New to ponds and have a couple questions

[Lucasalc46]

hello all! I’m a fly fisherman and I’ve always loved fish. I have an aquarium but I’ve been thinking about getting a pond. I was looking on amazon for a liner and saw that they are pretty pricey. What would be the best liner I could get for under $200. I live in Texas and I want the pond to be around 1000 gallons.

Lucas

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

Where in TX? We’ve had quite a few new members recently from The Lone Star State!

My only advice to you — whatever you do, DON’T skimp on your liner! Yes, they are expensive, but even if you have to save up, don’t try to save $$$ in this department! Most of us recommend an EPDM liner, but many also get by with PVC. I prefer the EPDM rubber.

 

[Somethin' Fishy]

Welcome Lucas!

I'll echo exactly what Turtle Mommy said, don't skimp on the liner. Look for an EPDM rubber liner, and use a quality underlayment. Also, beware when shopping on Amazon and read through the reviews of products offered there. Some of the liners sold by sketchy vendors are pieced together 'scraps' that can fail and leak. Try to shop locally, and/or look to reputable and experienced pond suppliers.

You may be able to find deals on liners on Craigslist and the like...where people purchased supplies then gave up on their project. Just be sure that the items are clean and had been stored in a way that didn't cause damage to them.

1000 gallons is a good effort, and anything worth doing is worth doing right. Buying quality to start with will save you time, headaches, money and effort in the long run.

Best of luck with your project!

 

[Lisak1]

@Lucasalc46 - welcome to the GPF and the pond dream!

You've probably already figured out what I'm going to say based on the last two answers - don't cheap out on the liner! But honestly, if you shop around, you should be able to come very close to $200 for a liner the size you would need for a pond the size you plan to build. Don't forget you also need underlayment. Those two along with a skimmer, pump, and plumbing are your main expenditures. Some of us buy rock to build a pond, but many folks scavenge for free rocks. If you live where you can find rocks "in the wild", that may be a way to save money.

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

Welcome @Lucasalc46 , where in Texas are you located? I'm in Lake Dallas, Tx just south of Denton.

 

[EricV]

I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into. Depending on how you finish the pond (rock work and so forth), the $200 liner for a 1000 gallon pond is going to be a small part of the expense. From my experience, I'd say a budget of about $1/gallon should be considered an absolute minimum. That's not to say you shouldn't try to find a good liner at a good price!

I ended up getting my liner from http://www.watergarden.org/Pond-Supplies/Pond-Liners since they ship them free. I think the underlayment came from the same place.

 

[qclabrat]

I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into. Depending on how you finish the pond (rock work and so forth), the $200 liner for a 1000 gallon pond is going to be a small part of the expense. From my experience, I'd say a budget of about $1/gallon should be considered an absolute minimum. That's not to say you shouldn't try to find a good liner at a good price!

I ended up getting my liner from http://www.watergarden.org/Pond-Supplies/Pond-Liners since they ship them free. I think the underlayment came from the same place.

Completely agree with Eric. My original budget last year for my pond water $1000, of which $250 was dedicated to the liner. Ended up spending close to triple and I did all the work myself. Rocks, blocks, cement, and other foundation components ended up costing 4x as what I planned. Also ended up getting a backup pump, filter, and other things. It really adds up quickly

 

[bagsmom]

A good liner is important. I priced around and was happy with what I got through Webb's Water Gardens online. Shipping was free. I think I got the 45ml EPDM Firestone liner. I can honestly say, as a total DIY pond builder -- it will pay off in the long run to really think about what you want and budget and save ahead of time to do it right the first time around. I spent more than my husband thought I should. He is still having mild apoplectic tremors, LOL, but the patience, savings, and spending I did up front have made a pond that is very easy to maintain! You will love your pond!!!!!! I started out with aquarium fish as well and always dreamt of one day having a pond. It's a lot of fun! (If you haven't discovered him already, go online and watch Eric Triplett's videos. He is called The Pond Digger. He has a TON of very excellent tutorials for building all sorts of ponds. I learned a lot from his "How to Build a Fish Pond" video series.)

 

[Lucasalc46]

Ok. So what filtration would you put on this pond. I was thinking a bio falls and a slimmer but what skimmer do you guys recommend? Also do you need to seperatly buy a pump for both these things?

 

[Lucasalc46]

Oh ya, I live in Austin. Thanks for all the great replies and helpful information

 

[EricV]

Ok. So what filtration would you put on this pond. I was thinking a bio falls and a slimmer but what skimmer do you guys recommend? Also do you need to seperatly buy a pump for both these things?

No, one pump. You place the pump in the skimmer and run a pipe to the waterfall. Take a look at the pond digger videos, it explains all this.

There are a number of good manufactures of skimmers and bio-fall filters. Look around and pick one sized to the pond you want.

 

[bagsmom]

I LOVE my Helix skimmer but it is expensive. Depending on your budget, I know there are many others that do a good job. I had my heart set on one and had to put off my pond build to save enough to get it.

 

[Lucasalc46]

I have heard of that slimmer and heard everyone loves it. Is there any other skimmers that may be cheaper but still good? Are the Laguna skimmers good? Also with the skimmer you guys recommend plus a 1000 gallon bio fall, will that be enough for a 1500 gallon pond?
Sorry for so many questions


Lucas

 

[EricV]

Plenty. This page is a listing of all the major brands. https://webbsonline.com/Category/Pond-Skimmers You’d probably be fine with the small model from any of those lineups.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our group!

Good advice above^^^