Building a fish pond in my backyard. It has to be simple any tips?

Question

My fish died today and I have had her for years. My friend and aunt who is a marine bioligist say that fish live longer and happier lives in ponds. My parents said that we can build a small pond in my backyard as long as it is simple and not extremly expensive. Any tips or advice on pond building or care?

It gets cold in the winter and I plan to leave them outside. I plan to keep goldfish and maybe koi

Answer 1

Your aunt may be correct depending on your climate and type of fish you want to keep. The added volume of a pond gives them lots more room than an aquarium, and dilutes the wastes the fish produce.

Unless you live in a tropical climate, or where the water temperature will stay in the 70s year yound, you shouldn't plan on tropical fish, unless you plan to bring them inside over the winters. If your climate is cooler, you can keep goldfish or rosy red minnows outdoors.

The type of pond that will give you the most flexibility with the size and shape is to dig a hole and use a pond liner. This lets you pick the size and shape you want. There are also premade tubs you can buy, but these are more expensive, plus you have to dig the hole so they sit level.

You should make the pond at least 18" deep, depending on where you live, so it won't freeze all the way to the bottom. You'll need a filter, and something like a small fountain or waterfall to oxygenate the water. Some plants that float (water hyacinth, water lettuce) or ones with floating leaves can be added to cut down on algae and give your fish some shade.

This website can give you some ideas about where to put a pond, how big you'll need, equipment, fish, cleaning & maintenance, and more: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/Pond%20Sub%20Web.htm

Answer 2

the bigger the aqua-environment, the less stress on the fish. given that, how big a pond do u want? are u planning on leaving your fish in it over the winter? what is the climate where u live? for most northern climates, it better be about 2 feet deep so that when it freezes, there is still water below for the fish to swim around. you might want to do some googling for how to build a pond. there are two basic types: a hard liner preformed shape, and a rubber lined one. my pond is 7 by 10 feet and 2.5 feet deep. it cost 500 bucks for the stuff. 200 of which was to ring it with stepping stones. pumps will run about 50 bucks minimum, another 80 for a uv filter, and u will need to buy some piping. figure on 200 minimum for your project. check out drs. foster and smith. they have the best prices.

Answer 3

Go to Home Depot or Lowes, they have pond kits that come with everything that you will need (plastic pond, and filter). I think they run about $25-$50. Make sure that you get some water plants to fill it with as well, otherwise the birds will be able to swoop down and nip at your fish and possibly even kill it or knock it out onto the ground. Just feed it goldfish flakes, they are really easy to take care of. Good Luck!!

Answer 4

You are smart to be researching all this stuff BEFORE you put your pond in.

I think the easiest ponds are those you build yourself. If you get a pre-formed liner, you have to dig your hole *exactly* the same shape/size as the liner, and it is possible that UV exposure over time will cause it to crack and/or leak. Also, if you live in an area prone to freezing, the annual freeze/thaw cycle of the ground can cause the liner to heave itself out of it's hole. Basically, though they may be cheap to begin with, the troubles that come with them on the back end makes them not a very economical or aesthetically pleasing option in the long run, in my opinion.

Instead, I would say get the heaviest EPDM liner you can afford - at least 30 mil. Use carpet pad for underlayment - much cheaper than "official" underlayment. Dig your hole the size you want it, line it with sand, then the carpet pad, then the EPDM (let it sit out in the sun for a bit before working with it - the heat will soften it and make it easier to maneuver).

A few "facts:" no one ever wishes they would have made their pond smaller. What looks like a big hole, seems to miraculously shrink once you get fish, plants, and rocks in it! We had around a 500-750 gallon one, and the next year, immediately turned around and expanded it to a 3,000 gallon one! Also, if you want to keep koi and overwinter them out there, you really should have it be at least 3 feet deep. And, if you are anywhere where you might get predation from herons, egrets, raccoons, etc., build the sides straight - don't do any steps or ledges for plants, etc. You can put your plants on upside down buckets, upside down milkcrates, or even powder-coated metal plant stands (I've used all three), instead, and it will be MUCH more difficult for predators to get at your fish. This will make your fish calmer and more likely to be friendly when YOU come to visit them.

As far as pumps go, I recommend getting one that has the capability to turn over your entire pond volume in an hour. It's always better to go with a pump that is bigger than you need, than to get one that is too small. Go with an actual pond pump, too. Sump pumps and other types can leak oil back into your pond if they should malfunction (which would kill your fish and possibly your plants), whereas pond pumps have all the oil, etc., sealed inside. In my opinion, this is where you should spend your money.

I don't think UV filters, or any mechanical filters, are necessary. We've had our pond for 8 years, and started off with a bead filter and UV filters. We had a terrible time maintaining water quality - it was a daily worry (take care of the water and the fish will take care of themselves!). We had a friend that kept telling us to go veggie, and we just thought that no way could a "primitive" veggie filter be better than the latest technology in mechanical filters and UV filters, etc. Boy, were we wrong! Last year, we finally switched to a veggie filter - one that takes the water out of the pond through a bottom drain, and pumps it through heavy feeding plants (we use water iris) to take out the nitrates before letting the water go back into the pond. Our water has never been better. This year, we discontinued the bead and UV filters altogether, and we have had ZERO water maintenance problems since - running solely on a veggie filter! In general, you want enough plants to fill an area equal to at least 15-20% of your pond's surface area (we have a 500 gallon veggie filter for our 3,000 gallon pond). And, they are cheaper and WAY less maintenance. Here is a link, plus you can e-mail me through my profile and I can give you more specific "how-to's" if you decide to go this method: http://www.bonniesplants.com/how_to/veggiefilter.html

Even if you do decide on a mechanical/UV filter instead of a veggie one, you will still need plants. Fish eat, then make waste (ammonia), which is bad for them. Luckily, Mother Nature has a bacteria that "eats" the ammonia and converts it to nitrites. Unfortunately, nitrites are also bad for fish. So, Mother Nature has another bacteria that converts the nitrites into nitrates, which are OK for fish in very small quantities, but which plants love! (It is basically fertilizer). So plants in the pond end up soaking up most of the nitrates, which keeps your pond water in good shape (again, if you take care of the water, the fish will take care of themselves - just feed them, is all....). Aim for plants equal to roughly 50-60% of your pond's surface, though they don't all need to be surface plants. A good combination of oxygenators like anacharis, heavy feeders like lillies and iris, and floaters like water hyacinth, azolla (fairy fern), and water lettuce, should look very good and provide for good water quality. As a bonus, plants provide shade for your fish and places for them to hide when they feel threatened.

If you want to go really, really, small, you could put a scaled-down version of a "pond" in a half whiskey barrell planter on your proch or patio. You can find pre-made liners for the barrells in most garden centers or nurseries. I have one of these, too - I'm using a submersible pump for fountains that goes up through an old-fashioned water pump sitting on the side of the barrell, and lets the water fall back in, oxygenating it. I have water iris, marsh marigold, and azolla in it, and it keeps 6 small (3-4") sarassa comets in it very nicely. It would take you a few hours to set it up, is all. Again, e-mail me through my profile if you want more info on this option.

Sorry to be so long-winded - I guess that's what happens when you ask a fish geek about her hobby! Anyway, ponding is a great hobby and if you try it, I'm sure you'll love it and your parents will probably get hooked on how relaxing it is to listen to the water and watch the fish, etc. I wish you the best of luck - please feel free to contact me if you have questions/run into problems. Hope this helps.