A funny and honest look at the art and science of keeping water where you want it.”

Building a pond sounds simple — until it isn’t. How Not to Build a Pond is part memoir, part manual, and completely real. Drawing from years of hands-on experience, author Susan Trott takes readers through the pitfalls, surprises, and quiet joys of creating and maintaining a koi pond that actually works.

From filtration mistakes to wildlife surprises, design revisions to hard-won serenity, this is the book that speaks to every pondkeeper who’s ever thought, “How hard can it be?” and found out the answer the wet way.

Inside you’ll find:

• Real-world lessons from a decade of pond building and rebuilding
• Water chemistry and filtration explained simply (and with humour)
• Seasonal care tips for cold climates
• Reflections on the connection between water, patience, and beauty
• “Not a coffee-table book — a survival guide for pond builders with a sense of humour.”

A practical companion to How Not to Build a Pond, this guided journal helps pond owners document their systems, track water quality, and follow the life stories of their koi.

It includes dedicated pages for:

• Daily, weekly, and seasonal maintenance logs
• Water parameter tracking
• Fish records and growth notes
• Reflections on pond life through the year

Perfect for beginners and seasoned koi keepers alike, it turns pond care into both science and storytelling — because every pond has its own rhythm, and every koi its own tale.

This booklet is FREE.

It lays out some fundamental principles for building a pond, keeping fish, and water management.

I go over these principles:

• Fish do not live in the same water in the wild.
• Water does not clean itself.
• Fish provided the fertilizer for plants and bacteria.
• You're really farming bacteria, not keeping fish.
• Water must leave the system.
• Water must move fast enough that the entire pond passes through the filtration once per hour.
• Fish need moving water.
• There are two types of filtration: mechanical and biological. You need both.
• Bottom drains act like the output of a river and are essential.
• Its an investment. Protect it. 

I include a lesson that happened on June 16th, 2026, when our pond after consistent readings for months, decided to have a hiccup. I document how we dealt with it, and the result. 

It's only about 20 pages, but they may help you make some of the worst mistakes most of us make when starting out. 

Happy ponding!