Scott Anderson Design logoScott Anderson Design
Koi pond with a stone rock edge and waterfall built by Scott Anderson Design on Long Island

Custom koi ponds built as ecosystems.

Clear water without chemicals, fish that overwinter safely, and ten minutes of maintenance a week. Designed and built by one Nassau County crew.

Certified Aquascape Contractor
B.Arch, New York Institute of Technology
Building on Long Island since 2003
Jericho High School · Adelphi University
The difference

Most ponds fail because they were built as holes.

A liner, a pump and a fountain is not a pond. It is a bucket that turns green every July.

An ecosystem pond is a closed loop. The skimmer pulls debris off the surface before it sinks and rots. The pump pushes that water underground to a biological filter. It returns down a waterfall, picking up oxygen on the way. Rock and gravel across the whole bottom give beneficial bacteria the surface area they need to live. Plants take up the nitrates that would otherwise feed algae. Fish keep it all in motion.

Take any one of those out and you are back to chemicals and a UV light. Put them all in and the water clears itself, every year, for decades.

Scott has been a Certified Aquascape Contractor for years and has been building on Long Island since 2003. Some of our earliest ponds are past their twentieth season and still running on the same principle.

Typical depth
24 to 36 in, deeper section optional
Build time
5 to 10 working days on site
Filtration
Skimmer and BioFalls, biological
Chemicals
None
Weekly upkeep
About 10 minutes in season
Winter
De-icer and aerator, fish stay in
Typical range
$16,000 to $28,000
Service area
All of Nassau County
Book a site visit
How it works

Six parts. One loop. No chemicals.

Water leaves through the skimmer, gets pushed underground to the biological filter, and comes back down the waterfall. It never stops moving. Here is the whole system in cross-section.

01020304050601SkimmerPulls debris off the surface02Living waterPlants, fish, clear water03BioFalls filterBiological filtration04WaterfallAeration and sound05Rock and gravelWhere the bacteria live06Return linePump feeds the falls
  1. 01SkimmerPulls debris off the surface
  2. 02Living waterPlants, fish, clear water
  3. 03BioFalls filterBiological filtration
  4. 04WaterfallAeration and sound
  5. 05Rock and gravelWhere the bacteria live
  6. 06Return linePump feeds the falls

Cross-section of a Scott Anderson Design ecosystem pond. Drawn to the same spec we build to.

Built on Long Island

Koi ponds we have built.

Ecosystem koi pond with a rock-set waterfall
Ecosystem koi pond with a rock-set waterfall
Koi at the viewing ledge
Koi at the viewing ledge
Planted shelf along the pond edge
Planted shelf along the pond edge
Large koi pond with a crossing
Large koi pond with a crossing
Shaded garden pond
Shaded garden pond
Pond and waterfall stepped down existing grade
Pond and waterfall stepped down existing grade
Ecosystem koi pond, no chemical program
Ecosystem koi pond, no chemical program

Our 15 year old pond developed a leak. While contacting prospective pond restorers we came upon Scott Anderson Design. We are very pleased with their professionalism and quality of work.

James DeLuca, Nassau County
Low voltage landscape lighting on a pond and planting bed on Long Island
Add-onLow voltage pond lighting
What it costs

Published, not pried out of us.

Access, stone selection, depth and planting all move the number. These are the honest ranges we quote inside.

Small ecosystem pond

Roughly 6 x 8, skimmer and BioFalls

$12,000 – $16,000

Standard koi pond

Roughly 11 x 16, 24 to 30 in deep

$16,000 – $28,000

Large koi pond

Deeper water, heavier filtration

$28,000 – $50,000+

Annual cleanout

Full drain, clean, refill and restart

From $650
Questions

The things people actually ask.

If yours is not here, call. Scott answers his own phone more often than not.

(516) 729-5668
How deep does a koi pond need to be on Long Island?
Two feet is the minimum for koi to overwinter safely in Zone 7. We build most residential koi ponds between 24 and 36 inches, with a deeper section if the client wants larger fish. Deeper is not automatically better. Past about four feet you are paying to excavate water you cannot see into.
Will it freeze solid in winter?
No. Long Island winters put a lid of ice on the surface, not through the whole pond. We leave a de-icer and an aerator running so gas can escape and the fish stay in the cold water below. Koi slow down and stop eating below fifty degrees. They do not need rescuing.
How much maintenance is it really?
Ten minutes a week in season. Empty the skimmer basket, top off for evaporation, feed the fish. Once a year we come out for a full cleanout and once in the fall to close it down. That is it. If somebody is telling you a pond is a full time job, they built it wrong.
Do I need chemicals?
No. That is the whole point of an ecosystem pond. Rock, gravel, plants, fish and moving water do the filtering. We do not sell a chemical program because a properly built pond does not need one.
How long does it take to build?
A typical residential koi pond is five to ten working days on site, depending on size, access and how much stone we are setting. Larger builds with patios and planting run three to eight weeks. Scott gives you a real schedule before we start.
What does it cost?
Ecosystem ponds start around $12,000 and most residential koi ponds land between $16,000 and $28,000. Larger, deeper koi ponds with heavier filtration run $28,000 and up. Full published pricing is on the pricing page.
Start the conversation

Tell us about the yard.
We will tell you what is possible in it.

Every project starts the same way: Scott walks the property, listens, and sketches. No pressure, no template. Consultations across Nassau County are free.

Call (516) 729-5668Request a Site Visit