Suggestions for a container pond?

[EricV]

In another thread, I laid out my plans for a 2500-3000 gallon pond that I hope to start construction on in a couple of seasons. However, Menards was selling a 35-gallon container garden http://www.menards.com/main/outdoor...e-standing-water-garden/p-2736899-c-10121.htm for about $15 (seems to sell elsewhere for about $120). So I bought two figuring they could eventually serve as a QT. It has three small marginal shelves and a deeper area.

But in the meantime, I figured I could cut my teeth with one of these for a year or so. I'll put a small pump, filter, and low fountain in it. I want to fill it with plants and maybe a few Rosy Red minnows.

So, what plants should I get for the Chicago area that I can eventually move to a larger pond? What do I do with the plants in the winter? Do I just let it freeze solid outside? Pull it into a dark garage that rarely freezes? Put them downstairs where they will stay at about 60 and get some ambient light?

The fish (if any) will come inside and stay in the basement, I think.

Thanks for any advice

 

[Lisak1]

Hi Eric!
We have a patio pond that we keep a couple of goldfish in every summer - it was my first "pond" too!

I generally plant mine with two or three tall plants at the back - this year I have mini cattails, a coffee cup elephant ear, and some kind of tall grassy thing that I can't remember the name of. Any tall marginal pond plant will work. Then I will plant something that stays low and grows over the edge like water celery or forget-me-nots. This year I have a flowering plant that wasn't sold as a pond plant - don't ask me the name... walking sunset or something like that! - but it's doing great. I experiment a lot with regular plants in my pond - you'd be surprised what you can grow in the shallow water at the edge of a pond or in a waterfall. I also have a dwarf water lily in my little pond that does great as well as some parrot's feather and a few water hyacinths. The WH struggle - I don't know why. They won't grow in my big pond either, but they do great in my pondless waterfall, so I rotate them in and out of those locations. They provide good shade for the patio pond, which is important to help keep the water cool.

As for saving your plants over winter - I've brought my patio pond in for the winter set it up in the house and kept my plants alive. A lot of work, and by the time I was able to move it back outside, the plants were really struggling. They survived, but it took them along time to catch up. But if you have a place to set it up for the winter, it is kind of fun to watch your fish when it's a frozen tundra outside! And the bonus is you'll have a place for the fish to hang out all winter.

I've also pulled the plants out and potted them in soil and treated them as houseplants for the winter. As much as I love to garden however, I am not an indoor plant person. So while they did fine and I was able to reuse them the following year, for me it was more work than it was worth. You won't want to leave them in the patio pond over winter - that will freeze solid and I don't think they would survive. Plus your pond should be emptied over winter so it doesn't freeze and crack.

Have fun!

 

[sissy]

Even here where I live I have had one 60 gallon stock tank freeze and crack.That or build your self a hot house over your ponds .I have seen them done on you tube out of cattle panels and they seem to hold up and Colleen in Canada built one to keep plants in .A hoop house greenhouse would work also .My brother lives in Flat Rock Michigan and he has one over his preformed pond for years now .He just doubles up the 6 mil plastic in the winter and puts a heat lamp in there .

 

[EricV]

Thanks. I have a sunny office at work that perhaps I could save the plants in in a smaller container. No way I can take a 35 gallon tub into work or really find a good place in my house, either. (Besides the basement). This container will probably be pretty shaded too. Any suggestions for specific plants besides those mentioned?

 

[EricV]

I thought I would post a picture of my $30 pond. It's the tub I mention picked up from Menards and a $15 fountain kit from Harbor Freight. I did a little to beef up the biological capacity of the filter. There's a small assortment of plants and about 15 Rosy Red/Fathead minnows in there now. I would guess most of it gets about 3-4 hours of sun a day since it's up against the north side of my house.

 

[Fishfinder]

That's really cute!

 

[EricV]

Thanks. It was fun to do a little something and have a few fish again.

 

[Fishfinder]

Do the minnows grow very much? A tiny little fake frog would be cute in there.

 

[EricV]

Well, they've only been in there 3 days, but... they are about 1.5" now. Alleged to get to 2-3" for males, so not too big. I wanted to try these out because I'm thinking of putting them in my larger pond when I build it. I figure an active surface fish might be a good balance to gold fish. And serve as a heron early-warning system. But I realize that once these go into a pond, there is no getting them out.