Erik’s Swimming Pool to Pond Conversion
Welcome to my swimming pool to pond construction web page. I thought I would share with you a project I undertook converting a swimming pool to a pond. I moved into a house with an swimming pool near Portland, Oregon. I was always fond of ponds, and in fact, had built my first fish pond at my previous house. I always wanted a larger pond and here was my chance. Feel free to browse through my pages. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, I’d love to hear from you.
The Swimming Pool
I started with this 24′ x 16′ x 7′ deep Doughboy pool. The swimming pool had a plastic liner. I cut out just the bottom portion of the pool liner and revealed the dirt bottom. Nervous that years of chlorine might be in the side liner which was to become the side of a flower bed, I covered the side with sheets of plastic.
The New Pond
The pond took me about five months of pacing myself to complete. I worked about an hour every few days, along with maybe an extra effort every couple of weekends. My goal was to fill the pond and get the flower beds planted in January. This allowed me to get pretty winter plants (so the pond would look nice in the winter). It also allowed the water to acclimate before things warmed up in spring and summer. Here is how the pond looked as soon as it was completed:
Clay Model
I made a clay model to scale, 1/4″ = 1′. This allowed me to visualize the contours and shape of the pond. It helped me see where I would fill in dirt and sandbags to make multiple levels of steps within the pond.
Sandbags
I used four truck loads of dirt, 400 sandbags, and countless hours of wheel barreling to fill in the swimming pool. Sandbags were used to help build multiple levels of pond depth. As I approached the height I wanted, I took my time and made sure I was making a perfectly level sandbag top edge. In the picture above the outer ring of sandbags is the edge of the pond (to be covered with rock). The dirt remaining to the edge of the swimming pool will become flower beds.
Initial Fill
I used a 30′ x 34′ piece of EPDM pond liner. I’m starting to pull it over the pond in this picture.
Adding Rock Edging
After filling the pond I used about 3 tons of Camas Gray 4″ A-cut rock and round 35-75 lb boulders to build the edging. I did this while the pond was filled so I could see how things were looking. When I was done placing the rock, I drained and rinsed the pond. This picture is after draining. You can see I’ve already started planting plants around the edge.
Biological Vegi Filter
I was very concerned about having such a huge amount of water go bad on me that I planned on a pond filter. I didn’t want a huge ugly algae mess. I spent considerable time researching filters. On my previous home’s pond, a smaller typical yard pond, I built it like an aquarium — with an underground gravel filter with PVC pipe running through it. It worked fantastic and I had perfectly clear water for years. But someone warned me it will be hard to clean. So this time I used the same principle (since it worked so well the first time) but I built it external to the pond. In addition I had now learned about the vegi-filter concept which incorporated plants.
The basic idea for my filter is to pump water to the filter, have the water purculate up through the gavel and plants, and then let gravity bring the water back to the pond via a spillway. I used one foot of gravel and an additional foot of water above for the plants. Finally, the water returns to the pond with gravity through a robust spillway that is safe from racoons and clogging from leaves.
Filter Construction
I used 8′ landscape ties and 3/8″ rebar. The whole thing is 16′ x 2′ x 2′ which is approximately 500 gallons and 5% the volume of the pond. Concerned it would be hard to insert the rebar, I cut and overlaid all the wood first without the rebar. Then I used a plumb bob and string to mark each piece where the rebar goes. I took the whole thing apart, drilled the holes for the rebar, and put it back together. (Make sure the holes are a little big — otherwise it’s a royal pain to fit the landscape ties back over the rebar.)
Adding the Gravel
Next I added 1 foot of gravel, connected the pump and plumbing, and added a few 79 cent bunches of watercress to start growing in the water. In 2001 through 2002 I added six plants of mint and let them grow as they will. The mint is doing best had has overtaken the watercress. The last picture above shows the mint. (Today I have given up on the watercress and mint and just use water hyacinth in the summer.)
When I built my first gravel filter, I read somewhere that it should take 45 minutes for the water to flow through the filter to maximize the bacterial action. This is very slow. Nice because it means you can get by with a smaller, cheaper, and more efficient pump. Unfortunately I don’t seem to be able to regulate my water to go that slow. I noticed my filter fills in about 20 minutes.
Cleaning the Filter
Everything kept my pond crystal clear for so long that I honestly didn’t get around to cleaning my filter for 5 years - then I figured it was time. I was worried what I might find. To my surprise when I removed the gravel to rinse it, I found it only scummy along the top. Most of the gravel was rather clean. Honestly, I think I could have gone another five years w/o cleaning. Note that this is far better than the commercial filters you’ll find for many times the cost. Ask them how often you should clean them. You’ll find they need cleaning about every week.
Pumping water from the Pond
Pond water is pumped with this pond sump pump up out of the pond, under my deck, and over to the filter on the side.
Here is a movie how it works. This is in QuiteTime format and may need you to download the QuickTime plugin.
Outflow
I reworked my outflow plumbing recently to add a T-connector with a threaded plug on both the inflow and outfloor pipes. I placed these at the lowest point in the plumbing (which is just under the filter). The next time I want to clean my filter I will unscrew these plugs, let the water spill onto the ground, and stir up the gravel. This will let me flush the gravel clear without having to remove the gravel. (BTW, I have done this now once and it was very easy.)
I don’t quite understand why the filter doesn’t need cleaning except for every 5+ years. My guess is I’ve properly sized the filter and the whole system is nicely balanced.
Pump and Plumbing
Although I started with a Cyprio 2206 (2200 gph) pump, I have since replaced it with a smaller, magnetic 1200 gph pump. I did this because I noticed I was always turning down the 2200 gph pump to try to get the water to take at least 20 minutes to run through the gravel. The magnetic style 1200 is also quite a bit more efficient. The pump is in a pump cage at the bottom of the pond (at the 4 1/2′ depth.) The cage is wonderful. I think it would indefinately keep the pump from clogging. I pull it up about once a year to wipe off leaves and plants.
From the pomp the water goes via a flexible 1 1/2″ tubing to hard1 1/2″ PVC near the pond edge just under the water’s surface. From here the 1 1/2″ PVC takes the water under the deck to under the filter. Before the PVC enters the filter, I have placed three very useful accessories. First, there is a T’d off hose valve as the PVC crosses over the pond edge at its highest point (hidden in the flower beds). Second, there is an inline ball valve to control the water pressure and speed. Third, there is a T’d off and plugged drain at the lowest point in the PVC run. These all allow me considerable flexibility in controlling the water, draining the pond, draining the filter, and draining the PVC pipe itself.
The pipe enters the underside of the filter with a 1 1/2″ bulkhead. You can search for this on the web - they are hard to find in stores. This forms a water tight seal for the PVC to get through the EPDM liner of the filter. From here a little network of PVC pipe is embedded in the gravel with little holes. This allows the water to evenly disperse through the length and width of the filter. At this point the water fills up the filter from the bottom up.
I am using 3″ black ABS drainpipe for the outflow from the filter. The water “overflows” into a 3″ wide ABS pipe sitting vertical in the middle of the filter. Water then falls down this 3″ pipe. You may have seen large dams us the same technique for their spillway. The water spills through this ABS piple, through the pond liner with a 3″ bulkhead (a rather spendy $50 piece of plumbing), passed a plugged T-fitting (for drainage), and then under the deck and up over the lip of the pond onto some rocks. Obviously, for gravity to work, the filter surface water must be at least a few feet above the surface level of the pond.
Filter Plants
Over the years I have experimented with several different plants for my filter. I tried water cress for a couple years - it would go crazy and spindly in the summer. I tried mint - it worked well but also would get out of control in the summer. Both of these had an advantage that they continued to grow in cold weather. But I have settled upon using water hyacinth during the spring, summer, and fall. I go ahead and purchase about $40-$100 worth of water hyacinth every spring. It grows like crazy and filters fantastic. Unfortunately it dies every fall when the frost returns. During the winter I have sometimes let the filter run without any plants (and in fact that is what I’ve done the last couple of winters.)
Fish
I took my time and slowly, over a period of months, introduced some fish. I started with the cheap feeder fish. Then comets (which are nice and bright orange), then shubunkin (which are my favorite, they are like little koi), and then some koi. The fish have been multiplying on their own. So I don’t know how many I have. Sometimes I seem the school together and it looks like I have about 20, but there are always babies if you look in the nooks and cranies. I never feed my fish and they are looking very healthy and growing. They are eating the algae, the plant roots, and I suppose little bugs and stuff that find their way into the pond. (When I try throwing fish food in the pond, the fish totally ignore it. I guess they aren’t used to it.)
Chemicals
I haven’t ever used any chemicals or medication. Never use salt. With this size of pond, the amount of chemicals I would have to use is huge, and I didn’t want to make a mistake. So I don’t bother. All seems well and happy.
Costs and Statistics
These are estimates from memory:
- Pond 11,000 gallons estimate, Filter 500 gallons
- Fill dirt, $400 (4 truck loads)
- Sand bags, $100
- Liner (for pond and filter), $750ish (I think it was .65 sq. foot)
- Rock, $200
- Pump, $250 (first one died for some reason, so I’m on a second)
- Plumbing, $200 (that flex tubing is expensive)
- Landscaping ties, $100
- Plants, trees, shrubs, flowers, $600
- Gravel delivered for filter, $60
- Occasional replenish of water cress ($10) from Safeway
- Occasional replenish of water hyacinth ($40) from a mail-order company.
Better Homes and Garden’s Article
It was fun to have Better Homes and Garden write up about my pond conversion. You can see the article here:
Contact
I’d love to hear from you. You can write to me at this address or add a comment below. I’m also on Microsoft Messenger. There aren’t any comments yet because this page is so new.
Comment by Jorge Ma Suy
January 17, 2007 @ 3:45 pm
Hi:
I am impressed with your pond. I have started to dig out my pond in the back yard and I was researching filters when I came across your website. Congratulations on a job well done.
Jorge
Comment by James Lim
January 25, 2007 @ 12:58 am
Hi Erik,
Congrats on the results of hard and professional work!
I can’t see any plants in the water itself only at the fringes,why is this so?
Question, does your pond fall under the category “biological pond”, would you be able to define for me
what a bio(logical)pond actually is?
Thanks.
James.
Comment by erik
January 25, 2007 @ 8:09 am
Thanks Jorge and James for the nice comments.
James, I guess it’s because I have such a short frost-free season that you don’t see any floating plants in my pictures. I typically get it covered in water Hyacinth, several water lillies, and even duck weed every summer. Under the water is a forest of oxygenating plants. Most of the pictures above were taken in winter and spring.
As for if I’d call it a “biological pond”, I guess I don’t know the definition of such, but maybe. Since I keep the pond balanced between plants and fish and completely self sufficient (other than electricity for the pump) I think it could be clasified as such.
Erik
Comment by Flip
February 4, 2007 @ 7:36 pm
WOW,,,,,i thought my idea was crazy, but it isn’t…….We have this old pool built in the 70’s….ALL i see is weeds growing out of it…There is no existing liner anymore…I want so much to turn this 9 foot pool with board into a pond with fountain…Thank you so much for allowing this information and idea to be seen by others…..Hopefully someday with great inspiration like this,,,,I too can have my solitude with my pond and fountain…….Now I have to talk my husband into the idea…..He wants to swim…..but with the cost of chlorine, chemicals and water,,,i don’t think it is reasonable…..wish us luck…….
Comment by Ellen Reilly
February 8, 2007 @ 6:35 am
Erik,
W O W!!!! What an awesome and professional job you have done!! I will try to send you a picture of my pond. It will be 2 years old in March. What a wonderful job you did.
Ellen
Comment by Robyn
February 8, 2007 @ 10:14 am
You did an amazing job with your pool to pond conversion, and you have a great website! I will have to link to it.
Comment by Maria Williams
February 9, 2007 @ 6:01 pm
Thank you so much for publishing this website. I am in the process of looking at a house that has a pool. This is the only thing that is a negative about this house…otherwise it is gorgeous. I started thinking if I could turn it into a pond. YES, YES, YES
Thanks again.
Maria
Comment by Jeyan
February 15, 2007 @ 11:21 am
Great work! I constructed my 600 gallon pond two years ago and I know how hard it would have been for you to come up with an awesome looking pond. I have a similar filtering system but a lot smaller and I constructed the filter little higher above the ground level so I can use the outlet as the water source for the waterfall. Keep doing the good work.
- Jeyan Jebaraj
Comment by Mary Sizemore
March 3, 2007 @ 12:01 pm
Very impressive Erik, lovely. Do you know of any diagrams of a filter like yours that are available. Also, I wondered if you have ever come across any reference to koi ponds that were built so that one could swim in them too? That has always been a dream of mine, to swim with the fish, and I have had koi breeders tell me that it is possible as long as one does not mind the algae on the sides of the pond.
Comment by erik
March 3, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
I’ve been asked several times for a diagram of the plumbing and filter. I don’t have one. I should make one but not sure when I’ll get to it. If you’re able to watch the video above, you’ll get some idea and if you write to me I can answer any questions. I have heard of natural swimming ponds. I think there are some websites from companies that build them. I presume it would end up like a natural pond in the country - a little slimy at the shore. Also, in mine, I grow water lillies and have underwater plants that would get all tangled up in feet. So I’ve never even bothered to try wading — as I’m sure I’d hit and mess up the plants.
Comment by Michele
March 5, 2007 @ 9:55 pm
This is CRAZY awesome! I’ve never worked that hard in my life 
Comment by Heath
March 6, 2007 @ 9:51 am
This is great, thanks for sharing.
We live on Kooenay Lake in B.C. and have a 30 x 15 pool that is 6ft at the deep end with a 3ft shelf on the shallow half. For five years we’ve been trying to decide what to do with it as all of the plumbing is under ground and some of it has cracked. It seems like it would be an awfully large pond but perhaps a pond in the deep half (being a shallow 3ft pond) with raised garden beds in the shallow half.
This has been very inspiring.
Comment by chris georgiou
March 16, 2007 @ 8:04 am
Unbeleivable!!!
I could not take my eyes off the screen till I got to the end !!
You are amazing with what you have done with that filter set up.
I was researching bio filters for the 3500 litre pond I am looking at building and was a bit scared at what I would have to go through to keep the thing clean as a friend of mine has a 2000 litre koi pond with the biggest algal problem Ive ever seen and I feel sorry for the bloke. I have been dreading filtration systems for days until I stumbled upon your site.
You are an inspiration dude, cant thank you enough!
Cheers from South Australia
Comment by Mike
March 20, 2007 @ 4:44 pm
We are thinking about converting a 30K gunite pool 3 to 8 feet deep. I think this project may take a lot more than I had thought! will let you know if we do it and if so how it turns out.
Mike
Comment by Mary
March 25, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
Have you ever had problems with leaves and debris in your pond?
Comment by Lange.22
April 1, 2007 @ 8:34 am
Very cool Idea. Nice work. It looks beautiful.
Comment by Mari Hensley
April 11, 2007 @ 9:16 am
What a great accomplishment! It really looks great. We just had our swimming pool dug back out. It was filled in right before we purchased the house. Its 40feet by 16feet and concrete. There is a creek next to it down about 10 feet. We would like to be able to pump the creek water into it and then have it flow back down to it. Would not use any products in it ofcourse. Loved the veggie filter and will have to try to build one. Thanks so much for the information!!! Question is your pond in full sun? This will be our third and unfortunately they are all in full all day sun. Thanks again and any advice greatly appreciated. Mari
Comment by erik
April 11, 2007 @ 9:36 am
I love all these comments. I’m catching up and can answer the questions about leaves and sun.
There is a large maple tree to the southeast of the pond. Thus the pond is in the sun from about noon until 6 pm. During the spring I get little flowers falling - they are easy to occasionally scoop out. During the fall I get leaves falling into the pond. I’ll go out occasionally to scoop them out a couple times a week. Also, sometimes I let all the leaves fall and then drain the pond 1/2 way, scoop out the leaves, use this as an annual cleaning, and refill. Using this way only takes a fun (no, really) little afternoon cleaning project once a year.
Comment by danie thomas
April 14, 2007 @ 7:15 am
Love your work!! I like how you created such an awesome filter. I have a 1500 gallon koi pond in the works and your filter is such an inspiration. Thanks for all your hard work!!
Comment by Jaay Schmerber
April 14, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
You can pass this on if you like. I am building a 2500 gallon filter like the one you built. We have 2 small ponds that will connect to it. They don’t even total 1000 gallons. y, you ask. Well here in Nevada we have some pretty chilly winters so when the fall happens the fish go deep or to fish heaven, the plants come out of the filter, the lid drops and presto, its the solar hot water storage that heats the radient floor in the house. By the way epdm will tolerate heat above 180 degrees for hot water storage. It is not rated for this but it works.
We live at Pyramid Lake, Nevada, so the pond out front is 28 miles long,7 miles wide and 380 ft deep in some places. Havent figured out how big the filter should be. Hope ya get a smile out of this.
Comment by Michele G.
April 16, 2007 @ 7:05 am
Hey there Erik,
Your pond is just beautiful. You have a wonderful eye for landscaping as well as fabulous skills. I will just settle for a nice birdbath (in the future) for my garden (in progress) yard, much less expensive and when the water gets funky, just dump, scrub and refill! LOL. Seriously, what year did you make the instalation/conversion and how long has the pond been functioning? It truly is a lovely spot, an oasis from insanity right in your own back yard.
Best to you,
Michele
Comment by Erika
April 16, 2007 @ 7:26 am
“Stumbled Upon” your pond, it is fantastic. Can’t imagine the work and patience that went into that - just wanted to say WOW!!
Comment by evsmith
April 17, 2007 @ 4:47 pm
wow..I thought that I did some biggies…yours takes the prize..tasteful..attractive well thought out and totally useful
Comment by T Hartwig
April 18, 2007 @ 7:44 am
Stumbled here. Nice conversion of a pool! Very pretty result. I have a garden off my patio that started out as builder’s debris and a lot of small rocks. We’re getting there…. nothing like this, though. Well done.
Comment by Bryan
April 18, 2007 @ 10:16 am
Very nice. I too Stumbled here and am glad to see someone turning their back yard into a place for nature and a cleaner and less wasteful relaxation place.
Comment by Dr Recher
April 19, 2007 @ 2:32 am
COngratulations! Excellento!!!
Comment by Jason
April 21, 2007 @ 4:10 am
Hi Erik!
I came across your site while researching biological filters for swimming pools. You have to be commended on your well thought out, presented website, I read it from head to toe! Your garden pond simply looks great and is testament to your hard work.
Well done.
Jason, Beijing.
Comment by Lynn
April 24, 2007 @ 10:24 am
My dad did the same thing and converted the pool to a koi pond. It’s kinda funny because it’s the exact same footprint as the pool, and I remember swimming in the pool.
Comment by manu
April 24, 2007 @ 10:31 am
Great pond Eric. Do u use it for swimming? I’m building an eco-resort in Kerala, Sth India and am very keen on a natural swimming pool but architects here have no idea about these and just insist on chlorine pools. I’m adamant to do this on my own but have to figure out what plants to use (I have access to water hyacinth, mint, water lilies, reeds etc) and understnad filteration systems… urs seems superkewl, thanx for video, I always assumed you needed the water to filter down and not up, so great to know that.
What is different here is that we have 4-6months of rain (Jun, Jul n Oct are very heavy) and temperatures are around 30 degree Celcius throughout the year. So more chance of Algae?
I got ur site from a post in http://www.permaculture.org.au
Manu
wheredo@istay.in
Comment by Steve Simmonds
April 24, 2007 @ 11:20 am
Stumbled here, not often I stop on a site when I stumble but yours made read the whole page. Well done - great job.
Comment by Jake
April 25, 2007 @ 7:40 pm
Erik,
What a great pond. Ever since moving to our new home with lots of land, I have had an ambitious idea for a water garden. My research suggested it would be cost prohibitive and thus I have had to put it off. I am curious, do you know how much it costs to operate your pump for that kind of filtration system?
Jake.
Comment by erik
April 25, 2007 @ 9:21 pm
Hi all… I’m surprised to see all your comments! I switched on this commenting system this January. Otherwise it had been a static website. Let me see if I can answer some of the questions.
How long as the pond been operating? I moved into this house in 1997 and pretty much started ripping up the swimming pool right away. Finished early 1998 in the winter and spring. A few years ago I upgraded all the plumbing as you see above. Right now the tullips are up and everything is incredably lush and beautiful. I’m having another algae free spring too, which makes me think everything is running wonderfully balanced.
Do I use it for swimming? No. The water feels and smells wonderful, just like a remote mountain lake. But I don’t think it would be safe for lots of human activity in it. Anyways, with my pond, you would quickly get tangled up in the water lilies and oxygenating plants.
How much does it cost to operate? I have tried to look for changes in my electric bill, but I have never been able to tell. What is nice is a very slow pump is best for this filter. I use a very economical, slow magnetic pump. My goal was to have the filter fill up in 30-40 minutes. It’s actually 15-20 minutes. So I can go for even a slower pump.
I wish you guys can see the pond in real life. The pictures simply don’t do it justice.
Erik
Comment by Tom Benton
April 28, 2007 @ 2:18 pm
Outstanding site. I have thought about this for years. Great job. I will be back.
Tom
Comment by Kathy
May 14, 2007 @ 1:24 pm
Hi Erik,
How do you control mosquitos in the bio-filter part of the pond? I can see that fish would control in the actual pond, but with all the water surface outside of the pond, do you add anything for mosquitos?
Comment by erik
May 14, 2007 @ 1:44 pm
Hi Kathy,
Good question. I’ve wondered about this myself. I’ve never had any mosquitos. I’m guessing the flow of water down the spillway is enough to flush any eggs or larva down to the pond (to be eaten by the fish.) In the earlier years, I was wondering if there could be a mosquito problem, so I put a couple feeder fish in the filter.
Erik
Comment by Ken
May 22, 2007 @ 12:46 pm
Very nice site! I’m wondering how many gallon per hour your pump is? Must need to be a pretty big size for all that water. I’ve created a little site on koi keeping as well.
Ken
Comment by Jack
May 22, 2007 @ 4:03 pm
Thanks for the great acticle about building a koi pond. I have been searching for over a month and I have not found a better solution for my pool. I am chnging my in the ground pool (18×36x8) with a vinlyl liner ( is it necesary to use a pond liner ) Chlorine is not a problem as the pool has not been used in over 2 years. I am not too interested in the interior looks of the liner. I am going to build a filter system like yours. It will be 15ftx7ftx2ft using 1 1/2″ pipe. I have a few questions. Do I put gravel directly on top of the pipe? I have an idea of putting a plastic grating on top of the pipe and adding a drain and water supply to flush the bottom of any debris withot bothering the gravel. Is this a pipe dream? What size gravel do I need? We have granite here that is very cheap and I did read that is popular as roofing stones. I would like to know what you think of me using my Hayward sand filter/skimmer but, replacing the sand with plastic media. I would use it in the fall and after a storm as a skimmer as I have a lot of trees around the pool, also as a backup filter. My intentions are to raise or buy small koi and sll them as they mature. I am trying to spend as little as necesary as I am on a fixed income. Thank again for your fine article. Any help you can give is greatly appreciated. Jack Snyder Hephzibah Ga. 20 miles south of Augusta Ga
Comment by erik
May 22, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
Thanks Ken and Jack, let me see if I can answer your questions…
1) Actually, for a natural filter like this, I wanted a very slow pump. I read once you want the water to perculate slowly through the filter in 45 minutes. Mine takes about 20 minutes to fill up 500 gallons. So probably a 1000 gph pump is fine. I think mine is 1200 gph - a little fast.
2) I have to say my old pool liner was very thin and less resilant than a real pond liner (I used an EPDM rubber pond liner). I think a pond liner takes more abuse with rocks, branches, pebbles, etc. The old pool liner also was patched many times so I was pretty nervous using. Not to mention it was an ugly light blue !!
3) I really wanted to use your idea to put a plastic grating over my pipe first too. It makes sense it would keep the water flowing and make it easier to flush out. Alas, I couldn’t really think of a way that I was comfortable with. I imagined gravel falling through and messing things up anyways. So I just put the gravel over the pipe and it has been working great.
4) I used pea gravel. I think about 3/8″. It’s sort of roundish. I wouldn’t use crushed rock as that would pack real tight. Whatever you can use that would maximize surface area of the gravel would be good.
5) I pondered using the pool filter with something other than sand also. But I decided against it. It seemed way, way too small and I was nervous it would clog up all the time. My old pool skimmer was really tiny and I have a huge maple leafed tree above it, it completely fills up with leaves in moments. So just removed it. Your idea just to use it to skim the surface occasionally might work.
Thanks guys for asking your questions!
Erik
Comment by louis smith
May 24, 2007 @ 6:40 am
hi Erik ilove what you have done i realy like your vegfilter.and was werending what size i would need for my pond 12×6x2=1080galsand it is aboveground any help you can passon to me well help.
thank you papasmith
Comment by allen
May 24, 2007 @ 6:15 pm
eric
real nice thought out and converted pond.
just wondering where you got the idea, and where you go for a swim lol
Comment by Creature from the Black Lagoon
May 26, 2007 @ 8:09 am
Your Pond looks fantastic! Do you swim in it?
AcquaMan
Comment by Victoria
May 26, 2007 @ 6:09 pm
Erik,
Thank you so much for your wonderful pictures and article. We live in the Tampa area and have wanted to convert our swimming pool(gunite) for several years. Your site gives me hope that it can be done without costing a fortune.
The sandbags are a genius solution.
Since I’m in my sixties I’m going to have to hire help but at least now I know what to aim for.
My major concern will be leaves as they are our biggest problem with our pool. You noted that you lowered the water level every so often to get at the leaves, doesn’t that affect your fish?
Again, thank you,
Victoria
Comment by Art Savoie
June 6, 2007 @ 4:24 am
Eric,
Thanks for the great web-site and the encouragement to proceed with my project.
I have filled in my pool(20′x40′ kidney) and left it app. 18″- 24″ deep, with a central island. Rough stage now.
You provided some fantasic ideas, which I plan to implement.
I would like your input on the following:
Is a liner needed, since there is no drainig at the bottom??? ( I plugged up the bottom drain). It probably is, but it would save to avoid that. Maybe only for the island area to keep it’s shape.
Can I use my pool recirc. system. There are two skimmers and two inlets. It worked very well for the pool, and I believe it should work for the pond. I can direct the inlets to a gravel bedfor filtation if needed. I would really like to use the current system since it’s in place already. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Can I keep the bottom drt or place gravel? What size gravel did you use for bottom of the pond???????
I’m sure I have more ??’s. but enough for now,
Thanks,
Art
Comment by Michael
June 9, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
Hey Erik,
Could you send me even more pictures. I’ve wanted to build a pond for so long! I’m trying to collect as much information as possible. I guess I’m a visual learner, because your pictures are so helpful. Also, have you ever swam in your pond, considering it was once a pool?
michael
Comment by JVaughan
June 12, 2007 @ 1:43 pm
I saw the picture of your inpond pump and liked the pond cage you are using. Where are these available?
Thank you
Comment by Rae
June 13, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
You are tremendously talented, and thank you so much for sharing the fruits of your time and effort. Your pond is simply beautiful, and I am at once envious and awed. Lovely!
Comment by Pamela
June 15, 2007 @ 8:41 pm
Erik,
You are an imaginative, intelligent, hardworking man. You are a credit to your generation. Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Two questions: (1)Is your pump always on?
(2) Had you considered forming your own company or consulting? I can’t tell you how many people detest their pools and search for a solution such as yours. I think you would find a large market.
Thank you
Comment by Ian Stagles
June 20, 2007 @ 12:40 am
Hi Erik
I live in Perth, Western Australia and I have been reviewing your website for over a year now, and as a result I have now started converting my 35,000 litre swimming pool.
I plan to use a 150 litre vortex primary filter leading into a 2,400 litre gravel filled bio-filter, which should have a flow through rate of 45 minutes woth the pump I intend to use. I eventually want to use this bio-filter for growing vegetables (but I’m still researching that…).
I found your website inspirational in its simplicity, and I will send you some images once I have the pond completed.
Thank you very much for your unwitting assistance.
Comment by erik
June 20, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
Hi everyone,
I love the responses I’m getting to my pond! Thanks so much. Let me try to answer some of the new questions:
(1) What filter size do you need? One time I read an article the vegi-filter should be 5-10% of the volume of the pond. I used 5%. So for a 1000 gallon pond, I would use a 100-200 gallon filter. My pond is 11,000 gallons and my filter 500 gallons. Works great.
(2) Do I swim in my pond? No. Not really. I only get into the pond (up to my thighs) to weed and clean. It is nice though. The fish nibble on my legs.
(3) Doesn’t lowering the water (and refilling) to clean affect the fish? I am concerned about this. What I do is refill extremeley slowly, over 4-5 days — just letting the hose trickle. Nothing bad has happened.
(4) Can you use a pool filter? Unfortunately, I don’t think so. I didn’t go down this path so I can’t answer for sure. But my guess is the muck from the pond would quickly and persistently clog up a poll filter and plumbing. Also, if you use gravity, you’ll want a real good sized pipe so the water flows well.
(5) Where did I get the pump cage? I have had this question for years. I can’t find it anywhere online again. Originally when I bought my first pond pump, it was an option from the pump company. It’s a great idea. I’ve never had clogging. But I’m sorry, I haven’t been able to find it again.
(6) Is my pump always on? Yes. It’s a low energy, magentic, slow pond pump.
(7) Should I start my own company? I’ve actually been asked many times if I’d build someone a pond. My real, indoor, office (engineer) job is a little more my style.
Thanks again for all the praise and comments! I do have one sad piece of news. I just sold my house and have left the pond to a new owner who really likes it and wants to keep it going. But I’ll keep answering people’s questions as I can.
Erik
Comment by jonathan
July 3, 2007 @ 12:30 pm
i think your project is awesome, i’m envious of the amount of time you’ve had to commit to it 
a question for you: your veggie filter uses a gravity feed to push water back to your pond. it seems from the pictures like the water is traveling quite a ways. what’s the height difference between the water level of the veggie filter and the pond return from the gravity feed?
a possible suggestion for your readers: the pump cage is awesome, wish i could find one prebuilt… but i built one pretty simply by taking a large flower pot, placing the pump in it and sinking them to the bottom together. i’ve covered the pot opening with plastic mesh before, using something relatively porous to make sure it didn’t get clogged easily.
Comment by Vince
July 8, 2007 @ 6:15 pm
WOW!!! Thanx for sharing Erik.
I believe I read that you have 2 bottom drains in the pool. Is this correct? My questiion is are these drains connected back to your “veggie” filter or are they only for dumping of the bad waste water that collects at the bottom of the pond, and/or do you use the drain for water changes? Do you have a skimmer for your surface? And if so, does that go to your filter?
Again, what an inspiration!!
Vince
Comment by Chip Wood
July 15, 2007 @ 6:33 am
Erik
WOW! Just what I have been looking for. As you can see from my e-mail address I too am an engineer. Very impressed with the simplicity (sometimes very hard to achieve) and engineering elegance (again something hard to achieve) and most of all with the low maintenance (something REALLY hard to achieve). I mean, no food, no chemicals, always crystal clear water, virtually no cleaning and that being easy- when do you have time for cocktails?
I am converting my pool into a pond. I want to retain as much of the pool and it’s plumbing as possible, mainly because it is exactly where I want the pond, I am cheap, and it seems a waste of time, effort and money to tear up a fully functioning water-tight hole in the ground, to dig and plumb another.
It is a large’ish hole- a kidney shaped, circa 1985 shotcrete/Marcite w/3′ of Kooldeck surround, 16′x35′x3′>8.5′ deep(~18,500 gal). For several reasons I want to retain much of the shape and size of the current pool.
I know that pool plumbing is not the same as pond plumbing, but here’s the situation. In addition, to the normal 2″ bottom drain and 2″ skimmer, I have 14 (yes, fourteen) 2″ cleaning outlets that sweep the bottom of the pool with jets of water. These could be converted to flow in the opposite direction in a snap, so I could have 15 2″ bottom drains or even a combination of drains and returns. I also have 2-1.5″ returns near the top on opposite sides of the pool.
A leading pond contractor here made me a design that required filling in the pool, digging it back out, lining it w/EDPM, putting a 4500GPH submersible pump to a 6′x6′x2′ (500gal) bog, then return over a 4′ wide waterfall. He also wants to put 1-3″ gravel all over the bottom of the pond. That’s it! This is just seems wrong by my readings and BTW his bid is very expensive.
Here is my thinking at the moment- I will become the general contractor and sub out the physical work and plumbing following my own best guesses based on my reading and recommendations from people like you who have the experience.
If I raise the pool floor by re-pouring concrete over pea gravel, raising all the bottom plumbing connections to adjust, to about a 3>5′ depth, with ledges for plants, (~13,000 gal), spray a fish safe liner or paint, use the existing skimmer but make it fish proof, make all the cleaning bottom connections drain to the existing 1HP external pump, then to the bog (veggie filter), then return down a waterfall. This, in addition to the 2 existing returns SHOULD???? give me a low maintenance pond w/great circulation.
Is this crazy? Am I missing something fundamentally?
1st priority is making a pretty natural looking pond and waterfall that has a few fish in it, NOT the fish themselves. 2nd Priority is low-maintenance.
I also would like the grandkids to be able to swim with the fish like an old-fashioned “swimmin’ hole”.
Needless to say your design will get me almost all the way there?
Basic differences that could cause problems.
1) I live in Phoenix, virtually no winter and VERY long hot dry summers. Should the veggie filter be made much bigger to compensate? Smaller because of the longer growing season? Why 2′ deep? Would more depth be better?
2) You use a turned down smallish (1200GPH) in-water pump to move water slowly, while I am thinking of using the existing 1HP external pump which moves water quite rapidly. Which is more important, slowly through veggie filter or pond turnover per hour? What would you say is your pond turnover /hr.
3) How did you design your filter PVC grid to get uniform distribution. Are the farther holes (from the filter inlet) larger than the nearer ones. Does your inlet come in the middle of the grid or one end?
Would you be willing to consult if I sent you diagrams of my plans?
Chip
Comment by erik
July 15, 2007 @ 10:23 am
Hi Chip,
Wow, you have a great plan. I have to admit I enjoy talking about pond ideas. I’ll enjoy writing back with thoughts and answers to your questions. I’ll do that later today.
I do have some more information online which I haven’t publicized yet. I’d be interested in hearing if it’s good information to add to my website or not.
http://www.kilk.com/pond_info (you need to right click and download each file)
I just sold my house and wrote up this material for the new owner. Because the information could be so useful for others, I’m contemplating keeping my pond site up and adding these. (BTW, I use a Mac so my files are definitely virus free.)
Oh, yes, I’d be happy to consult. I’m no professional and can only lend “gut feelings”, but I haven’t met a pond professional who seemed to know much of this stuff themselves.
I’ll get back to you later, maybe this evening or tomorrow.
Erik
Comment by Laurie Manny
July 15, 2007 @ 10:00 pm
Erik, I think your new yard and pool are divine! Cant stop looking at it, I am in love! Just wrote a post on my Long Beach Blog, gave you several links. I get a quite a bit of traffic, hope this sends some your way. Major Kudo’s to you, great job!
http://www.longbeachrealestatehome.com/2007/07/16/long-beach-backyards-and-nasty-swimming-pools
Comment by Justin Nolan
July 17, 2007 @ 11:08 pm
Very nice pond! As to why your filter needs so little maintenance… it’s because you don’t feed your fish. The more you feed your fish, the more waste the create. Thats also directly related to algae, and other bad pond stuff. I bet it’s nice having a little balanced ecosystem that requires no maintenance or feeding. Serious koi keepers overfed their fish so that grow large and gorgeous. Two different philosophies, I suppose.
Comment by Holly
July 25, 2007 @ 11:31 am
This is one of the best step-by-step pond sites I have seen. The pond filer movie explain what I wasn’t getting through reading. When I re-build my pond in the next few years, I’m definitely going to follow your lead. Thank you. Your pond is beautiful. And I love the Shubunkin too.
Holly
Comment by Carrie
July 26, 2007 @ 6:36 am
Wow, I came accross this page on accident and I am amazed by what I see. It had never occurred to me that this was even a possibility! Amzing job and great idea!! Carrie
Comment by johnny
July 27, 2007 @ 10:15 am
awesome pond …was wondering what kind of submerged plants do you use?
Comment by Byron
August 4, 2007 @ 12:19 am
Great page! …I am in the process of removing the gravel filter from the bottom of my pond and going to “out of pond filter(s). My pond is just 15,000 gallons and I pump 6,000 gph. A thought for slowing the output to the filter would be to add some water feature with some of the flow from the pump. A waterfall or fountain etc.I have 5 differant outlets from the pump to various features, waterfalls, antique farm pump, and an old clawfoot tub tipped and spilling into the pond.I just wanted to say thanks so much for the info on the “veggie” filter.I will be sure to incorporate at least one of these in the future filtration for my pond.
…aloha from Aloha -Byron
Comment by Annie
August 4, 2007 @ 4:31 pm
Hello Erik!
Well, your website has been very helpful. I want to share our plans for our pond.
We had a pool in our backyard and it was destroyed during a big rain, so, had to pull the liner out and half of the metal sides. We are filling it with dirt at least half of it and building a pond. The original pool was 40 x 20 and 3′ on the shallow side, gradually getting deeper to 9′. The pond will be 20 x 10 and because we want to add fish later on probably 3′ deep in one side. The dilema is if we can still use the skimmers and pipes from the old pool to move the water. The filter will be replaced by a veggie one like the one you had in your just sold home, but we don’t know if we should set a whole new set of pipes or use the old ones. The skimmers will have a mesh to protect the plants and fish and we were thinking of using the strength of the returning pipe of the pool to create a waterfall. The old pump of the pool still works and is powerfull but still we don’t know if we can use it. It’s hard to decide what to do when we ask for advice in pond stores. Everybody has a different opinion and want to sell us the most expensive equipment because of the size of the future pond. Please your experienced comments will be apreciated. We are working on it now and hope to finish it before winter time.
Thank you very much for your time.
Annie
thank you!!
Comment by joe
August 15, 2007 @ 9:04 pm
do you live in a mild climate area? i do remember hearing you say you take your plants out of your filter, im wondering if your filter freezes at all running the water so slow i take it that the discharge connection is under the water line about 8 inches are so am i right ,ps nice pond im working on my pond.
Comment by Patrick Sammon
August 22, 2007 @ 7:15 pm
I have a question about your undergravel filter system.
after youve drilled the entry holes in the PVC capped the ends and plummed into the pump, Before you added the pea gravel to cover the PVC, did you use a screen to cover your PVC before you added the gravel to cover? My pond is 1800 gallons 9′x7′ by 30″ deep! This is my fourth rebuild in 6 years I had a nice 4 point buck punch a hole in my 56 mill. liner. Ive got over 5 grand into it ! ~Patrick
Comment by renate
August 26, 2007 @ 9:16 pm
You make this transformation sound so simple and easy!
I think you are on to something big!!! Good luck, Renate
Comment by Robert
September 12, 2007 @ 3:17 pm
Good planing Eric….. Great result!! I’m sure you get incredible pleasure with what you have created. If I were a Shubunkin thats where I would want to be. I have a small moulded pond approx 600-litre I picked up a few years ago. I now know what i will be doing this coming summer. I love the gravel filter system, so simple…so affective, I will go the extra mile and install the same system to cater for my proposed pond. Thank you for all the detailed information, can’t wait to get started
Comment by Fred
September 21, 2007 @ 9:17 am
Great job. I have a 20 x 40 pool, and looking to close it up permanently, do you have anything to suggest, or any professional to refer to.
Comment by Theresa
October 2, 2007 @ 9:15 am
Hi Eric:
Just wondering, how did you wire up the pond pump? Does it come up a really long plug and you just bring the gfci outlet as close as you could to the pond?
Thanks,
Theresa
Comment by Cheryl
October 8, 2007 @ 7:03 am
This is so helpful. Thanks for taking the time to share it. We also live in Portland and have a very old concrete pool that holds 40,000 gallons and at the deep end is 9 feet. We are planning a pool to pond conversion and haven’t been able to find anyone local who knows about how to do it. So, your information is fantastic!
Comment by Jim
October 12, 2007 @ 6:33 pm
Eric: Really interesting and helpfull. Im getting ready to start my first and large pond. Im a swimming pool contractor in Florida and wanting to use gunite as my shell. The liner would be easier,but I have a ton of trees which means roots. I am worried that the roots could grow through the liner. My thinking on the filtration was to install suction pipes on the floor of the pond then cover them with a ft of small gravel then cover that with a ft of sand and then small gravel. I would then pull from the bottom of pond then either return through a waterfall or some side returns. I plan on also installing skimmers for top suction and for the leaves. Any thoughts you might have would be really welcome
Jim
Comment by dave
October 14, 2007 @ 11:55 am
Hi realy like what you have done with your pool, i am half way through my 2nd pond i hope it turns out has good has yours, lot of people think its easy to build ponds, till they start to dig they then sone get a shock, anyway good job all the best from across the big pond
Comment by Suzanne
October 17, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
Awesome, loved the pond. You must be an engineer. Well thought out plan and beautiful, just perfect pond.
Comment by Joe
November 14, 2007 @ 11:33 pm
Hi Erik,
You have inspired me. We just built our first pond, but when I add on next year I’m going with the veggie filter system. That is a great system. I am amazed at the work you did, the planning, the layout, and just the zeal of taking on a project as that. Bravo, good job! My dream has always been to have a large pond, I really liked the many levels you placed into this pond. Wow, again good job.
My wife and I just built our first pond too. We live in Kentucky and just started our first web page. Thought I’d share it.
http://home.insightbb.com/~myster_meaner/index.htm
Thanks
Joe
Comment by BJ
November 17, 2007 @ 9:42 pm
Erik, Thanks so much. Your pond is beautiful. Certainly an inspiration. I have an old broken pool 18′ X 36′ 3′ shallow and 8′ deep end. Everyone has told me “fill the hole” but I have had this dream of making it into a pond. So now I know, it can be done. thanks so much for publishing your success for all of us to be inspired by. I am thinking I may raise fish for food such as cat fish, what do you think of that idea? But I do love the gold fish, koi & tropicals ( I live in Floria ) Any ideas would be appreciated. Keep up the great work.
BJ
Comment by Tim
December 7, 2007 @ 11:23 am
Erik,
Great pond and write-up! Thanks for sharing your time with everyone. Question: You say you don’t use any chemicals. Do you have chlorine-free well water, or are you using a chlorinated city water supply?
Comment by Don Mussell
December 16, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
Very nice work.I also dseigned my own pond and filter and I know how much work it is.Yours is much nicer than mine though.I would suggest adding some ‘high protein,’ fish food.Your fish will grow much faster, and get more color.
Comment by erik
December 19, 2007 @ 9:57 pm
Hi Tim,
Yes, my water was chlorinated city water. What I did was whenever I did any major cleaning, I would let the water trickle refill over a few days. I was nervous about the fish, but they seemed to be fine. I didn’t do this often, maybe once every other year or so. My pond was so deep and had so much volume, that topping off with tap water probably had almost no effect.
Erik
Comment by Katherine
December 21, 2007 @ 4:18 am
Hi Erik,
Fantasic work with the pond, it is really beautiful.
I have also converted an inground pool spa into a fish pond with a vegi filter. The pool was concrete and I just put small river gravel in the base and on the steps to a dept of 1-2 inches, I then planted pond grass in the gravel and kept all other plants in pots. I also put in comets.
I have since been told to remove the gravel as it will harbour toxins.
Question: Could you please tell me if the gravel will be harmful in the future and should it be removed?
With thanks,
Katherine
Comment by Juro
January 28, 2008 @ 5:28 am
I have thought I have seen everything on the net concerning the ponds. I was wrong. The best site I missed, is your web page on the building your pond, I have been missing.
I highly estimate your filtering system. I am going to built a similar one, but done as a filtration pond. Will dig the hole as for small pond, put liners. … bring water by pipes to let it fall to plastic filtration chamber digged in the gravel stones in filtration pool, …. plastic chamber will be with a plenty of holes in the botton part in the chamber and maybe some filtration stuff to keep some very big particles. When the chamber is to be filled with water, water will escape by gravitation forces through the holes in the bottom of chamber to filtration pond with gravels. My plans are to have plants there as well. I would like to use not just stones , but also scintered clay, used commonly for hydrophonics, to increase the volume for bacteria to enhance their efficiency. When filtration pond is going to be filled, water would escape it to the pond with fish and plants as a waterfall. I plan to use as weak pump as possible, because I do not want to spend much electricity. I want an environment friendly pond. Even fotoelectrical pump is available, although quite expensive. will built this spring but have not decided details yet.
>-)
Sorry for my English.
Comment by Peta Parker
February 12, 2008 @ 7:34 am
Hi Erik
Would you like to come on a paid holiday to France and turn my “mare” (pond) into a natural swimming pond?
best wishes
Peta
Comment by Peggy
March 25, 2008 @ 9:04 am
So Cool!!! Two ducks came over to our pool today and were drinking the water. I thought, “Oh, I wish the water wasn’t full of chemicals and instead was full of beautiful plants for those little ducks.” I came inside and googled “How to turn a pool into a pond” and your site was first on the list. And for good reason… best pictures, best info and best budget. What an inspiration! Thanks for sharing.
Peggy
PS. I think you ought to seriously consider the offer in the previous comment by Peta. Holiday in France, uh… Yeah!
Comment by art
March 26, 2008 @ 4:35 am
great job; doing it myself now for my pond; can tell you pool canisters do not work; tried filter media used in aquaculure and did not work…thanks.
Comment by Jan
April 5, 2008 @ 1:33 pm
I am doing Aquaponics….it basicly is your vegie bio filter..I would love to have more detalis regarding every aspect of this….please contact…thanks Jan
Comment by Sean
April 7, 2008 @ 9:21 am
I’ve been dreading having an ugly canister filter to hide somewhere. I like this filtration much more because it won’t actually look like a filter, just a garden box, and doesn’t come with any weird possibilities of contaminants from poor manufacturing processes. Do we really know where the plastic media comes from in those things anyway?
-Sean
Comment by Reverend Macog
April 27, 2008 @ 10:38 am
Cool ideas thanks, Im getting ready for a conversion myself I will keep you posted on how that goes if you like.
Rev. MacOg
Comment by Jaay Schmerber
May 6, 2008 @ 3:32 pm
I was surprsed to see that you actually published my post of a year ago. My filter works great, it got a lot bigger than I thought and I scored several hundred sheets of high density insullation ( I own a dumpster company) long story short at the end of the summer when we have the longest days I can get the water to about 180 190 f range the filter stores almost half a billlion btus. how do ya like me now Exxon?? Keep up the good site work, I read that you sold your house, have you started another mega project?