DIY Budget Ecosystem Pond - Solo Build in 5 Days by Hand 

Starting off pond season right with a proper DIY pond! I’ve been working on this when I could for the past two weeks and I’m so happy to finally have it done. It doesn’t come across on video, but first it was hot, then cold, then it rained, snowed, hailed, etc. I nearly experienced every season in only 5 days lol! Anyway, you definitely can see a huge difference on video, but the in-person view is incomparable from the original. I’m so pleased with how it turned out, but I especially like the waterfall. What’s your favorite part? I can’t wait to see it grow with the fish swimming around in the water. I’ll share that in a future video of course. Until then, enjoy this one and have a great weekend SerpaSquad!

This is the best ‘budget’ pond video I’ve seen. No recommending the top tier overpriced pond equipment, no commerical equipment to dig and move rocks. This is how a normal person could build a pond. And you are the first person to tell me that the regular can of foam is the same as the expensive black pond type. Bless you 👍🏼. This is how I built my pond and five years later it’s going strong.

Ever since I bought my house last year, I've wanted to dig a pond!

I love how Serpa created a beautiful pond from nothing, it truly is a talent

You are the hardest working person I’ve ever seen! Working for days in rain, hail, snow, all for an absolutely incredible result. The combination of the rocks, moss, plants, and stream is so on point to nature it’s insane. Great work again, Serpa.

Now that's a pond! Gorgeous! You're right, the split rock, logs and flat rocks of the waterfall are the crowning jewels. I love how the pond in whole looks olive green, that will make a great contrast against the bright red goldfish and really make the fish pop out in their environment! Brilliant work as usual Tanner.

Hey man I've been meaning to pass this along for a while. Thanks for changing how we, my wife and I look at things like sticks, rocks, moss etc. We have a large property and find lots of "debris" that looks great in terrariums etc. A particularly good find we say would be "Tanner approved". You changed how we see the world and that opened up creative ideas we would not have had without your influence.

I can imagine how crazy lucky and proud your parents feel every time she sits by the pond, rejoicing in the beauty your talent, skills, (and hard work) brought to their yard.

We NEED a one-hour video of this pond and the waterfall flowing. It'll be calming and very pretty too!!!!

Holy crap! This is gorgeous! The only problem is… If this is an early mothers/Father’s Day present to your parents, you were making the rest of us look like crap😂 Seriously, they must be absolutely thrilled! I can’t wait to see it with the fish in it 👏👏👏

I must tell you, are a gifted narrator. All my questions were answered. Thank you so much for all the knowledge you shared with us all. Your finished project was perfect. Can I adopt you lol. Anyone wanting to dig, a pond don't wait just get er done!!! We have been here 22 yrs and I built mine by hand myself. I love it! My Kio are loving it too. At the time I was a 50 yr old woman. JUST DO IT, You won't regret it at all.

I really appreciate you going over the costs and giving advice for what you can and shouldnt cut costs on :) i feel thats a really important part of DIY/instructional videos I don't see super often

I love waking up to a new Serpa design video

It's only taken me 4+ years to find a thorough step-by-step DIY instructional video on this subject that didn't drag it out with a lot of fill-in mumbo-jumbo! THANK YOU!

You’re living the dream, Tanner. Pond is phenomenal - can’t wait to see it again in a few weeks!

🌿💧🏞 This video is a breath of fresh air! Finally, a budget-friendly pond guide that empowers regular folks to create their own oasis without breaking the bank. It's refreshing to see practical solutions and alternatives to expensive equipment. And kudos for debunking the myth about expensive pond foam! Your transparency and knowledge are truly appreciated. Your success story is an inspiration for others to embark on their pond-building journey. Keep up the fantastic work! 👏👍🌺

Great build! Would love to see more frequent update videos revisiting your projects a few weeks after you set them up. Would be an easy way to add even more content to the channel without building a new setup every time

What I loved most about this project is how much you love your parents and all the hard work that went into the beautification of their backyard. Of course, I enjoyed watching you tackle the project and learning in the process... though for me it is the time and effort you put into your parent's backyard. Cheers :)

We started with a 94 gallon plastic pond. Over several years we ended up with over 7,000 gallons with streams, waterfalls and a home made filter that worked like a charm. 3 years after we finished we sold that house.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! Everything about it...he design, the build, the cost, the explanation, the video. Bravo to you. God Bless!

I really appreciated seeing you work so hard for your mum and the fishies. It's good vibes that I want to emulate.

This turned out amazing! I love the waterfall with the split. That's how I would want my waterfall, too. I agree that wood really goes a long way toward making ponds look more natural. I can't wait to see how you create your own pond. I'm sure all these experiences have got you thinking and you've learned so much. Make sure to rest your back. Take care.

I think this is your best video/project so far. All your knowledge, creativity and attention to detail is so impressive. How awesome of you to do that for your parents! God bless you. 😇

It's insane how big a difference there is between the old and new. The old one was just too small and crowded with rocks, it felt more like a rock quarry. This new one actually feels like a lake and it will be much easier to see the fish.

Amazing!!

every time i am on my phone or laptop, I check to see if this guy has new videos. I love just watching him make the tanks for different aquatic wildlife and terrariums. It just helps me calm down after we see the final product. Thank you SO much Tanner for making these videos and keep up the good work! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ p.s. if we could get in touch Tanner I would be really grateful, but the only obstacle is how far away I live from America, because at this moment I am in England. But if we could just talk and make a terrarium together on video call, I would be happy enough.

I just had the best idea ever, your next pond build should be in North East North Carolina! The soil is sand so it's like digging a hole at the beach and I've heard some really cool people live there!! Just sayin.

I love your thorough and clear narration of your building process. And, the video editing is excellent: no loud or irrelevant music, no vulgarity, excellent shots timed perfectly with the narration and substantive material for the person seeking knowledge on pond building and landscaping. It was a pleasure to watch, although I am never going to build a pond in my backyard. Your video is that good! Talk about the power of a great presentation!👍🤗

What an amazing transformation, this expanded pond is breathtaking. I am imagining it all grown in with the trees, like some kind of mystical grove.

Absolutely gorgeous! You could easily design ponds like this for a living if you were so inclined. Always impressive seeing you do your thing, Tanner!

Thank you! Wow, submit that flowing water sound as a sleep sound! Simply calming!! I am so glad you shared! Thank your parents as well!

I really appreciate the cost breakdown you did this time - super helpful for a 1st time homeowner who's interested in installing some natural features

I can't even imagine how much work this must have been between planning and the physical labor. It looks amazing! My favorite part is the log in the waterfall.

Beautiful job! Your ability to execute these huge projects is impressive and inspiring!

I can´t think of anything more relaxing, and at the same time interesting to watch than your videos doing builds and explaining along the way. Thank you for all the great content over the years.

absolutely gorgeous 😍

It turned out stunning 🤩 those are some really lucky fish! Your limitless creativity never ceases to amaze me…you are so freaking talented!

Wow Tanner what an amazing job you did! If I didn’t know any better, I would think someone who is a pro building ecosystem ponds for a long time put that together. You just keep getting better and better at your craft.

So beautiful and that sound is so calming! My childhood home had a waterfall so it makes me feel so relaxed! Your parents are very lucky to have a son build them something so lovely!

Amazing! You did an outstanding job! 👏 👌 🙌

Great video! I've been wanting to build my parents a pond for a few months now. It seems really intimidating. Happy to have learned some more about the subject from you.

Amazing work as always tanner. Looks like such a good pond. Really inspires me to consider how I would do it if the opportunity presents itself to me in the future.

Incredible!! Thanks for sharing

i have been absolutely binging this channel since I found it and I find your work ethic super inspiring. as someone that's been in a depressive slump for ages now it's a breath of fresh air to watch your content. also I love how you say the word "stones" for some reason.

Dude said the end result was decent 💀💀

This is an absolutely gorgeous pond. Also kudos for showing how to make an _amazing_ looking pond on a budget! I think this pond wouldn't look out of place next to your bioactive pond made by the pro-pond-making-team! Makes me think I'd want a pond too! Too bad I don't have a garden XD

This might be your best pond video yet. Amazing looking pond. Thanks for sharing so many details & insights around your build & thank you for sharing pricing!

🏆 Absolutely stunning 🏆 Its been a pleasure watching your skills improve every year with experience. Thankyou for letting us join you on your journey.

It only took you 5 days to build this? Dear God, you're a machine.

I LOVE that the yard goes up hill!! It frames the pond perfectly 😊

An amazing build!! That split waterfall is absolutely stunning and I love how deep the basin looks. The fishies are gonna love it too!! Well done Tanner, well done 🤌🏻

Would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see an update on this now that it's had some time to settle in, and for the plants to grow.

I love the pond design. I have a perfect natural space in my yard that would make a fantastic pond site. Thanks for sharing this with! ❣️

Best explanation of any video I have ever watched by far Thanks man

Looking forward to seeing updates, so satisfying how clear the water is

Aw yeah! Just fantastic work, it's always so nice seeing updates to builds!

beautiful! you are my guru, tanner. i have learned so much from you. thank you for sharing your expertise with all of us.

looks AMAZING... trully gorgeous!

This is amazing!!!

I was honestly so used to murky/natural green water ponds that one with such amazing clear water like yours looks from another world! Wow! Beautiful! And thanks for the step-by-step narration, great video!

The first one was good, but I love the re-do, and the natural elements of it all! Amazing, and thank you for sharing! :)

Now this is where I´d love to see an update once the plants have fully grown in a year or two. it looks wonderful!

I hope your mom loved it!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Fabulous! So usfeul to get a price breakdown and your advice on cost cutting measures is so valuable. Your knowledge and advice makes a person hopeful that they could build something like this too. Thank you very much for making & posting this! Much appreciated : )

I've loved your channel for a long time and so much enjoy watching your skills and preferences grow! One of my favorite parts is the "how-to" aspect to your channel, however things get a bit muddled for me when talking about equipment and mechanics, I would absolutely love to see the drawn out plans or diagrams you have for the nitty gritty parts of your builds. Thankyou for all the knowledge you've passed on to all of us so far!!!!

Thank you for posting. ❤ I’ve loved all of your videos

Love the sound of the waterfall...I could listen to that all day

What a wonderful son to do this for your parents.

This is awesome. Love the waterfall

Have I ever had any interest in building a pond in my yard? No. Did I still watch this entire video? Yes. I still don’t want a pond in my yard, but I feel like if I had to I could build one because of you. Thanks for doing a great job at being informative, yet entertaining! You do amazing work!

great job looks awesome

It's beautiful! You make me think I could manage it myself. Thanks for the breakdown of everything you used!

Wow it so beautiful, can't wait to see how it looks when the plants grow!

Absolutely beautiful! 👏👏👏👏👏

That is absolutely gorgeous and peaceful.

Absolutely stunning. amazing job.

seen a bunch of these ponds at various places, never really wondered how they were made but now I know. thanks random yt recommendation

Absolutely beautiful

Gorgeous as always!

wonderful! Nature exists in the "garden" created by your creativity and careful work. I wish you success in this work in the future.

lol i need an asmr of this pond. so beautiful. and sounds so calm.

You really are a true artist and a master of your craft! Even with a big build like this, I still learn a lot that I can use in smaller projects.

Wow that is beautiful!

I love it!! That looks so good!! It melds well with the hillside. It looks like a natural spring coming out of the hillside. Very good job!!

My favorite part is how everthing man made looking is well hidden. Sorta unrelated note but you got me back into fish. I'm loving my mini pond that I customized after following your video tutorial. I have a betta in it. My husband and I are already talking about building a pond in the backyard. It doesn't help that my favorite plant nursery also happens to sell koi and I stare at them and the beautiful ponds every time I go haha. Thanks for showing us all how possible it is to make beautiful, functional environments for our fish and other critters.

Came across your video. You did an amazing job!! Thanks for explaining step by step and cost in the end. Your parents must be loving their expanded pond!! God bless!

One of my fav projects you’ve ever done. Bravo sir!

In my opinion, the coolest project so far . Thanks for all details and prices !

Thank you Tanner. It looks awesome

16:19 Love the sound so much 🥰 Wish I could make this in my backyard.

It's a nice touch to include the cost of materials. I'm impressed with natural style of the pond and waterfall. Tanner you definitely have an artistic eye. 🙂

Incredible, thank you for sharing 🙏

Absolutely amazing bro. Years ago before my mom passed we thought she was coming home from the hospital, so I wanted to do something like this with her yard in the back to surprise her and lift her spirits. I started on it, but never finished in time for her to see it done unfortunately. But I took a bunch of the plants she had in and out of her home to raise and take care of at my home. I love taking care of them, imagining she knows I'm trying to do a good job keeping up with them like she did.😅😅😅 I'm a long time fan of your channel. All of your work is jus unbelievable. You're so artistic and creative. And your parents are blessed. Keep it up bro.

Wow! Amazing!

Omg that is amaizing! You did it perfect. First one was unreal and good but now ... i even do not find words. You progressed with time and now we all can see result. I am sure you parents are proud of you and your gorgeous work. I love it.

amazing work. so cool to see the process, and really appreciate that you included a cost breakdown

Tanner, I am gobsmacked. What an amazing artist. Love love love your work.

i love all those ecosistem created by the nature and by serpadesign😊

Beautiful work! I'm completely motivated to follow your build plan...thanks!

Wow, that's beautiful 😍