Undedcided on a pond?

[IPA]

Thank you. Hmm I don't have a big space at all. I was just thinking of having something small but deep (if I was to decide on fish) with a rockery water fall would like nice in the centre of my rockery flower bed. I will have to get out there and measure to give you an exact size. The flower bed are away from the house.

Deeper isn't necessarily better. A key component of a healthy pond is the surface area where gas is exchanged. Too deep and too narrow could lead to low oxygen levels which aren't healthy. The point is there needs to be a balance between the surface area and depth. Where are you from, don't have to be very specific, and what is your hardiness zone?

 

[Mmathis]

You've gotten some good input. You might want to do a little more actual research -- the internet is great for that -- on exactly what goes into having a good and successful pond. Someone else mentioned the importance of planning. Plan EVERYTHING!

THINGS YOU'LL NEED OR NEED TO KNOW ABOUT: just what I could think of off the bat -- don't want to go into detail as it can be too confusing -- things will always come up just about the time you thought you knew everything you needed to know......ah, the challenges that make this a fun hobby!

• learn about the fish you plan to keep -- what are their requirements? For example: Goldfish are good for smaller ponds, and are generally easier to care for; koi need more space
• Oh, and fish reproduce.....a lot.....and they grow -- both things that can effect the fish load
• Learn about the nitrogen cycle and the basic interactions that go on in a pond ecosystem
• Filtration -- there is purchased and there is DIY, then there is the plant filter that @addy1 mentioned, commonly referred to as a bog filter. This is almost a separate "pond" in itself, requiring [possibly] more room, but you then have the advantage of the garden of lovely plants.
• There is no such thing as a maintenance-free filter [unless you have a huge bog like Addy has, LOL!]
• Pump
• Liner -- this is the one, most important purchase you will make -- always get the best liner you can afford! EPDM rubber is what most ponders use.
• Of course, you need a hole -- sometimes you can hire someone to dig that for you, but most of us have done our own digging
• Plants -- so much to say here! This will entirely depend on the type of pond you end up with. Plants are beautiful, they help with filtration [to some degree], and they can help cool the water during hot months. But plants do need maintenance.
• Your weather -- if you have very cold winters, a deeper pond is an advantage. Same if you have brutally hot summers -- deeper is better.
• Healthy water. Our mantra is "clear water isn't necessarily healthy water." You'll have to do water testing to be sure things like ammonia and pH are within normal limits (see 2nd comment about nitrogen cycle). If you have city water that is treated, you'll need to add a dechorinator when you add water.
• Water test kit
• Fish load -- refers to the number of fish you have as well as their relative size. Too many fish can lead to unhealthy water.
• Algae -- a lot of people hate it, want their water to be 100% clear all the time. Fact is, algae is beneficial to the pond's environment. The kind that grows on the liner walls is what you want. If you get the "pea soup" or string algae, it's still not a bad thing, but it's a sign that you have too many nutrients in the water (IOW, too many fish, overfeeding, etc.) or too much sunlight.
• Adding "chemicals" to the water to "adjust" things -- NOPE! If something is out of whack, the best thing to do is to find the problem and fix it at its source.
  
• pH -- despite what you will read, the number of your pH reading isn't as important as it is for that number reading to be stable -- no bouncing around
• Never stop learning! If you read something and get different answers or views, I always say to look at the reasons behind those opinions. Are they based on science? Or just an opinion? And not everyone's pond is the same, so what works for one person may not work for another. Ask questions and question the answers!

I hope I didn't overwhelm you!

 

[bagsmom]

I would also play around on YouTube. My absolute favorite "pond guy" is Eric Tripplett, The Pond Digger. You can look up his videos. He does them in multi-part tutorials and they are very fun to watch. Get a snack and start the show! I watched How To Build a Fish Pond many, many times. With each step I did, I went back and watched again. So many wonderful tips! Even if your pond will be smaller, there is so much you can learn. He has all sorts of projects filmed -- many large scale landscaping jobs, but also manageable projects for the DIY person -- again, How to Build a Fish Pond and a little frog habitat as well. I learned so much from him.

 

[Mmathis]

Ditto what @bagsmom said!

 

[IPA]

I would also play around on YouTube. My absolute favorite "pond guy" is Eric Tripplett, The Pond Digger. You can look up his videos. He does them in multi-part tutorials and they are very fun to watch. Get a snack and start the show! I watched How To Build a Fish Pond many, many times. With each step I did, I went back and watched again. So many wonderful tips! Even if your pond will be smaller, there is so much you can learn. He has all sorts of projects filmed -- many large scale landscaping jobs, but also manageable projects for the DIY person -- again, How to Build a Fish Pond and a little frog habitat as well. I learned so much from him.

I finally got through the active bog series this morning. The first time I saw the goat munching on the liner I almost lost it

 

[Lou Smith]

I think the best filters are ones you build your self .The satisfaction of a DIY project always makes you feel good .

Hi. Have you got a photo of the filter that you built please?

 

[j.w]

I was thinking about this little pond I found on the net for the future when I can no longer manage my big pond. This would be for whenever we would move to another house. You could dig it deeper if you want to then this one. I don't think I'd do the mulch thing but you could do the outside anyway you choose:

Laying the felt underlayment. We had two pieces of felt. We had to figure out the best way to install the pieces so they covered the entire area.

This is another shot of the felt underlayment installation.

This is the 18' x 10' sheet of 45 mil EPDM rubber liner. It was surprisingly heavy.

Filling the pond. This is the time to fix any creases in the liner.

Here, the pond was filled, and the cap stones were in place. The next day we placed the field stones around the outside edge of the pond

We finished placing the rocks along the edge of the base of the pond, and covered the area near the grass with mulch.

 

[sissy]

That is neat jw .Just a stock tank and adapters .A crate on top to catch the fine stuff .Sump pump hose on pumps and reusable furnace filter and quilt batting .Nothing fancy or expensive

 

[budgenator]

When I was younger I found that fidgeting with pond maintenance was my stress reliever, now not so much. I'm changing things so that maintenance is very low, opening and closing a valve, blowing some air through a pipe. Low maintenance ponding is very do-able, but commercial vendors tend to steer you into equipment that is over-price, poor performing and requires periodic consumables.

 

[sissy]

Reason I did this ,very little work needs done on the pond .Plus the costs of some of those high dollar replacement parts can put a big strain on your wallet .I neglect my pond worse than ever before .

 

[addy1]

Mine is almost zero maintenance, I did need to brush some of the hornwort off the bucket surrounding the pump intake, Got a bit to thick. I think that is the first "work" I have done this year besides a occasional skimmer dump.

 

[EricV]

Kind of amazing. Early in the season I was dumping the skimmer basket every few days. Now that the plants have grown in, they stop anything from hitting the skimmer and I can let it go two weeks....

 

[CometKeith]

Hi and welcome to GPF. If you want to keep things really simple a small pond of maybe... 150 gallons and a few small goldfish and plants with a filter and pump and you will be all set for at least a year or so. It doesn't have to be really complicated to own a pond if you don't want it to be. My first pond was a $150 kit I bought at a big box store and I grew into the hobby at my own pace. Good luck!

 

[sissy]

My preformed was 10 dollars at a goodwill and had a new pump with it .I got a preformed again at a flea market but never got to it this summer .Just a starter pond and then later you can use it for pond plants

 

[j.w]

When I was around 10 I dug a hole in my parents back yard and stuck a big pan in there, filled it w/water and some little plants, put in some tadpoles and 5 baby red eared turtles. Uh Oh found out the hard way how nature works. The turtles had a lot of fun w/the tadpoles unfortunately
From there my interest in ponds always stuck in my head but never made a real pond till about 15 yrs ago here at this house. Had aquariums all my life too. Not now tho, too much work. Pond is easier