How big? (Length, width, depth, gallons)
Will it have a bottom drain?
Please say no to rocks on the bottom (hard to keep clean and the bottom will be covered with good algae in a short time anyway).
Do you want plants? Fish? What kind?
Is the pond in shade or sun?

More info will help with the answers :)

Happy Holidays!

Since Aquascape is a franchise, unless they have made changes, it is hard to judge what the results will be. I would check the BBB and get references. Ditto to Sarah on the rock bottom. Sandy

Thanks for your responses, sheepco & sleepless!

Size? The current pond is about 6.5-7 ft. long & 4.5 ft. wide, so I guess comparable to that. He did say it would be rounder, less of an oval shape.

Fish? We currently have koi & large & small goldfish ( 12 fish total).

Drain? I don't know!

Plants? Yes, we have plants & get more in the summer.

Shade? Part shade, close to a pine tree (!) which is unavoidable in our yard.

No rocks, huh? Everyone here says we should have rocks on the bottom (current pond does not have). Dh wants a way to protect fish from heron attacks, & wants terra cotta tubes placed around the bottom to create hiding places for the fish. 1 koi & 5 large goldfish were stolen last yr. by a large heron. We currently have a net over the pond but it is ugly! This guy seemed to think we could lose the net & still protect the fish in this other manner.

Any other thoughts, suggestions, advice would be appreciated! Thanks! BTW, we live in southeastern VA if that matters.

Here are some photos of the existing pond:

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would like to relocate pond to area in front of shrubs seen in this pic

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would like to get rid of that 'sidewalk to nowhere' & put in charcoal pavers around the pond. Notice the area under the windows? Walking over there is treacherous! Sorry about all the pine needles. I can't keep them swept up!

{{gwi:237012}}

Your pond seems a bit on the small side for koi. Since you are re-doing the pond anyway, why not enlarge it to somewhere around a thousand gallons so your koi have some room to swim.

As one who's "been there, done that", I'd like to weigh in on this thread.

My system is not an Aquascape system, but similar in that it had rocks stacked up the sides and pebbles on the bottom, no bottom drain. If I had it to do over again!

Rocks cost a small fortune, and you'll probably want to pull them out anyway after a few years of trying to keep it clean. Believe me, draining the pond and power washing the rocks is not a fun task. Do yourself a favor and don't put them in. I removed all the rocks from my pond this past summer, and it was a backbreaking job, plus I had to find a new home for most of the rocks.

I would also go bigger. I rebuilt my pond just this past spring, making it bigger and deeper, and I'm already wishing I'd made it even bigger than it is. Use the money you're saving on the rocks to get a bigger liner and if you can't go longer and wider, then go deeper. A lot of people like plant shelves, but you're just asking for predators when you do that. Without shelves, the deeper water (At least three feet) will help protect the fish from herons and predators. Hiding places is a good idea, plus you can put in some water lilies. The pads will help hide the fish as well.

Pond owner for 8 years and I say go natural with rocks on the bottom (not too small mind you). Never seen a pond or stream in nature without them. Just my opinion...

Toofast, you obviously don't live near me. People who haul in rocks to sell must make a fortune here in Fort Wayne. So do the concrete and paving stone suppliers. I had the same problem in Lorain, Ohio and Beaumont, Texas. Lots of water in streams and rivers and canals but nary a stone to be seen. My sister has a similar problem in Raleigh.
Just because they look natural to you doesn't mean they are a good thing. The natural rock in central Wisconsin caused us endless problems. Stones on the bottom of man-made ponds is nothing but trouble, IMO. Sandy

Larry, Nancy, toofast, thanks for your replies!

I'm learning that the "rock issue" is very controversial! Here, most people are not "pro-rock!" Good to know.

I want my investment to result in a more maintenance-friendly pond, otherwise, there's no sense in going forward with changes.

Nancy, yes, I've learned that rocks do cost a fortune, so if it's fine to eliminate them, I'll save some money... $175.00 a ton, x 2.

What do you all think about moving the pond over in front of the shrubs? It's hard for me to visualize the space where the pond currently is, without the pond, but I'm thinking pavers interspersed with a small amount of plantings & maybe a bench or chair to place in front of my unsightly utility meter & pipes! It's a little scary to make such a major transition. I would call in a different person to install the pavers as this pond person's price on that is double someone else I found who only installs pavers.

Again, thanks for the feedback! If you have any other thoughts or suggestions, please share!

Yup, rocks in the pond are controversial on most sites, and I must add that what works for some will not work for others. There are some on this site who have had rocks for years and can't imagine their ponds without them. Some, however, like me, end up removing them. I used to be one of those rock-people and didn't think I would like the pond without them. But removing the tons of rocks increased my water volume tremendously, giving my fish more space. And the carpet of algae on the bottom and sides gives it a natural look.

The key to having rocks in the bottom is to not overstock, and that's where many ponders have a problem. Even if you don't overpopulate from the start, the fish will spawn and you'll find yourself with a swarm of babies. I was not overstocked until the spawn last spring, and the rocks provided ample cover for the eggs to incubate between them. The fish ate the eggs they could reach, so I'm hoping without the rocks, perhaps it will be easier for the fish to eat the eggs and for me to clean them up. It is sometimes hard to rehome the babies.

Is that a sunroom behind the pond in the first picture? I didn't notice the meter until you pointed it out. I think the pond will look very good in front of the shrubs.

Hi Nancy! Thanks again for the info.

Yes, that's a sunroom. Here's a pic of it inside:

{{gwi:237013}}

That's lovely! I wish I had room for a sunroom. Maybe when my "ship" comes in, LOL. I bet you really enjoy it.

If you are going to have rocks on the bottom you have to have water flowing over them like a fast moving stream. This takes a lot of electricity. I prefer rocks stacked around the edges and a bare bottom. I would ask your pond installer for some references. If he does good work he would be more than happy to do this. And most people with ponds are more than happy to show them.If he has mostly unhappy customers, he won't have much to say.

Thanks for your reply, sprager. I do believe that this person seems to have a thriving business, even in this economy, & his website is very impressive. Of course, I will not be getting anything as elaborate as the ponds pictured on his site, but I suppose it shows the scope of his work.

For those interested, the website is www.gentlerain.com. This is not spam! I'm not advertising for anyone! Just including the site as one more tidbit of info as I seek guidance for my project.

Thanks for any & all feedback. It is appreciated!

Hmmm...wonder how much that maintenance program costs to keep those rocks clean? The short layer of algae that covers the bottom and sides of my pond, as well as the pots, pump, hoses and lights would camoflage any rocks in my pond.

I had rocks my first year - took them all out the second, too hard to clean between, but that's just me.

I like your new location!

Hi Sheepco, thanks for checking back! Guess you're referring to something on the website? Yeah, they will come & clean every year, but as Nancy pointed out, there are other issues involved that make rocks a less desirable feature, yes?

Now I'm between a rock & a hard place myself (lol!) due to the fact that I have 2 estimates that are neck & neck price wise. #1 is from the guy who has the website I listed above. He seems to have a great business going. He's a "clean-cut" guy, college-educated, looks like someone off a Wheaties box. #2 Seems to be going through rough times w/his business. He told me he could use the business. He looked tired & kind of, well, "beaten up." However, he did know his pond stuff. I was impressed w/his knowledge base, & I know his business has done quite well in the past. Currently, his website has been disabled. Don't think he has the funds to keep it going.

Who to choose, the guy who seems to have it all together, (but does that really matter) or the guy who needs the work, & is probably just as competent, but seems less successful, which raises a little red flag?

Appreciate your replies! Thanks, Merry Christmas Eve to all you pond people! If you don't celebrate that, enjoy whatever you celebrate!

Start by making a list of pro's and con's for each. And boy, like sleepless said, I would sure get a couple references from each in your area, AND then CALL THEM! before you decide.

Happy Holidays to you too! S

Now I'm going to offend someone. A clean cut, college educated guy, you say, compared to a beat-up guy whose business could be in trouble. Oh,I'm going to get jumped on for this. I got into trouble with DH over his method of choosing a roofing contractor for the exact reasons I'm going to lay out for you. The damages from our new roof look like they are going to cost at least $3,000 and I am not too happy about it. I've kept my mouth shut but it gets harder every day.
You have a contractor whose business is, by his own admission, having problems. Most contractors are probably honest. If he is honest about having problems, his warranties are worthless. What does his contract say? If it isn't on paper it isn't worth the paper it is written on and if he goes bankrupt, it won't matter if he is honest. His subcontractors will be looking to you for payment and will have no hesitation about slapping a lien on your property. Has he always been a pond builder or was he some other type of contractor before he started this business? Ponds are not just the same as other kinds of construction as many builders/contractors have discovered. What kind of license is he required to have where you live to build ponds and is his license up to date? Does he warrant all new materials and mechanicals? Is he likely to make substitutions with the comment "It's just as good." when you know it isn't? I've had contractors try to substitute cedar or even pine for redwood because they thought I didn't know the difference. I would be concerned if he doesn't know bottom drains. And if I was planning on paying someone to put in the pond, it would be a minimum of 1000 gallons. That is the size of mine and I dug it all by my lonesome and plan to enlarge it when I get healthy again.
Now for your clean-cut, college educated, Wheaties model. What kind of experience does he have. What kind of degree does he have? I sure wouldn't want someone doing any work for me if it was just a hobby or to pay his bills until he can get a job in his own field. If he is a recent graduate, how many ponds has he actually built as the contractor, not just someone wielding a shovel or hauling stone? How long has he been in business? Does he own the business? The web-site says the business is 40 years old so is he just a salesman for the company? It looks to me as if he might be soliciting referrals for the company at $100 each for a contract if he is a young guy. The same questions about licenses as for guy #1. Same questions about materials and mechanicals, contracts and warranties. I would want to know just how he is connected to the company. If he is a company employee, it is no surprise he looks good. Salesmen don't usually look anything like contractors. Contractors who own a company that size don't normally show up to give an estimate for a job as small as your pond would be.
Ummm, am I still allowed on this forum? I do know some trustworthy and well groomed contractors. Sandy (Sleepless)

I think you made some good points, and lots of good questions to ask both guys. S

Hey sleepless & sheepco!

Thanks sleepless for the well-thought-out reply. I know of no reason why anyone would want to boot you out for any of your remarks!

Actually, the "Wheaties guy" is the president of the company! It's a family-run business, started in 1966 which this guy took over from his dad.

The other fellow said he'd e-mail me the estimate but dropped it off at my door instead. He rang the bell, but I was still in my jammies(!) so I didn't answer & he left it. He called me 1/2 an hr. later to see if I got it. I didn't answer the phone. He called me the next day (xmas eve) to see if I got it. I did speak to him & told him yes, I had, but was too busy to read it, I'd be in touch. You can see the desperation. Hey, I understand, nothing wrong w/wanting to earn a living, but I feel a little creepy about it too. If I don't hire him, I might feel guilty. I do think he's competent, I just think the other guy's business seems more professional, for example, he did list warranties on his estimate for various components.

This is tough! I really have some decisions to make (never my forte!) Merry day everybody, & thanks again for the feedback.

I forgot to suggest one very important question. That is how many ponds did each company put in last year. I see the main business for the Gentlerain company is installing irrigation systems. I would like that guy a lot better if I knew he had worked his way up in the business to earn his college expenses. There is a big difference between Rainbirds and ponds. Sandy

I hear you Sleepless! GR does install a lot of ponds and they install & lot of hardscaping--patios, paver paths, etc. The other guy has the same list of services on his card--"irrigation, pond installation/maintenance, hardscaping." SO...it all still boggles the mind! (I need a paver patio installed btw, but will not have either of these guys do it, as I found a brick layer who will do it for 1/2 the price these guys charge, & he's really good, have seen his work!)

I'm going to call the GR guy Monday & ask him a few questions, the first of which will be what pond size is he proposing? The estimate offers no dimensions! The other guy is talking about an 8x11 pond. ( My current pond is a bit smaller than that; we're probably going to double our gallons of water with this size.) Other than that, most of the components are quite similar & the prices are too ( if the pond size is comparable).

I also need to call the utility co. to come out & make sure the spot I picked out doesn't have gas, electrical or other lines running underneath it! I can't move forward w/this if that is the case...will have to come up w/plan b! Should know the answer within the week, as "Miss Utility" is pretty good at getting to work quickly.

Thanks again for your thoughts, Sleepless...& hey, get some sleep!

What are the pros & cons of having a drain?

Is a net still the best way to keep herons from stealing my fish, or is there a more aesthetically pleasing way to prevent thievery?

What are the features I should definitely be incorporating into the new pond? What others should I be avoiding like the plague?(Heard about rocks, are there others?)

Thanks again!

If you sign a contract to have a pond installed, for your protection it will be important to include the details in the document. Dimensions, depth, design and lay-out, maybe even types of rocks should be specified. There have been posts here in the past by ponders who were badly burned by unscrupulous contractors who built smaller or shallower ponds than agreed verbally (and even contractually). A simple drawing is a help too.

If you have a vision of, a dream, an ideal for your pond, then you need to share that with the contractor and make sure your vision is clearly understood. Otherwise, you will get the contractor's version of a nice pond and it might be different and disappointing--or maybe even better!

Search around in the archives and you will find some cautionaries, some quite sad.

You have a nice location and fine potential--get some references, take a look, protect yourself.

Mike

Thanks, mgeca.

I used to live in PA...for 14 yrs.! There are things I miss about it, but not shoveling snow! Hope you're having a mild winter where you are.

Hope I did not miss something in previous post. But here is my $.02 worth.

Be careful of Aquascape dealers. They will INSIST on doing the pond their way. Including all the rocks. They want to keep it that way so you will go to them for the yearly maintanence. I used their product but did my own install. It has been a couple of years since but the Aquascape pump I bought failed before the warrenty was up and the replacement failed again before a year. Replaced that one with something else rather than take a chance on another of theirs

Thanks tomkaren! If not aquascape products, then what? Both guys I spoke with use those products.

I fully expect that especially guy #1 will try to talk me into having rocks, but I'm fully prepared to stick to my guns & insist that I don't want them (based on what I've learned here.) I think on his estimate the pump is covered under warranty for 3 years.

We've only been in this house for 2.5 yrs. & have already replaced the pump in our current, small pond. The life span for these things seems minimal.

Sounds like they did an upgrade on the pump they use. Mine only had a 1 yr warranty.

But if they will construct the pond without the rocks in it they may be okay. Rocks in the pond make it very very hard to keep clean. They may require it to be drained and power washed each year. It sometimes takes a while for a new pond to adjust and I sure wouldn't want that every year.

Thanks again, tk! Gee, it really sounds like rocks are nothing but trouble in a pond. Glad I came here & got some feedback! Never would have guessed!

I agree with the others on the Aquascapes people. They seem very popular with beginners, but most people grow tired of the heavy maintenance. Check the yellow pages and see if there are other companies who construct ponds and water gardens in your area. You might also see if there is a ponding or water garden club where you can meet and talk to other people in hour area who have "been there/done that".

I joined a water garden society last spring, and boy! I wish I had joined before building my pond. They provided info on local pond builders that I never knew existed! I'll be looking into them when I do my next rebuild.

Thanks, Nancy. I have a question. Is the Aquascape system high maintenance because of the rocks only, or other elements as well? I thought if I eliminated the rocks, I'd be o.k. Also, since you learned a lot from your pond club, what would you now choose to use for a pumping system if starting from scratch? Thanks!

If starting from scratch, I would go with a deeper pond and a bottom drain. My pond is currently 2 1/2 feet, but if I could do it over it would be no less than three feet deep. The deeper you go, the safer your fish are from predators; they can simply dive down into deeper water, and herons and raccons cannot wade in. And speaking of predators, I would absolutely NOT have those layered shelves around the pond for setting plants on (poplar with Aquascape), because it is like setting out the welcome mat for predators. If you want plants, use bog pockets instead.

Anyway, a bottom drain is my eventual goal, but with the economy the way it is right now and the job market so shaky, it'll have to wait a while. My main reason for wanting a bottom drain is because I am into koi big time. I have no goldfish, only koi, and due to a spawn last spring I am overstocked.

I must say also that most of the ponds in my area do not have bottom drains. For some reason they are not popular here, and are difficult to even find. Instead, they use skimmers for surface filtering and often a skippy or trash can filter with a pump on the lowest part of the pond to help pull in fish waste on the bottom. That is my current set up right now, and it is adequate, if that is what you are shooting for right now.

Keeping the rocks out will definitely help. Cleaning the pond has been so much easier without them. I would also not use lava rocks as a filter media. They were very popular for a while, but are now falling from grace because they are so darned heavy. Netted bags with scrubbie-type material is becoming very popular, but there are other things you can use.

Sorry, you asked about maintenance on the Aquascape ponds and I got off on other things.

Yes, the rocks are the primary reason for the high maintenance because it involves draining the pond every spring and having the rocks power washed to get the debris out from between them. The pond is then drained again to get rid of the dirty water from the power washing, and filled up again. By now, all the beneficial bacteria that has colonized the pond has been destroyed by the power washing. It'll come back, but the pond will have to cycle and balance again, which can take well into the summer to complete. Not to mention the stress it causes the fish having to be caught and transferred for the cleaning process.

Also, Aquascape has shelves in rings around the edges of the ponds, usually going down about ten to twelve inches with each shelf, sometimes having two, three, or even four shelves with a tiny little space in the very bottom as the deep water area. They measure the pond at the outer edge to give you an estimate of how many gallons the pond holds, but they are always greatly inaccurate because they do not consider the shallow water caused by the shelves. It's much safer for the fish to have straight sides with no shelves because predators can just wade right in after your fish. Straight sides also gives you a more accurate estimate on how many gallons you're going to have. You can also add a potted water lily for the fish to hide under the pads.

I mentioned bog pockets in my previous post. These are small pockets dug adjacent to the pond and sharing the ponds water with an inner edge that is a few inches lower than the water level. The potted plant is placed in the pocket and gravel and be used to conceal it. Because the fish do not access this area, it does not collect the fish waste that rocks on the bottom will.

One last tip: Be sure to meter the water when you fill the pond. This can be done by lifting the cover on your water meter in the yard and recording the numbers. Do not turn on any other water source while you're filling the pond. Don't even flush a toilet. When the pond is full, record the number again and do the math. It is necessary to know the correct amount of water in the pond in case you need to medicate your fish. People with Aquascape ponds tend to overdose their fish because the estimated number of gallons is incorrect.

One more thing -- When I get wound up, I just can't stop, LOL! My point with joining a local pond group or water garden society is that they might be able to help you find other installers besides the Aquascape dealers.

If either of these two guys are willing to do the exact kind of pond you want, then that will be fine, but if they give you static on the way you want it done, then I would find someone else.

You're doing the right thing by researching. I wish I done more research before I installed my pond. It would have saved me some problems and a lot of expense.

By the way, I took a shovel and dug my pond myself. I had to have help getting the liner in because they are quite heavy, but everything else was done by yours truly. If you have some relatives, i.e. sons, brothers, etc., you might enlist them to give you a hand and try it on your own. You'd be surprised how fast the digging goes when you have help.

Thank you SO much, Nancy!! Wow, you shared a lot of good info w/ me & I know that what you shared will really assist me in this process. That was very generous of you.

I think I hear what you're saying. If I can get either of these individuals to really tailor the pond to my specs, then go for it. If they insist on just doing things their own way, say bye, bye!

Do I understand correctly that a drain is used in lieu of a skimmer box? My plan calls for a skimmer box, to be placed underground adjacent to the pond. It sounds good to me as it requires much less maintenance than the current square filter boxes I have.

Thanks for telling me about the bog pockets vs. shelves for plants. Will ask about them.

As for the water, we don't use city water in the pond. We use well water, so there is no meter I can measure it with.

My main goals are to have a more user-friendly pond (lower maintenance) in a more user-friendly spot, with a more forceful, impressive waterfall,that also is a healthy, safe environment for the fish.

Nancy, thanks again for all your help.

Stinky gardner,
I know very little about aqua scapes except what I read here. There object it to sell a pond kit as you describe above. There is no mention of a bottom drain.

I have seen two aqua scape ponds installed, they have wide shelves and load it up with small stones.
By the next season everything has to be emptied out and cleaned and put back. They have maintenance programs (crews) that do this for you. Firstly it's bad for the fish, and hurts your pocketbook as well.
Look for a pond builder that wants to install a bottom drain. The purpose of the bottom drain is to continually recycle the pond water through outside filter boxes that trap all the fish waste and everything else that makes a pond look swampy. We have a gravity fed system with three filter boxes outside.
We also have a skimmer for the leaves in early spring and late fall, the rest of the time we don't need to use the skimmer. I would not build a pond without a bottom drain (unless it was very small) I have come across lots of ponders that wish they had a bottom drain, however I have never known a ponder that wished he didn't have a bottom drain. Also there are no rocks on bottom drain ponds except for a few large ones for astetics.
We also have deep and wide shelves that are rocked all the way up and have pockets in the shelves for plants.
Look through your phone book for landscapers that build ponds. Go see their work, before signing on with anyone.
One thing about pond owners, they love to show their ponds and give advise to newbees.
We build our pond ourselves, however if we were to have one built, I would insist on seeing at least three ponds the contractor built before signing on with someone.

Joann

Thanks, C&J! I know you from the home dec side, & have seen your pond/yard extravaganza...gorgeous! Love your place, but I have something less elaborate in mind for us!

If our pond is 8X11 & doesn't have rocks, do you think a skimmer would work well, or would you still go w/the bottom drain? Is it possible to do both? Also, being in NY, do you have to worry about herons or egrets?

Thanks!

I just read online that you can install an above the liner bottom drain. Do you recommend that? They are supposed to make leaks less likely. I would be concerned about leaks! As I mentioned above, my pond will not be that large & I have only 2 koi, the rest are large & small goldfish. Thanks for the info!

All this conflicting information gets confusing, doesn't it? You might try doing a pro and con type thing where you list the good and bad things about the equipment and funtions to help you decide, but the decision shouldn't be a major headache. Ultimately, everything is your decision and what you think will work best for you. All of us have our own ideas about what we prefer in a pond, but that may not be what you prefer.

A properly installed bottom drain will not leak, but there are people with the retro-fitted drain (sits on the liner) who are happy with it.

For a small pond and low fish load, you may be happier foregoing a drain altogether and elect to go with a pump sitting on the bottom leading to a skippy or trash can filter, which are easily made do-it-yourselfers. I know a number of people who have done that. I made one myself using a $12 trash can from Walmart, and they're quite simple to make an operate and they do a surprisingly good job. I can give you step by step instructions, if you choose this route. You will need to get a foam sleeve for the pump's intake to keep large debris and algae out of the impeller, but a quick rinse now and again with the garden hose will keep it clean.

I have a skimmer to catch leaves, but I have a friend who chose not to install a skimmer. Instead, she just puts a net over the pond to catch leaves and uses a net to scoop out any that get under it. She's quite happy with that.

The pond for you is the pond that works best for you, your budget, and what you want out of it.

Stinky-G: LOTS of info from many voices. all with good intentions. i suggest bottom drain AND skimmer. 3" pipe on my through liner bottom drain (home-made from shower drain), 2" gate valve on skimmer. they 'wye' together after the valve to feed the settling chamber. NO ROCKS on the bottom, other than the ones visiting kids toss in! they can't seem to resist.

maybe a settling chamber is not in your plans, maybe not needed. But IMHO you do need bottom drain and skimmer. sometimes can connect the bottom drain to the skimmer box, then put a submersible pump in the skimmer box. I recommend a 3" bottom drain for minimal resistance to flow, making the drain work better. my original bottom drain was 2" piped to skimmer box but did not seem to 'draw' well from the bottom. have since completely reworked into bigger drain and external settling chamber, pump.

stinkygardener, A properly installed bottom drain will not leak
In our opinion is is the single most important thing you can do for your pond...everything else can be added later, including the skimmer.
The entire pond bottom is slightly slanted toward the bottom drain, there is a dome that sits on top of the drain and the water swirls around it, thus sucking in all the debris from the pond floor. The retro fitted drain lays on top of the liner, we don't have one so I can't comment on it, however there are others on the forum that can. I think most people that have retro fitted BD are because after pond installation they realize they need one for keeping the pond clean. Given a choice I would venture to say that most people would want the BD installed when the pond is built rather than after.

There are many ways to build a pond, it's good to get a lot of opinions, and finally after your research, make a decision on what kind of pond you want.
If you want to keep koi, they need a lot of swimming room, they get big and love to swim.

Joann

Forgot to answer the heron, egret question.
We live in a heavily treed section (huge oaks) the big birds do not like to
fly into areas like this, it's too confining for them, they much prefer more open areas.

Thanks again, Nancy & C&J! Thanks, Thomba!

Yes, I have a lot of good information from very talented, creative pond owners! I'm so glad I came over here! I really appreciate how generously y'all have shared your experience & know-how.

Thanks for all this good info from me too! I never get tired of learning, and there's always a pond renovation on the horizon...someday... :)

Gosh, I like the general placement of the pond now. I think I would double the length of the pond-forming roughly a semicircle around the sunroom. Then put bricks inside the semicircle to make a paved out door patio outside the sliding door. Connect the sidewalk to nowhere with the outdoor patio using a wood bridge-which would also give the fish a hiding place. I'd either backfill the area closest to the house or put a small wood deck over that end for viewing and fish hiding. Maybe hide the filter/pump/skimmer apparati under the deck.

I'm a no-rock bottom person myself. Half the bottom of my 8x10 triangular pond is covered with lily pots anyway. I do have rocks on a small shallow shelf should the frogs wish to use them and for plants that don't like to be fully submerged.

For the contractors-get references and call a few.