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

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

I built my own pond and loved figuring this out on my own. But I made a lot of mistakes along the way. Your videos are awesome and I am grateful for all the helpful tips and trade secrets you share. I have been inspired to re-do my pond and fix my DIY mistakes. I should have used underlayment and could have excavated better to take full advantage of using rock to line the inside of the pond. I understand the comments given about taking up too much space with the rock. I had the same concerns. BUT in hind site I would recommend digging a bigger hole, buying a larger liner, and buying the stone. It looks a 100 times better. take the extra time and spend the extra money you'll be glad you did. Your videos are among the best! Super grateful.

We do have a good time building. Building ponds is a very rewarding career!

Yo dude This is some bad ass stuff it doesn't get better then you and and your crew Eric , unbelievable. I am still humbled by the man you are. Run for president . seriously Eric. Thanks for your camaraderie through the years . no other company or seo comes close to your integrity. You are right there with Ronald Reagan. you have the gift to make a huge impact on this world and beyond. look past your blinders. you gace a higher calling... no bullshit!

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

You are absolutely correct. I'll have to call this one Koi Cave since it dead ends. Tunnels are great. We are installing a couple tunnels on a large koi pond project we are installing this month in San Bernardino.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. Being an older Geek, I have to pace myself, did some digging yesterday, it is starting to take shape, Having problems running into some roots from trees, have to work around that issue. Thank you again for responding. Nice work on the videos.

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

Ok keep it rocking and rolling, ThePondDigger ROCKS!

Thanks Marc for the tip for all the Austin Pond Builders!

Hey Gumper! I love your passion. Don't stop! The Pond Digger

I don't know if I'll ever build a pond in my garden (I'm thinking about it) but I wanted to tell you that I found this video great in every aspect. Thank you for sharing with us your knowledge, experience and tips&tricks. I really admire people with skills that share them with others.

Looks like we've done our job with you. Inspiration! We are poised to help you at what ever level you need. Just say the word!

great idea with pvc tunnel/cave

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

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.

Thanks socalpondpros! You're to kind! Let's keep rocking!

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

Rocks RULE! The Pond Digger

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

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

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.

The cave is a great idea, i'm going to put that in my pond now, big thanks

The liner is very easy to patch so you would not need to replace the entire piece of liner. There is a procedure you need to follow to find the leak. Sounds like a great video!!

Awesome!!! Thanks for the great tips and vid !

I can hardly wait myself! Seriously! The Pond Digger

No college here. Just the school of hard knocks. Show up with passion and you will find a path to succeed.

great info.. thanks

Many contractors using concrete end up using liner below the pond as a water proofing. Concrete will not hold water unless you paint on a sealant or plaster on top of the concrete. The paint on sealant needs to be redone every few years. The advantage of using liner is you have a faster and less expensive installation.

I have been thinking about building a pond.... U gave a idea! Thanks!!!

Awesome ! I love ROCKS !

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

man, you guys are pond building MONSTERS!!! Keep up the good work!

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

great video. Very insightful.

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

I love how you guys do all of this I would love to work with guys one day

Thanks so much!

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

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

Looking forward to seeing your pond on video.

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!

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.

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

Great love the vids!

Jeff is super rad!!!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Thank you!

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

Thank you for the feedback. Koi can be kept outdoors during the winter months. We have ponds in Big Bear California where we get plenty of snow! Our outdoor koi do just fine with provisions to protect the pond from freezing over on the top.

Would love to see this pond finished!

I like the cave idea.

Thanks for pitching in....

Thanks!

Thank you for that feedback.

We have used expanding foam in ponds for over 15 years without incident. After a few years the foam will loosen up a bit but can be touched up seasonally during spring pond care.

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.

I'm not sure I really understand your question. We are bringing an element of nature into the backyards of the people. Helping the world Reconnecting with nature is quite possibly the most rewarding job I can think of. It is a great pleasure for our organization to do this day after day.

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!

Interesting. I'll have to look into that voice comparison. Thanks for the feedback!

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for chiming in and clarifying what happened with your account! Rock On!

Master !!!!! Gurú !!!!! Thanks alot !!!!

Great!

Nice job ,thanks for the video learned alot

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

Hey MortalBane you can see this pond completed in our video "How To Build A Waterfall" PT 2. Hit me up if you need a link to the video. Thanks for watching!

now i want a koi pond in my backyard

great tips! subscribed :)

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

Man cannot live on Beer and BBQ alone. :)

You should be able to find the foam if you look up Black Waterfall Foam. We have it listed in our online store so you should find dozens of places that offer it for sale

Have you installed your pond yet? Cost would depend on the size pond and the life support system you choose. There are many different construction styles to choose from all with different cost considerations.

We don't put rock on the sides of every pond but most of our installations are rocked in. The Rocks on the side walls provide stability to the excavation. Our clients will either pull eggs from the pond if they are interested in raising fry or let the fry grow up in the pond between all the rocks. Both ways are fun. This pond is designed as an eco-system so it relies on plants and beneficial bacteria to keep the pond balanced.

im glad i followed your advise on using fishtunles my fish almost got eaten by a crane

We use 45 mil rubber liner. It's incredibly durable. 20 yr manufacture's warranty and a 50 yr life expectancy. Easy to patch and repair if needed.

Great! Get down to it.

man i would love to work for you guys this looks fun and also when finished you have a beautiful masterpiece

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

Thank you for your concern.

good!!!!!!!!!

super

Check out our How TO build a Waterfall Pt 2 to see footage of this pond complete. We use fabric onto of the liner under rock work when we are dealing with very large boulders. Typically if we are moving a rock with one or two men (with smooth rock) the extra geotextile fabric on top of the liner is not necessary.

The foam applicator is used to direct water in a waterfall and often times we will use it while stacking vertical walls to secure the stonework. There is probably 8 to 10 grand in pond equipment and stone in this water feature. It's been a long time since we installed this one so I'm going off a memory...

Thank you! Maybe one day we can build a pond together, you never know!

Sonnies oh You are so good. I am at the last month of winter but will not tell where and am in the middle of a much smaller job to join 2 Ponds with the same liner and not as good Rocks than you have. Like to watch You a lot the Glue Gun I do not have but am 80y old. The Youngsters are not in your class and my pay needs effort. That they do not have!

The liner we use for professional installation is currently running about a buck a square foot. We do have a great deal of people moving towards Aquaponics and use the pond liner as a resource to make tanks both in ground and above ground.

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

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

youre a hero. i'd love to work for you if i lived anywhere near your territory.

@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.

Great tip about the tunnel- I don't know if they exist ecerywhere, but in Austin we have a Habitat for Humanity store that sells construction/remodeling salvage and they sell pieces like you used for very little. Just in case you can't find a free one when you need it. Thanks for the very helpful videos!

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

@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!

Hi Eric, if you dig out a section for a fish cave, why do you need that large pipe? Couldn't you just a put a piece of slate over the top and secure it with boulders?

Go Jeff! WUHU!

You guys are the best and I learned a ton from you guys building my pond. I also just purchased The Pond Digger Liquid Beneficial Bacteria, All-Season Beneficial Pond Bacteria, and Liquid Barley Straw Extract. I'm excited to give those products a go. Question: That tunnel appears to be pretty small. Would a tunnel like that hold up to 10 medium sized koi fish?

I would love to see Finished product on this one☝️

de mais um dia ainda quero um desses em minha casa. Parabéns

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