New here from Oklahoma

[Stewillard]

Hello all - I have an interest in garden ponds because my wife has wanted one forever and now, since we are retired and have some room for one, we are starting to plan one for her. A big limitation is that I'm not able to do it myself so we will need to find a pond guy or landscaper to do the work. This is a little scary because I'll need to find someone I can trust and even then hope I made the right decision. Beyond that I'm hoping to learn from this forum the basics to be sure specified components, like pumps, are correct for the pond.

Like many folks our space and budget are limited so we are thinking about a 6' x 8' pond, possibly a little larger, deep enough for some fish here in northeastern OK where temps can get quite low.

I look forward to the forum.

 

[Aaron S]

Welcome neighbor!
The pond size that you have picked sounds like a good pond for goldfish. Goldfish are a lot cheaper and easier to keep than koi. I don't know anyone in your part of the state, but if you ever make it to OKC I have a pond guy that is really good and really reasonable in price. When he built his store he dumped 3 million into landscaping and ponds so it is a pretty nice place just to go hang out.
The people on this forum have a wealth of information. If you have any question please ask.

 

[Big Lou]

Welcome Stewillard. Try Angie's List. I've gotten good results from the referenced companies. Word of month is also great. Good luck!

 

[sissy]

welcome and do research look at you tube and here .You need to know what they are doing so you don't end up with a mess and wasted money .I just helped people clean up a mess of a pond build .Guy used 6 mil black plastic as a liner and told them it would last forever ,well it did not last 4 weeks .Stones and gravel did it in .Make sure you get references and ask to see pics of what they have done or to go see something they have done .Make sure it includes all the electrical work and that there are plenty of outlets on there own breakers and it is inspected for safety .

 

[Dave 54]

Welcome from the United Kingdom may I ask how bad your winters are if you get a heavy winter and a long one it would be an idea to aim for 4.5ft or more in depth so that your fish will survive (if to shallow they would be in great danger of being frozen).
Our own pond is insulated against the cold so it may be an idea that you lay down some form of insulation i:e old carpet or something other than .
You'll need a pump filter and UV-C .airpumps etc if you can have a 4" bottom drain fitted

Dave

 

[Aaron S]

Our winters usually come in a few days to weeks at a time. I have been keeping a pond for about 5 years and the longest it has been frozen over was 8 days. Even then, the ice never got more than a few inches thick. We can get a lot of snow and ice but it is always gone in a day or two.

 

[j.w]

Stewillard

 

[Mmathis]

Welcome!

You are smart to be doing your research ahead of time! My advice: learn as much as you can [here & elsewhere] so you have a general knowledge of what goes into making a good pond. Decide on a filtration method that would fit your budget & space [either a DIY or bought system]. That way, when you do find someone to "do" your pond for you, you'll have a general idea if they are legit or a company just out for your business -- we have a new member here from Las Vegas who has just gone through this....

If you have cold winters, you'll want your pond to be a minimum of 3'-4' deep, and the same if you have hot summers. I like my pond to be a little bit above ground as it makes it easier to interact with the fish & plants -- an advantage as we get older.....

And one thing most of us agree on is to NOT have rocks in the bottom of your pond [though a lot of builders seem to encourage this practice].

Yes, this would be perfect for goldfish! And, if you have room, you might consider a bog that would connect with your pond. Bogs are great for filtration and the plants are lovely. See Addy1's thread in the CONSTRUCTION [I think] section of the forum.

Best wishes!

 

[Kevin Koloff]

Hello all - I have an interest in garden ponds because my wife has wanted one forever and now, since we are retired and have some room for one, we are starting to plan one for her. A big limitation is that I'm not able to do it myself so we will need to find a pond guy or landscaper to do the work. This is a little scary because I'll need to find someone I can trust and even then hope I made the right decision. Beyond that I'm hoping to learn from this forum the basics to be sure specified components, like pumps, are correct for the pond.

Like many folks our space and budget are limited so we are thinking about a 6' x 8' pond, possibly a little larger, deep enough for some fish here in northeastern OK where temps can get quite low.

I look forward to the forum.

I live in Tulsa. I have had excellent results with hardscapes in Bixby

 

[JBtheExplorer]

A big limitation is that I'm not able to do it myself so we will need to find a pond guy or landscaper to do the work. This is a little scary because I'll need to find someone I can trust and even then hope I made the right decision.

One suggestion I'd make is to learn all about pond building. Even if you can't do it yourself, if you know how its supposed to be done, you can make sure the guy you hire is doing it right.

I hope you share the process and progress with us as it happens!

 

[cnyle]

Hello and welcome Stewillard, I am about as far from an expert that you can get, but there's alot of great people here that can help with about any problem you can come up with. One thing for sure is to ask for a portfolio of their work. If the company has done any type of quality work in the past, they are going to use it to promote their business.Don't be a learning experience for someone wanting to get started in the business. I agree with Mmathis about the bog. I just finished up my small pond this early summer, and I already wish I had included one in my build. I also wish I had gone a bit bigger, I'm so jealous of all the beautiful ponds you see here. So think it out carefully and I hope to see you around here and yes, take lots of pics, we love pics lol.

 

[Stewillard]

Thanks for the great welcome and accompanying advise. I appreciate it all! There are some basic questions I'll ask real soon in the Newbie area. For sure I don't want to make a lot of regrettable mistakes.