I had kept an on line diary while planning and building my pond. I have condensed it to save space and moved it here. It is from last to first so it reads best from bottom to top.  

1/04/02
We are about six weeks along.  The well comes on six times a day for an hour to an hour and a half. Every four hours I am adding over 2,000 gallons of new water. This has kept the break in mild, I have only seen trace levels of nitrite.

12/12/01
It has been 3 and 1/2 weeks for the fish. I only tested  + for Ammonia once and that was minimal. Last weekend I added Moms used Aqadyne 2.2 filter. It is half the size of the Aquaultraviolet.  Waiting for the filters to cycle. Adding lots of water from the well.

12/9/01
Happy fish.

12/04/01
Passed the final inspection today. I was worried that the inspectors would object to fish in a pool. I have decided to label it a "Show Pond". All the inspectors are like most people when they see it, total shock. The first question is " are you going to swim in it"?  The next are about the fish then they leave stunned, checking very little.

12/01/01

After one week I just tested trace amounts of ammonia.  Only five more weeks of break in.    

1/27/01

We have passed inspections by Building and Public Works with the fish in the pond. These are I am told the toughest to pass and they seemed to like the fish. If anything the did not care one way or the other. Here is a  pick.
 

11/25/01
Back to the lake, to get my fish.
Catch them again, my only wish.

Are they still there? What do you figure?
They are still there, and they are bigger.

They may have got bigger but, they are not dumb.
This is hard work, it is not much fun.

Too many fish, so I leave some behind.
There they still are, for someone to find.

In the new pond, they swim in a school.
I think they know, it is really a pool.

It looks so nice, it could not be finer.
Water from the Well is hooked to a timer.

Never before have they swam this deep.
Leave them alone I need some sleep.

I wake up at six to the sounds of dogs barking.
Something is wrong they don't bark at nothing.

The timer was set to come on at four thirty.
The Shiro Bekko jumped out into the sand it got dirty.

Wow what a sight it really was awesome.
All covered in sand she looked like a Possum.

The lucky part is, the fish was still moving.
So I threw it back in and the fish is still grooving.

I can't say Koi Keeping is boring.
How exciting in the morning.

11/23/01
I am going to stock this pond tomorrow. I am going to the lake and start bringing my fish home. 30 koi 10 Plecos and 100 Cichlids to start. The water has only been in the pond a week. I have  Pissed in it for good luck. Hopefully the well will bail me out of trouble until the filters cycle.

11/22/01

Two separate Air Pumps and stones may be more than I need. Here it is on continuous fill. Fish ready I hope. 

11/20/01
Passed final inspections for Plumbing and electrical. Still need to pass Zoning and Public Works

11/16/01
Black pool paint for looks. Look how deep. Erika is 5'10" tall. Paver bricks are done.

11/08/01

  I have one and a half coats of "Ugl's" "Dry Lock" paint on. This stuff is great. It almost has the consistency of roofing tar. You can roll it but brushing two coats first is recommended. It fills all the holes and bumps. If you put enough on it will make a rough concrete surface smooth like it had been plastered. Ugl's "Dry Lock"is made for drinking water containers, sisterns, fountains and fish ponds. It is latex and has that rubbery feel. It may get harder when it dries. Seven days before it can be used. It looks so nice I almost do not want to but black paint on top. Four more gallons should finish it. At $17.00 each for 15 gallons it will cost under $300.00 with brushes, rollers and top coat to properly seal a 300 sq/ft pond. At 100sq/ft of coverage per gallon that is 1500 sq/ft of total area. The other pond paints cost as much as $100.00 a gallon maybe with primer, and try and guess just how much to buy. Ugl's "Dry Lock" is $17.00 a can and is in most hardware stores. A year from now it won't matter anyway. The growth and hard water deposits covers everything. Why spend $2,000.00 on paint?

10/31/01
The piping has passed inspection, but we still need to do the finish plumbing. Pump and filter. The tile is done and the inside has been acid washed. This weekend I hope to finish the painting and my piping. The two separate 1/2 inch lines for air stones and the 1 inch line for the well into the pond. All just under the coping. One bonus is they thought I was putting in a water fall so they ran an extra 2 inch line for a future water fall. 

10/28/01
Moved a Ton of fish today, this is Me and my Doits Aka Matsuba "Zeus"

10/26/01
This weekend we have a Fish Rodeo.
Soon, when you go to Baptist hospital in Kendal you will see me feeding my fish.  Some I have taught to feed from my hand and this should come in handy. 
Moving all your fish in one shot is called a "Fish Rodeo". I will be a "Koi Cowboy".
Yippee Hi O Hi Yay! (Japanese for heard the Kohakus first).

Moving all my koi real soon. 
To a lake, at night, under cover of the moon. 

Riding on a horse named "Toots". 
I will need my hat and wading boots. 

Off they go to roam free. 
No one knows just you and me. 

Koi do not make a sound. 
They will hide and not be found.  

Then one day when I return. 
They will do the tricks they learned. 

With some food placed in my hand. 
They will eat on my command. 

One by one I will catch them all. 
Except the ones that are still too small. 

I will wait until they get bigger.
Then can catch them too at least I figure. 

When you are out late at night and by a lake you see a light.  
Just remember, the Showa bites!

 The 3500psi concrete mix coming out of the pump/blower. It was finished in one hour.
       

10/07/01
Steel and in pond piping. Drain lines must pass a pressure test. Skimmers are installed. Electric service, timer and under water light's transformer are ready.
 

10/04/01
Erika shows us her form.
 

10/03/01
My wife said "Is it big enough for you?" Duh!
 
The Dry well is nine feet deep and filled with gravel. The next step is forming the metal rebar and mesh. The two 12x12 bottom drains go in first. 

10/01/01 
"Look What the dog dig to the yard!" This is the biggest hoe that would fit. It is the small one. It towers over the house. The hole is dug one truck load at a time. Easy digging. We hit the water table at six feet. Hopefully a seven foot dry well will handle the pond.  
    

9/24/01
Layout for excavation.
"HEY! Erika. Get out of the pond, It's not finished yet."

9/21/01
The Plan This was the first sketch. It was used it to mark the paver deck we decided to add.