Having decided on your pond style the next task is to decide what shape you would like your pond to be. This section is very important as the shape of your pond needs to allow good continuous water flow so that there are no stagnant areas of water that will harbour waste build up to which will cause problems to the water quality and health of the fish stocks.
Pond shape will of course depend on the available space you have for your pond. A square or rectangular pond can be made using box welded liners, these liners are literally made as a box is, and means there are no folds or creases that will trap waste which will inevitably cause water quality problems. A more intricate shaped pond will have creases and folds and on construction it is important to keep these down to a minimum and even seal them down so not to form a trap for waste and harmful toxins to form.
The shape of your pond is a choice of your own and as long as you keep in mind that you need continuous water circulation and no areas of stagnant water you will have a healthy pond enviroment.
Another aspect of pond shape to remember is the harsh winters and the thought of covers over the pond. A rectangular pond is far easier to cover over than an intricate shaped pond. It has become very popular to heat koi ponds during the winter months and to do this correctly the whole pond has to be covered only leaving a small vent to allow the pond to release the gases. The thinking is basic warm air rises so heating a pond with no covers is going to cost the pond owner alot of money, add the cover to keep the heat in and a pond can comfortably keep above freezing and even higher depending on the heating system and the covers used. Pond covers are a section Splashtastic are working on and will display various options in the next coming weeks.
