Fish pond design in Boise, Idaho

Fish pond design in Boise is where a pond either sets itself up to work or sets itself up for trouble. Most of the problems I see in older ponds started on paper, or with no paper at all. The pond sits under a tree that fills it with leaves. It's too shallow for fish to make it through winter. Or it's tucked in a back corner where nobody sees it. People tell me, "I wish I'd thought about that before we dug." Fish pond design is where you think about it.

I'm Kabe Hockema. I design and build fish ponds myself, using Aquascape components and the ecosystem approach. The design comes first, and it shapes everything I build after.

Starting with how you'll use the pond

Before I talk about size or shape, I ask a few questions:

• Where do you spend time outside, and where do you look out from inside?
• Do you want to sit right at the water's edge, or watch from the patio?
• What fish do you want? A few goldfish, or a group of koi?
• Do you have small kids or dogs that will be around the water?
• How much time do you want to spend caring for it?

The answers change the plan. A pond for watching from the kitchen window gets placed and shaped differently than a pond you plan to sit beside every evening.

Picking the spot

The location decides a lot about how easy the pond is to live with.

• Sun and shade. Some sun helps water plants bloom. Full afternoon sun in a Boise summer heats the water and feeds algae. Partial shade in the afternoon is often a good balance.
• Trees. Deciduous trees drop leaves that sink and rot. I keep ponds out from under them when I can.
• Low spots. Rain and sprinkler runoff carry dirt and lawn fertilizer into a pond. I avoid spots where water drains toward the pond.
• Power and water. The pump needs a GFCI outlet nearby, and a hose bib or auto-fill line makes summer top-offs easy.
• Utilities. Buried lines get marked before any dig.

Size, depth and shape

A bigger pond is often easier to keep stable than a tiny one, because more water changes temperature more slowly. For fish, depth matters as much as size. Fish need a deep zone where the water stays warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Koi need more depth than goldfish. If koi are in the plan, my koi pond installation page covers their needs in detail.

Shape matters too. I design ponds with plant shelves around the edges and a deeper area in the middle, with natural curves instead of a perfect circle or kidney bean. Sides near the fish areas stay steep so herons and raccoons can't wade in.

Designing for fish health

A fish pond is a small ecosystem, and the design has to support it:

• Filtration. A skimmer at one end and a biofalls filter at the other, so water moves across the whole pond.
• Oxygen. A waterfall or stream adds oxygen, which fish need most in hot weather.
• Hiding spots. Fish caves and overhanging stones give fish a safe place when a heron shows up.
• Winter plan. A spot for a de-icer or aerator to keep a hole open in the ice.
• Fish count. I plan the filter around how many fish you want when they're full grown.

Planting plan

Plants are part of the filter. They pull nutrients out of the water that algae would otherwise use. I design for a mix: water lilies to shade the surface, marginal plants on the shelves, and plants that hold up to Idaho winters. You can read more on my aquatic plant installation page.

From design to build

Once the design is set, I build it myself. If you want something truly one of a kind, like an unusual shape or a pond tied into a larger patio project, my custom pond design page explains that process. For pond design as part of a bigger yard plan, see my landscape plans page. And for every pond service I offer, visit the main pond contractor page.

What drives the cost

• Pond size and depth.
• Type and number of fish, which sets the size of the filter.
• Waterfalls and streams you want with it.
• Site conditions like slope, rocky ground in the foothills, or compacted fill in a newer subdivision.
• Extras like lighting, seating or a patio at the water's edge.

My published starting price for an 8' x 11' Aquascape system pond with a waterfall is $15,500. Your design tells us how far from that your pond will land.

Areas I design for

I design fish ponds in Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Star, Middleton, Kuna, Garden City, Hidden Springs, Sun Valley and Ketchum. I'm on every project from the first meeting to the last plant.

Start your fish pond design in Boise

If you're ready for fish pond design in Boise, the first step is a walk through your yard together. Schedule a consultation or call (541) 961-7269, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.