building

a fish pond

1. scope
This leaflet deals with the construction of a pond shell in Paving or planting
concrete. Aspects of pond design and maintenance such as
water circulation and filtration are not included and the
reader is advised to get specialist information on these at
Slope down
the design stage.

Bricks laid
2. introduction in mortar
The method described in this leaflet is suitable for ponds with
a diameter or length of up to about 5 metres.

Rim Pond shell

The floor and sides of the pond are formed by a fairly thin
continuous concrete shell which is lightly reinforced. No
additional waterproofing membrane is used and the concrete
shell serves as the water container. The surrounding soil is
relied on to support the shell when the pond is full of water.
For the system to work successfully it is important that: Curve in shell

• The pond is constructed in undisturbed subsoil and not

in filled soil. Figure 1: Details of edge of pond
• The concrete in the shell is thoroughly compacted to
ensure that it is free of voids.

5. excavating
Many ponds of this type have in recent years been constructed
Excavate in undisturbed sub-soil to the required size and shape
successfully both by professional landscapers and do-it-yourself
allowing for a total shell thickness of 40 to 50 mm. The water
enthusiasts.
depth should be at least 450 mm but 700 mm is preferred for
fish. The transition between side and bottom should be curved
3. making provision for rainwater runoff as shown in Figure 1 - sharp corners are difficult to build and
Rainwater which falls on the garden or paving surrounding the are weaker than curves.
pond must not be allowed to run into the pond. The area
immediately around the pond must therefore be sloped away 6. lining and evacuation
from the pond as shown in Figure 1. This is done to ensure that the mesh stays clean and concrete
used for the pond is not contaminated by soil.
4. edge detail
It is advisable to create a nearly horizontal (but sloping down Line the excavation with a coat of cement plaster about 15 mm
away from the pond) rim around the edge of the pond. This will thick using 1 part of cement to 6 parts of sand, both materials
serve to strengthen the shell. The rim can be left exposed but measured in a loose state. Use enough water in the mix to
will probably look better if it is covered with bricks or stones produce a workable, plastic consistence.
laid in mortar. See Figure 1.
7. spacer blocks 8. mesh
You will need at least 16 blocks for every square metre of pond Place two layers of galvanized chicken mesh (25 mm openings)
shell including the rim. Make spacer blocks of mortar and place against the spacer blocks to that the mesh is 15 mm clear of the
the head of a 75 mm nail in the centre of each block. Block size plaster lining. The twisted wires of the two layers should, as far
should be 15 mm thick by 30 mm by 30 mm. Block details are as possible, be at right angles to each other as shown in Figure
shown in Figure 2. 4. The edges of the mesh should be overlapped by at least 50
mm and laps staggered as far as possible. Ends of wires must be
twisted under the mesh and not be allowed to stick out.

75 mm nail

Mortar

15 mm

mm
30
30 mm
First layer Second layer
Figure 2: Details of spacer block

Mortar for spacer blocks should consist of a mixture of 1 part of

Figure 4: Orientation of mesh layers
cement, 1 part of coarse sand and just enough water to produce
a plastic consistence. After casting the blocks cover them with
Fix the mesh in position with hooks pushed through the
plastic sheeting for 24 hours to prevent drying out. Then cure
plaster as shown in Figure 5. The hooks can be made of 4 mm
them by keeping them under water for at least a week.
thick wire.
Fix spacer blocks about 250 mm apart in both directions and
by pushing the nail through the plaster lining into the soil as
shown in Figure 3.
2 layers mesh

Spacer block

Spacer block
Soil

4 mm wire
hook
15 mm

75 mm nail 15 mm plaster
lining to excavation

Figure 5: Fixing the mesh

The mesh must be continued into the rim at the edge of the
Figure 3: Plaster lining and spacer block
pond.
9. mixing the concrete Cover as soon as possible with plastic sheeting to ensure that
Concrete for the shell is mixed in the proportions: the concrete cures in a moist state. The plastic sheeting should
preferably be light coloured – white or clear – because dark
Cement complying with SABS ENV 197-1*; colours can cause heat to build up in the concrete. The pond
type CEM I or CEM IIA: 1 bag (50kg) can be filled slowly two days after placing the concrete but the
Coarse concrete sand: 60 l cover should remain in position until filling is complete. Parts of
Fine pit (plaster) sand: 20 l the concrete shell above the water level should be kept wet and
6 mm stone: 50 l covered for two weeks.
Potassium dichromate
or potassium chromate: 4g If filling has to be delayed, keep the cover over the shell for
at least two weeks during which time the concrete should be
plus enough water to give a plastic consistence similar to plaster. kept visibly wet.

* Note that it is illegal to sell cement not bearing the SABS mark. Change the water after it has been in the pond for a fortnight
before stocking with fish and plants. (Several water changes are
10. notes: better.)
• Batching of concrete materials must be done accurately.
• Do not mix more than a one-bag batch at a time. 12. quantities of materials
• Mixing may be done in a concrete mixer or by hand on A one-bag batch mixed to the proportions given above should
a concrete slab or steel plate. be sufficient to do about 3 m2 of shell.
• Chromate salt (potassium dichromate or potassium
chromate) is included in the mix to prevent the zinc 13. repairs
galvanizing layer on the mesh from reacting with the Drain the pond before attempting repairs. Cracks in the shell
cement and so impairing the bond between concrete can be repaired as follows:
and mesh.
(a) Cut out a band of concrete 15 mm deep by 150 mm wide
11. placing and curing the concrete along the crack so that the crack is in the centre of the
It is important to place the entire shell in one continuous band. Do not cut through the mesh.
operation to avoid creating joints which may become lines
of weakness. Make sure therefore that sufficient materials (b) Remove all loose material including dust from the area
and labour are available. which has been cut out. if possible use an industrial
vacuum cleaner to do this.
Before starting to place the concrete remove any foreign
objects or debris such as leaves, twigs, soil lumps, etc from (c) Fix a 140 mm wide strip of galvanised mesh (25 mm or
the excavation. preferably 13 mm openings) to the existing mesh where
the concrete has been cut out.
Concrete placing should be done in the shade if at all possible.
(d) Prime the back and sides of the groove with a mixture of
Using a plasterer’s trowel with the corners rounded off, press cement and water made to the consistence of thin cream.
the concrete through the mesh, filling up to the mesh and The priming coat must be applied in a very thin layer. Do
removing the wire hooks as placing progresses. not pre-wet the concrete before priming.

Apply immediately afterwards another 15 mm of concrete (e) Immediately afterwards, before the priming coat can dry
over the mesh so that the total concrete thickness is 30 mm. out, pack a fairly dry mixture of 1 part cement and 2 parts
It is very important to press the concrete firmly into position sand into the groove. The sand should be fairly coarse sand
to compact it thoroughly. which has been passed through a 2,36 mm sieve. Compact
the patch using an orbital sander, fitted with a smooth steel
Wood float the concrete to give a fairly rough texture. If a plate on the surface, filling any low areas and scraping off
smooth texture is required, use a steel trowel but only after the high areas.
concrete has started to stiffen. Do not trowel if a layer of water
is covering the surface of the concrete. If placing is not done in (f ) Keep the patch damp until the pond is filled.
the shade keep the surface of the concrete moist by spraying
lightly but frequently with water using a gardener’s mist
sprayer. Use only enough water to maintain a sheen on
the surface.
 cement & concrete institute
po box 168, halfway house, 1685
block d, lone creek, waterfall park, bekker road, midrand
tel 011 315 0300 • fax 011 315 0584 • e-mail [email protected] • website http://www.cnci.org.za
published by the cement & concrete institute, midrand, 2009.
© cement & concrete institute