So why a pond?

[slick]

Just a thread to ask why you built your pond?
Mine was a bit of a accident really, after a divorce i met samantha my wife now for almost 10 years.
we bought a house together and in the garden was a ready built small stone pond, it had a few large gold fish and a few (what we think were river caught tench) we knew nothing about ponds and to be quite honest did not really wanted to know, we thought we would keep the pond until the last fish went belly up and then we would fill it in and make a patio area.
cruel i know, as time went on the pond went greener and greener, but the worst the water got the more the gold fish grew,
A short while later i got a new job and had to deliver a length of steel to my new bosses house,
as i walked into his garden i was faced by the most amazing pond i had ever seen beautiful clear water and koi of all colours, i stood and starred at it my new boss asked do you like it and laughed, i told him id love to own one and told him about my green puddle, what pump you running, what size filter you running what size uv you running he asked i just shrugged my shoulders,
He advised me what to do and bit by bit my pond got clearer and cleaner the fish started to look fantastic, a short time later my boss moved house and asked me to look after his koi until he got sorted and then and there i was hooked i stood for hours watching the fish the longer a was by the pond the calmer i became and so the new pond was planned and finally built the most satisfying and relaxing time of my life a warm hot afternoon glass of wine in hand just stood watching fish,

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Just a thread to ask why you built your pond?

Simple. I like nature and photography. A pond attracts all sorts of nature and creates many opportunities for photography. I also remember being about 10 years old and seeing a small pond in a neighbor's backyard while playing with friends. It was a really cool little pond with Leopard Frogs everywhere. That was probably the moment I knew that someday I would have one.

Goldfish are just sort of a nice addition, but its really about the frogs, toads, birds, and insects.

 

[Sunshine]

I like fish

 

[sissy]

Because I had a crazy moment I think senility was setting in .

 

[koiguy1969]

So, why a pond? Cuz a lake just wasn't practical.... Lol

 

[MitchM]

Fire fighting supply backup 1st
Increase wildlife diversity 2nd
Attractive, peaceful relaxing addition to the front yard 3rd

 

[j.w]

It's been in my blood since I was 5yrs old. I used to dig holes and fill them w/water. Graduated to digging holes and plopping in a pot and throwing in some tadpoles. Then got turtles and made and outdoor area for them. Then came the 60's, peace, love and everything else but no ponds. Married, had kids, they left home and I dug a pond. I tell ya it's in the blood and it always comes back to ya................no escaping once you get started.
I loves me fishy's

 

[bettasngoldfish]

For me it's about the fish.

I have several aquariums in the house and wanted to try keeping fish outdoors. Now I have both

 

[Meyer Jordan]

It is an environmental asset and a convenient and enjoyable way to reconnect with Nature.

 

[haver79]

I have always loved to garden. Thought about adding a water feature to my garden. I actually stumbled upon this very forum by accident and was immediately intrigued.
It was only after visiting this forum and seeing everyones beautiful ponds did it grab my interest. I started out with a 150 gal stock tank I buried in the ground and planted around. Sort of a trial run to see if it held my interest and I didn't end up with a green soupy mess all summer. Well it escalated from there and 2 summers later we dug the pond.
Now I want more.

 

[Lisak1]

My husband was an aquarium enthusiast as a teen, so he always wanted fish. I was never crazy about the aquarium idea, although we did have several when our kids were little - too much work for mom, who seemed to always get the chore end of fish fun. But I do love to garden and putter around in the yard. So when the kids were grown and no longer needed the back yard as a play space we decided to combine our two interests and add a pond to the yard. Best decision we ever made! He gets the joy of watching the fish and I get an whole new gardening experience. We love our pond!

What a great question! I think every pond owner I have met has had a different reason for wanting a pond. Some didn't even really WANT a pond, like you @slick - they just stumbled on to one in one fashion or another. But pond people are some of the nicest, calmest people I've ever met!

 

[Priscilla]

I have always loved fish and watching them. Its always been a dream of mine to have a pond. While drinking wine one night we decided that one of the fish in my son's tank had outgrown the tank and wouldn't it be neat to put a pond outside his window. My husband said it was too hot for him to dig a hole, so I better hire a backhoe, so I said okay! When I called the guy he said he had a one hour minimum. SO my pond is the one hour minimum! LOL! Its not outside my son's window, too big for that, it ended up in a previously unused area of our back yard.

Its been a great way for me to unwind (although my water is stressing me right now).

In hindsight I should have started smaller and learnt from my mistakes (no way to hide the liner on most of the pond). Still trying to come up with waterfall ideas. But loving every minute of it.

 

[Dave 54]

Slick due to my disabilities we kept ours indoors for 22 years , in the end I was struggling , it was either quit our beloved hobby or find an easier way of keeping them and a few slide valves is the easier way of doing things (why didnt someone tell us this 22 years before )
Indoors they were kept to a very high standard my koi show and fish show awards are testiment to that , and we hed our own against more expensive koi infact they ate better than us
However I have a retrofitted QT pond from a dealership we always used in Yeovil that stopped trading because of Stuarts broken back , the intense cold they get in winter prompting a move to Australia for him.
I sold the tank for £600.00 a good price considering the glass was 22 year old and bought for £793.00 , then promptly one £1,000 on our local hospice lottery again they are kept to a very high standard water wise which is basiccally why we dont have plants in koi pond in the UK believe it or not.
Karma "I think so", the koi we have made it through the first winter now 6 years on , I can say we are having fun again all that needs done now is the cosmetic work and we are finished .
It will hopefully bodies willing it will see Val who has MD plus all my own health issues, us through another 20 year or more .
Our greatest achievement in the koi world so far was getting nominated for the koi magazines 2009 koi hall of fame .
Plus being founding fathers to our own section est 1991
*Note the page was designed that way and isnt ripped nore creased

Dave

 

[CometKeith]

Slick, good idea for a thread. I was in Menards one day (its a store that sell building supplies) and I saw a pond kit on sale for like 30% off. I think I ended up spending around $150 but it included everything like liner. a pump, and biofilter. I decided it would be fun to try building a pond and it sounded pretty easy.....hahahahaha!!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I was in Menards one day...

My first pond came from Menards too.