Grounded: How to find and access the Koi Pond secret lab

Grounded has a brand new content update that was released on November 10th, finally bringing the highly anticipated Koi Pond. This brought along some new enemies, materials, a whole new environment, and opening access to the third secret lab. The two previous labs are the one in the Oak Tree where you meet “BURG.L,” and the other over in the hedge bush.

The journey to the secret lab in the hedge isn’t all too dangerous, as long as you keep your balance. The secret lab in the koi pond is a bit of a different story, though. Here is the best way to go about accessing the new lab, as well as grabbing the Koi Pond “BURG.L” chip.

Where is the Koi Pond?

For those unfamiliar with grounded and the landscape layout, there is one easy way to keep track of where the Koi Pond is and where to find it. Look to the horizon and gaze at the Oak Tree, as the koi pond is behind the tree. Considering the koi pond is a brand new biome for you to explore, it would be a good idea to set up a base camp nearby.

There are many spiders along the inner edge of the pond, specifically on the oak tree side. Head to the North edge of the pond and look for the “Frankenline” toy that is the ground. It’s a giant, green, Frankenstein looking drawing contraption. This is a great area that provides enough materials to get you established and ready to tackle the koi pond.

Preparing for the dive

Once you have established a base camp, it’s time to dip your toes into the water and go for a swim. Be forewarned; the pond is not forgiving. You will want to be properly equipped before you attempt to head towards the secret lab at the bottom of the pond. The first thing you want to go out into the pond and gather is a new material called lilypad wax. This material is very easy to gather and spawns underneath lilypads. There are no tools needed to harvest this material; pick it up as you would any normal item. For quick and easy crafting preparation for the items you will be needing, here are the materials you will need for each item.

• Pebblet Dagger: Pebblet x2, Crude Rope x2, Lilypad Wax x2.
• Fin Flops: Water boatman fin x4, Eelgrass Strand x4, Lilypad Wax x2.
• Gill Tube: Lilypad Wax x2, Eelgrass x4, Silk Rope x2 – Eighty seconds of oxygen.

Once you gather your first lilypad wax, it will unlock the recipes for a pebble knife and fin flips, which are both essential for dealing with the koi pond. You will also need the tier one rebreather, called a Gill Tube, to breathe longer underwater. It is important to note that you only have forty seconds of oxygen without any help from additional equipment. Use your time wisely, and move quickly.

Between the two new recipes you’ve just learned, you will have to make the pebble knife first. This tool is key to progressing further into the koi pond. Once the knife is made, you’re going to have to do some hunting and gathering with it. To make the fin flips, you will have to hunt down four waterboatman bugs. They are large, swimming insects that have two large legs propelling them through the water. They primarily swim around a little under the surface of the water. The bugs are tough and swim quickly, so be careful about watching your oxygen level at the same time you are hunting them. Also might be a good idea to keep an eye out for those swimming spiders and the Koi fish. Yes, the Koi fish can kill you in basically a single hit if you are not careful.

You will also need to farm a material called Eel Grass. This is found at the bottom of the pond and look like long strands of seaweed. You will have to harvest this with your pebble knife you recently made. Gathering Eel grass will also unlock two more additional recipes for the Gill Tube and the Slime Lantern. Once you’ve gathered at least a single stack of ten, you will be able to make those fin flops and swim around the pond faster. Now it’s time to make the Gill Tube and take that frightening first dive into a second, deeper area that leads to the secret lab.

Koi Pond Secret Lab Entrance

Now that you are equipped to handle the pond, it’s time to figure out how to get to that secret lab. You’ve grown familiar with what’s in the first area of the koi pond, but now it’s time to go even deeper. There is another area below the koi pond called “The Depths” that you will have to traverse. There are two entrances into this deeper area, but there is only one safe way down; unless you actually feel like fighting a few diving bell spiders.

Let’s go the safer route down since it is also the fastest way to open the secret lab door entrance. By now, you may have noticed black plastic tubing that travels along the bottom of the pond. There are some gashes in this tube that allow for air to escape, which is a great way to refill your oxygen meter quickly. Follow this tubing straight to the entrance of the depths; just make sure to top up your oxygen along the way. The character location on the map above shows exactly where the hole will be.

Start diving down the deep, dark hole the tubing is traveling down in, and move quickly. There is one final gash in the tubing when you get near the bottom of the hole that provides oxygen. It is vital that you use this before going any further. This sits right beside the giant toy T-Rex you’ve just run into. Make sure to save your game as well. This next segment is a little stressful. Welcome to The Depths!

How to open the Secret Lab Door

As soon as you are topped off on oxygen, swim towards the light lamps and follow the tunnel. You will see a large cavern a little way down the tunnel, with the secret lab door being at the top of the chamber. Before you set off down the tunnel towards the doorway, there is something very important you will need to do on the way to the lab door. There are three timer dials in the area, and these are used to activate and open the secret lab door.

You will see the first one on the right side of the tunnel near the far end. Look towards the light lamp nearest to you, and take the airstream to boost you down the tunnel. When you activate the first dial, look above it and find the vent spewing out air bubbles.

This is turned on when you activate the dial, and it will help quickly propel you through the water. It is much faster than simply swimming, especially if you are short on oxygen. Take the jet stream to the next dial, activate it, then repeat the process until you have activated all three dials. Once they are all turned on, the lab door at the top of the chamber will open, and you can enter the secret lab!

Opening the Secret Lab Dome

Once you’ve made it into the lab, rest easy knowing that the hard part is officially over! There are now just a couple of quick, easy steps to activate the power in the lab, and open the dome. Take a look around the room you just entered, grab some items in the area, and head into the power grid control room.

Flip the switch, then head back out. Interact with the computer in the secret lab bay room, and it will open up the locked door and give you access up the ramp to the dome. Head up the ramp and enter the large dome room. Climb the spiral walkway, and activate the controls on the computer you will find at the top.

The dome will open, and the koi pond secret lab will finally be up and operational. Don’t forget to grab the koi pond BURG.L chip that is right beside the biodome computer. This will unlock floating foundations and a science-based sign set. You will also have unlocked a shortcut passage to the lab from the main koi pond area. No need for those lengthy dives anymore if you don’t want to risk it.