Tips for building a pond at home?

Question

About how much does this cost?

how big is nessecary for the following...
have goldfish (not too big) in
not to fish out of
deep enough for the fish to survive a winter in Rhode Island

Answer 1

Make it large enough to support a strong ecosystem, then add one large female Bull Shark (since they can live in fresh water) and tell your friends they can swim in it, but to do it "at their own risk"!

Answer 2

i am in the process of building a small pond myself. So far i have spent very little on it ! if your going to do it your self, you will find most things you need are free if you know where to look. i am looking at an 8X 10 area that is 2 feet deep.
a liner for the pool can be found where they are tearing off an old roof, just talk to the foreman on the job he will more than likely throw you a larger piece than you need.
the rock can be easily picked up at a quarry, got mine for free out of the creek next to me.
you may need a little dirt fill, i have a neighbor that drives a dump truck, i mowed his lawn in trade for him dropping a load of free clean fill right where i wanted it !
the last thing i have to purchase myself, the pump for the water. i am drawing water from the creek and had to make a waterfall back to the creek for the return. i drilled a few 3/8 inch holes in the bottom of a bird bath and ran my 1 1/4 inch pipe from the pump under the rubber and cut an 1/8 hole stretching the rubber over the pipe and up into the bird bath sealing it with silicone. it made a pretty cool looking pond with fountain in the center on a small island as the bird bath sits just above water level. my total cost was 150.00 most of which was for the pump i bought.

Answer 3

You mean up North. I'm in lower Michigan and it freezes here, I have to have a cattle warmer in my ponds.
It's a pain in the butt sometimes I think. I've raised Coy and Gold fish up to fourteen inches long only to have three herons swoop down one day while we were at Wal-mart and, eat three years of work.
It cost a fortune to keep the algae out, the pumps going and the ponds clean.
I've sworn at times to fill them in and plant flowers.

You have to get a "good " liner, about $10.00 a foot for a twelve foot piece across. You have to have "good" pumps that condition the water, not just pump it. They'll run you $50.00 apiece. This is plus tubing and accesories.

Rock: You can't just go and pick rock at any river or creek, it's against the law in most States removing natural rock and it's also trespassing. I paid 50 cents a pound for mine at a nursurey, it doesn't take much to add up to a weeks wages.
You need chemicals, for the algea, that will fill a pond in a day when it's warm out, to keep the bio system healthy and to keep the dirt down. The algea buffer alone is $35.00 for a six week treatment. Then there's the fish, whatever you want to buy. They'll give you two prices. If they think it's for you, one price, if they think your going to compete with them, another price.
Then you have diseases in the fish, you can loose them all overnight.
Food for the fish and insurance for the neighbors kids that won't stay out of the ponds, your agent will be screaming and the County will make you build a fence or, the insurance company will. They'll make you put in safety requirements for the neighbor kids.

Do you still want to put in some ponds?

Answer 4

My aunt was dug a huge 8'x10' pond in her yard with the help of family. Then she covered with a pool liner(can get at walmart, target, on-line) PLaced big stones around the outside to hold the liner and filled with water, she had ducks, fish and other animals. It worked very well for years. You can do this by digging a hole the size and depth you'd like, you also can cut liners that are to big, but having a bigger one is better that way you have some slack in case it slips some while filling. you can do this for the price of a pool liner, stones and water treatment(for fish)

Answer 5

You can go to Home Depot and buy a pond form. They have several different sizes. You have to think not only about the cold in the winter but if the water is to shallow the water will get to hot in the summer and basicly cook your gold fish. I don't know how deep it would need to be for that, sorry.

Answer 6

depends on the size it can be quite cheap from a couple hundred.
or very expensive to a couple thousand
if your looking to get a pond about 3X3 feet in a square or circle with rocks it shouldnt be much.
but if you want something you can fish out of it would be alot
research how much material costs in your area and what you need to get started best answer me if this helped

Answer 7

go to that pet place ,com, they will hook you up. they are in lancaster pa. and sell wholesale to the public, your choice of shipping. ENJOY. ps make sure you dont get too much direct sunlight or you will have algea nightmares!