Right, so I built a fountain in the front garden using a stock trough, so I decided to try and build a real economy one in the back garden.

The wife initially thought I was mad and said she hated the idea , but was rapt when she saw the finished result

I call this Gaudi inspired as there isnt a straight line in it!!

Again there aren't that many pics as this was a pre "ible" project

Most of the materials were sourced on TradeMe (NZ's EBay) or got for nothing

Materials and Tools

Spade

Trowel

Drill

Bricks (left over from house build)

Ceramic tiles (free end of line at tile warehouse)

Metal mesh (Steel Rebar Mesh $20 for 2 sheets on TradeMe)

Spa ($30 TradeMe)

Mortar (2 sacks)

Pump with UV filter ($125 Guess where-- yup you got it TradeMe)

Plants (local pond centre $100 I know!!!! extortionate)

Rocks $30 (local quarry shop)

Electric String and socket had lying around

2 tins expanding foam

Step 1: So I Bought This Ugly As Sin Spa

That was fun getting back on the roofrack---should have used a trailer

Step 2: Dug a Hole

Didn't take al long as I expected, but you need assistance lifting spa in and out --(and in and out, and in and out.....) to check fit

Step 3: Put in the Spa and Levelled It

TBH this is the only important bit as if you don't get it level it looks awful

I also ran the cable (inside an old hose pipe to protect it) from the nearest supply (50 meters away!)

Step 4: And How It Turned Out

I know a big jump from the previous step, so----------

First I built a little plinth inside for the fountain

The fountain itself is 4 x 600x300 mm tiles and 1x 300x300 for the top, I infilled with expanding foam to stick it all together, with the pipe in the centre (I found a piece of plastic pipe in a skipbin (dumpster for our American friends))

Put first course of bricks on a mortar bed around the outside, then laid the rebar grid on the top and mortared all the top cut bricks in place

Wired up the electrics, then wired them up again correctly!!!

filled it up and put on rocks and plants (zip tied plants to grid)

Added some solar lights ($11 each)

The little moon at the front was a gift a couple of years ago from my dad who sadly passed this year and we had wondered what to do with it for ages--perfect place and reminder

Now has 10 goldfish in it