A year ago this week, after months of research, including reading practically the entire archive of posts on this site about pond builds, I built a small pond.
It was my 50th birthday present to myself. I wanted a place that was in y backyard that was aesthetically beautiful and was also beneficial to wildlife. I didn't have much budget, so I knew I didn't have the resources to support koi or goldfish.
So I built a 12x6 pond, and it ranges from six to about 18 inches deep. I found a local concrete dealer who also sells riprap (think limestone rocks they use for bank stability on ditches) for about $50 a ton, and I bought $75 worth of rocks. I run a Harbor Freight fountain pump that circulates the water through a 20-gallon bog filter I made from a wine barrel liner. I get more sun than I want, but since I installed the bog filter this spring the water is clear enough to read through. I did add a few minnows to eat the algae and the snails.
I have less than $1000 in it, and most of that is EPDM liner and plants. It's hard to find pond plants here, and most water features here are heavily chlorinated pools. I wanted something more natural and low maintenance.
I'm grateful for this forum, and all the emotional labor you guys have put into building it. It was a huge resource for me.
It was my 50th birthday present to myself. I wanted a place that was in y backyard that was aesthetically beautiful and was also beneficial to wildlife. I didn't have much budget, so I knew I didn't have the resources to support koi or goldfish.
So I built a 12x6 pond, and it ranges from six to about 18 inches deep. I found a local concrete dealer who also sells riprap (think limestone rocks they use for bank stability on ditches) for about $50 a ton, and I bought $75 worth of rocks. I run a Harbor Freight fountain pump that circulates the water through a 20-gallon bog filter I made from a wine barrel liner. I get more sun than I want, but since I installed the bog filter this spring the water is clear enough to read through. I did add a few minnows to eat the algae and the snails.
I have less than $1000 in it, and most of that is EPDM liner and plants. It's hard to find pond plants here, and most water features here are heavily chlorinated pools. I wanted something more natural and low maintenance.
I'm grateful for this forum, and all the emotional labor you guys have put into building it. It was a huge resource for me.
