Inside the Sasha and Gary Vee 400,000-Gallon Pond Build
Sep 17th 2026
A 400,000-gallon pond isn’t a typical backyard project. It requires heavy machinery, enormous boulders, carefully planned filtration, experienced leadership, and a crew that can adapt when the work gets harder than expected.
The pond rebuild at the New Jersey home of Sasha Vaynerchuk, father of entrepreneur and media personality Gary Vaynerchuk, demanded all of that and more.
Fitz’s Fish Ponds brought together an experienced team of builders, contractors, manufacturers, and water-feature professionals to reconstruct the massive pond in the hills near the Pennsylvania border. The project united Fitz’s Fish Ponds and Atlantic-Oase while giving respected professionals from across the pond industry an opportunity to work, learn, and solve problems together.
The result was more than a large pond build. It became a demonstration of what can happen when technical knowledge, artistic vision, heavy equipment, and a shared passion for water features come together on one property.
It also created an unexpected opportunity for the participating builders. Gary Vee spent time with the group discussing social media, content, trust, and business growth, turning an already unusual construction project into a practical lesson in how pond professionals can share their work with a larger audience.
As Ana Arntson observed while watching the team work, “Watching everyone in their element, happy, working hard, and collaborating, I’m reminded that the real joy of this industry lies in one thing: community.”
A 400,000-Gallon Pond Requires A Different Kind Of Plan
Large ponds aren’t simply scaled-up versions of smaller backyard water features. Increasing the volume changes nearly every part of the construction process, from excavation and liner installation to filtration, circulation, shoreline development, and long-term maintenance.
The pond at Sasha Vaynerchuk’s property covered an enormous footprint within a sloped, wooded landscape. Crews needed enough room to operate excavators, transport materials, position filtration components, handle the liner, and move massive stones without damaging completed portions of the project.
That work required constant coordination. Excavation decisions affected water depth and circulation. Boulder placement affected structural stability, shoreline appearance, and water movement. Filtration components needed to remain accessible without taking attention away from the natural setting.
Some boulders weighed approximately 30,000 pounds and required an 80,000-pound machine to move. At that scale, a small positioning mistake can create a serious problem. Operators, spotters, builders, and designers all need to understand what the stone is meant to accomplish before it reaches its final location.
Larry Carnes captured the crew’s appetite for the challenge with one unforgettable request to Brian Fitzsimmons: “Brian, you get me a bigger machine, and I’ll build you something awesome.”
That sense of ambition ran through the entire project. The team wasn’t interested in creating something ordinary. The size of the property and the pond demanded a result that felt substantial, natural, and visually connected to the surrounding landscape.
Fitz’s Fish Ponds Brought The Industry Together
Brian Fitzsimmons assembled an experienced crew that included the Fitz’s Fish Ponds team, Atlantic-Oase representatives, independent pond builders, equipment operators, designers, and other industry professionals.
Each participant arrived with different skills and methods. Some brought deep experience in waterfall construction. Others specialized in filtration, excavation, natural stone placement, pond design, or project management.
Jeff Weemhoff of Atlantic-Oase described the build as an opportunity to show what the industry’s leading professionals could accomplish together.
“The Sasha and Gary Vee Pond Build was an amazing opportunity to showcase the artistic and design capabilities of many of the best pond builders in the industry,” Weemhoff said. “It also brought together two of the premier water feature companies in America, Atlantic-Oase and Fitz’s Fish Ponds.”
That collaboration gave the project access to a much wider pool of experience than any one person could bring to the site. It also allowed participants to watch how other professionals approached familiar challenges.
Pond builders often develop their own systems through years of hands-on work. Working beside another experienced builder can introduce a different method for setting stone, creating water movement, organizing a jobsite, operating equipment, or solving a filtration challenge. Those exchanges happened throughout the Vaynerchuk build.
Collaboration Turned Individual Strengths Into One Team
Large collaborative projects can become difficult when experienced professionals are accustomed to leading their own crews. Success depends on people knowing when to provide direction, when to step back, and when to trust someone else’s experience.
The Vaynerchuk pond build gave each participant opportunities to contribute while learning from the group.
Dan Johansen of Focal Point Features arrived expecting to play a relatively small role. Instead, he became closely involved with boulder placement, equipment operation, and other major elements of the project.
“I came in expecting to play a small part, but ended up hands-on with boulder placement, learning new skills, and building lasting friendships,” Johansen said. “The experience showed me that collaboration fuels growth, leadership is about knowing when to guide and when to support, and real progress comes when you step far outside your comfort zone, like moving 30,000-pound boulders with an 80,000-pound machine.”
Eric Twigg had previously worked on large projects with the Fitz’s Fish Ponds team, but he still found value in seeing different builders combine their strengths.
“Being around the other builders and the way we pulled our different strengths together on this project was definitely memorable,” Twigg said. “We all learned bits from each other.”
That willingness to exchange ideas kept the project moving even when rain, mud, machinery, and scale created new challenges.
Heavy Equipment And Difficult Conditions Shaped The Build
The visual impact of a finished pond can make the construction process look almost effortless. The reality is much different, especially on a project of this size.
Before water can move through a natural-looking waterfall or reflect the surrounding landscape, crews have to manage excavation, soil, stone, liner, filtration components, access routes, drainage, and changing weather.
Rain added another layer of complexity to the Vaynerchuk build. Wet soil can make equipment operation more difficult, reduce traction, and turn routine movement around the jobsite into a challenge. Mud also makes liner and stone work physically demanding.
Twigg recalled that operating the giant excavator in the rain became one of the most enjoyable and memorable parts of the experience.
The team continued working through those conditions because every stage depended on the one before it. Excavation had to support the intended depths and contours. The liner needed to be handled without damage. Large stones had to be positioned with enough precision to look natural and remain stable. Filtration elements needed to fit within the completed design.
These aren’t isolated tasks. A change in one area can affect the rest of the pond, so communication remained essential throughout the build.
Advanced Filtration Supported The Entire Vision
Massive stones and wide aerial views may attract the most immediate attention, but the unseen systems determine whether a pond continues functioning after the equipment leaves.
A 400,000-gallon pond places significant demands on circulation, oxygenation, debris management, and filtration. Water needs to move across a large and irregular footprint without creating stagnant areas. Organic material must be managed before it accumulates, and equipment needs to remain accessible for inspections and maintenance.
Demi Fortuna of Atlantic-Oase described the project as an opportunity to showcase innovative filtration methods in an unforgettable setting.
“We got muddy alongside Shane, Eric, Larry, Dan, and the incredible Fitz’s Fish Ponds team, showcasing innovative filtration techniques in an unforgettable setting,” Fortuna said.
The challenge is creating the required performance without making the pond feel mechanical. Pumps, intake points, filtration equipment, plumbing, and access areas need to support the water feature without overpowering the natural design.
That balance is central to professional large pond and lake management. The visible pond and the systems supporting it must be designed as one connected environment.
Natural Rock Placement Is Both Art And Engineering
Natural-looking ponds depend on intentional rock placement. A large boulder can anchor a shoreline, guide water, frame a waterfall, create a transition between elevations, or establish the visual direction of an entire section.
Size alone doesn’t make a stone effective. Builders must consider its orientation, shape, texture, stability, and relationship to the surrounding landscape.
A rock that appears casually positioned may have required hours of planning and several adjustments. The goal is to make the final result look as though the stone has always belonged there.
Waterfall construction requires the same combination of technical and artistic judgment. Water needs to travel across the rock in a controlled way while still appearing natural. The builder must anticipate how the feature will look and sound at different flow rates.
Johansen said the experience renewed his enthusiasm for that part of the craft.
“Getting out of my routine and working alongside others in the trade reminded me why I love building waterfalls,” he said. “I picked up new tricks, shared a lot of laughs, and gained a whole new passion for what we do.”
The Build Strengthened The Pond Community
The pond's scale made the project noteworthy, but participants repeatedly returned to the people involved when describing what they remembered most.
Shane Hemphill of Art of the Yard called the collaboration a highlight of his career.
“The energy, teamwork, and craftsmanship that went into this build made it one of the highlights of my career,” Hemphill said.
Heath Webb described the opportunity as both exciting and humbling.
“Being part of such a unique project alongside an inspiring team was both exciting and humbling,” Webb said. “I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to contribute, learn, and create something so special.”
Those reactions reveal something important about the pond-building industry. The most successful projects don’t depend on products and machinery alone. They depend on people who care deeply about the craft and are willing to keep learning.
Gary Vee Shared A Marketing Lesson Built For Pond Professionals
Gary Vaynerchuk’s time with the crew introduced a different kind of conversation.
Instead of discussing rock placement or filtration, Gary answered questions about social media, content creation, lead generation, differentiation, and trust. His advice was especially relevant to an industry where projects can cost $50,000, $100,000, or considerably more.
Pond builders don’t need to reach everyone. They need to reach property owners, koi collectors, designers, and enthusiasts who understand the value of specialized work.
“You don’t need millions of customers,” Gary told the group. “You need the right ones.”
Pond construction is well suited for visual storytelling. Excavation, boulder placement, liner installation, waterfall testing, filtration work, and finished transformations can all become compelling content.
What feels routine to an experienced builder may be completely new to a potential client.
Interest Media Gives Niche Builders A Larger Opportunity
Gary encouraged the group to understand the shift from follower media to interest media.
Social platforms increasingly show users content based on their interests, even when they don’t follow the account publishing it. A small pond-building company can reach a large audience if its content connects with people who watch landscaping, koi, construction, architecture, heavy equipment, or luxury property videos.
That change reduces the importance of having an enormous existing following. The subject itself can help the content find the right audience.
Gary urged builders to post more frequently instead of waiting for every video to feel perfect.
“Every day. Every single day,” he said. “You never know what day someone decides they’re ready to buy a $50,000 pond.”
A low-performing post isn’t necessarily wasted effort. It can teach the builder something about the topic, opening, thumbnail, length, or platform. Consistent publishing creates more opportunities to learn what the audience actually wants to watch.
Pond Builders Should Look Beyond Instagram
Instagram and TikTok remain useful visual platforms, but Gary pointed to additional opportunities that many pond companies overlook.
Facebook and LinkedIn provide access to established homeowners, business owners, executives, developers, designers, and other audiences with the resources to invest in custom water features.
YouTube and Twitch can support longer videos or live streams from active jobsites. Viewers may spend extended periods watching excavation, stone placement, plumbing, filtration installation, or flowing water without requiring constant narration.
Podcasts also remain underused within the pond industry. Builders, koi collectors, manufacturers, designers, and property owners all have stories that can educate and entertain a specialized audience.
Snapchat Spotlight may provide another opportunity because fewer pond companies actively publish there.
The right platform mix will vary, but the larger lesson is simple: pond businesses shouldn’t assume their future clients are only on one or two social networks.
Personal Interests Can Lead People Back To The Business
Gary also encouraged builders to share interests beyond pond construction.
A builder who enjoys golf, cigars, cooking, bourbon, architecture, or classic automobiles may connect with people who would never have encountered a traditional pond post. Those interests can overlap with audiences that can invest in high-end outdoor environments.
“A cigar video might get you more pond leads than three months of koi posts,” Gary explained.
The idea isn’t to invent a lifestyle for marketing purposes. It is to let people see the real person behind the company.
A clear profile remains essential. New viewers should understand what the company does, where it operates, and how to make contact within seconds.
Trust Matters More Than Follower Counts
Expensive pond projects require a high level of trust. Clients are inviting a contractor onto their property, committing a substantial budget, and depending on that company to create a system that may require years of service and maintenance.
A viral video may attract attention, but trust converts attention into a serious conversation.
Gary recommended creating service-oriented videos with direct calls to action. He also encouraged builders to publish honest content explaining who may not be a good fit for their company.
“When you genuinely tell people who you’re not right for, it builds credibility,” he said. “That honesty makes people want to hire you.”
Showing the real process can support that credibility. Potential clients should see the planning, muddy conditions, hard decisions, equipment, teamwork, and technical systems behind the final photograph.
That story communicates far more than a polished reveal alone.
The Week Ended With Koi Fest
The experience extended beyond Sasha Vaynerchuk’s property. The week concluded around Koi Fest, hosted by Fitz’s Fish Ponds.
Koi Fest gave builders, manufacturers, collectors, and enthusiasts another opportunity to connect. It also brought together the week’s major themes: craftsmanship, education, Japanese koi, industry relationships, and a shared enthusiasm for extraordinary ponds.
Weemhoff described the event as the perfect conclusion to the collaboration.
“I’d personally like to thank Fitz for partnering with Atlantic-Oase,” he said. “It truly was an amazing week, all topped off by the fantastic Koi Fest hosted by Fitz.”
The pond build demonstrated what the industry can accomplish through cooperation. Koi Fest gave the wider community a chance to celebrate that same spirit.
The Pond Was Only Part Of What The Team Built
The completed water feature will be the project's most visible result, but it wasn’t the only one.
Participants left with new techniques, stronger professional relationships, greater confidence, fresh marketing ideas, and a renewed appreciation for their craft.
The project showed that ambitious ponds require both technical systems and artistic judgment. It demonstrated that experienced builders can still learn from one another. It also reinforced the value of documenting the process and sharing the story behind the work.
Johansen summarized the experience in a way that reached far beyond the pond itself.
“At the end of the day, it’s not just about the pond,” he said. “It’s about the people, the laughter, and the memories.”
Build Your Next Pond With Fitz’s Fish Ponds
Fitz’s Fish Ponds brings pond design, construction, filtration, fish care, and long-term service together under one experienced team.
Whether the vision includes a private koi pond, a large natural water feature, a waterfall, or restoring an existing pond, the process starts with understanding the property and creating a plan that supports both appearance and performance.
Explore Fitz’s Fish Ponds' custom pond construction services or contact the team to discuss what could be created on your property.
