How to Build a Fish Pond With Concrete

Outdoor fish ponds allow for larger fish than small tanks

Building an outdoor fish pond can give hours of enjoyment especially if you live in a part of the country where the weather does not get cold for long periods of time. Once the concrete frame hardens additional intakes and outflows can be added. This is a project that will take time because of the drying aspect of the concrete. This design is for a four foot wide by four foot long and two foot deep pond. This is a very standard size.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• 4 Four foot long 2 by 4s
• 4 Four foot long by 2 1/2 feet high 1 inch thick plywood
• 2 inch nails
• 10 Bags of concrete
• 5 Bucket to mix concrete
• Hammer
• Trowel

Instructions

Building a Cement Fish Pond

1. Dig a hole 52 inches long, 52 inches wide and 28 inches deep. Scrape down the sides so that they are smooth.

2. Build the frame for the bottom. Nail the two by fours together at the ends to form a four foot by four foot square. You will have to overlap each end in order to create a perfect square. Use at least three nails. Place the square in the bottom of the hole.

3. Mix the concrete in a bucket. Mix only one bag at a time so that it will not harden and you will not have any extra left over. Pour the concete into the frame. Continue doing this until the frame is filled to a height of four inches. Allow to dry.

4. Build the plywood frame for the walls. This is done by nailing the ends together. You will have to overlap each end in order to create a perfect square. Use at least three nails so the weight of the concrete will not cause it to break. The earth around the frame will provide the other support for the wall frame. That is why it was smoothed when it was dug. Place the frame in the hole on the concrete slab at the bottom.

5. Mix and pour the concrete along the wall edges. When all of the walls are built to aboout 24 to 26 inches level them off with the trowel. Allow to dry for a few hours. You can then start removing the wall frame. Starting in a corner, strike with a hammer. This will loosen the nails so you can pull the plywood off. It may take a few strikes.

References

• The Simple Guide to Garden Ponds"; Terry Anne Barber; 2002