Has Anyone Installed a Small Pond?

[ashjohnson80]

I'm digging up the ugly bushes that were in our flower beds from the previous owners. Now I have a big empty space. I would like to put a small pond there but I was wondering if it was really hard to do or really expensive? Anyone have any experience with this or know any do it yourself type websites/books that have instructions?

 

[bananiem]

I haven't but when you're done with yours can you come build one for me?

 

[Cruisin]

Well, I'm guessing that if you have the hole almost or at least partially dug out, you've got a lot of the work already done.

I have a small pond but my brother put it in for me, so I can't help you with the hows to do it etc.

There are tons of books available on the subject. You could just go to the library even and take some out and read up on it.

I don't think they are that much work to install and they are really no work at all to keep up, or at least mine has not been and I've had it since 2000.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I'm digging up the ugly bushes that were in our flower beds from the previous owners. Now I have a big empty space. I would like to put a small pond there but I was wondering if it was really hard to do or really expensive? Anyone have any experience with this or know any do it yourself type websites/books that have instructions?

Loaded question(s).

It can be hard. It can be easy. It can be inexpensive ( sorta ). It can be expensive ( extremely ). Hope that helps.










LOL... OK, I put a 7' x 12' pond in my last house. 3 - 4 feet deep.I dug it all out BY MYSELF over a week. I lined it with rubber pond liner. ( maybe $200 )... bought a filter ( few hundred there ). Bought water testing lkits and miscellaneous stuff.... another $300. Landscaping including big rocks and one beautiful bolder was $600. Fish and plants were maybe another $200.


Was it a lot of work? Yes, at first, it was a HUGE amount of work. But by the end of the year it was basically self sufficient except for cleaning the filter about every 3 weeks.

People LOVED my pond. You could see it from the street. People would knock on my door and ask if they could sit on my bench and relax and feed the fish. It was a beautiful and wonderful hobby to have.

Be aware... you WILL get addicted. It just happens. I was about to rip it up and double the size but then I got engaged and knew I would be moving. The people who bought my house have now TRIPLED the size of the original pond, I have been told.

We had many goldfish and koi living there. Also 3 -4 bullfrogs that we put there. That was a GOOD thing because teh fish reproduced so quickly that the frogs kept the pond from ever getting overcrowded.

There is a TON of info on the net as well as specialty magazines you can buy --- usually available at BIG pet stores and BIG book stores.

Good luck, and enjoy.

 

[Cruisin]

I agree about the size of the pond.

Figure out the size you think you want it to be and then double it At least that's what I wish I had done with my pond

 

[golfgal]

So other then changing the filter, that is all the maintenance that you have to do for the pond or is there more? Our new house has a pond in the front yard and a pond in the back so we will be new to pond life.

Also, with the fish, what do you do with them in the winter (if you live in a cold climate)? Could you have the pond without the fish and plants and use it for a pool of sorts? I think they have the plastic liners, etc. Am I going to be spending my weekends cleaning out the pond? Do you have to change the water ever or do the filters keep that clean?

 

[wdwmom2]

Ponds are wonderful and relaxing!!! Whatever you do, don't get one too small, you will regret it later. DH was against putting our pond in but he did it for me for Mother's Day about 4 years ago. Now he absolutely loves it. My pond is 275 gallons(I think). With the preformed liner,filter, pump, water conditioners, etc, etc, etc , it probably cost somewhere around $1000. Make sure that you get a UV light. Mine is part of my filter. It helps to keep your pond from turning green(algae). Don't get too many fish, they are quite prolific . A few lilies for shade really helps the water quality. Here are a few pics of mine....

 

[golfgal]

I don't know if this will work but this is a picture of the pond in the backyard of our new house.

The pond in the front yard.

 

[wdwmom2]

So other then changing the filter, that is all the maintenance that you have to do for the pond or is there more? Our new house has a pond in the front yard and a pond in the back so we will be new to pond life.

Also, with the fish, what do you do with them in the winter (if you live in a cold climate)? Could you have the pond without the fish and plants and use it for a pool of sorts? I think they have the plastic liners, etc. Am I going to be spending my weekends cleaning out the pond? Do you have to change the water ever or do the filters keep that clean?

I have to clean my filter very frequently. But then again, I have way too many fish. I also deadhead my water lilies when the blooms are spent. Every spring when I "open" my pond, I let the pump suck out all the water, net the fish and put them in a big tub, and clean the liner. All this spring cleaning takes me no more than 4 hours. In the winter the fish go dorment, sorta like they are in a state of suspended animation. You do not feed them, they will be fine. You do have to keep a small area from icing over so that harmful gases can get out and oxygen can get in. My waterfall does this for me.

 

[wdwmom2]

I don't know if this will work but this is a picture of the pond in the backyard of our new house.

The pond in the front yard.

That is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

 

[golfgal]

Our new house has incredible landscaping (at least from what we can tell in the winter mode). I am going to have to learn something about the upkeep, hopefully the current owners will give us a few lessons! I have never been much of a gardener.