OT Thinking of an indoor fountain and koi pond

When we were house-hunting when we first moved here, we went thru a home that had this type of thing in the foyer. It was OFF, owner said it was too much work trying to keep it clean. So it just 'sat there' taking up unusable space. It does sound like it would be a perfect spot to grow orchids, if you're into that hobby :)

Butterfly (really not that much help)

Do you know if this owner was the one who originally had the pond? Or did he buy the house with it already there? That might make a difference in whether it was too much work or not. If he inherited it from a previous owner he might not have had the interest???

Leslie- not into orchids.... YET! & The Furbabies in MO.

Wow! What a great idea! We are also hoping to build this spring. We are in the design stage right now.... you've given me something else to think about! :) I've been thinking of where my outdoor pond will go. Hadn't thought about an indoor one. DH gets scared when I start thinking about changes. I just keep telling him changes are ok now. If I start thinking about changes after we have the blue prints done... then he can be scared. Type of rock -I would think a lot would depend on cost Amount of water flow I would think would depend on the available space and size of pond, you wouldn't want water spray getting outside the area designed for it. I love the idea of plants tucked in around it. In pots would probably be easier to keep up with and would prevent damage from the fish, but again would depend on the chosen plants. Let us know what you decide on, I'll be watching this thread with interest.

Marilyn in Alberta, Canada where we just had an overnight spring snowfall, just when it had finally dried up out side!

I love the idea of an indoor pond; but I wouldn't do it with pretend rock etc - I always think that looks too artificial, as you can never get really good artificial rock - real rock changes so much with/without water. If I did one, I would either do it with real rock (lightweight Tufa rock or some such) or do it with marble, glass and stainless steel

- my antidote to artificiality is stark modernism!! With glass etc, the lights could be in the water. I would be concerned that the whole of the water-containing part is in one-piece inside, with all the pretty 'stuff' outside.

Not much help, sorry! . In message , Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. writes

If I were you I would be talking with people who own/run fish stores and who own and sell fishponds! I would also be talking with zoo curators with knowledge about fish! Materials, depth, filtration, temperature, surface area, etc. are all critical to success, and the "fish folks" would know what is really needed. THEN go to your atchitect!

I dated a gentleman who purchased a house with a built-in fish pond that was about 3' by 4' and about 18" deep, which the previous owners had kept with wonderful fish (they had preferred orginary guppies, but it was built for koi). My friend was not interested in providing a snack buffet for his mother's cats on their regular visits, so rather than fish, he kept it drained, added several inches of river rock, and put potted plants in the space. Fortunately for when he sold the house, he had taken many very good photos of the pond as it had been kept with fish, so potential buyers could see it both ways.

Architect! teehee! I design and draw my own house plans, so that's not gonna happen! But your advice about seeking expert help is valid.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

The only suggestion I have, is to use an impermeable water barrier,such as a plastic or some other solid waterproof surface, on the underside of whatever rock surface you choose. What you don't want to happen is to have water somehow leeching through the rocks and whatever grouting you choose, and then causing dry rot in the wall area behind where you place the whole shebang. I earned a lot of money over the years repairing dry rot damage from improperly installed showers. Because, what you are describing is basically a single walled shower, with the water trickling down the surface, instead of spraying. The other thing to think about is access for plumbing repairs, from the rear side. You wouldn't want to have to take the nicely placed rocks off to find the problem with the plumbing that might develop behind the whole thing. Usually, an access door or panel can be faked in a wall behind the thing, without being too obtrusive.

John

I thought to have the walk-in pantry back up to the wall of rocks with an access panel. Good advice in your post! Thanks!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

The only suggestion I have, is to use an impermeable water barrier,such as a plastic or some other solid waterproof surface, on the underside of whatever rock surface you choose. What you don't want to happen is to have water somehow leeching through the rocks and whatever grouting you choose, and then causing dry rot in the wall area behind where you place the whole shebang. I earned a lot of money over the years repairing dry rot damage from improperly installed showers. Because, what you are describing is basically a single walled shower, with the water trickling down the surface, instead of spraying. The other thing to think about is access for plumbing repairs, from the rear side. You wouldn't want to have to take the nicely placed rocks off to find the problem with the plumbing that might develop behind the whole thing. Usually, an access door or panel can be faked in a wall behind the thing, without being too obtrusive.

John

Good thought- I plan to have a small house-attached greenhouse and had considered that location as second choice. It may become my first choice with the pond buried in the ground for the insulation factor. Thanks!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Sounds like a lovely idea. I would love to have something like that here, but I have 2 issues - no space and the cats would make a snack out of the fish. I hope to make room for a small indoor water feature when we remodel, but it is going to have to be fishless. I say first do your research so that it is built properly and also so you know just what you are getting into for work. Even if you enjoy it, it could still end up being too much (BTDT with my roses). See just what you are in for and perhaps adjust the size down if you think it may end up being too much that way you could still have it but it may make care more manageable. Just a thought.

Better drinking water than the toilet for the furbabies. I couldn't resist this! Sounds lovely. Gen

not to mention the extra humidity in the house getting into all your lovely dry stash. ewwwwwwww. nope i'd opt out of any 'indoor' water feature. j.

Maybe I'm too practical, but you may want to consider resale value. It strikes me that this is something that would actually detract from the value of the house for a lot of people, kind of like a swimming pool. As wonderful as swimming pools can be, they are a lot of work. It sounds like there might also be some maintenance concerns here.

Julia in MN

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Leslie & The Furbabies > I have had this idea haunting me for some time and want to toss it at y'all

Maybe it is not a great idea to put running water near where you would hear it often. The thing about constantly running water is that it causes many people to be constantly .....uh, visiting the facilities!

Tacky, perhaps, but someone needed to mention this! ANON in VA!

Hi Leslie, If the water is going to be less than 24" please don't put koi in there. A koi needs 1000 gallons for the first fish and 100 gallons for each additional fish, to be able to grow and develop properly. They will tolerate shallow water for awhile, but will start jumping and you'll end up with fish out of water. There are some very pretty goldfish that would do well in shallow water and are also very pretty. I have three ponds: one for just frogs, one for goldfish and another for koi. Bonnie NJ

Good info! I hadn't gotten that far in my research, so I wasn't aware of Koi and there environmental needs. Thanks! I'm sure glad I brought this idea to the quilting frame for some opinions and advice!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Hi Leslie, If the water is going to be less than 24" please don't put koi in there. A koi needs 1000 gallons for the first fish and 100 gallons for each additional fish, to be able to grow and develop properly. They will tolerate shallow water for awhile, but will start jumping and you'll end up with fish out of water. There are some very pretty goldfish that would do well in shallow water and are also very pretty. I have three ponds: one for just frogs, one for goldfish and another for koi. Bonnie NJ

He-he-he!! I did wonder about mentioning that, as I would be one of the first to keep leaving the 'party' >gg< Thanks PAT. You're great!! . In message , Pat in Virginia writes

One of my MIL's plant buddies had a small pond with a fountain in their greenhouse. She was ever talking about putting one in her attached greenhouse. In addition to being good for the plants (she actually did collect orchids) it was alleged to reduce the cost of heating the greenhouse. MIL never did get around to the pond, mostly because she figured out that the only way she could really do it would be to make the greenhouse bigger and that was a little more investment than would have come easily. Besides she had a rubber tree and a bird of paradise planted in the floor because they outgrew reasonable sized pots, making the logistics of renovation tricky.

NightMist