we are pushing forward on video. We just finished moving my Videographer into his new home. We painted, roofed, waited for internet, carpet, fixed broken tiles, installed sky lights and more.

Good news is have been shooting video in between all these other tasks as time allotted. Editing is the hold up as my good friend prepares his studio. We should have more tips and tricks posted here in Sept.

Koi Pond Design Video Coming Soon!

The Pond Digger

[Arteolike]

Well it's now October, not September? Oh well i can wait. but i hope you post a installation of a bottom drain soon.

[ThePondDigger]

We don't have a bottom drain installation video on the board at this time. We do have a couple cool videos on the editing table. We will shoot a BD video at our soonest opportunity. The jobs we have on the board are often the focus of our videos as I'm sure you have figured out. At this time we have several Eco-System Ponds on the board that do not have bottom drains in the plans. Hang Tight.

[Arteolike]

Ok keep it rocking and rolling, ThePondDigger ROCKS!

[bc530]

I'd like to see a video on pond landscape. I'm in the process of finding evergreen plants because my pond looks bare in the winter. Also I recently had to pull colocasia out of the rocks. They grew out of control and I could not see my streams. Since the rocks were foamed and mortared in it was a huge job. Tips about plants and how to avoid these problems would be appreciated. You guys do great work!

[ThePondDigger]

Thanks for the comment and the suggestion. We do have a few different aquatic plant videos planned for the future. We will likely not get to them till next spring as most of our aquatic plants are starting to slow down for the winter. We do have a brief glance at a small bog area we put on one of our recent ponds. Stay tuned.

The Pond Digger

[Arteolike]

When is the next video's going to be posted i was waiting for 3 weeks! I LOVE your video's cant wait till the other ones!

[ThePondDigger]

I can hardly wait myself! Seriously!

The Pond Digger

[gumper5242]

I have watched all of your videos (some twice) and I love them all ! Great work ! The last one I watched , I watched in High Quality. I am now watching all of them again in HQ because the detail in the Rocks and the colour is sooooo much better . I would recomend that everyone watch them in HQ.

[ThePondDigger]

Hey Gumper!

I love your passion. Don't stop!

The Pond Digger

[gumper5242]

Awesome ! I love ROCKS !

[ThePondDigger]

Rocks RULE!

The Pond Digger

[Roxxoxo]

This is a deep pond! I live in OK & see a lot of shallow ponds. I don't know how the fish survive in a hot shallow pond in OK! A friend of mine put in a shallow pond & a heron plucked out all the fish! I'd like to see how this pond is completed! Thanks for the video. Your pond looks amazing!

[ThePondDigger]

Thanks for the great comment. Yeah a deeper pond makes a world of difference in not only protection from predators but what a difference on the look and feel of the pond. Deep ponds rule!

The Pond Digger

[TheMasterShake100]

i was wandering if any one knows the avarage temperature of the water in a outdoor pond thanks:)

[ThePondDigger]

The average out door water temperature will change with seasons. It will all depend on where you live.

In California my ponds hang in the mid 70's to low 80's in the summer. Spring and Fall we will have water temperatures of 55 to 65 and over the winter we may drop into the mid 40's to low 50's.

Below 40 degrees and Above 90 degrees koi are not real happy.

Hope that helps.

Touching People's Lives With Water,

The Pond Digger

[TheMasterShake100]

what if there is a chiller connected to it were i live is kinda warm and i keep cold water fish and there is a few trees covering the area were the pond will go any thoughts?

[ThePondDigger]

I have a pond in my yard that is protected from sun a good part of the day. That pond rarely gets 80 degrees.

Where do you live and what kind of fish do you plan on raising? Are you looking to raise trout?

PD

[TheMasterShake100]

i live in la grange county and yes i am located by a hatchery where a good friend of mine has offerd to sell me some fingerlings from the hatchery and there are lots of trees in my back property where i can keep allot of the sunlight out

[pekingesefreak]

i was just wondering if you can stand in your pond?

[ThePondDigger]

Yes by all means, Jump in and get wet! No suntan lotion or oils please.

If you have a quality rubber liner you should have no issues walking around in the pond even if you have gravel in the bottom of the pond.

Touching People's Lives With Water,

The Pond Digger

[Arteolike]

When is the next video going to be uploaded?

[ThePondDigger]

We have a couple videos in editing right now. Realistically the next video should be up in the next 5 to 7 days.

The next video will likely be our How to Install Pond Lighting. Pond Construction Tips and Tricks.

This morning we started filming How To Build A Waterfall! I know you're waiting for that one! It's a challenging video to shoot because there is so much to explain and show. We can't shoot the second half yet as we are waiting for a concrete contractor in our way.

The Pond Digger

[Arteolike]

Great love the vids!

[xBrandonTranx]

How big would my koi pond be if i spent under 300 dollars? i dont want my to be big either, and wheres it place is gonna be in the center of my backyard, and do i need a heating system or something cause someone said the koi needs to stay warm around 7'c

[Arteolike]

I am installing a pond too not too large but around 1,500 Gallons (15 Long 10 Wide 32" Deep) with a 19' Stream and 5' total waterfall drop i am almost finished (Just need to build the waterfall) I did it all UNDER $900.00 for $300.00 you can probably make a nice 7' x 7' pond but no skimmer is needed so something so small!

[xBrandonTranx]

Thanks! ima make it alittle deeper. Just incase one of my koi's got big :)!

[ThePondDigger]

Deeper is always better. You won't regret it!

The Pond Digger

[Arteolike]

That's true i was planing to dig to 5.4 feet deep! But since i dug my entire pond by hand when i got to 32" there was clay as hard as cement i even tried a jack hammer like in your other video's you recommended it did NOTHING! Deeper is better but not nessisery!

[ThePondDigger]

I would agree. Glad to see you applying some of our tips to your pond's construction.

The Pond Digger

[rcxtreme12]

so stack all the walls with granite and just fill in small rocks everywere else?

[ThePondDigger]

Yes we filled in the smaller voids between the granite boulders with smaller rock and cobble.

The Pond Digger

[rcxtreme12]

this video is great!

what is the name of the stone you use and how much does a pallet cost?

[ThePondDigger]

Thanks for the feedback.

The stone we are using in this pond is a standard GRANITE. Depending on where you purchase it you will pay anywhere from 75.00 dollars a ton to 150.00 dollars a ton. If you purchase the stone on a pallet it will usually run you on the higher end of the price range because the rock yard has more labor involved. If you can buy it in BULK you will pay on the lower end.

ROCK ON!

Touching Peoples Lives with Water!

The Pond Digger

[450rracer14]

its great i never plan on doing a pond but i just like watching your videos there entertaining =) haha

[ThePondDigger]

Everybody wants a pond, some people just don't know it yet! ;)

The Pond Digger

[xcgeek]

Great. Thanks so much. I had bought one can of foam to do my waterfall, but never realized it would work to rock-in the whole pond as well - something I hadn't originally intended to do. Perhaps now I will. How many cans of foam will you use to rock-in that pond?

[ThePondDigger]

This pond is 42" deep so we used quite a bit of foam to secure the vertical walls. We ended up using about15 cans of professional foam on this pond.

The Pond Digger

[JayRabzEnjoi]

Awesome job man looking forward to more.

[keeferkoi]

Great job again thanks for your tips hope you have more

[bonkeres]

why must you put those black cloth?

[ThePondDigger]

The black cloth (underlayment) is a protective cloth. We use it under the fish tunnel because sometimes the edge of the tunnel puts pressure on the liner when we use large stones to create the cave. It's just a precautionary measure we like to take.

We also use the underlayment under large stones on top of the liner so we can slide the stone around without compromising the liner.

The Pond Digger

[Venrellin]

thnx more more more pond tips plz!!

[walktwisted]

I would really like to see this pond once your finished

[dardraa]

awesome, 5 star, foam gun look very useful but a bit too expensive :/